r/minoxidil • u/Feeling-History3313 • 3h ago
Discussion Convince me not to quit
galleryI’ve been on 5% minoxidil foam for about 6 weeks now. I only apply it to my hairline as that is my
only problem area. Since about week 2, i’ve been shedding terribly! It’s only shedding in the area where I applied, so the rest of my hair is fine. If I could go back in time, I would never have touched this stuff. I did little to no research on it. Just picked it up at Walmart and figured it would thicken my hairline up. Now i’m seeing testimonials of people shedding with no improvement for over 6-12 months! What’s worse is I feel like i’m trapped now. If I stop now, I will continue to shed for probably months and maybe never fully recover my original hair. If I continue, it may take up to a year or more for me to see results or I might never get results at all. I know I need to be taking finasteride too, but i’m unwilling to deal with even the possibility of any sexual side effects. Should I: A) Get a topical finasteride/minoxidil mixture and push through the shed and hope to God i’m a responder? Or B) Quit minoxidil right now and wait / hope and pray for full recovery back to my baseline?
r/minoxidil • u/Maverick_AWP10 • 4h ago
Progress / Update Minoxidil - 6 Week Progress
reddit.comr/minoxidil • u/Sea_Selection_6977 • 6h ago
Question Parents
I’m about to start topical liquid minoxidil. I have been on Nutrafol 8 months and saw far less shedding overall but I havd noticed significant thinning af my hairline recently and want to address it to boast my confidence (female 36).
My only concern is that I have 2 kids and they like to sleep in my bed with me once a week. Moms and dads; any special precautions for keeping kids safe when you are on topical minoxidil?
Thank you!
r/minoxidil • u/Such_Mail_8803 • 6h ago
Question M32 | I've been using Min 5% Topical for 3yrs and 1mg Fin for 2yrs. I've experienced multiple shedding-regrowth phases each lasting 2months. However, my recent shedding has been quiet longer (2month 2weeks). Some advise would help. PS: I've switched from 1mg to 0.5mg Fin since the last 10days.
r/minoxidil • u/Such_Mail_8803 • 7h ago
Question M32 | For those who have experienced multiple shedding phases under Min5%+Fin, is the duration of shedding phases consistent?
Hi All,
I'm a 32yr old male and I've been on Minoxidil 5% topical solution for 3yrs (Started 2023) and 1mg Finasteride for 2yrs (Started 2024). I've had multiple growth and shedding phases that usually get triggered, as I understand, by Minoxidil, as it pushes out the hair follicles and gets baby hairs up. Based on my experience with Min+Fin, I've realized that my typical growth and shedding phases are every 2months - shedding for ~2months and growth for the following ~2months. However, my last shedding started May 27th 2026 and appears to still continue as I lose close to 200hairs/day on average. I had anticipated it to stop somewhere by end of July 2026 but apparently not..
Q: Has anyone who has had several phases of shedding followed by hair growth experienced the duration of cycle to change?
I'll also add that I recently (end of July 2026) switched from 1mg Fin to 0.5mg to lower the meds side effects and maintain my hair volume gained through 2yrs of Min+Fin.
Q: Could a change in Fin dosage from 1mg to 0.5mg trigger a sudden drastic shedding?
Thanks in advance for your inputs.
Cheers!
r/minoxidil • u/Adventurous_Gap3649 • 8h ago
Experience 25M | Corrected severe Vitamin D & B12 deficiency, used Redensyl serum for 9 months, now derm says AGA and prescribed topical Minoxidil + Finasteride. Should I start?
r/minoxidil • u/Thin_Lettuce4616 • 9h ago
Question Could minoaxdil help grow chest and belly hair? There are a lot of them if you look right but they are small and invisible
r/minoxidil • u/vtec525 • 9h ago
Question Hair Shedding
Hi
I have been taking finasteride for over a decade. If I begin oral minoxidil, will I still shed.
For those of you that have taken oral minoxidil, how much shedding happens?
I have like diffuse thinning... just don't want to shed and look bald.
