Despite the many hair loss treatments that have come and passed over the years, minoxidil remains a reliable treatment. In the late 1980s, it was first marketed under the brand Rogaine and is still available today. Also known as a blood pressure medication, minoxidil was discovered to stimulate hair growth by working to lower blood pressure. In the early 1960s, minoxidil was developed as an oral treatment for high blood pressure. It is still occasionally prescribed for this condition, says dermatologist Kim D. Edhegard, MD. After a few decades of research, the US FDA approved topical minoxidil to treat male hair loss (thus, Rogaine was born), and later, for female hair loss as well. “In one of the early trials for the treatment of high blood pressure, hair growth was noted.”