Minoxidil On Facial Hair: What Happens If You Stop Using It?

Are you wondering if new hair grown by using Minoxidil falls off when you stop using it?

If yes, you are in the right place.

Minoxidil is one of the more popular hair growth products on the market right now, helping men and women battle hair loss, baldness, and facial hair thickness.

Minoxidil is originally designed for long-term use, helping men and women sustain hair growth as they get older. Consequently, stopping minoxidil use or applying it for a temporary period may lower your chances of defeating baldness or hair loss. Most often, it may also result in losing the hair gains you recorded while using the product.

This article answers your questions about minoxidil on facial hair and beard through proven studies and outlines the possible side effects and alternative hair growth options.

Let’s get into it!

What is Minoxidil?

According to various official studies, including studies by Pubmed, ”Minoxidil was first introduced as an antihypertensive medication and the discovery of its common adverse event, hypertrichosis, led to the development of a topical formulation for promoting hair growth.”

Minoxidil, also known as Rogaine, is a type of solution used to treat baldness in men and women. The solution is not meant for conditions where there is complete baldness of the scalp. It works best for thinning hair, especially in women. Minoxidil is in a class of drugs popularly known as vasodilators.

The solution usually comes in a foamy paste which is applied to the scalp of the patient. It is unclear how Minoxidil propagates or improves hair growth, but the solution is known to work effectively. However, there are rules regarding how Minoxidil usage. It is not advisable to use Minoxidil in cases where:

You cannot explain the cause of hair loss.
There is a sudden loss of hair.
Hair loss resulting from childbirth.
There is no prior baldness history in the family.

Lastly, persons 18 years and younger should stay clear of using minoxidil.

Minoxidil On Facial Hair: How Does It Work?

Learning what leads to hair loss helps to set the stage for how the Minoxidil solution works. Among the known causes of hair loss, genetics is the most common of all.

This condition is known popularly as androgenetic alopecia. It is a condition that affects millions of men worldwide, regardless of age and race.

Androgenetic alopecia starts out progressively and causes the hair follicles to shrink. With time, hair becomes thinner and begins to wither away gradually. After some time, hair growth stops completely, leading to an exposed scalp.

Hair loss is also hereditary, which means parents can pass it down via their genes to their children.

Now, it is important to stress that baldness occurs in both men and women. When it happens in men, there are two main ways hair loss takes form.

The first usually starts with a receding hairline from the front part of the scalp, which spreads backward to the crown of the head. The second form of hair loss usually occurs around the crown leaving a circular bald patch at the center of the head. Male hair loss is sometimes also referred to as male pattern baldness.

Women usually record hair loss in much more irregular patterns. These can range from little uneven patches around the scalp to a large bald area on any part of the scalp. The most common type of hair loss in women is a general thinning of the hair follicles all over the scalp.

Like we saw in the beginning part of this article, it is not exactly clear the working principles of Minoxidil. I mean scientists are constantly trying to find out how it produces these impressive results but nothing is found yet.

What we can say is that minoxidil is simply a type of vasodilator.

Vasodilators operate by opening up the blood vessels in the hair, allowing more oxygenated blood into the hair follicles.

The inflow of oxygenated blood into hair follicles improves hair growth and leads to stronger, thicker hairs in the long term.

Does Minoxidil Actually Work Efficiently?

Before And after 6 Months Using Minoxidil

Minoxidil is known to treat baldness and hair thinning issues. But there is the question as to its true efficacy: Does Minoxidil work effectively?

To answer this question, we need to consider several key factors. For instance, Minoxidil does not work in cases of complete baldness. The solution is helpful to patients with hereditary hair loss. This type of hair loss is common at the top front position and the crown of the head.

According to some studies, many patients record an impressive result after using Minoxidil. In terms of efficacy, it is fair to say that Minoxidil may not be effective in all cases. However, men generally begin to notice improved hair growth by the third month of minoxidil application.

There is also the chance that you may record a small change in hair growth and not get a full result. In this scenario, you may require prolonged or lifelong usage of minoxidil to ensure optimal hair growth or sustained gains.

You should check in with a dermatologist if you don’t notice any significant change after a few months of Minoxidil treatment.

Also, remember that despite the fact that we know that Minoxidil does work on beard growth, it is not yet proved 100% as it is for head hair.

I don’t tell you this to discourage you but I need to be honest and clear with my readers.

What Happens When You Stop Using Minoxidil?

Minoxidil works best when you use it regularly. You need to apply it constantly-daily on your scalp to maintain a significant result. However, some people may want to know what happens when they stop the Minoxidil treatment.

In response, you should understand that Minoxidil works best over a long period.

So, if you stop using Minoxidil abruptly, you stand the chance of losing any hair you may have regrown during usage. It is always best to wait and watch out for results. If you begin to record an impressive result after a period of Minoxidil usage, you can use it for a few more months before stopping for a while.

Initially, once you stop using minoxidil, you are likely to experience a reduction in the rate at which your hair grows. This is perfectly normal as your hair returns to its usual growth rate before minoxidil usage.

To ensure the gains made with minoxidil use are permanent, it is advisable to wait until your hair is terminal. Terminal hair grows thick and coarse, with roots reaching deeper into the follicles and will not fall out, unlike vellus hairs.

Stopping minoxidil use before terminal hair growth may result in you losing the gains previously made through its application.

Also, newer studies suggest that men should use Minoxidil for as long as possible. Not only will your hair stop thickening immediately after the stoppage of Minoxidil’s usage but most importantly you run in serious danger of losing most of the newly grown hair.

