Lifestyle
This cutting edge hair loss treatment is a repurposed drug from the 1990s
WASHINGTON (AP) — The latest trend in treating hair loss may sound familiar — essentially, it’s a repurposed drug first popularized in the 1990s.
Back then, TV viewers were inundated with ads for Rogaine, a sticky topical solution that could help treat thinning hair when applied to the scalp.
Now dermatologists are increasingly prescribing the drug, known generically as minoxidil, in low-dose pills to help men and women maintain or regrow hair.
The practice follows several recent studies suggesting the ingredient works as well — or possibly better — when swallowed, rather than applied to hair follicles on the head. Telehealth companies are also driving new demand by offering a quick, easy way to get a prescription and have the pills shipped directly to customers’ doors.
Here’s a look at the drug:
A retro approach to hair loss
Minoxidil was originally developed as a pill to treat high blood pressure in the 1970s. Researchers noticed that some patients taking it experienced increased hair growth as a side effect.
Rogaine was approved by the Food and Drug Administration in 1988, the first drug to win the agency’s endorsement for male pattern baldness. Studies showed that men on the medication, which was applied directly to the scalp, had a slower rate of hair loss and, in some cases, regrew hair.
Starting in 1991, a lower dose was approved for women and the brand was aggressively marketed as an over-the-counter medication on TV and in print.
This article is part of AP’s Be Well coverage, focusing on wellness, fitness, diet and mental health. Read more Be Well.
The drug’s ability to slow hair loss is likely related to its effect on blood circulation, according to experts.
“By increasing blood flow to the scalp it signals hairs to stay in their growth phase for longer,” said Dr. Adam Friedman, chair of dermatology at George Washington University. “We’re trying to keep those hairs in that growth phase as long as possible.”
A recent consensus paper by more than 40 U.S. and international dermatologists concluded that minoxidil pills are effective and often more convenient and affordable than the liquid formulation.
Patients prefer the pill
There’s little research comparing the two forms of minoxidil, but many dermatologists believe the drug works better as a pill.
At a chemical level, minoxidil is absorbed more directly when digested in the gut than when applied to the hairline. It’s also more convenient, with patients taking the drug by mouth once a day, instead of applying the liquid once or twice daily using a dropper.
“As you can imagine, that can be rather onerous,” said Dr. Susan Taylor of the University of Pennsylvania. “Although people often enthusiastically begin therapy— and even see results — after a while there are many who drop off.”
The doses prescribed for oral use are also very low. Dermatologists often direct men to take one half of the lowest-dose pill; women may only need a quarter of a pill.
Those low doses can also reduce the chances for side effects, which can include dizziness, rapid heartbeat and swollen legs. The drug isn’t recommended for people with a history of heart issues or who are pregnant or breastfeeding.
The only other FDA-approved medication for hair loss is finasteride, sold under the brand name Propecia, a drug that blocks a byproduct of testosterone that triggers hair loss in men. That drug is generally considered more effective than minoxidil, but it can occasionally cause troubling sexual side effects, including erectile dysfunction. For optimal results, some dermatologists prescribe the two drugs in combination.
Why aren’t minoxidil pills FDA-approved for hair loss?
In short, because there’s very little money to be made.
Minoxidil’s patent has expired and it is now available as a low-cost generic medication. That means drugmakers have little financial incentive to spend millions on the new studies that would be needed to win FDA approval for hair loss.
“For a drug like oral minoxidil — which is as old as dirt at this point — there are no reasons to do that,” said Friedman. Like other dermatologists, Friedman gives hair-loss patients a prescription for the pills intended to treat blood pressure, a practice known as off-label prescribing.
The upside for patients is that minoxidil is extremely affordable, with some pharmacies offering a month’s supply for less than $5.
“Not a single patient has complained to me about the cost of this medication, which is extremely rare,” said Dr. Luiz Garza of Johns Hopkins University.
Telehealth firms open up access
The vast majority of doctors prescribing minoxidil for hair loss are dermatologists, who often turn to older drugs off-label for various hair and skin conditions.
A survey of U.S. dermatologists published last year found 80% reported prescribing oral minoxidil. But with only about 12,000 dermatologists in the U.S., some patients may have trouble finding a provider.
Telehealth providers like Hims and Ro say they are helping fill the gap. Their business model offers patients quick access to the medications they are seeking, often after simply filling out a questionnaire about their medical history, medications and treatment goals. The information is reviewed by a health provider who can quickly approve a prescription, assuming there are no red flags.
Hims and Ro each say that their providers won’t prescribe minoxidil for patients who have complicating health conditions or prescriptions that could negatively interact with the drug. In some cases, patients may be referred for an office visit.
Many dermatologists say patients are better served by an in-person appointment, where a doctor will usually take a blood pressure reading, evaluate their medical history, prescriptions and discuss the drug’s side effects.
“I’m not a proponent of going to an online service,” said Taylor. “I recommend seeing your board-certified dermatologist who’s trained, who knows the data and can evaluate all of you.”
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The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science and Educational Media Group and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
NUUK, Greenland (AP) — Greenlanders celebrated National Day, the Arctic island’s biggest summer festival, on Saturday to mark the solstice with songs, cannon salutes and dances under 24 hours of sunlight.
Revelers across the semi-autonomous Danish territory, which is also coveted by U.S. President Donald Trump, honored the longest day of the year north of the equator, where the solstice marks the start of astronomical summer, with a march through their hometowns waving flags and participating in a seal hunting competition.
