From stem cell scalp serums to kitchen-concocted herbal rinses and viral rosemary oils, hair growth has become all the rage. With over 1 million posts under the hashtag #hairgrowth on TikTok, maximizing your hair’s length, retention, and hair care routines has remained one of beauty’s most consistent trends. Now, a new hair growth ingredient has taken center stage—but are the benefits worth the risk?
Minoxidil, a drug first introduced in the 1970s as a treatment for severe hypertension, was coincidentally discovered for causing hair growth in balding patients. This led to the first FDA-approved topical minoxidil solution, Rogaine, to hit the market in 1988, followed by a 5% solution in 1993. Over 40 years later, beauty brands, like Carol’s Daughter and hers, are re-popularizing the ingredient as the single most effective regrowth treatment money can buy.
“Minoxidil is growing in popularity [because it] is effective,” trichologist and scalp therapist Bridgette Hill tells ESSENCE. Reaching over 165,000 people on TikTok alone, users are documenting their use of the ingredient, from growing back edges to filling in bald spots, and even shrinking their foreheads. Inevitably, however, others expose the less desirable reality of the medication, delivering a sharp warning against using the miracle treatment at all.
Below, experts weigh in on how Minoxidil works, what to know before you grow, and the potential risks of using the viral drug.
What is minoxidil?
“Minoxidil was the first drug approved for hair regrowth in men in the vertex (crown area) of the head,” trichologist and scalp therapist Bridgette Hill says, later approved for male and female use in the 1988 drug, Rogaine.
“Studies have indicated that the drug can promote hair growth in some men whose hair is thinning, but it will not help men who are bald,” writes journalist Gina Kolata in a New York Times article published back then. “If a man stops applying the drug, however, its benefits will disappear.”
By 1992, another hair loss drug hit the market, Finasteride or Propecia (a drug used for enlarged prostates), before being repurposed for hair growth five years later. “Both of these are DHT (Dihydrotestosterone), an identified hormone that is a root cause of androgenic or genetic hair loss,” Hill says. “When Rogaine’s patent expired in December of 2000, the market opened for other non-prescription DHT blockers to be introduced as product offerings.”
This means, for a long time, you’ve been able to buy minoxidil and other hair growth medications without a prescription in the form of a pill, solution, and foam. However, just because it’s easy to purchase, doesn’t mean the ingredient is targeted to every type of hair growth.
How does it work?
While some hair growth products, like oils and serums, may feel like they don’t render visible results, minoxidil is known to be one of the most effective on the market. That’s because “it helps improve blood flow and prolongs the growth stage in the hair cycle, known as anagen,” trichology practitioner and hairstylist Yene Damtew says. “It can make miniaturized follicles larger and reduce inflammation to increase the growth factor.”
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How effective is it?
According to an FDA study, it took 8 months for 19% of women to see moderate results after using the 2% solution, while about 40% saw minimal growth. Despite some claims on social media, minoxidil takes months to show results, and may also cause more hair loss in the first few months before it improves.
Who is it for?
“With more clients experiencing hair loss or hair thinning, there has been an increase in folks using Minoxidil to tackle their hair loss concerns,” Damtew says. “Minoxidil is technically approved to affect hair on the vertex (crown of the head),” Hill adds, as directed by the FDA. “However, anecdotally, many dermatologists and hair transplant surgeons have also seen improvement when used throughout the hair.”
Between “scalp check” videos, postpartum shedding, and obsessive hair routines, it’s easy for women to be convinced they’re balding when they’re not. Likewise, turning to a more severe solution (enter: minoxidil) may not be necessary unless you have hereditary thinning or hair loss, specifically on the top of the head.
According to the insert, you should not use Rogaine if you have traction alopecia from styles like cornrows or ponytails, damage from hair care products, your hair loss is sudden or patchy, you have postpartum hair loss, no family history of hair loss, or don’t know what caused it. You should also avoid it if your scalp isn’t in a healthy condition, like redness, inflammation, or irritation, which can also be a side effect.
What are the risks?
From unwanted hair growth all over the body—like the face, arms, legs, and back—to flakiness, skin irritation, and a sticky scalp, “all clients should consult with a board-certified dermatologist before using minoxidil,” Damtew says. Excessive hair growth is a primary risk of using minoxidil, and even if you’re using the ingredient in a targeted area, it can still cause unwanted hair far past the application site.
One woman on TikTok used a 5% minoxidil foam for men on her scalp, instead of one for women, and grew beard-like facial hair, while another claimed her hairline regressed after she stopped using it. While you shouldn’t stop using minoxidil after you start (you will likely lose all the new growth in three to four months), overuse will not improve the results either. “Minoxidil is not a vitamin but is a drug and should be used in the FDA-approved methods for hair loss not to encourage hair growth,” Hill says about misuse.
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How should it be applied?
“Minoxidil can be prescribed orally and topically: for men a 5% solution is recommended and for women a 2% solution is recommended,” Hill says. If you’re a good candidate for minoxidil, you should first start with a clean scalp before applying the ingredient. Then, “apply directly to the area of hair loss and shedding up to two times daily.”
What’s a better alternative?
While most hair loss medications work like Rogaine, formulated to improve blood flow and widen vessels and extend the hair growth phase, other vitamins and plants may prevent the extreme side effects. According to Hill, red clover, mung beans and ashwagandha can all help hair growth. For example, “mung beans are filled with vitamins and minerals that are essential to healthy hair growth function: protein, iron, magnesium, folate protein, zinc, calcium and B vitamins,” she says.
While herbal rinses containing moringa, aloe vera, amla, rosemary or peppermint oil, can help stimulate your follicles in a similar way. However, if you still want to give minoxidil a shot, you coincidentally may want to look into a waxing routine—and fast.