Therefore, despite the fact that Minoxidil can work for facial hair growth, in most cases, you have to use it forever to sustain the results.

Obviously, this is far from ideal but there are not many better solutions as of now to be crystal clear with you.

Minoxidil Side Effects? Are There Any?

Just like with all medications, Minoxidil also comes with its attendant side effects.

Also, how one patient reacts to Minoxidil defers from another. While using Mixonidil, you may not experience all the known side effects associated with the medication. However, if you start to react harshly to Minoxidil usage, you should see a doctor immediately.

Below are some known side effects associated with using Minoxidil treatment:

Burning of scalp
Continuous itching or skin rash
Facial hair growth
Acne at the site of application
Increased hair loss
Inflammation or soreness in hair roots
Reddened skin
Dizziness
Fainting
Fast or irregular heartbeat
Headache
Lightheadedness
Rapid weight gain
Numbness or tingling of hands, feet, or face
Flushing
Swelling of the face
Blurred vision or other changes in vision
Chest pain
Swelling of face, hands, feet, or lower legs

Obviously, most of you won’t deal with any of these. However, we have to inform you about the possible risks you run into. Before using any medicine you should ALWAYS ask your doctor.

Also, if anything bad happens stop using Minoxidil and call your doctor.

Is There An Alternative To Minoxidil?

Due to side effects associated with Minoxidil usage, many patients tend to seek out better alternatives. This search majorly targets natural-based hair growth supplements. These supplements have been tested to work wonders and have almost no side effects.

There are still some inorganic cosmetic alternatives to Minoxidil. A typical example is Finasteride. Unlike Minoxidil, Finasteride has low side effects and is less hazardous to the scalp. Finasteride used to be popularly known as the treatment for Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia.

Read Also: Scraggly Beard

Because of its hair growth properties, minoxidil is essential in treating baldness and hair loss. It is also a well-known hormone alternator, inhibiting hormones that cause hair loss in the body. Some side effects recorded with Finasteride treatment include dizziness and erectile dysfunction.

Finasteride and Minoxidil can work together and it is a very nice combo advised by many doctors. However, also ask first. What works for me, may not work for you.

Makes sense, right?

Other Minoxidil alternatives include:

Ketoconazole shampoo: This is useful in treating fungal infections on the scalp that may cause unexplained hair loss.
Pumpkin seeds oil: Pumpkin seed oil is also useful as a hair improvement supplement. However, it works best in combination with other ingredients.
Vitamin B7 or Biotin: Helps those with biotic deficiency, which is known to cause hair loss.
Zinc: Zinc may help to improve hair growth insreasing natural testosterone levels, although more intensive studies are required.
Saw palmetto: When ingested orally or used topically, saw palmetto might help with hair loss. However, the results are not as significant as other conventional methods of hair loss treatments.
Rosemary essential oil: Extracted from the rosemary plant, rosemary essential oil works as an anti-inflammatory agent and is packed with other essential properties.
Capsaicin: Capsaicin is a compound extracted from peppers. When taken topically or orally, Capsaicin helps to improve hair growth.Nonetheless, the effectiveness stretches beyond applying Capsaicin alone. You may need to use Capsaicin and other supplements such as isoflavone to get a good result.

Below are some other known natural-based alternatives to Minoxidil:

Onion juice
Marine proteins
Garlic
Melatonin, and
Vitamin E

All of these can work up to a certain extend. But, I want to be clear with you once again. Don’t expect miracles. If you have some small patches or your beard is thin all of these may work. But, if you can’t grow a beard whatsoever do not expect good results by using these things.

If you want a massive change, consider a beard transplant. That’s my opinion. You are free to have a different one. But this is what I believe and what I know from my experience.

Read Also: How To Grow Thicker Beard

Frequntly Asked Questions

How Long Should I Use Minoxidil To See Results?

Minoxidil works best when you apply it for at least 6 months. With that being said, Minoxidil therapy should be continued for a very long period of time or better for your whole life. To see good results, you have to use Minoxidil daily and be patient.

How to get rid of facial hair caused by minoxidil

To get rid of facial hair grown with the help of Minoxidil you just need to stop using it. In all or at least most cases, Minoxidil’s results are not permanent and hair will soon fall off. This is actually its main drawback.

How to deal with Minoxidil’s hypertrichosis?

Generalized hypertrichosis is a rare side effect that can be caused by Minoxidil. It is extremely bad when you use topical Minoxidil and hair is grown in other places. Some adolescent women and men trying to deal with alopecia have faced this side effect. Stopping the use of Minoxidil will fix the problem pretty soon. Otherwise, contact your dermatologist.

Conclusion

Baldness, hair loss, patchy beards, etc is never a great experience for us gentlemen.

Nonetheless, it is a condition that is largely innocuous. However, there may be cases where significant hair loss is not hereditary and may pose a serious source of concern.

If you begin to experience unexpected or sudden hair loss, it is always best to contact your doctor before seeking any hair growth medication.

Read Also: When Does Beard Stop Filling In

Minoxidil on facial hair does work. But, it has its drawbacks. My main concern is that in most cases you need to use it lifelong. If you stop using it, hair loss starts again.

If you want to only keep 1 thing from this post let it be this.

I want to also remind you of something else. Studies about Minoxidil have proven Minoxidil’s effectiveness on head hair. However, despite the fact that most probably it does also work fine for beard growth, it is yet to be proven 100%.

And…that’s it for today’s article. I really hope you found it useful and interesting.

Until next time,

Stay safe,

Tasos

Minoxidil On Facial Hair, Results, What Happens When You Stop Using It