Minoxidil, Hair Loss, and High Blood Pressure

How was minoxidil discovered?

Minoxidil was originally used as an oral medication for high blood pressure. If I remember the story correctly, a family doctor reported that he had treated two elderly women with minoxidil for difficult to manage blood pressure. Some women who were prescribed this drug for high blood pressure developed in increase in hair in body parts to include beard area, moustache area, hair on the chest, and increased hair on arms and legs. It isn’t known how the drug stimulates hair growth, though.