If you’re experiencing hair loss, you might be wondering about your treatment options. One of the most effective hair loss treatments out there is minoxidil, which has been proven by decades of research to help regrow hair.
Minoxidil doesn’t usually come with side effects, and minoxidil interactions with other medications are unlikely. But still, getting a complete picture of its safety profile might help you decide if it’s the right treatment for you.
Read on to learn about minoxidil, its potential drug interactions and other medications for promoting hair growth.
Hair Loss: Quick Facts
Hair loss is part of the natural three-phase hair growth cycle, which involves the anagen (growth) phase, the catagen (declining) phase and the telogen (resting) phase.
According to the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD), you lose about 100 hairs daily from regular shedding.
Ninety percent of your hair should be in the growth stage at any one time, with the remainder falling into the declining or resting phase.
About nine percent of your hair is regularly in the telogen phase, when the hair follicles rest before beginning to grow again.
Hair loss happens when there’s an interruption in this cycle. Here’s what can happen:
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The telogen phase gets longer, so hair doesn’t return to the hair regrowth phase quickly enough to replace natural shedding.
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The hair follicle is destroyed beyond repair and can no longer go through the hair growth cycle.
Regrowing Hair with Minoxidil
Minoxidil (brand name Rogaine®) is a non-prescription topical medication that promotes hair growth and regrowth by restarting the growth phase in dormant hair follicles.
Experts don’t fully understand how it works, but significant research shows it’s an effective way to boost hair growth and thickness.
It’s available in a 5% strength foam or liquid solution.
Minoxidil Interactions
You’re wise to be wondering about minoxidil drug interactions. Both over-the-counter (OTC) and prescription medications have the potential to interact with other substances, including supplements.
Thankfully, minoxidil comes with a minimal risk of harmful drug interactions.
While issues with either are rare, oral minoxidil interactions are more likely than drug interactions if you’re using a topical application.
Taking minoxidil with the following medications may lower blood pressure and cause changes in your heart rate:
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Diphenhydramine (Benadryl)
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Bupropion (Wellbutrin)
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Alprazolam (Xanax)
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Medications for hypertension, or high blood pressure, including:
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Diuretics like furosemide (Lasix)
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Vasodilators
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Beta-blockers
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Quick disclaimer: It’s important to note that this list of medications isn’t exhaustive. Talk with your healthcare provider or pharmacist to find out if it’s safe to use minoxidil with your current prescriptions.
Minoxidil can also negatively interact with alcohol and lower your blood pressure.
Additionally, it may not be safe to use minoxidil, even at a low dose, if you have:
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Congestive heart failure
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Ischemic heart disease
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An adrenal gland tumor known as pheochromocytoma
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Kidney failure or another condition that requires dialysis
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A recent history of heart attack
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Low blood pressure
Let a healthcare professional know if you have any of these conditions or regularly experience angina-like chest pain. They may be able to recommend an alternative hair loss treatment.
If you want to know about the common side effects, as well as the potential serious side effects of minoxidil, check out our guide to minoxidil side effects.
And one more FYI: There can actually be beneficial medication interactions too — mixing topical minoxidil with other topical hair loss treatments like tretinoin may increase the benefits of both medications.
Other Medications For Hair Growth
There are a few other hair loss treatments you can consider if minoxidil doesn’t sound right for you. These include:
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Finasteride. This medication targets the hormone dihydrotestosterone (DHT), which contributes to male pattern baldness (AKA androgenic alopecia). Using finasteride daily can reduce DHT levels by as much as 70 percent and encourage hair regrowth.
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Saw palmetto. Evidence suggests this natural ingredient may help reduce DHT levels, especially when combined with finasteride.
If you’ve been choosing whichever shampoo and conditioner is cheapest at the drugstore, you can make these daily grooming products work harder for you. Look for volumizing formulas containing ingredients like saw palmetto to target excess hair shedding and help encourage hair growth.
