There are many hair loss treatments available to women, but minoxidil is one of the most popular.
Approved by the FDA to treat both male and female pattern baldness, minoxidil is easy to use for both men and women.
Learn more about minoxidil and how you can use it for maximum effectiveness.
What is minoxidil?
Minoxidil is a topical, over-the-counter drug prepared in the form of a liquid, foam, spray, or tablet.
The active ingredient is minoxidil sulfate. It was first used to treat high blood pressure before the FDA approved minoxidil as a treatment for hair loss.
Now minoxidil is one of the primary medications to grow new hair and prevent hair loss.
It is also the main ingredient in Rogaine, a popular treatment to grow hair and prevent hair loss.
What is minoxidil’s active ingredient?
The active ingredient in minoxidil is called minoxidil sulfate, a potassium nitrate that stimulates hair follicles.
It is a vasodilator, which means it causes blood vessels to widen.
This widening can increase blood flow and make more oxygen rich blood available in the scalp.
Minoxidil, when applied topically, has been found to stimulate hair growth.
How do you use minoxidil?
The most popular way for women to apply minoxidil to the scalp is using the liquid topical solution daily.
You can apply the solution directly to the affected areas. If preferred, you can also use your fingers to apply the solution.
Make sure to wash your hands after application.
It can take at least three months to see results, so patience is key. You’ll want to use minoxidil for at least four months to see whether it works for you.
What are the side effects of minoxidil?
Like most medications, there are some common side effects associated with the use of minoxidil for women.
The most common side effects are:
- Skin irritation
- Itchiness
- Redness
- Scalp dryness
- Burning
- Temporary hair shedding
- Hair growth in untreated areas
In rare cases, minoxidil may cause more serious complications such as swelling in the face and neck or fluid retention which causes swelling in the hands and feet.
Minoxidil can also cause a decrease in blood pressure and heart rate when standing up too quickly, potentially leading to fainting episodes.
It’s more commonly seen if you have low blood pressure or high blood sugar, but can occur even if these levels are within normal range.
Pregnant or breastfeeding women should avoid minoxidil. The drug is listed as a category C pregnancy drug that hasn’t been tested to be safe for fetal development.
Talk with your doctor about use, changes in dosage, and how often to apply before starting treatment.
Can women effectively use minoxidil?
Yes! Minoxidil is a potent medication that can stimulate growth in all hair follicles on the scalp and certain other areas of the body like eyebrows, eyelashes, or any other place you have hair.
Women most commonly use minoxidil to help post pregnancy hair loss or to treat thinning hair if you have female pattern baldness.
It will take several months to see new hair growth, and six to 12 months for the full effect. Studies show that 60% of women report an increase in hair growth using minoxidil.
Does minoxidil work on alopecia?
Minoxidil was originally prescribed by dermatologists for men suffering from male pattern baldness, or androgenic alopecia.
Now minoxidil is also available without a prescription for women with androgenic alopecia (the same name as men’s androgenic alopecia), also called female pattern baldness or female pattern hair loss.
There’s evidence that minoxidil helps treat alopecia in women.
The drug is highly effective at stimulating hair growth and enriching the hair follicle. Still, it is not a cure. When you stop using minoxidil your hair will return to its previous condition.
Where is minoxidil available?
Minoxidil is available over-the-counter in pharmacies, stores, and online.
You should talk to your doctor before using minoxidil and while taking the drug to monitor potential side effects.
You can purchase minoxidil and other products conveniently through these websites:
Hers – Hers is the sister brand of Hims and is geared towards female health. They have the same discreet shipping, product guarantees, and consultations as Hims.
| Medication | Product | Features | Buy Now |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total retail value $49 (18% savings)  | TheWeekender Kit | Hers | Developed with JLo herself, this iconic duo is the secret to hair that you can’t stop touching. They’re formulated to be used on all textures and thickness levels, giving you the power to completely transform your locks at home. 01 Detox Scalp Scrub
| Buy NowRead Review |
| $16/bottle  | Multivitamin Gummies | Hers | The gummy – biotin, biotin, biotin – it’s all the rage and for good reason. Think of this gummy as your baseline necessity to help strengthen your hair. Cue hair flip.
| Buy NowRead Review |
| Total retail value $73.50 (40% savings)  | The CompleteHair Kit | Hers | 01 Minoxidil 2 oz bottle All the perks – at hers, we want to provide you with choices to keep your hair healthy for longer. This complete hair treatment works to help regrow your hair, decreases shedding, and strengthens your hair.
| Buy NowRead Review |
| Regrowth made easy  | Minoxidil Foam for Women | Hers | Say hello to thicker, fuller hair. Minoxidil 5% Foam is FDA approved and clinically proven to promote hair regrowth for women in just 3-6 months.This airy minoxidil foam goes directly on your scalp to stimulate hair follicles and extend your hair’s natural growth cycle
2 month supply, $15/mo
| Buy NowRead Review |
| Minoxidil Solution  | Women’s Minoxidil 2% Topical Solution | Hers | Minoxidil 2% Topical Solution is a hair regrowth treatment that absorbs into the scalp, activating your follicles and extending your hair’s natural growth cycle. The result? Clinically-proven hair regrowth for thicker, fuller locks. 2 month supply, $15/mo
| Buy NowRead Review |
| Strengthening and Moisturizing  | Shampoo and Conditioner | Hers | Our signature shampoo to help control shedding is now packaged with our rich conditioner to make sure that all that hair you keep is luscious AF. More hair? _ Softer hair? __. Ah, the simple things. Starting at $33.00
| Buy NowRead Review |
Shapiro MD – Shapiro MD offers access to top experts and women’s hair loss treatments that are simple and affordable.
| Medication | Product | Features | Buy Now |
|---|---|---|---|
| $19.95 – Subscriptions Available  | Women’s Personalized Prescription Treatment | Shapiro MD | Visibly restore your hair’s density and luster with a prescription hair loss formulation that’s been customized just for you. Designed by a licensed U.S. clinician, your unique formula will likely include medical-strength tretinoin and a higher, promising concentration of minoxidil, an ingredient shown to boost hair growth at lower concentrations. Available exclusively from Shapiro MD.
| Buy NowRead Review |
| $19.95 – Subscriptions Available  | 2% Minoxidil Regrowth Serum | Shapiro MD | Revitalize hair follicles for healthy, continuous hair growth. The “gold standard” in restorative hair care, 2% minoxidil is an FDA-approved growth treatment for women with thinning hair. It works by expanding the blood vessels in your scalp, allowing for more oxygen- and nutrient-rich blood to travel to your hair follicles. In turn, your hair follicles get the support they need to operate at maximum capacity.
| Buy NowRead Review |
| $19.95 – Subscriptions Available  | Leave-In Daily Foamer | Shapiro MD | Fight hormonally-triggered hair loss all day long with this unique leave-in foamer. This powerful formula contains green tea extract, saw palmetto berry, and caffeine, ingredients shown to deflect environmental stressors and repel DHT, a hormone linked to hair loss. Conveniently, this formula has an absorbant, lightweight consistency that practically “dissapears” into your scalp. That means it won’t cause buildup — even if you don’t wash your hair every day. As a result, you can support optimal hair health as you go about life.
| Buy NowRead Review |
| $79.95 – Subscriptions Available
|
Bridget Reed is a Tampa-based content development manager, writer, and editor at GR0; specializing in content related to varying fields including medicine, health, and small businesses. Bridget went to St. Petersburg College and majored in Management and Organizational Leadership.
