For one, it can prolong the hair\u2019s growth phase. While the exact mechanism isn\u2019t entirely understood, \u201cit\u2019s thought to prolong the growth (anagen) phase of the hair cycle, transitioning follicles from the resting (telogen) phase into the growth phase,\u201d says Dr. Shah. That means your hair prioritizes growing over shedding.<\/p>\n
It can also bulk up hair follicles. Follicle miniaturization (which happens in male- and female-pattern baldness, or androgenetic alopecia) describes when hormones actually shrink the hair follicles, so the hairs grow thinner and shorter. Minoxidil reverses this, making hair follicles larger again. It also can \u201cincrease blood flow around the hair follicles through vasodilation,\u201d says Dr. Shah. \u201cThe overall result is that more follicles remain actively growing hair, and some previously thinning hairs become thicker.\u201d<\/p>\n
For that reason, minoxidil tends to be most helpful with androgenetic alopecia, which usually looks like gradual thinning at the crown or around the hairline. But it can also benefit others. \u201cIn some situations, I recommend it to patients to help support regrowth after a shedding event, provided the underlying cause is also being addressed,\u201d says Dr. Oska. For example, if you\u2019re seeing stress-related shedding after a major life event, you can try minoxidil to help with regrowth\u2014assuming the trigger has been resolved.<\/p>\n
The Downsides of Minoxidil for Hair Growth<\/p>\n
There aren\u2019t many downsides of minoxidil for hair growth, although it can have some mild side effects like scalp irritation, itchiness, dryness or flaking, redness, and burning or stinging, per Dr. Shah. That\u2019s because \u201csome formulations contain propylene glycol, which can cause irritation,\u201d she explains.<\/p>\n
Another drawback? You might notice more shedding when you first start using minoxidil. \u201cThis can happen because older hairs are shed as follicles transition into a new growth cycle,\u201d says Dr. Shah. \u201cWhile it can be concerning, it\u2019s often temporary.\u201d<\/p>\n
And finally, it\u2019s possible to see hair growth in areas other than your scalp\u2014but that only really occurs if you repeatedly touch your face (or some other skin) when you\u2019re applying it.<\/p>\n
How to Use Minoxidil for Hair Growth<\/p>\n
First, start minoxidil as soon as you notice shedding or hair loss, since it works best if you start it before significant follicle miniaturization has happened. \u201cHair-loss treatments are much better at keeping the hair on your head versus growing new hair,\u201d says Dr. Castilla. \u201cIn addition, further into the hair-loss process, hair follicles become less responsive to treatment.\u201d Not only that, but most people will start to see a difference only after four to six months of using it, so the sooner the better.<\/p>\n
Also, get ready to make it a permanent part of your routine. \u201cConsistency is the cornerstone of treatment, and patients who benefit most are those willing to use it on a daily basis,\u201d says Dr. Oska. On that note: You only see benefits so long as you use it. So if you\u2019re dealing with hereditary hair loss, which is permanent, then you\u2019ll have to use minoxidil forever to keep your hair from budging.<\/p>\n
The Best Minoxidil for Hair Growth<\/p>\n
It\u2019s hard to talk about minoxidil without mentioning Rogaine. \u201cThe foam is easy to apply, dries relatively quickly, and is often better tolerated by people with sensitive scalps because it typically doesn\u2019t contain propylene glycol,\u201d says Dr. Shah. (Foam formulations in general are often free of propylene glycol, which makes them a good bet.) Plus, adds Dr. Oska, \u201cthere is less risk of the product running down the back of the neck or the forehead.\u201d Virtue\u2019s version is free of propylene glycol, making it gentler, but it also pairs minoxidil with the brand\u2019s proprietary protein that helps repair and restore hair.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"For one, it can prolong the hair\u2019s growth phase. While the exact mechanism isn\u2019t entirely understood, \u201cit\u2019s thought…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":577963,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_share_on_mastodon":"0"},"categories":[274],"tags":[799,61688,61689,802,801,798,18,8341,135,19,17,462,804,797,805,803,806],"class_list":["post-577962","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-medication","tag-_commerce","tag-_presets_commerce_vogue","tag-_presets_commerce_vogue_beauty","tag-_seo","tag-_syndication_noshow","tag-beauty","tag-eire","tag-hair","tag-health","tag-ie","tag-ireland","tag-medication","tag-onecolumn","tag-shopping","tag-storytypecategory-guide-comparison","tag-textabovecenterfullbleed","tag-web"],"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@ie\/116893440210940084","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/577962","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=577962"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/577962\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/577963"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=577962"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=577962"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=577962"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}