What is minoxidil?
Minoxidil, known by the brand name Rogaine, is a drug used to treat hair loss. It is available as lotion and foam and in different strengths: 2% and 5%. Minoxidil is freely available from pharmacies without a doctor's prescription.
What does minoxidil do?
Minoxidil stimulates the hair growth cycle and extends the active growth phase (the period during which the hair grows). Minoxidil also improves the blood supply around the hair follicles, allowing them to absorb more nutrients. Combined, these effects increase hair growth, thickness and density.
Does minoxidil stop hair loss?
No! Unlike finasteride, minoxidil has no effect on DHT - the hormone that causes hair loss. Instead, minoxidil is used to treat thinning hair. Men looking for a treatment that stops hair loss should try finasteride.
How long does it take for minoxidil to work?
Minoxidil works immediately - 50% is absorbed within 1h and 75% within 4h. It only takes a while before you start noticing the results, on average, between 3 to 6 months. This is because Minoxidil "resets" the hair growth cycle, and it takes a while before the results are visible.
Will minoxidil work if I am completely bald?
It is unlikely that minoxidil will restore hair growth in men already completely bald. Once your hair loss has progressed so far that you are completely bald, it means that your hair follicles are no longer functional. A minoxidil treatment will not bring these non-functional hair follicles back to "life". This makes it all the more important to start using Minoxidil or Finasteride while you still have hair and not as soon as you have lost it all.
How to use minoxidil?
Minoxidil is applied twice a day to the balding scalp. Preferably once in the morning and evening. Ensure that the scalp is clean and dry, i.e. does not contain any residue from styling products. After applying minoxidil, avoid using the shower, hairdryer and styling products for at least 60 min.
What is the dose?
Spray 1 ml of minoxidil on the balding scalp twice a day.
Which minoxidil product is best?
That is a matter of personal preference. All minoxidil products contain the same active ingredient, "minoxidil", and are equally effective. However, there is a difference in the thickness of the liquid. Sometimes the minoxidil lotion is similar to water, while the other is more like a gel.
Is a lotion more effective than a foam?
Based on a limited number of studies, the effectiveness of both products seems to be the same. Minoxidil in a foam formulation seems slightly less likely to cause irritated skin.
What is the difference between minoxidil and products like biotin, caffeine shampoo and saw palmetto?
Minoxidil works; the others don't.
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