Let’s face it, the beard trend has been around for quite a few years now and it looks like it’s probably staying for good. For most, growing a beard is as easy as, well as easy as growing a beard, but it’s not a walk in the park for everybody.
Some will struggle with those pesky patches where the hair just doesn’t seem to grow, or you just can’t get it in the right shape. Today we’re looking into minoxidil and if its’ the answer to the perfect beard.
What is minoxidil
Minoxidil, often called Rogaine is a form of hair loss medication. Minoxidil is a vasodilator and was originally used as an oral drug to treat high blood pressure. It was discovered to have a side effect of hair growth and reversing baldness. A topical solution that contained 2% minoxidil was then created and sold as a hair loss treatment to treat baldness, under the name of Rogaine.
Treatments usually include 5% concentrate solutions that are designed for men, and a 2% concentrate solution typically used by women.
How can minoxidil help with hair loss?
It is unknown how minoxidil stimulates hair growth, experts believe that the drug dilates the blood vessels around the hair follicles. This in, turn, increases the nutrient supply to the follicles encouraging increases hair growth.
When it comes to hair loss, minoxidil is best used when treatment is used early on, the best candidates are those with thinning hair but are not yet bald.
Can minoxidil help with my facial help?
Minoxidil is commonly applied to the scalp to help promote hair growth, with this in mind we often see questions regarding using minoxidil for facial hair. Can you apply minoxidil to areas of the face where your beard isn’t growing? The simple answer is yes.
Minoxidil will work, regardless of where you apply it. It will work to slowly stimulate the growth of new hair on any area of the skin where there are hair follicles.
Minoxidil side effects
Minoxidil does, however, have some side effects, major complications are rare, but patients who suffer from heart disease or hypertension should check with their doctor before beginning treatment. The most common problem is irritating and dryness to the skin, our face is usually more sensitive than other parts of the body, this is important to remember when applying for the use of facial hair.
Large amounts of minoxidil can cause hypotension, headaches, irregular or fast heartbeat, blurred vision, chest pain.
Finally, it is important to remember if the medication is stopped, after prolonged use, hair loss may increase. With this in mind other more permanent methods of hair restoration could be considered, such as hair transplants.
If you would like more information on our hair loss treatments, such as beard transplants please contact us today for a no-obligation consultation.