Introduction

In this article, we will give all the information about Tugain 10, and the other Tugain minoxidil products such as Tugain 5 and Tugain 2 to help you choose the right product. We will also discuss Dualgen-10 that has the same minoxidil strength as Tugain 10 but with more ingredients and better effectiveness.

Tugain 10 is a solution which contains minoxidil and is primarily used for the treatment of androgenetic alopecia (male pattern baldness). Tugain is produced by Cipla, an Indian multinational pharmaceutical and biotechnological company which develops a variety of medicines for respiratory, rheumatological, cardiovascular and mood disorders. The primary ingredient in Tugain 10 is minoxidil – a potent vasodilator which has been used in the treatment of hair growth disorders in men and women.

Originally developed in the 1970s for the treatment of hypertension, the minoxidil in Tugain 10 was observed to cause abnormal hair growth as an unintended side effect. The chemical within minoxidil (2,4-diamino-6 piperidino-pyrimidine-3-oxide) causes potassium channels in the smooth muscle cells around the arteries supplying the hair follicles to dilate. This dilation of the vessels results in a better blood-flow to the hair follicles, resulting in faster and more robust growth. The Tugain range consists of liquid as well as foam preparations, each with varying levels of strength – 2%, 5% and 10%. These strengths reflect the concentration of minoxidil within the respective preparations. (see the image below).

The Tugain 2 (both liquid and foam) is a for women product. Of course, men can use it as well. Tugain 5 (5% minoxidil and Tugain 10 (10% minoxidil) are for men only. Women should not use them.  

These products differ not only in minoxidil concentration, but also in other ingredients. Such as Tugain 10 has 40% alcohol, while Tugain 2 and 5 have 63% and 30% alcohol respectively.  

Tugain 10 Ingredients

Tugain 10 liquid: 10% minoxidil, 20% water, 30% propylene glycol, and 40% alcohol.

Tugain 10 Foam: Absolute Alcohol, Stearyl Alcohol, 10% Minoxidil, Butylhydroxytoluene (BHT), Lactic acid, Citric acid, Glycerol anhydrous,  Polysorbate 60, Aeropin 70, Purified water.

How to use Tugain?

The use of all Tugain liquid products are as follows: 

1. Remove the large outer cap of the bottle, and then remove the inner cap

2. Insert the dropper applicator into the bottle and squeeze the rubber bulb. Release the bulb, allowing the solution to fill up to the 1 mL mark

3. Gradually pour the solution from the dropper onto the centre of the area where the hair is this.

4. Spread evenly with fingertips. To prevent the solution from running off the scalp, apply a small amount at a time

5. Wash your hands

Note: (1) Apply 1 ml of minoxidil topical solution twice daily at 12-hour intervals to the scalp. Applying more than 2 times a day will not increase hair regrowth; (2) The total daily application dose should not exceed 2 ml; (3) Product should be allowed to remain on scalp for 4 hours prior to washing; (4). No need to massaged the product into the scalp, but applied lightly. A hair dryer should not be used to speed up the drying of the solution as it may decrease the effectiveness. The product should not be mixed with any hair oil.

Use the foam preparation of Tugain as following:

1. Shake the foam bottle well and press the bottle nozzle to get the foam into the cup half capful

2. Apply the foam twice daily at 12-hour intervals to the scalp

3. Begin at the centre of the affected area and spread the foam out to cover the entire affected area

4. Like liquid, the foam minoxidil should be allowed to remain on scalp for 4 hours prior to washing

Shelf-Life of Tugain: 

1.5 years (18 months) for all Tugain product including 2%, 5% and 10%. This is much shorter than other brands of minoxidil that usually have shelf life of 3 years. 

Tugain solution color

TUGAIN Solution is generally a clear solution when it is just manufactured. As it gets older, it will have a yellow appearance due to the oxidation of the minoxidil. The older the solution is, the yellower it will be.  Nonetheless, the color of the solution has no impact on its effectiveness, nor should it cause staining of clothes or skin. The solution will have no color when it has dried on the scalp.