Using Minoxidil For Hair Loss
Minoxidil is an effective, FDA-approved treatment for hair loss. But to recap, here’s what you need to know about potential Rogaine interactions:
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Like any medication, minoxidil can interact with some prescription drugs.
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Medications like diuretics and antidepressants can increase the blood pressure-lowering effects of minoxidil. However, interactions are more likely with oral minoxidil than topical minoxidil.
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Minoxidil might not be right for you if you have certain medical conditions like heart or kidney disease.
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If minoxidil solution or foam isn’t an option, other effective hair loss treatments are available.
If you’re experiencing hair loss and want to try minoxidil, it’s a good idea to get some medical advice from a healthcare professional.
They can help determine why you’re shedding more strands than usual and whether minoxidil is right for you.
This article originally appeared on Hims.com and was syndicated by MediaFeed.org.
More from MediaFeed:
Does Minoxidil Work for Beard Growth? (& Other Ways to Promote Hair Growth)
When it comes to treating scalp hair loss, minoxidil is the MVP. But what about facial hair? Is it possible to use minoxidil for beard growth?
The short answer: Probably. But there’s relatively little research on using minoxidil for facial hair, and it’s important to be aware of the potential side effects.
Minoxidil is an over-the-counter topical treatment for hair loss. Research shows it’s pretty effective: Not only can it slow down hair shedding, it might even help with hair regrowth.
For those guys who wish they had a thicker, fuller beard, minoxidil might be worth a try.
Read on to learn more about the basics of minoxidil and how to use it for beard growth.
demeerre / iStock
Minoxidil is a topical hair growth medication. It’s also a vasodilator, which means it relaxes blood vessels.
It was first introduced in the 1970s as a medication for high blood pressure. But doctors noticed an unexpected side effect of minoxidil: Some patients experienced “abnormal” hair growth while using it.
Of course, for people struggling with hair loss, this “side effect” was pretty impressive. One man’s bug is another man’s feature!
Topical minoxidil for hair loss has been around since the late eighties, although it’s often better known by the brand name Rogaine®. Nowadays, minoxidil is sold over the counter (that is, without a prescription) in certain strength solutions. (Learn more about Where to Buy Minoxidil.)
Minoxidil is one of only two medications approved by the Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of androgenetic alopecia, or male pattern baldness. (The other FDA-approved medication is finasteride.)
Male pattern hair loss isn’t the only hair disorder minoxidil is used for. It’s also used off-label to treat other conditions like:
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Female pattern hair loss
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Alopecia areata (Learn more about Alopecia Areata.)
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Chemotherapy-induced hair loss
Off-label, minoxidil is also used to enhance eyebrows.
So how does minoxidil work? As a vasodilator, it improves blood flow to the scalp, which means your hair follicles get the nutrients they need to regrow hair.
Minoxidil also seems to stimulate hair follicles to enter the anagen phase — that is, the growth phase – of the hair growth cycle. So, instead of resting in the telogen phase, your hair grows for a longer period of time.
In order for minoxidil to work, you need to apply it regularly (usually, twice a day). It’s important to note that minoxidil stops working if you stop using it.
Liudmila Chernetska/Istockphoto
If you’re one of the many people who’ve successfully used minoxidil to treat scalp hair loss, you may be wondering, “Should I use minoxidil for beard growth?”
Well, you certainly can try!
There isn’t a ton of research on the use of minoxidil for facial hair growth, but there was one study published as a letter to the editor in a 2016 volume of The Journal of Dermatology.
In it, researchers detailed their observations in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study of a 3% minoxidil formula among 48 men over a period of 16 weeks.
Throughout the study, patients applied 0.5 ml of the formula (or a placebo) on the chin and jawline twice daily. The men’s results were then analyzed using photographs and hair counts every four weeks.
After 16 weeks, the photograph scores were significantly different for the men using minoxidil, as were the changes in average hair count. Pretty impressive, we’d say.
