RiUP X5 Charge vs Regenne Plus: Japan Labels and Safe Use

RiUP X5 Charge and RiUP Regenne Plus are hair-regrowth medicines with different adult-use labels. Choose by suitability before comparing 5% with 1%. In Japan, X5 Charge is labeled for men aged 20 and over; Regenne Plus is labeled for women aged 20 and over. Neither is an all-purpose treatment for shedding, and neither should be swapped for the other just because both contain minoxidil.

I’m Irene, a Taiwan-born, Japan-licensed pharmacist working in a Japanese drugstore. For this shelf, I’d start with why the hair is thinning and who will use the medicine, then check the full product name together.

Japan-market labels checked on 19 October 2026. This guide covers these two specific products, not every RiUP medicine or the rules for minoxidil in other countries.

Before choosing a bottle: is this the right kind of treatment?

Both products are Japan Class 1 OTC medicines, sold through a pharmacist. Their approved use is hair regrowth, hair growth and prevention of further hair loss in hereditary-pattern hair loss, described on the Japanese label as 壮年性脱毛症. The manufacturer describes this as thinning that generally develops gradually over years. An illustration, a wider parting or the number of hairs in the shower cannot establish the diagnosis.

• Sudden, patchy or unexplained hair loss: do not start either medicine to test what happens. Arrange a medical assessment.
• A sore, wounded, eczematous or inflamed scalp: do not apply either product to it. Having ingredients that support scalp condition does not make these treatments suitable for an irritated scalp.
• Hair-shaft dryness or frizz: a cosmetic oil or mask addresses a different need. It does not replace a regrowth medicine. See the fino hair-mask, milk and oil guide for that separate decision.

Japanese products labeled 育毛剤 may be quasi-drug scalp tonics, while oils and masks may be cosmetics. Read the exact product category and approved claims. A tonic is not an interchangeable minoxidil medicine or a treatment for every cause of hair loss.

The two labels side by side

Under 20: do not use either. A lower concentration does not create a child’s dose or make Regenne Plus a gentle substitute for men. Likewise, X5 Charge is not a stronger option for women under its Japanese label. If you are unsure how the label applies to you, including when you use hormone treatment, ask a pharmacist or your doctor rather than choosing by concentration online.

Recognize the current Japan packages

X5 Charge: look for the complete “X5 CHARGE” name

The dark blue and gold carton says X5 CHARGE, 5% minoxidil and eight actives. The image shows the 60 mL pack. Other RiUP products also use “X5”; the word “Charge” matters. Do not transfer this guide’s formula or applicator instructions to a different bottle.

Regenne Plus: check for “Plus” or プラス

The current pink carton and white bottle are RiUP Regenne Plus, 60 mL. Taisho launched Plus on 14 September 2026. Older guides and photos may show RiUP Regenne without “Plus”; those are not the formula described here. This does not mean every earlier package is counterfeit or that all older Regenne versions have disappeared.

If shopping from a translated list, match the full Japanese product name and version.

What the percentages and added ingredients actually tell you

Minoxidil is the hair-regrowth active. Both formulas also contain panthenol, pyridoxine hydrochloride, tocopherol acetate and l-menthol. X5 Charge adds diphenhydramine hydrochloride, glycyrrhetinic acid and hinokitiol. Its eight actives include minoxidil; they are not eight ingredients in addition to it. Regenne Plus contains minoxidil plus four supporting actives.

These are formulation amounts per 100 mL, not the single application dose. Both medicines contain ethanol. Regenne Plus lists sodium hyaluronate as a moisturizing additive; it is not a sixth active. More ingredients, cooling sensation or a higher percentage cannot tell you which label suits you or guarantee a better result.

What to tell the pharmacist before buying

Bring the exact product name, your age, when and where the thinning began, family history, medical conditions, medicines and scalp treatments. These points help decide whether a regrowth medicine is appropriate; the checklist is not a diagnosis.

Do not use in these situations

• Previous allergy to the product or its ingredients; age under 20; a person outside that product’s male/female label.
• Hair loss other than the approved hereditary-pattern type, including hair loss caused by thyroid disease, or hair loss with an unknown cause; sudden or patchy loss.
• Wounds, eczema or inflammation/redness on the scalp. Use on the scalp only; do not swallow it or apply it to eyebrows, eyelashes or other body areas.

