Hair loss

Fact Checked Fact Checked
Minoxidil: what is it?

Minoxidil: what is it?

Minoxidil is a hair loss treatment for both men and women. It’s used to treat androgenetic alopecia, which is also known as male/female pattern baldness. It’s one of the two main hair loss treatments in the UK, the other one being finasteride.

Minoxidil works by increasing blood circulation to the hair follicles to promote hair regrowth. It essentially works like a fertiliser, giving your hair the appropriate nutrients needed to grow.

Alexandra Cristina Cowell
Medically reviewed by
Alexandra Cristina Cowell, Writer & Clinical Content Reviewer
Go to
Medically reviewed by
Dr Alexandra Cristina Cowell
Writer & Clinical Content Reviewer
on January 31, 2024.
Meet Alexandra Cristina  
Alexandra Cristina
Was this article useful?

What does minoxidil treat?

Minoxidil was first introduced as a treatment for hypertension. When taken, it helps improve blood flow by opening up the blood vessels. But doctors and scientists found when balding patients began taking minoxidil, some of their hair started to grow back. So a topical formulation of minoxidil was created specifically for hair loss.

Currently, minoxidil is used to treat androgenetic alopecia, (more commonly known as male pattern baldness). It’s one of the most common hair loss conditions, affecting about 50% of men over the age of 50.

Androgenetic alopecia is a hereditary condition that’s caused by sensitisation to androgen, a hormone responsible for hair growth. While it’s more common in men it affects women too. But the way it’s characterised in each gender is different. In men, it starts with a receding hairline, followed by a thinning crown and then overall hair loss. In women, the hair starts to thin and the part starts to widen.

In androgenetic alopecia, your hair follicles are sensitive to androgens. This causes an overactivation of processes, such as follicular miniaturisation, which is the process of your hair becoming thinner as a result of your hair follicles shrinking. Additionally, it causes you to have a shorter anagen (growth) phase. This means your hair doesn’t spend much time growing, instead, it spends more time in the resting phase so your hair will be more likely to fall out.

Aside from androgenetic alopecia, minoxidil can also be used off-label to treat other hair loss conditions, like alopecia areata, an autoimmune condition that causes hair loss, hereditary alopecia and chemotherapy alopecia. When something is used off-label it simply means it’s being used to treat something that isn’t mentioned in the patient information leaflet. This doesn’t mean it’s dangerous or ineffective. Your clinician will only prescribe something off label if they think it will be safe and effective for you.

How does minoxidil work for hair loss?

When applied topically, minoxidil affects the potassium channels in the smooth muscle and hair follicles. This causes:

  • an increased blood flow which helps create a good environment for hair to grow.
  • the formation of new blood vessels helping improve the delivery of oxygen and nutrients to the hair follicles.
  • reduces sensitivity to androgen, which prevents hair loss.
  • a reduction in collagen synthesis which prevents damage to scalp tissue and causes hair loss.

However, for minoxidil to produce these effects, it has to be converted into the active state minoxidil sulphate. This is done by the enzyme sulfotransferase, which is found near the hair follicles. And depending on the amount of enzyme activity you have the results will differ. The higher the activity, the more minoxidil is converted into the active state, so you have a better chance of regrowing your hair.

It’s important to note that minoxidil doesn’t prevent hair loss but encourages hair to grow. So if you’re already completely bald, it’s unlikely minoxidil will work for you because it likely won’t have anything to work on.

Can women use minoxidil?

Women experiencing hair loss caused by androgenetic alopecia can use minoxidil. However, the product for men and women may differ in concentration and dosage. Products designed for women might have a lower concentration and dosage than those for men.

How do you use minoxidil?

Minoxidil comes in three main forms: oral tablets, topical foam and scalp solution. For hair loss, minoxidil is only used topically. The foam and solution are applied only to the scalp once or twice a day depending on the product and concentration.

The oral tablets are for people with high blood pressure. Although taking it orally might help treat hair loss, the side effects of taking it orally would outweigh the benefits.

Can I use minoxidil on my beard?

Minoxidil is only approved for hair loss on the head; some studies have found it to be effective for beard growth. For this reason, some might suggest using it off-label for beard growth. But this should only be done under the supervision of your doctor as it could cause unwanted side effects.

What treatments use minoxidil?

PrEPRegaine is a brand that makes hair growth products containing minoxidil. There are two main forms of products you can get: a topical foam and a scalp solution. For men, the topical foam and solution comes in a 5% concentration whereas for women the scalp solution comes in a 2% concentration. Aside from that, there isn't much difference except in the application. Women should only use the foam once a day but it’s recommended for men to use it twice daily.

What's better: minoxidil or finasteride?