If you need color or perm your hair, you should

Wash TUGAIN Solution off the hair and scalp thoroughly To avoid possible scalp irritation, 

Do not use TUGAIN Solution for at least one day after any perm or colour treatment to make sure that any chemicals used have not irritated the scalp. If no irritation occurs, continue use of minoxidil topical solution afterwards.

Tugain for Beard & Eyelash, Eyebrow Growth

Although minoxidil has only been FDA approved for hair loss treatment. A lot of people are smearing minoxidil solution on the face to grow beard.

Some people chose to use Tugain 10 over Kirkland or Rogaine minoxidil for beard growth because of its high minoxidil concentration. Minoxidil's effectiveness is known to be dose-dependent. The higher concentration it is, the better it helps hair regrow. With Kirkland 5% minoxidil, one needs to use it two times a day to receive optimal results, while one can use Tugain 10 once a day and still receive very good results.

Minoxidil does not only work for beard, it works effectively to grow hair just about anywhere with hair follicles. That is why people even use Tugain product to grow eyelash and eyebrow as well.  

Who should not use Tugain?

• People have high blood pressure.
• People have heart issue.
• Children younger than 18 year old.
• Women who are pregnant women or breast-feedging.
• People whose reason for hair loss is unknown.
• If there is no family history of hair loss; there is sudden and/or patchy hair loss.
• Patients with red, inflamed infection, or irritated or painful scalp (including psoriasis and sunburn).
• Patients with hypovolaemic states (e.g., co-treatment with diuretics, dehydration, etc.)

Tugain 10 Before and After Result

 Can't find any before-and-after photos as a hair loss product. The only photo that was found online was for beard growth. Below is photo someone posted after using Tugain 10 for two weeks. He was impressed how well the product worked for him. He didn't show the before photo though. He also said that he used Rogaine for one year but it didn't for him at all.  

Dualgen-10

Dualgen-10 is worth mentioning because it similar to Tugain 10 but a much more effective product. It not only has 10% minoxidil but also 5% azelaic acid.  The combination of minoxidil (hair growth stimulator) and natural DHT blocker azelaic acid makes it better hair regrowth product than Tugain 10. In addition, Dualgen-10 has lower propylene glycol and alcohol amount than Tugain too. Thus the former is less likely to cause side effects such itchy scalp, dandruff, dry skin issues than the latter. 

CONCLUSION

Although Tugain 10 contains a potent active ingredient – minoxidil, it is significantly limited in view of its lack of additional beneficial compounds. Dualgen-10 represents a better alternative as it solely comes prepared as a liquid formulation and includes azelaic acid, caffeine, retinal and ABN complex for maximal synergy with minoxidil.

References

1.            Ingprasert, S., et al., Efficacy and safety of minoxidil 3% lotion for beard enhancement: A randomized, double-masked, placebo-controlled study. J Dermatol, 2016. 43(8): p. 968-9.

2.            Watanabe, Y., et al., Topical adenosine increases thick hair ratio in Japanese men with androgenetic alopecia. Int J Cosmet Sci, 2015. 37(6): p. 579-87.

3.            Sasmaz, S. and O. Arican, Comparison of azelaic acid and anthralin for the therapy of patchy alopecia areata: a pilot study. Am J Clin Dermatol, 2005. 6(6): p. 403-6.

4.            Fitton, A. and K.L. Goa, Azelaic acid. A review of its pharmacological properties and therapeutic efficacy in acne and hyperpigmentary skin disorders. Drugs, 1991. 41(5): p. 780-98.

5.            Yoo, H.G., et al., The additive effects of minoxidil and retinol on human hair growth in vitro. Biol Pharm Bull, 2007. 30(1): p. 21-6.

6.            Bansal, M., K. Manchanda, and S.S. Pandey, Role of caffeine in the management of androgenetic alopecia. International journal of trichology, 2012. 4(3): p. 185-186.