Regenne Plus has additional exclusions: pregnancy, possible pregnancy or breastfeeding; hair loss related to pregnancy or childbirth, stopping an oral contraceptive, rapid dieting or tightly pulling hairstyles; and loss across the whole head, including the sides and back. Do not choose it for postpartum shedding even after breastfeeding has ended: the cause of that shedding is itself an exclusion.

Get advice before use

• High or low blood pressure; heart or kidney problems; swelling.
• Previous allergy to other medicines or cosmetics.
• Age 65 or over, no family history of hereditary-pattern hair loss, or a diagnosis of an underactive or overactive thyroid.

Tell the pharmacist if you are already receiving treatment, particularly for blood pressure or heart disease, so your treating doctor can assess suitability. A thyroid diagnosis calls for advice; hair loss known to be caused by thyroid disease is outside these medicines’ indication.

Do not layer either medicine with another hair-growth product or other topical scalp medicine. The leaflets say to avoid those combinations because they may affect absorption, and to stop the RiUP medicine if using those products. If you use a scalp-eczema medicine, such as a product in the MediQuick H GOLD guide, ask about the treatment plan before adding RiUP.

Measure 1 mL, twice a day: the applicator is part of the dose

Once suitability has been confirmed, both of these specific bottles use the following four-step method. Apply 1 mL per session, twice daily, regardless of how large the thinning area is. Space the sessions apart, for example morning and evening. More liquid or more frequent use does not improve the effect and may increase adverse effects; do not double the next amount after a missed application.

1. Open upright. Keep the bottle standing upright and slowly unscrew the cap. Opening it tilted or upside down can cause leakage.
2. Invert and wait about three seconds. Point the black nozzle straight down so 1 mL collects in the measuring chamber.
3. Apply to the scalp. Part the hair as needed. First press the tip firmly and perpendicular to the scalp, then repeatedly dab across the affected area, about 1–2 cm apart, until the measured liquid is finished. These repeated contacts dispense the same measured dose; they are not a new 1 mL dose for each spot.
4. Close firmly. When liquid no longer comes out, tighten the cap until the cap and bottle faces align. An incompletely closed cap can prevent the next dose from collecting correctly.

X5 Charge: original measuring and application diagrams

Regenne Plus: the same four stages, with its own bottle

The diagrams retain the original Japanese leaflet text. Follow the translated steps above and the instructions supplied with your exact bottle. The blue liquid in the drawings is illustrative.

After washing, let the hair dry thoroughly before applying. Let the medicine dry before styling products or bed; Regenne Plus also says to let it dry before putting on a wig or hairpiece. If you massage the scalp, do so before application. Wash medicine off your hands; avoid the eyes. If it gets into an eye, rinse immediately with water or lukewarm water and seek eye care if symptoms are severe.

Keep the original bottle capped, away from children, flames, direct sun and temperature extremes. Do not decant it into a travel bottle or use it past expiry. Neither a 60 mL pack nor a drugstore listing proves a particular airline or destination will allow it; check the relevant transport and import rules separately.

Four months and six months mean different things

• X5 Charge: the leaflet says the effect takes at least four months of daily use to become apparent. If there is no improvement in any of the listed measures after six months, stop and consult a doctor or pharmacist.
• Regenne Plus: the leaflet specifies at least six months of correct daily use to assess the effect. If none of the measures improves after six months, stop and consult a doctor or pharmacist.

The measures include the extent of thinning, new fine hairs, thicker hairs and the amount of shedding. Results vary, and not everyone benefits. Maintaining a benefit requires continued use; after stopping, the condition gradually returns toward its previous state. These medicines do not remove the underlying cause of hereditary-pattern hair loss.

More shedding after starting is not proof that the medicine is working. Even though temporary shedding is discussed in the manufacturer’s FAQ, the leaflet’s instruction to stop and consult for worsening hair loss still applies. Do not dismiss a change as “normal initial shedding” on your own.

The useful shopping checklist