When using minoxidil for beard growth, a lot of guys mention that they’re “losing” head hair from shedding. It starts to worry them, and other people may tell them that minoxidil can cause premature balding.
If you’re concerned about losing your hair because of minoxidil, don’t be. Minoxidil absolutely does not cause you to lose hair permanently.
What is happening is that the hair on your head is simply shedding more than it naturally would. Yes, even if you’re using minoxidil on your face, as it gets into your blood. Shedding itself is not considered hair loss, as you’re not actually losing your hair or balding in any permanent way.
Shedding, also known as exogen, is a natural process in which the hair on your scalp falls out. It’s part of the hair growth cycle.
Minoxidil causes hair cycles to synchronize
Hair follicles naturally have their own cycles, which is why you may not notice as much shedding on a normal basis. Add minox into the equation, and these follicles tend to cycle together, making things like hair growth rate quicker.
Minoxidil synchronizes our follicles’ cycles, causing and elongating the anagen phase. Because of this cycle synchronization, there also tends to be a “shedding phase” that is more noticeable than usual.
This synchronization persists only while using minoxidil, and for a short time after you’ve stopped. Once you’ve been completely off minox, your hair follicles will go back into their natural, individual cycles.
This is the reason that many people believe minoxidil causes hair loss, particularly those that are already balding; with the excessive shedding, one feels that they are losing hair because of minoxidil. In actuality, it’s more of an observational flaw on that person’s part.
Studies have shown that minoxidil does not cause hair loss. People sometimes perceive that it does because of their lack of understanding of hair cycles and minoxidil’s synchronization of them.
Also read: Side Effects of Minoxidil Usage for Beards
Your head hair is safe with minoxidil; it will not cause you to bald prematurely, or bald more
As stated above, minoxidil will simply cause more hair to shed at one time. The hair that is shed will grow back, and sooner than it would naturally. Because of the quickening and synchronizing of hair cycles, minoxidil only makes it seem as if you’re balding.
Once you’ve gotten past the point of a shedding phase, you’ll see your hair be much fuller if you’re balding and using it for such.
If you’re not balding but using minoxidil for facial hair growth, you should not notice a difference in how full your head hair is. This is an important point to note, as it’s what many guys are afraid of. Yes, you will notice more hair being shed on a daily basis, but you should not notice a difference in your hair’s fullness over time.
Even for those of you with long hair, again, you should not see a difference in fullness.
Good read: What Happens After You’re Done Using Minoxidil; Is Your Beard Permanent?
Now that we’ve covered that hair loss is not caused by minoxidil and the reasoning as to why some may believe it is, you might be curious about using minox for beard growth. If that’s the case, the absolute best source to start at would be the Minox Beard FAQ over on the wiki. Serving thousands of people, you can be confident of the information you read here at Beard Wiki.
Growing a fuller beard is just a few months away.