Redheads Getting Ahead With Rogaine

By: Adrienne and Stephanie Vendetti, Co-Founders of How to be a Redhead

This post was sponsored by Rogaine, but all opinions are our own.

Redheads are arguably blessed with the most unique and beautiful hair color in the world. It’s rare and extraordinary. Many redheads get the redhead gene from their parents, grandparents, great-grandparents or a redhead far back on their family tree.

We thank the lucky stars our family graced us with beautiful red locks, gorgeous freckles (aka sun kisses) and fiery personalities. We are a close knit family where unconditional love stems from our core. These are the traits we were taught to cherish forever.

But, what if you suddenly realize a genetic trait is developing that you think you cannot control? Back to the topic of hair, one inherited trait that it seems many people are concerned about is hereditary hair loss.

Hereditary Hair Loss (aka HHL for reference in this post) runs in our family. We are from an Italian family where many of our relatives have experienced early stages of hair loss — whether they are redhead, brunette or blonde. The effect is hair loss or thinning right on the scalp.

Our grandmother, who we dedicated our “How to be a Redhead” Beauty Book to, was a natural redhead. She experienced changes in her hair as she aged; first turning white in her 30’s and then realizing small portions of her hair were thinning and falling out. And both of our husbands (Adrienne’s hubby is a redhead!) are experiencing hair loss too, especially at the crosshairs and the crown of their heads.

If you’re a redhead looking to stop HHL in its tracks, you’re in the right spot. This trait is controllable, so why not be proactive now before it’s too late?

Recently, we learned about Rogaine and the benefits it can have to help manage hereditary hair loss, especially if used early on. Since HHL is a manageable trait, you (and/or your family) can get ahead of it with Rogaine.

Here are some key facts on HHL for both men & women:

1. It can stem from either the mother’s or father’s side of the family (you don’t just inherit from your mother’s side!).

2. We were surprised to see that HHL accounts for 90% of hair loss cases in women (vs. other factors like stress, thyroid disease, medications, dietary deficiencies, etc).

3. Of women experiencing hair loss, 76% of women start to notice hair thinning after the age of 30.

To see if you or someone in your family is affected by HHL, here are the key signs to look out for in women:

Thinning hair – is your hair losing volume and/or density over time?

Hair shedding – shedding some hair every day is normal. however, if you find that you have a consistent loss of 150 hairs a day that is considered to be significant hair loss.

Widening part or visible scalp – if you notice that you can see your scalp more than usual, that is a definite sign of hair loss.

If you are a male (redhead or not) and facing hair thinning:

You are not alone– most men have a 50% chance of experiencing HHL by the age of 50. It is also common to start seeing hair loss when you are in your late teens or early 20’s. What should you be looking for? If you see that your hair is thinning at the crown of the head – that is a sign of Male Pattern Hair Loss (aka MPHL).

Women’s Rogaine and Men’s Rogaine foam products are formulated with 5% minoxidil. What is minoxidil? It’s the only topical ingredient FDA-approved to regrow hair (including redheads!) by penetrating the scalp and reviving those dormant hair follicles to stimulate regrowth. So, you know you’re in good hands!

Over the next three months, 1 redhead man (Adrienne’s husband, Josh) and 1 redhead woman in our family are starting their journey with Rogaine.We are excited to see their results. Below are photos of their 1st time using Rogaine. The woman is using Women’s Rogaine 5% Minoxidil Foam, and the man is using Men’s Rogaine Unscented Foam.

Pictured: Adrienne’s husband, Josh

Please note: Rogaine is best applied with a non-porous applicator.

The application instructions suggest that you dispense the product onto a non-porous surface, part hair to maximize scalp exposure and massage directly onto the scalp.