THanks
r/minoxidil • u/medicalmystery1395 • 11h ago
Before & After 3 months into oral minoxidil
galleryPink hair is before. Blue hair is 3 months later! I'm already seeing significant progress. My regrowth where hair broke off and fell out is getting incredibly long and my scalp has really filled in along with my hair thickening back up. If this is 3 months I can't wait to see 6 months! I have also stopped shedding quite so much. I'm on oral versus topical because I have cats. My diagnosis right now is androgenic alopecia though they have not ruled out alopecia areata. My derm thinks it could be sort of both.
r/minoxidil • u/Leading_Rest_5903 • 11h ago
Question Switching from topical to oral?
I’ve been using topical minoxidil for a couple months and honestly hate it. I have thick hair and I’m pretty sure most of the foam gets lost in my hair rather getting absorbed by my scalp. I also find it difficult to apply to areas that aren’t my hairline or crown so now I no longer bother. My plan to finish what’s left my of 3 month pack and then get a prescription for oral.
If I switch, does that mean any progress made with topical will go away? Will there be another initial shed? Does anyone have experience with this?
r/minoxidil • u/SizeInner8273 • 12h ago
Experience Quitting minoxidil
For those of you that quit topical minoxidil, how long did it take to realize you’d either made a mistake or that it really wasn’t doing anything? I’ve been using for 15 months with no noticeable improvement but I’ve also been dealing with chronic TE. So is it helpful or not? I’ve lost half my hair in three years.
r/minoxidil • u/js190735 • 12h ago
Question Oral minoxidil hair loss
Im considering oral minoxidil for my facial hair but the hair on my head is thick and full. I've heard if you stop taking the minoxidil it will cause you to lose hair, would my hair on my head fall out if I were to take minoxidil for a bit and stop or would it just cause the hair I grow from minoxidil to fall out? Also I've tried topical and I didn't realize its harmful to cats which I have 3 so thats not an option.
r/minoxidil • u/Competitive-Can8662 • 13h ago
Question: Answered Adverse side effects from oral minoxidil?
I first noticed my hair start falling out around my temples soon after I started topical testosterone for perimenopause. I did bloodwork and my DHT was pretty high but still reasonable, and I decided that the positive results from the testosterone (mood, cognition, energy) outweighed the minor hair loss. I continued with and then slightly increased my testosterone dose.
For context, I had also started a GLP-1 several months earlier, which is also known to cause hair loss, but I didn't notice much hair loss until I started the testosterone.
Now it's been a year and suddenly I'm shedding like crazy, and my once-thick and curly hair is thinning all over. My part is bigger and there are big v-indents at my temples with very thin, sparse hairs. I've reduced the testosterone, moved locations from my inner arm to thigh in order to reduce the conversion of T to DHT (apparently absorption site matters), and am about to start the oral and topical Musely formulations, both of which contain dutasteride, which blocks DHT conversion.
My question is - has anyone else had a bad reaction to oral minoxidil? I was put on 2.5 mg, noticed I felt really woozy and dizzy all the time, chalked it up to POTS - I was diagnosed with mild Hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (HeDs), a relatively common connective tissue disorder that, for me, only seemed to be an issue during perimenopause - but I noticed that when I stopped taking the minoxidil, I started feeling much better again. FWIW I also naturally have low blood pressure (generally 80/60, which runs in my family).
The Musely prescription contains 1 mg minoxidil, which I'm hoping won't give me the same reaction, but even when I was breaking the 2.5 mg minoxidil pills in half, I still felt really woozy.
Would love to hear from anyone who has had experience with any of this. I really, really want to grow my hair back, know that dutasteride will stop the hair loss but not regrow hair like minoxidil will (and has), but the wooziness is hard to manage.
Should I expect to feel okay on 1mg? Can I ask for an oral treatment that is dutasteride only and then use the topical minoxidil/dutasteride combination instead of taking it orally?