The national holiday was declared in 1985, following a referendum on home rule six years earlier, with the inaugural raising of the red-and-white Greenlandic flag. As the sun came out, locals gathered for the day of festivities, visiting friends and families, eating and dancing together.
Greenland’s roughly 56,000 inhabitants look forward to the midnight sun each year from May 25 to July 25, before the long, dark winter reappears.
The strategic, mineral-rich island has made headlines after Trump declared it his mission to make it part of the U.S., saying it’s crucial for American security in the high north.
Trump has not ruled out military force to seize Greenland despite strong rebukes from Denmark, a NATO ally, and Greenland itself. Danish and Greenlandic leaders say the island is not for sale and have condemned reports of the U.S. stepping up intelligence gathering there.
On Saturday, Greenlanders tried to leave politics behind to enjoy the seemingly endless summer sunshine.
Locals in traditional clothing made of pearl collars and seal hides started the day by marching toward the Colonial Harbour with Greenland’s national flags.
Johannes Ostermann, 20, said he loved the holiday because “you get to go out in the city and you get to meet the people you haven’t met in a while, and you know they’re going to be there because it’s a big day for Greenland and we enjoy each other’s company.”
“Everyone says congratulations to each other, everyone’s saying hi, everyone’s being very very nice because it is a very nice day for us all,” he added.
At 9 a.m., a cannon salute marked the beginning of the annual seal hunting competition, with participants in boats rushing into the sea.
It took about an hour for the first hunter to come back with the seal. The animal was cut open for an inspection. The organizer said the meat will be distributed to nursing homes, and all other parts will be used to make clothing.
Pilo Samuelsen, one of the winners of the competition, enjoyed his victory and the fact that the holiday brings together the community and keeps their culture alive.
“The seal hunt competition is a nice tradition,” Samuelsen said. “It’s a day of unity and the celebration.”
Sofie Abelsen, 33, said she hoped her people would continue their celebrations because “modernization and globalization is a danger to all Indigenous people and Indigenous countries.”
“So I hope they will continue the traditions … so they don’t disappear,” she added.
LONDON (AP) — As the sun rose Saturday on the longest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere, a crowd erupted in cheers at Stonehenge where the ancient monument in southern England has clocked the summer solstice over thousands of years.
The orange ball crested the northeast horizon behind the Heel Stone, the entrance to the stone circle, and shone its beam of light into the center of one of the world’s most famous prehistoric monuments. The solstice is one of the few occasions each year when visitors are allowed to walk among the stones, which are otherwise fenced off.
The crowd gathered before dawn at the World Heritage Site to mark the start of summer in the Northern Hemisphere, beating the heat during the U.K.’s first amber heat-health alert issued since September 2023. Temperatures later topped 33 degrees Celsius (91.4 degrees Fahrenheit) in Surrey, 80 miles (128 kilometers) east of Stonehenge, the hottest temperature recorded in the U.K. so far this year.
About 25,000 sun devotees and other revelers, including druids, pagans, hippies, locals and tourists, showed up, according to English Heritage which operates the site. More than 400,000 others around the world watched a livestream.
“This morning was a joyous and peaceful occasion with the most beautiful sunrise,” said Richard Dewdney, head of operations at Stonehenge. “It is fantastic to see Stonehenge continuing to enchant and connect people.”
Stonehenge was built in stages 5,000 years ago on the flat lands of Salisbury Plain approximately 75 miles (120 kilometers) southwest of London. The unique stone circle was erected in the late Neolithic period about 2,500 B.C.
Some of the so-called bluestones are known to have come from the Preseli Hills in southwest Wales, nearly 150 miles (240 kilometers) away, and the altar stone was recently discovered to have come from northern Scotland, some 460 miles (740 kilometers) away.
The site’s meaning has been vigorously debated. Theories range from it being a coronation place for Danish kings, a druid temple, a cult center for healing, or an astronomical computer for predicting eclipses and solar events.
The most generally accepted interpretation is that it was a temple aligned with movements of the sun — lining up perfectly with the summer and winter solstices.
MILAN (AP) — Dolce & Gabbana beckoned the warm weather with crumpled, take-me-anywhere comfort in their menswear collection for spring-summer 2026, previewed during Milan Fashion Week on Saturday.
The show opened and closed with a relaxed pajama silhouette — deliberately rumpled and effortless — in a clash of stripes, with both shorts and long trousers.
The Beethoven soundtrack belied designers Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana’s more deliberate intent, underscoring the designers’ structured approach to soft tailoring.
A broad shoulder double-breasted suit jacket and tie worn with pink pinstriped PJ pants encapsulated the classic summer dilemma: work vs. pleasure.
Raw knitwear, or furry overcoats, added texture. Boxers peeked out of waistbands, and big shirt cuffs out of jacket sleeves, challenging formal and casual codes.
Nothing was cleaner on the runway than a crisp striped pajama top in sky-blue and white stripes tucked into white leather Bermuda shorts — good for work and for play.
The designers’ finale featured pajama suits, shorts and pants, with beaded floral patterned embroidery for an evening seaside shimmer, worn with fuzzy sliders. Twin cameo brooches gave an antique accent.
The crowd outside got to share in the fun when the finale models took the looks onto the streets, taking a full lap outside the designers’ Metropol theater. Front-row guests included actors Zane Phillips, Theo James, Lucien Laviscount and Michele Morrone.
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