That data is in keeping with what we’ve seen from other topical minoxidil studies — just a little lower on the head than the others.
Unfortunately, there’s little other research on minoxidil and beard enhancement.
But if you’ve noticed thinning hair around your chin, or if you’re self-conscious about patchy beard hair, it may be worth a try.
Davidovici/istockphoto
Overall, minoxidil is considered pretty safe, but some people do experience side effects.
According to the above-mentioned study on minoxidil and beard growth, side effects among participants were “mild” and not considered significantly different from those experienced by the placebo group.
The most common side effects of minoxidil use are:
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Skin irritation or rash
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Itching
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Slight burning sensation
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Dry skin
You may also experience hair growth in areas where you didn’t apply minoxidil. It’s also possible to experience allergic reactions.
Since your facial skin might be more sensitive than your scalp, it’s good to proceed with caution and keep an eye out for any rashes or itching.
Applying a small amount of minoxidil to your skin as a patch test before going all-in is a good way to check whether you’ll experience an adverse reaction.
If the skin around your beard area tends to get dry, look for a minoxidil product that doesn’t contain propylene glycol (which can be extra drying). It’s also a good idea to invest in a quality moisturizer or lotion to keep your skin healthy and hydrated.
It’s worth noting that side effects are generally more common with stronger minoxidil solutions. So if you experience slight itching with the 5% version, for example, it might be worth trying the 2% formulation.
jaouad.K / iStock
So, you’ve decided to try using minoxidil for beard enhancement. Great!
But how exactly do you use this thing?
Try the following:
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Firstly, clean your beard area — both the hair and the skin.
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Pat your beard with a gentle towel so that it’s completely dry before applying the solution.
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Massage the recommended amount of minoxidil into your beard area using your fingers.
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Wash your hands thoroughly.
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Leave the minoxidil solution on your beard. It may take a while to dry.
How often should you apply minoxidil to your beard? Because of the lack of research on minoxidil for beard growth, there’s no hard-and-fast rule here. But in the randomized trial mentioned above, participants used minoxidil twice a day.
As always, we’d recommend seeking medical advice before using a medicated hair loss treatment — especially if you have sensitive skin.
EyeEm Mobile GmbH/istockphoto
If you’re trying to get your beard to wooly-mammoth-slash-lumberjack status, you may want to pull out every stop, and we get that.
There are a number of ways to promote better hair growth on your head, from biotin and other supplements to medications like finasteride. But just because something works on the hair of your head doesn’t mean it’ll work on that of your face.
The best advice, it turns out, is preventative maintenance. After all, all of the following can lead to hair loss on your face or the rest of your body:
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Poor diet
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Serious illness
What we recommend is that you keep your beard (and the skin underneath it) clean and healthy. Consume a healthy, balanced diet with the correct nutritional balance and prioritize your rest each night. Make sure things like stress and illness don’t get out of hand (or … beard).
And if you’re noticing bald patches, sudden hair thinning, or other signs of hair loss, contact a healthcare provider. Hair loss can be your body’s way of signaling that something is off.
Viacheslav Peretiatko / iStock
Minoxidil is a topical treatment for hair loss. Beyond scalp hair, it might also be able to stimulate beard growth.
If you’re trying to chart a path to a bushier beard, know this:
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Minoxidil may be able to grow beard hair. There aren’t many studies on minoxidil for beard growth, but the available research is pretty promising.
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Careful though. Some people experience side effects of minoxidil, like skin irritation and allergic reactions.
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There are other ways to encourage beard growth. Healthy habits and a skincare routine can support beard growth.
One final thing to remember about minoxidil and beard growth: If you stop using minoxidil, it may stop working — which means the patchy beard hair you had before treatment can return. Unless you’re keen to try a clean-shaven look, try to use minoxidil consistently.
This article originally appeared on Hims.com and was syndicated by MediaFeed.org.
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Featured Image Credit: Liudmila Chernetska/Istockphoto.