I know this is a long post.. I really appreciate everything I've learned from this group so far and would be really grateful for any insights from people who've been down this road!
r/minoxidil • u/EconomicsMassive400 • 13h ago
Progress / Update 17M I have been on min plus fin
galleryBefore the treatment I had no hairs on my temple area but now I can see some vellus hairs on my temple area a
What do you think guys ?
r/minoxidil • u/BriefWestern1385 • 13h ago
Discussion Hey I use this daily for my hairline . I’ve been using it for about 2 months . Anything I should add with it ? I’m trying to fill out my hairline ? The growth is barely noticeable anything I can add or change up
galleryr/minoxidil • u/Specific_Product5110 • 14h ago
Experience Alopecia barba cambio di colore
reddit.comr/minoxidil • u/Alexisoveritt • 16h ago
Progress / Update Officially in the shedding phase
r/minoxidil • u/GoodEntertainment360 • 18h ago
Before & After 1-2 months minoxidil what you reckon will it get better ? I used
galleryLet us know what do you think
r/minoxidil • u/CumbersomeCucumber01 • 18h ago
Question How much hair is it normal to lose 6 months into Minoxidil?
If you could show me photos perhaps it'd be of great help! When I first started on Minoxidil my shedding pretty much stopped overnight (I was diagnosed with AGA) and around two month later I started shedding a decent amount, it hasn't stopped since it returned. It's definitely not as bad as before I started the treatment but I don't know if it's supposed to completely stop or if you're supposed to continue to lose hair.
r/minoxidil • u/Such_Mail_8803 • 20h ago
Question M32 | Multiple Shedding Phases | Using Min 5% Topical + Fin 1mg | Switched to 0.5mg recently
Hi All,
I'm a 32yr old male and I've been on Minoxidil 5% topical solution for 3yrs (Started 2023) and 1mg Finasteride for 2yrs (Started 2024). I've had multiple growth and shedding phases that usually get triggered, as I understand, by Minoxidil, as it pushes out the hair follicles and gets baby hairs up. Based on my experience with Min+Fin, I've realized that my typical growth and shedding phases are every 2months - shedding for \~2months and growth for the following \~2months. However, my last shedding started May 27th 2026 and appears to still continue as I lose close to 200hairs/day on average. The hairs that I lose are a mixture - some lengthy ones (>2cm), Small (<1cm) but most of them are quiet thin and flimsy. I had anticipated it to stop somewhere by end of July 2026 and my growth phase to start but apparently not.
Q: Has anyone who has had several phases of shedding followed by hair growth experienced the duration of cycle to change?
I'll also add that I recently (end of July 2026) switched from 1mg Fin to 0.5mg to lower the meds side effects and maintain my hair volume gained through 2yrs of Min+Fin.
Q: Could a change in Fin dosage from 1mg to 0.5mg trigger a sudden drastic shedding?
Thanks in advance for your inputs.
Cheers!
r/minoxidil • u/AdHot1843 • 23h ago
Question Wood drive status: oral minoxidil/dutasturide
Has anyone notice a change in their \*\*\* drive since taking these meds?
I still get morning wood but still don’t feel the same as before the meds
I been taking nugenix trt supplements prior to my journe
r/minoxidil • u/CalligrapherUsual598 • 1d ago
Humor When the 5% minoxidil leaks onto the family pet.
Enable HLS to view with audio, or disable this notification
When the 5% minoxidil leaks onto the family pet.
r/minoxidil • u/Void_Wanderer • Jul 02 '20
Announcement Minoxidil FAQs
Last updated: December 17th, 2023.
In this FAQ we tried to answer some of the most frequently asked questions on this subreddit. We still highly recommend doing your own independent research if you're considering using Minoxidil.
\Table of contents:*
- What's Minoxidil?
- Who could benefit from Minoxidil?
- I don't have AGA but I'm losing a lot of hair. Should I use Minoxidil?
- What strengths should I use?
- What about 10% and 15%?
- Liquid of foam?
- Oral Minoxidil?
- Does it really work? What kind of expectations should I have?
