If your frontal area is thinning, you may be wondering whether you can use Minoxidil for your receding hairline. Studies show that this medication can indeed help to a similar extent as it would on your crown [1].
For the 95% of men whose hair loss is caused by male pattern baldness, a hair loss treatment such as topical Minoxidil can be recommended to halt further thinning and stimulate new hair growth [2]. In this article, we’ll take an in-depth look at this treatment for your receding hairline, exploring topics such as:
Yes, you can take Minoxidil for a receding hairline. However, the success of hair growth depends on your level of hair loss.
Stages 4 and up on the Norwood Scale are classed as advanced. Therefore, medication won’t always produce an extreme improvement alone. This is why many men opt for a hair transplant, which produces more permanent, reliable results at later stages of hair loss.
Hair loss in women is a little harder to tackle. For women experiencing a receding hairline, we recommend first seeking the advice of a medical professional to ensure the cause is benign and not something more serious such as frontal fibrosing alopecia. When you know the cause, you can find the right hair loss treatment for women
For those who are at an earlier stage on the Norwood Scale, Minoxidil could work to make your hair denser and fuller, which you can see in this Minoxidil before and after comparison.
Minoxidil is a medication that comes in the form of a tablet, liquid, or foam. The topical Minoxidil liquid or foam is applied directly to the scalp to promote hair growth [3].
The medication works by widening the blood vessels around hair follicles in the scalp. This increases blood flow and provides more oxygen and nutrients to hair follicles which in turn encourages hair growth.
Topical Minoxidil spray and foam are sometimes sold under the brand names Rogaine or Regaine. It is usually applied to the scalp twice daily, as this gives the desired exposure time.
Minoxidil can be used together with or as an alternative to other medications, such as Finasteride, which also stimulates hair growth. Finasteride works by lowering the blood levels of DHT (dihydrotestosterone), the hormone that causes androgenetic alopecia.
When Minoxidil was released as a hair restoration drug in the 80s, efficacy testing had only been conducted on the scalp and crown. So there’s limited evidence for the success of the medication when it comes to frontal baldness and receding hairlines.
Through more recent studies, researchers have tested the efficacy of Minoxidil on the hairline and have found it to have positive results [1][6-7].
This man experienced male pattern baldness which led to a receding hairline. The photos display the patient before Minoxidil, and then at 3 and 6-month intervals after taking oral Minoxidil [7]. There is a slight improvement around the hairline, with hair regrowing in the deeper areas of temple hair loss.
Using Minoxidil for your receding hairline is fairly simple, especially when using the foam or topical solution. The usual guidance is to apply the topical Minoxidil solution twice daily. Reducing Minoxidil use to 3 times a week will reduce or slow down any improvements you see. The medication will come with instructions for how much to use, as this can depend on whether it is foam or liquid.
After applying the Minoxidil, gently massage it into the affected area. The instructions should tell you how long to leave the foam/liquid on your scalp. Wash your hands thoroughly after using Minoxidil, as exposure to other parts of the body can stimulate hair growth there.
See a step-by-step guide for how to apply Minoxidil to get the best possible results.
All medications have side effects, and Minoxidil is no exception. Though the medication is generally safe, it’s a good idea to weigh up the side effects of Minoxidil before use. Consult your doctor if needed.
There are a few side effects that you should be aware of when taking Minoxidil, including:
There are several conditions that can cause a receding hairline. In men, it is almost always a sign of male pattern baldness. This condition usually also manifests with temple hair loss, which leads to a progressively M-shaped hairline. Then, as it advances, you may also develop a bald spot on your crown.
Female pattern baldness does not show the same symptoms as the male variety, the hairline is normally spared, so there are normally other causes behind women’s frontal hair thinning.
There are also other conditions that can cause a receding hairline. While they are often more prevalent in women, they can be encountered in both genders, which is why it is a good idea to get your hair loss professionally diagnosed. The most common of these are:
You may have heard that ponytails cause hair loss, but it may surprise you that top knots and man buns can cause hair loss as well. That is because when you apply a lot of tension to your hair strands for long periods of time, they pull on the hair roots, damaging the follicles.
This results in traction alopecia – the hair in the affected region falls off and can take several months to grow back. In more advanced cases, it will not grow back on its own and may require treatment, such as Minoxidil.
This is a type of scarring alopecia which mainly affects postmenopausal women. It is caused by a mix of hormonal, autoimmune and environmental factors and it affects the frontal scalp, as well as the eyebrows and eyelashes. While Minoxidil can help alongside other treatments (e.g. corticosteroids), it is unlikely to successfully treat this condition on its own.
Normally, alopecia areata presents with patchy hair loss. But it can sometimes also manifest with swathes of hair falling out (alopecia ophiasis), with diffuse hair thinning (alopecia incognita) or even with full balding (alopecia totalis or alopecia universalis). In rare cases, it can only affect your hairline area (and possibly, your eyebrows), making it easily confused for frontal-fibrosing alopecia [11].
Yes, it is safe for women to use Minoxidil for their frontal hair thinning. However, it is a good idea to get the recommendation of a trichologist before doing so. That is because Minoxidil can have some specific side effects that may affect female users, such as localised or generalised hypertrichosis (excessive face or body hair growth) [3].
Women normally require a lower dose of hair growth medication than men, so Minoxidil 2% should be sufficient to improve their hair density. However, if their hair loss is more advanced and their hair doctor recommends it, they can also use Minoxidil 5% or even oral tablets (these, however, have a higher chance of producing systemic side effects).
