There are only a few treatment options that are FDA-approved for hair loss. One of these is topical minoxidil. Originally developed as a blood pressure medication, minoxidil started to be investigated for hair loss when increased hair growth was noted as a side effect of the drug.
Topical minoxidil is widely available, and many people consider using this as a treatment for male-pattern or female-pattern hair loss. How well does this treatment option work? Does it cause side effects? Can it be combined with other treatment options?
In general, topical minoxidil comes in 2% and 5% strengths. The stronger 5% version has been shown to provide significantly better results, so that’s what’s usually recommended. It comes as a foam or a liquid.
Topical minoxidil is typically applied to the scalp once or twice each day. In general, the recommendation is to use the medication twice a day. One study showed that, in women, using 5% minoxidil once a day was just as effective as using 2% minoxidil twice a day, so this option could be considered. For men, the recommendation is usually 5% minoxidil twice a day.
Topical minoxidil has been shown to be effective for hair loss in both men and women. The majority of patients experience a benefit, although this treatment doesn’t work for everyone. For example, in a one-year study of topical minoxidil for male-pattern hair loss, nearly 85% of patients reported some amount of hair regrowth, and 62% of patients reported a significant decrease in the size of the bald area.
In general, topical minoxidil works better on the vertex scalp (crown) than the frontal scalp (receding hairline).
The most common side effect of topical minoxidil is itching and irritation of the scalp. This may be due to the minoxidil itself, or to other compounds present in the foam or solution, such as propylene glycol. In some cases, switching to a formulation of topical minoxidil that doesn’t contain propylene glycol may help to address scalp itching or irritation.
Another possible side effect of minoxidil is hypertrichosis, or excessive hair growth. While the goal of the treatment is increased hair growth on the scalp, increased hair growth may also occur in other areas, such as on the face or body. With topical minoxidil, this excess hair growth is almost always limited to areas near the site of application. It’s very important to be careful when applying topical minoxidil, and to ensure that it doesn’t contact any part of the body besides the scalp. Any area that comes into contact with topical minoxidil may potentially experience increased hair growth.
It’s definitely possible to use topical minoxidil along with other topical hair loss treatments, such as finasteride and caffeine. In fact, it’s often recommended that topical minoxidil be used along with other treatments. Because each medication works in a different way, they can safely be combined, and the combination is more effective than using just one medication alone.
For example, multiple studies have shown that using topical minoxidil along with finasteride leads to better results than using either of these treatments alone. More patients had marked improvement with the combination treatment, and fewer patients had no response or worsening hair loss.
It’s very important for pet owners to know that minoxidil is toxic to both dogs and cats. It can lead to serious illness or even death in pets. This doesn’t mean that you have to avoid this treatment if you’re a pet owner, but if you choose to use topical minoxidil, you’ll need to be careful to avoid exposing your pet to the medication.
Pets may get exposed to minoxidil if they lick the owner’s skin or hair soon after the medication is applied. They may also lick or lay on pillowcases, hats, or other items that have residue of minoxidil on them. Exposure can also occur through spilling or splashing the medication on a pet who’s sitting nearby while the pet owner is applying minoxidil. Additionally, some pets (particularly dogs) become exposed by digging through the trash, so it’s important to think about where you’re disposing of old bottles of the medication or any items that have contacted it.
Oral minoxidil has also been shown to be effective in the treatment of male-pattern hair loss. The choice of oral or topical minoxidil involves tradeoffs, and different people will weigh these differently. Please click here to read more about this therapy.