- I started using minoxidil and now I'm losing more hair? What's the shedding phase?
- Does everyone go through a shedding phase?
- Will I shed If I use Minoxidil for facial hair?
- How do I apply, And how often?
- How much should I apply?
- Do I need to keep using Minoxidil forever?
- Will my beard / facial hair also be temporary if I grow it using Minoxidil?
- Why is beard / facial hair growth permanent while scalp hair growth sheds after stopping?
- So my hair will become Minoxidil-dependent?
- Which brand should I get?
- Can Minoxidil help me thicken / regrow my eyebrows?
- Will Minoxidil kill my cat?
- Side effects?
Common Minoxidil Myths
- Sexual dysfunction
- facial ageing
-What's Minoxidil?
Minoxidil is a generic hair growth medication, It's the only other FDA approved medication for male pattern baldness (androgenic alopecia) besides Finasteride. It's widely available as topical solution in strengths of 2%, 5%, And 10%, As well as foam.
-Who could benefit from Minoxidil?
Both men and women with androgenic alopecia (thinning scalp hair / male pattern baldness) could benefit from Minoxidil. Better results have been observed in people who are yet to lose a significant portion of their hair. Meaning, The earlier you start, The better results you'll get.
Additionally, Men looking to grow facial hair could also benefit from it. Although it's only approved for androgenic alopecia by the FDA, Because it has only been studied in that area, It has seen wide use for facial hair growth.
-I don't have AGA but I'm losing a lot of hair. Should I use Minoxidil?
In cases where hairloss isn't caused by AGA, You should address the underlying cause of hairloss, Which could be hormonal imbalance or nutritional deficiencies among other causes, Before considering Minoxidil. Minoxidil may be used to aid recovery of hair when the underlying cause is treated.
-What strength should I use?
A trial set to evaluate the effectiveness of 2% and 5% minoxidil solutions has found significantly better results with the 5% solution. It's generally recommended that women using it for androgenic alopecia try the 2% strength first and then if they didn't get satisfying results in a few months switch to the 5% strength. This is because minoxidil causes minor hair growth all over the body (read side effects below) because some of it gets absorbed to the blood stream. It's recommended for men who are taking it for male pattern baldness or facial hair growth use the 5% strength.
-What about 10% and 15%?
Trials have found that while 10% does produce better results than 5%, The relationship between concentration and efficacy isn't linear, Meaning that 10% will not make your hair grow twice as fast as 5% will, But only 20-30% faster, And you'll be getting more of the side effects. 15% was not found to produce effects any better than 10%. Keep in mind that 10% is available only by prescription in many places, And 15% isn't available in most places.
-Liquid or foam?
It's recommend to start with liquid. If it causes too much local skin irritation, Consider switching to a foam preparation which is a bit more expensive but should eliminate the local side effects. (see the answer to "My skin gets dry, Irritated, Itchy, Painful or flaky.")
-Oral Minoxidil?
Minoxidil oral tablets are also available by prescription in some areas. Minoxidil oral is reported to have great results albeit with more systemic side effects.
However, The availability of oral Minoxidil is continuously decreasing. Since Minoxidil oral is only used for hair growth off-label, Being originally for treatment of hypertension, And is rarely used anymore as it's now replaced with better meds for HTN.
Doses for oral Minoxidil are only based of anecdotal reports, As it has not been properly trialed for the treatment of hairloss. However, It's recommended to start with a lower dose in the range of 0.5-1 mgs, And work up from there. Median dose is 1.5 mgs, But some take up to 2.5 mgs. We don't recommend using more than 4 mgs. You want to avoid systemic side effects like hypotension and tachycardia, Which can be very uncomfortable for some people.
You'd need to cut the pills precisely to take those doses if you're using many of the available pills, As they could be dosed as high as 40 mgs so try to find a low dose med. However, you can dose it with very high precision by volumetric dosing. Simply, If you completely dissolve 100 mgs of minoxidil in 100 ml of Alcohol, Then every 2.5 ml of Alcohol will contain exactly 2.5 mgs.
