Are Hair Growth Pills Safe?

In Australia, there are only two drugs approved for hair loss treatment; topical Minoxidil 2-5% applications and oral Finasteride 1mg (Propecia) in tablet form. Over the past few years, there has been a trend of oral "mini pills" in medical literature and a steady increase of online stores spruiking the benefits of their oral 'pill' type solutions for hair growth. They expound the virtues of their 'hair pill' medicine without listing ingredients that would provide you with the power to do your research and make decisions.

As a consulting and compounding pharmacist of over 30 years with more than 9 of those years as a research and development pharmacist in the pharmaceutical manufacture industry, I can advise you that these oral hair growth pills are not new and would consist of different dosages of a combination of the following existing drugs.

For men: Minoxidil plus Finasteride. It's worth noting that oral minoxidil is an approved treatment only for a particular type of hypertension and is NOT an "approved for hair loss" treatment, making its inclusion in any hair loss treatment "off-label."

For women: Minoxidil plus Spironolactone. Spironolactone is an approved diuretic (water tablet) with anti-androgen action. Its use as a treatment for hair loss is not yet approved, making the addition of spironolactone currently "off-label" as well.

As a pharmacist, I have not come across a single drug or medicine with no side effects during my long career. 99.9% come with a lengthy and non-exhaustive list of adverse side effects often referenced and often overlooked in the fine print. A recent (July-Aug 2020) systematic review found "insufficient evidence" to support the use of Oral Minoxidil as published in the International Journal of Trichology by an expert independent medical panel under the title: Effect of Oral Minoxidil for Alopecia: Systematic Review.

In the mid-1980's I was the first pharmacist to compound topical minoxidil solutions. I was doing this well before any commercial pharmaceutical brands of topical minoxidil were available in Australia. I was also the first to compound a propylene glycol-free minoxidil formula. Propylene glycol is a common solvent for making topical pharmaceutical solutions that might also be the source of irritation to some individuals who tend to be sensitive to such chemicals rather than minoxidil itself.

My extensive professional experience made me fully aware of the shortcomings, side effects, downside, limitations, and success rate of minoxidil treatment for hair loss. This knowledge was the driving force that encouraged me to look for a safe, drug-free alternative and led me to discover the hair formula known as 'Activance' with the hair growth nutrient molecule Rhodanide as the key active ingredient.

Activance with Rhodanide: A bioidentical and drug-free alternative for hair growth

The regenerative power of Rhodanide^ recognised in scientific research undertaken in Germany and other European countries found that aging and modern daily stresses cause the constant depletion of Rhodanide. Because Rhodanide is a vital molecule, like vitamin D, that our bodies produce naturally to keep hair growing strong and healthy, any deficiency will reduce hair aesthetic and scalp health, accelerating hair damage, aging, thinning, and hair loss.

When it comes to improving your hair and scalp health, only Activance with Rhodanide effectively harnesses nature's nourishing power of Rhodanide to transform hair from the inside out. Rhodanide positively impacts the entire 5-stage hair growth cycle slowing hair aging, hair fall, and hair loss while promoting, maintaining, and maximising growth, regrowth, and scalp health.

Most importantly, Activance products are so natural, safe, and gentle we recommend their use to people of all genders, ages, and stages of life and even while pregnant and breastfeeding.

There are often many routes you can take on your quest for increased hair growth that lead to the same destination; sometimes, these choices come with unintended consequences. Activance is a hair regrowth treatment that provides total hair and scalp health; it's a no side-effects drug-free option that's effective, easy-to-use, and affordable.

Arthur Chan, Regenerative Health Consultative Pharmacist.

Arthur provides a consulting service offering specialised advice and treatment plans; his holistic and comprehensive approach to health and wellbeing enables his clients to reach their health and wellness objectives without relying on drugs alone.

^Rhodanide (thiocyanate) in Activance is a nature-identical, bioactive nutrient molecule found in plants and animals, classified as Generally Recognised As Safe (GRAS) food additive by FDA.