What Does Minoxidil Do For Hair Regrowth?

by Dr Jaspreet Sarna August 26, 2020

How long does it take for Minoxidil to show results?

Ideally Minoxidil begins to work almost immediately, however, it’s results are noticed after 2 to 3 months.It might take longer for people who started the treatment way after balding began.

Why Minoxidil is the best discovered medicine for hair re-growth?

According to a therapeutic trial involving 89 men with male pattern baldness, 2% topical minoxidil solution produced impressive results with hair regrowth. Another study showed that when 5% topical minoxidil was applied twice daily, it produced a better response towards hair regrowth. It is one of the best medicines in allopathy to deal with hair loss since its side effects are much milder as compared to the other alternative - finasteride.

How does Minoxidil work on your hair re-growth?

Once you begin applying minoxidil on your scalp, it will shed all the hair that were anyways going to shed in the days to come. So if you see a mild increase in hair fall for a week or two, it is a good sign. It means you are responding to minoxidil. After this process minoxidil works on all the hair that are in the growth phase. It makes the follicle thicker by increasing blood circulation to your hair roots. Over a period you see more hair on your head since it elongates the growth phase and it also thickens each hair.

Also Read: A New & Improved Minoxidil For Quality Hair Growth

Does Minoxidil have any side effects?

Like any medicine Minoxidil might have some mild side effects, most common being dryness of scalp. For the few who suffer this, we work on the side effect separately for e.g add a lotion to your routine to manage dryness. Most side effects are temporary and will not be seen in few weeks. One other complaint is hair roughness near the roots. Best way to combat this is our scalp oil and conditioner. Once you have some hair on your scalp, you can always work on it's quality.

Also Read: Minoxidil for Hair: Benefits, Uses & Side Effects

How long will I have to use this?

It's the best, low side effect hair serum for your hair to help it grow to it's best and healthier version. The science makes sense. We recommend using this for as long as it gets. Think of it like hair oil, shampoo or conditioner. You are going to use them for life then why not a hair serum that helps manage your hair loss.

Does Minoxidil cause more hair fall ?

FALSE, it just means Minoxidil is doing it’s job. It lets you get rid of all the hair in the “fall stage” and starts working on re-growth.

The scalp hair growth cycle, has four phases - the anagen where hair growth takes place. Then hair enters a resting state in the telogen phase for 3 months. In catagen, hair is in a transitional phase and finally the exogen where hair detaches from the follicle to give way to new hair. What minoxidil interestingly does is, it widens blood vessels opening potassium channels and allows more blood flow to the follicles along with nutrients & oxygen. This invariably pushes hair into an early stage of the anagen phase.

Few things to keep in mind.....

We do not prescribe minoxidil to pregnant or breastfeeding women.
Wash your hands well before you use it.
Avoid transferring it to the rest of the body.
Apply the prescribed amount and not more.
If you miss a dose, don’t apply an extra portion of it on your scalp to make up.
Minoxidil can stain so make sure it dries completely before you go to bed.
Minoxidil will not be absorbed on scalp if you apply our scalp oil immediately before or after. Time it well.

This is the routine that our customers follow -

Application of scalp oil once woken up in the morning.
Washing it an hour later
Once the scalp is dry, apply minoxidil
Carry on with your daily routine.

Other option is to apply oil in the night and keep it overnight, you can wash hair in the morning after which you can apply minoxidil.

If you are facing hair loss for quite some time, you’ve possibly heard about minoxidil. So, what is minoxidil? Minoxidil and stimulate hair regrowth, proven to have worked effectively on male pattern hair baldness. It is available under the brand name Rogaine®. If you are noticing some early signs of baldness, minoxidil can help, but there are also some side effects of minoxidil. A question that generally pops out in mind is how does minoxidil regrow hair?

Today minoxidil is available in topical foam formulation and oral tablets. The foam formula is used to treat scalp related problems such as thinning of the hair. It helps stimulate hair growth and protect the existing hair follicles. In comparison to other hair growth medicines, minoxidil starts working immediately. Below we have explained the connection between minoxidil and the shedding of hair. We have also explained minoxidil regrow hair.

How Does MinoxidilWork?

Coming to the point of how does minoxidil regrow hair, let’s understand first how your hair grows. Your hair goes through several essential growth phases, which are collectively known as the hair growing process or hair growth cycle. The hair grows to its full length in the anagen phase of the hair growth cycle. According to research, around eight-five to ninety percent of your hair is in this phase at one point in time. Your hair grows continuously in this phase, and it lasts for about two to six years.

After the anagen phase, your hair moves to the catagen phase, in which your hair detaches from your scalp. The next phase is the telogen phase in which the hair rests for several months. After this phase, the old hair will finally detach and shed from your scalp. New hair grows to replace this hair by rising from the hair follicles. Minoxidil shortens the telogen phase, meaning your hair will spend a shorter time at rest. It also increases the anagen phase and also induces your hair to enter this phase and stimulate hair growth, and now you know how does minoxidil regrow hair.

That said, to understand how does minoxidil regrow hair, the mechanism is still not clear. Minoxidil is also available in oral tablets to treat high blood pressure. It works as a vasodilator which means it helps widen and loosen the blood vessels to increase blood flow in the scalp, which in return help your hair with the required nutrients for growth. It is not just minoxidil that grows hair; it also improves your hair's density, thickness, and overall appearance.

