Description
Product Description
Our Dermatologists Will Be Able To Advise You On The Best Treatments Suitable For Your Hair Loss A definitive guide to Oral Minoxidil for Hair Loss by a Dermatologist
Minoxidil is a successful hair treatment as an oral medication – even though most will be more familiar with it as a scalp foam or tonic. There are certain circumstances in which Minoxidil can be taken orally as a capsule, and increasingly this is being recognised by Dermatologists as an effective and convenient way of treating hair concerns.
Topical minoxidil is minoxidil which is applied on the skin.
Oral minoxidil is minoxidil in capsule form that is taken by mouth.
When is oral Minoxidil given for hair loss?
Oral Minoxidil can be considered for hair loss if :
- Topical Minoxidil preparations cause a rash, irritation or allergy
- There is a lack of any benefit from topical Minoxidil after 6 months of diligent use
- Topical Minoxidil causes poor hair texture – sometimes topical Minoxidil can cause dry, tangled hair prone to breakage
- There are other difficulties using topical Minoxidil – and this causes compliance problems.
Hair loss conditions that may improve with Minoxidil
Oral minoxidil is mainly used for male and female pattern hair loss. However, there can be benefits for other types of hair loss, too, including telogen effluvium, traction alopecia and loose anagen syndrome.
- Why would oral Minoxidil work when topical Minoxidil has not worked?
Some people may not respond to topical Minoxidil as they lack the correct enzyme in their hair follicles to activate the medication from Minoxidil to Minoxidil Sulphate (the enzyme that activates Minoxidil is called sulfotransferase). This enzyme is present in the liver and will activate the oral medication even when it is.
- How effective is oral minoxidil?
The studies are very small but indicate that about one-third of patients will notice a reduction in shedding, and a third will notice improved growth in 6 months or more. This means that up to 2 in 3 people may notice benefits from oral Minoxidil. It is best to take treatment for 6 to 12 months to give it enough time to work.
The only head-to-head study comparing oral minoxidil to topical minoxidil in women with Female Pattern Hair Loss showed that 1mg of minoxidil gave comparable effects to 5% solution (1ml) once a day (Ramos et al. 2020). In this study, 26 women received oral minoxidil and 26 women received topical minoxidil. After 24 weeks of treatment, there was a 12% increase in hair density for women on oral minoxidil and 7.2% increase for women applying topical minoxidil. The difference was not statistically significant, but the oral minoxidil group also had less hair shedding.
Recommended daily intake
Take 2 capsule once daily before meals with plenty of water. Do not exceed the recommended daily dose.
Doses of minoxidil for hair loss are considered ‘low dose. This is because the doses used for hair loss are a lot lower than the doses which are used for conditions such as hypertension. The doses used for hypertension are 10-40mg per day.