It is good to be aware that the types of alopecia which cause frontal hair loss in women often need other kinds of treatment alongside Minoxidil. For example, scarring alopecias and alopecia areata may require steroid creams or intralesional steroid injections to improve.
It is not customary for trichologists to recommend hair growth medication preventively. That is because while Minoxidil is generally safe and can help nourish your hair follicles, it can also have unwanted side effects. And healthy hair, with no signs of thinning, is already likely receiving sufficient oxygen and nutrients without needing additional blood flow.
Taking medication without needing it is not likely to produce benefits. And since hairline recession is normally caused by genetic conditions, using Minoxidil as a preventive measure will probably not stop them from developing. It is best to be vigilant and keep an eye out for the first signs of hair thinning and balding, so you can act quickly to curb emergent hair loss while it is in its early stages.
There are several hair growth treatments that you can try instead of Minoxidil (or alongside it, for increased effect) to treat your receding hairline. Some of the most effective of these are:
One of the most frequently prescribed hair growth medications, Finasteride is effective in reducing the levels of dihydrotestosterone (DHT) in your blood. When produced in excess, this male hormone binds to too many androgen receptors in hair follicles. This makes them shrink and stop producing hair, triggering male (or female) pattern baldness.
Finasteride combined with Minoxidil can be even more effective, so you can use them together on your hairline for enhanced results. However, keep in mind that premenopausal women cannot use Finasteride, as it can lead to foetal malformations or offset hormonal balance.
PRP hair treatments can improve hair density in a variety of conditions, including androgenetic alopecia and alopecia areata. That is because PRP contains growth factors which help your hair follicles heal and produce healthier strands. The PRP is extracted from a small sample of your own blood and injected into the thinning areas of your scalp, for optimal effects.
Red light therapy for hair growth is a form of low-level laser therapy that uses red and near-infrared light to stimulate your follicles for growth. The light is absorbed by your scalp and it helps activate your cell mitochondria, accelerating the transportation of energy to your hair follicles. Moreover, it may also improve blood flow to your hair roots, similarly to Minoxidil.
Also known as derma rolling for hair growth, this therapy involves making microscopic punctures in your scalp using a derma roller. These very small wounds don’t normally hurt or bleed, but they still trigger your body’s healing response, which is beneficial to your hair follicles.
Furthermore, studies show that using Minoxidil and a derma roller together can enhance both their effects [13]. That is because the medication helps increase blood flow to your hair follicles, while the microneedling helps improve the Minoxidil absorption rate.
A hairline transplant surgery can be a highly effective and permanent solution for a receding hairline. The procedure is fast and painless, it is performed under local anaesthesia and doesn’t require any hospitalisation.
The surgical team simply harvests some healthy hair follicles from the back or sides of your head and transplants them into your balding areas. And since hair on the donor area is not affected by excessive DHT, the implanted follicles will not be affected by male pattern baldness. That means you can still enjoy your full head of hair 10 years after a hair transplant and even longer.
The best clinics in the UK have an almost 100% success rate when it comes to hairline transplants, regardless of whether you opt for an FUE or an FUT procedure. And since it’s a generally safe procedure, complications are rare and usually mild. However, you will have to wait 9-12 months to see your final results.
If you are experiencing a receding hairline and are unsure what the best treatment is for your condition, book a consultation with one of our experienced trichologists today. They will examine your hair and scalp thoroughly and provide an accurate diagnosis and staging of your hair loss.
Then, they will recommend the most effective non-surgical hair restoration treatments. Or, if you are a good candidate for surgical hair restoration, they will tell you all you need to know about how you can get a natural-looking hair transplant.
If you would like to find out more about what Minoxidil can do for your receding hairline, see the answers to these frequently asked questions:
No, Minoxidil should not harm your strands or hair follicles from your hairline or any other part of your scalp. This medication has undergone rigorous testing and its side effects are known. None of them involve damaging your hair (unless you are allergic to this medication).
However, there is a phenomenon called Minoxidil shedding, where you may experience a temporary increase in the amount of hair that falls out. That usually happens in the first weeks of treatment and only lasts for about 8 weeks [3], then you start seeing regrowth. This phenomenon happens as the medication speeds up your follicle transition from the resting to the growing phase, which involves an intermediary shedding phase.
Of course. While studies show that Minoxidil combined with Finasteride is more effective against male pattern baldness than either of these stand-alone medications, they also have their own proven efficacy. So you can feel free to only use Minoxidil on your hairline and, depending on the stage of your hair loss, you should be able to see some improvement after 6 months of consistent use.
Yes, there is research that shows Minoxidil can be safe and effective in treating patchy alopecia areata [14]. However, its effect depends on multiple factors, such as the extent of the hair loss, the duration of the flare-up, the patient’s individual response, etc.
Normally, this medication is used alongside other treatments, such as corticosteroids, to reduce the symptoms of alopecia areata.
Like all hair growth medications, Minoxidil is only effective for as long as you are taking it. It does not cure your hair loss, it merely improves its symptoms. And if your androgenetic alopecia advances, it may become less effective with time and you may need to get additional treatment.
Currently, there is no known cure for baldness. The most effective solution available is hair restoration surgery, as hair transplants offer a permanent result.
Simply fill in your details in the form below and we'll get in touch with you shortly.
Δ