As discussed before, minoxidil lets your hair enter the anagen phase prematurely; it may cause more hair loss through the first few weeks or months of application. The reason behind this is that your hair needs to rapidly pass through the shedding phase or telogen phase before it enters the anagen phase. It is how minoxidil regrow hair. If you experience hair loss while using telogen, you need not panic but continue using minoxidil prescribed by the doctor.

Besides thinking over if minoxidil grows hair, one thing you must know about is redensyl. There is always a dilemma among people as to which is best redensyl vs minoxidil. Understanding the science behind how does minoxidil regrow hair, it is interesting that redensyl is a plant-based effective solution for hair loss and is the best alternative so far for hair transplantation. Its latest biotechnology work on stem cell division and stimulates hair regrowth. That said, very limited research is available regarding the efficacy of the product, while people are quite clear about how does minoxidil regrow hair.

Minoxidil 2% Solution

You might have this question, will minoxidil regrow hair? Now that you know how does minoxidil regrow hair, you must know that minoxidil is available in 2% and 5% topical solutions. The 2% solution belongs to the class of vasodilators. It is known to promote hair growth in men suffering from male pattern baldness. The 2% solution is generally safe and suitable for most people and comes with specific side effects.

It may take around two to four months to see visible results while using a minoxidil 2% solution. The most usual side effects of this medicine are skin irritation and itching in the scalp area. The 2% solution is not to be used by people under 18 and above 65. Also, it may not be an ideal medication to use if your hair loss is due to certain other drugs or treatments such as chemotherapy.

Minoxidil 5% Solution

According to the Olsen Study of 2002, men using minoxidil 5% experienced forty five percent more hair regrowth than men using minoxidil 2%. Minoxidil is usually prescribed for men who have been suffering hair loss or hair thinning that begins on the top of the scalp. Minoxidil topical solution 5% is more likely to grow hair in men experiencing gradual thinning of hair on the top of the scalp. It is not effective for frontal baldness.

While using minoxidil 5%, results may be visible as early as two months or as late as four months. If you do not notice any change in the hair loss problem even after four months, you should bring this to the notice of your doctor. You can expect an increase in hair loss during the first two to three weeks. It is the phase of getting rid of your old hair and shifting to a phase when new hair will grow. This is how does minoxidil regrow hair.

How Long Does It Take For Minoxidil To Work?

The fact that minoxidil grows hair or how does minoxidil regrow hair depends from individual to individual. Because minoxidil is different from any other alternative to hair regrowth, it does not show immediate results. Although it starts working, the results may take time to show up. Provided, one may also experience some hair loss during the initial hair regrowth starts.

Most research shows that it takes a few months before you see any change in your hair growth. Some have noticed minoxidil hairline regrowth after about three months after using the medication. As already discussed, results may vary from person to person; you should be able to improve by using minoxidil after about three to six months. How does minoxidil regrow hair depends on the scalp condition and the phase of hair loss of the person using it.

Who Can Get Best Results From Minoxidil?

After understanding how minoxidil regrow hair, it is equally important to know who can get the best result from minoxidil. The most typical pattern of hair loss is the male or female pattern baldness. Minoxidil works best for people who have been suffering from hereditary hair loss at the vertex or the scalp or for women who have thinning of the hair on the top of the scalp. It isn’t meant for a receding hairline or baldness at the front of your scalp.

Minoxidil is most effective for people under forty years of age and those who have started balding. It, however, won’t work on those who have gone completely bald.

Does Minoxidil Work For Bald Head?

So far you have understood how does minoxidil regrow hair, so, does it help those who are completely bald? No, minoxidil doesn’t work on those who have gone completely bald. This is because male pattern baldness leads to hair loss, and once the hair loss phase has reached a point where the scalp has completely swept off hair for several years, it is almost impossible for hair regrowth. It is because the hair follicles have undergrown permanent hair loss that cannot be reversed.

*However, these visible results are for those who chose to be on Traya's complete and holistic treatment plan.*

Minoxidil Before & After Results

Although the exact science as how does minoxidil regrow hair is not clearly known, people have seen results using minoxidil to treat hair loss and pattern baldness. When you start using minoxidil, remember that the results might not show immediately or just a week after application. Just because the way it acts on your scalp is quite different, how does minoxidil regrow hair depends on person to person.

* Visible results for customers who get onto Traya's complete & holistic treatment plan.*

According to recent research, around forty percent of men and twenty-five percent of women can gain hair regrowth by using minoxidil. Minoxidil 2% and 5% are proven effective against hair loss and its ability to induce hair growth. The study further proved that minoxidil has the ability to stop male and female hair loss, and it triggers the growth of new hair, mainly on the top of the head where the hair has not completely fallen out.

Hair loss can be depressing, and you need something practical to curb it. Now that you have understood the importance of minoxidil and how does minoxidil regrow hair, you can use minoxidil 2% and minoxidil 5% solutions by Traya – a natural hair care brand who focuses on providing effective solutions to scalp and hair problems. Get your hair treatment now!