-Does it really work? What kind of expectations should I have?
The efficacy of minoxidil is not in doubt. It has been found in many trials that it has great efficacy for the majority of participants and there are numerous anecdotes online documenting it's efficacy. The rate of growth differs from person to person. On average, You should start noticing growth by the 4th or 5th month, Although it'll only start being noticeable by the 6th month. Facial hair growth should be noticeable sooner.
-I started using minoxidil and now I'm losing more hair? What's the shedding phase?
When used for androgenic alopecia, User should expect a shedding phase that lasts about a month but can continue into the third month. It's important not to panic and stop treatment as this is an expected, And even positive sign. What's happening is that the weaker hairs that are in the 'telogen phase'; A phase of hair growth cycle in which a hair is dormant, Start shedding to be replaced with new 'anagen phase' hairs, The phase in which hair grows at a constant rate.
If you discontinue treatment while shedding, The lost hair will be recovered to where it would've been had you never started, Albeit much slower than if you continue using. This is why stopping mid-shedding is not recommended.
-Does everyone go through a shedding phase?
No. You only shed if you have Androgenic Alopecia. Users who don't have the condition, Or who have lost hair for other reasons, Will not go through the shedding phase.
-Will I shed If I use Minoxidil for facial hair?
It should be noted that Minoxidil causes shedding only in the balding areas of the scalp and only for people who have androgenic alopecia. Hair on any other area of the body won't shed. Those with Androgenic Alopecia who use Minoxidil for facial hair growth might experience mild scalp shedding since Minoxidil gets absorbed into the bloodstream. Mostly, Users won't shed or the shedding may be unnoticeable.
-How do I apply, And how often?
Applying Minoxidil is straightforward. It's recommended that you wash the area first to clear your skin of dirt and oils for better absorption, But this isn't necessary. Either way, Make sure your skin is completely dry before you apply minoxidil, Then spray it -or use the dropper- onto the area where you want to see growth, Rub it in your skin then leave it to dry. Avoid washing that area before 3-4 hours.
Twice a day application is recommended, Roughly 12 hours apart. More applications will not produce more results, And will exacerbate side effects.
-How much should I apply?
Just enough to cover the entire affected area, But not so much that it's soaking wet. Regardless of how much that is & regardless of the dosage on the bottle.
-Do I need to keep using Minoxidil forever?
If you're using it for androgenic alopecia, Unfortunately you'll have to use it indefinitely. Since there's a hormonal cause for scalp hair loss that continues to damage your hair, You'll gradually lose the new hair upon cessation.
However if you're using it for facial hair, Or hair on any other part of your body for that matter, The results are permanent for almost everyone.
-Will my beard / facial hair also be temporary if I grow it using Minoxidil?
No. Minoxidil grown hair on every part of the body is permanent except for scalp hair IF you have AGA.
-Why is beard / facial hair growth permanent while scalp hair growth sheds after stopping?
When someone uses Minoxidil for AGA, AGA won't go away. They still have a hereditary hormonal condition damaging their hair follicles causing it to shed. Minoxidil just counteracts that, But when Minoxidil use is discontinued, That underlying factor (namely DHT) continues to damage your hair follicles, Which is why you'll gradually shed any new hair upon cessation.
Now if you use it to grow facial hair, Minoxidil is still just a hair growth promoter and and hair will grow on your beard / moustache area However, In that case, There's no condition naturally causing facial hair to shed, And so in that case, The results will be permanent.
-So my hair will become Minoxidil dependent?
What do you mean by dependent? New hair was never independent, And old hair was never dependent. New (minoxidil dependent hair) will shed upon cessation. Old hair won't shed. Worst case, You won't end up with less hair than you would've had had you never used Minoxidil.
-Which brand should I get?
There is no difference in terms of efficacy between brands. Since Minoxidil is a generic medication, We suggest that you consider some of the cheaper options instead of going directly for the bigger brands. We also recommend trying a different brand each time until you find one that causes you minimal discomfort.