In terms of effectiveness, finasteride (or the brand name Propecia) is better than Minoxidil. Finasteride actively stops hair loss whilst also promoting new hair growth. It works by blocking the conversion of testosterone to dihydrotestosterone (DHT), the hormone responsible for androgenetic hair loss. So it works hormonally, stopping the actual cause of hair loss.

Minoxidil on the other hand, only encourages hair growth. It improves blood flow to the hair follicles, providing them with oxygen and nutrients for your hair to grow.

You might question why people prefer minoxidil over finasteride if finasteride is better. One of the reasons could be the side effects associated with finasteride. Since finasteride has an impact on your hormones, there’s a higher chance of experiencing side effects. These may include erectile dysfunction, decreased sex drive, and depression. On the other hand, minoxidil has milder side effects, particularly since it is a topical treatment. Common side effects of minoxidil include scalp irritation and headaches.

In some cases, you might not need to pick one over the other; you can actually use both. Using both finasteride and minoxidil has been shown to produce better results than monotherapy with either treatment. But if you want to use combined treatment, you should discuss it with your clinicians so they can check if it’s suitable for you.

However, with both treatments when you stop using it, your new hair growth will likely fall out again and will revert to how it was before you took medication.

Is minoxidil only available on prescription?

care-iconNo, topical minoxidil is listed as a general sales list (GSL) item so it can be purchased without a prescription at any shop supplying minoxidil, like a pharmacy or supermarket.

How well does minoxidil work?

Minoxidil has been shown to be an effective treatment for patients with hair loss. In a year-long study with 904 patients who used topical minoxidil at 5% concentration, approximately 85% of patients said it was an effective treatment for hair regrowth.

Additionally, 62% of participants reported the affected area where hair loss occurred was smaller and the number of hair loss decreased by 50% by the end of the study. The majority of patients also found minoxidil to be a tolerable treatment.

However, minoxidil only works for people who aren’t completely bald. This is because minoxidil works on hair that’s in the resting phase of the hair growth cycle by promoting oxygen and nutrient flow. So, if you’re already bald, minoxidil won’t work as there will be no hair to work on.

How soon should you notice hair growth with minoxidil?

It can take a while before you start to see noticeable changes in your hair. Clinical studies by Regaine found some men reported hair regrowth after eight weeks, although this may vary for each person. It can take up to 16 weeks to see actual changes.

For women, it might take longer – about 66% of women reported hair regrowth after 32 weeks of using minoxidil.

In the beginning, your hair regrowth might be thin and light, but with continued use, it should become thicker and darker. The most difficult thing when it comes to any hair loss treatment is to be patient. Results take time, so don’t give up on using it.

What are the side effects of minoxidil?

You might experience some side effects while taking minoxidil. These include headaches, unwanted hair growth and itching and irritation on the application site. For the full list of side effects, check the patient leaflet.

Reference Popover #ref1
Reference Popover #ref2
Reference Popover #ref3
Reference Popover #ref4
Reference Popover #ref5
Reference Popover #ref6
Reference Popover #ref7
Reference Popover #ref8
Reference Popover #ref9
This page was medically reviewed by Dr Alexandra Cristina Cowell, Writer & Clinical Content Reviewer on January 31, 2024. Next review due on January 31, 2026.

How we source info.

When we present you with stats, data, opinion or a consensus, we’ll tell you where this came from. And we’ll only present data as clinically reliable if it’s come from a reputable source, such as a state or government-funded health body, a peer-reviewed medical journal, or a recognised analytics or data body. Read more in our editorial policy.

Let’s help you choose better.

Tell us what you’re looking for
Back to the top
Popular searches:
ED Trial PackSildenafilTadalafilViagraCaverjectContraceptionSaxendaWegovyEstradotEasyhaler Salbutamol

What did you like about it?

What didn't you like about it?

  • Filter

Suggest a treatment

If there’s a particular treatment or condition you’re looking for, tell us and we’ll look into it for you.

We may email you about the problem, but you can opt out of these communications any time you like.

Ask or suggest something.

Submit your question here, or tell us if you’ve found an issue on our site.

We may email you about your query, but you can opt out of these communications any time you like.
4.8

Our average rating based on 3551 reviews.

Tell us about a problem

I accept the terms of use.
We may email you about the problem, but you can opt out of these communications any time you like.
  • Filter by preference
  • Thanks.

We’ll get back to you very soon. We aim to respond to all queries in one working day.

  • Great.

You’re signed up to our newsletter. Keep an eye on your inbox for our latest update.

news-letter

Sign up to our newsletter for all the latest on Hair loss and more.

By clicking 'Subscribe now' you're agreeing to our Privacy Policy.