Scratching My Head Over Rogain
As the only FDA approved, over the counter hair loss treatment,
Rogaine has become a household name. It has also been the
subject of many scientific studies. But is it the right choice
for you when you are experiencing thinning hair? Let's look into
the facts about Rogaine.
Rogaine has been shown to produce some hair growth in 33% of
men. This was the result of a survey conducted by the makers of
Rogaine. A fascinating point of the survey was that the placebo
treatment (the fake treatment with no Rogaine) produced hair
growth in 20% of those in the study. Does this mean that people
will regrow hair when they believe that they will? Is hair loss
partially controlled by our attitude? Who knows. But it is
certainly interesting that Rogaine is only 13% more successful
than the fake treatment.
So you're interested. You've got a one in three chance of seeing
some hair growth. The next thing to consider is the cost of
Rogaine. Monthly, you're looking at around $40-$50. Maybe less
if you go for the generic Rogaine that some stores offer. So now
you have to consider whether a yearly cost of over $500 for a
33% chance of some hair regrowth is worth it. Rogaine says it
may take 2 years of treatment before you see your hair grow
back. So that's around $1000 for your one in three chance.
Let's say you drop the grand and turn out to be that lucky one
in three. Guess what? Rogaine only works as long as you keep
using it. So you have to continue your $500 a year treatment to
keep your hair going. But here's the catch, Rogaine won't work
forever. You can get about two years of growth out of it before
your hair resumes its thinning.
So before investing that first $50 into a bottle of Rogaine,
consider the long term possibilities. Several thousand dollars
for a one in three chance at two years of hair growth. Is it
worth it? You have to decide for yourself, but make sure you are
making an educated choice.