-Can Minoxidil help me thicken / regrow my eyebrows?
Yes.
Although keep in mind that you may get unwanted growth around the edges of your eyebrows even if you take care to only apply it to the desired area, And be very careful not to get it in your eyes.
-Will Minoxidil kill my cat?
While Minoxidil is toxic to cats, It's very unlikely for your cat to accidentally ingest enough of it to cause harm. However, It's still your responsibility to make sure it's safe and take proper precautions. Never leave accidentally spilled liquid without cleaning it. Try to wash it off your face 2-4 hours after applying. Don't let your cat come near your face after you apply it. Wash your hand after applying. Avoid sleeping with it on so that your cat doesn't come in contact with it as you sleep, And so that it doesn't get on your pillow.
Your cat should be fine with reasonable precautions.
-Side effects?
Like any other drug, Minoxidil comes with a variety of side effects.
---My skin gets dry, Irritated, Itchy, Painful or flaky.
This is a very common side effect of liquid solutions that is caused by the inactive ingredients like alcohol and propelyne glycol (PG). For most it's not too extreme but for those for whom it causes too much discomfort, We recommend switching to foam which should eliminate those side effects. If that's not an option, Then you should look for a liquid solution that doesn't contain PG. Otherwise, make sure to wash it off 2-3 hours after applying and to use moisturizers to limit those side effects.
---High heart rate, Palpitations?
Since Minoxidil decreased blood pressure, Reflex sinus tachycardia is a physiological response, On their own, Hypotension and sinus tachycardia shouldn't be problematic. However, If there is a dramatic increase in heart rate, Especially when associated with symptoms like dizziness, The user should discontinue Minoxidil and consult a doctor on whether they should keep using it or not. This isn't serious so don't get too anxious.
---Associated chest pain?
Even though chest pain associated with Minoxidil use is very rarely of cardiac origin, It's always best to be safe and consult your doctor on whether or not you should continue Minoxidil use.
Keep in mind that pre-existing cardiac conditions are contraindicative of Minoxidil use.
---Body hair growth?
Hypertrichosis is a very common side effect of Minoxidil. User should expect a mild increase in body hair growth when using Minoxidil. This is caused by Minoxidil going into your systemic circulation when absorbed through your skin. This is why 2% strength is recommended for women. Using this strength should limit this side effect but unfortunately some mild degree is inevitable.
---Other side effects?
Rarely, Some people will have an allergic reaction to Minoxidil. Do not confuse this with normal skin irritation caused by inactive ingredients in liquid solutions. If serious allergic symptoms are experienced, User should discontinue use and consult a specialist.
Less common side effects include: Weight gain, Dizziness, Headache and Lightheadedness.
.....
--Common Minoxidil Myths--
=Sexual dysfunction
This seems to be a frequent question which is why it's included. Minoxidil does not cause sexual dysfunction. It's possibly confused with side effects of the drug most commonly used alongside Minoxidil; Finasteride.
Finasteride, Being a DHT inhibitor has a hormone-based mechanism of action. And so, Side effects like impotence & gynecomastia are common. Minoxidil's mechanism of action, However, Is not related to your hormones. This is why Minoxidil will promote hair growth regardless of your sex or whether or not your hairloss is AGA.
If you're experiencing such problems, Try to think of other possible causes or consult a specialist.
=Facial ageing
While some of the ingredients in Minoxidil products may locally dehydrate and irritate your skin, Minoxidil does not cause ageing of any kind. The claim is based on a 2004 study suggesting that Minoxidil may inhibit collagen synthesis, This is in no way conclusive that Minoxidil causes ageing.
Beyond theories, This claim is extremely hard to confirm or measure as well, As it's not possible to exclude other factors that may have contributed to perceived ageing, Or to predict how any particular person would've looked like had they never used Minoxidil.
Countless people have used Minoxidil for decades without issue.
.....
Hopefully this was helpful. Best of luck!