There are still many questions about the effectiveness and safety of some of Minoxidil’s tried and tested uses.
However, it passes this doubt based on many previous studies that successfully improved hair growth problems and reduced male and female pattern baldness.
Precious Rutlin, a trichologist and hair loss expert, says, “Clinical studies have shown that Minoxidil can help some people regrow their hair when used consistently. “However, “results will vary by person.”
If any side effects occur, it is possible to stop the usage without worrying since the body stops absorbing what it does not need.
However, stopping comes with a cost!
Minoxidil Side Effects After Stopping
1. Losing Hair Regrown Using Minoxidil Medication
The minoxidil medication works if you keep using it, meaning it does not treat baldness.
It encourages the passage of nutrients, blood, and oxygen to the hair follicle. As a result, it strengthens it and promotes hair growth.
“The most typical uses are to promote hair growth and slow down balding,” says Dendy Engelman, cosmetic dermatologist and Mohs surgeon at New York City’s Shafer Clinic.
When you apply Minoxidil over the balding area, make sure to massage it into your scalp gently.
The medication increases blood flow to your scalp, causing your hair follicles to receive adequate blood flow, causing the bulb size to grow, hence new hair stimulation.
So the medication thickens thin hair, makes small hairs bigger, and strengthens weak hair.
When you stop using Minoxidil, all the above suddenly stops.
In most cases, your hair loss will start again, where it stopped before you started using Minoxidil.
After discontinuing the use of Minoxidil, some users report experiencing worse hair loss than before.
This is because Minoxidil assists with keeping the hair, so when the Minoxidil impact wears off, the weak hair could fall.
Minoxidil forces your follicles into a growth phase; once the body stops sending the signal, normal physiology takes over, and those hairs will fall out.
Your natural hair will begin to grow back after the shedding stops, lasting anywhere from six to nine months.
However, in the context of general hair loss, the hairs return thinner and thinner, giving the impression that the condition is even worse.
After stopping taking Minoxidil, you might be able to regain the majority of your hair density, provided that the genetic hair loss is mild and progresses slowly.
Other Minoxidil Side Effects
There are other side effects that come from using Minoxidil.
However, the side effects are less common or rare.
As a result, you can treat most of these by making minor adjustments to how you take this medication.
Therefore, it is best to consult your doctor as soon as possible if they do occur.
2. Skin Irritation and Rush
Minoxidil is applied directly to your scalp and later massaged into the scalp.
You will experience skin irritation at the application site, and your skin will feel itchy.
Gretchen Friese, a BosleyMD-certified trichologist, says that taking Minoxidil may cause some redness or mild itching because it increases blood flow to the scalp.
However, if the irritation persists, it is best to visit a dermatologist.
The itchiness results from ingredients like propylene glycol and alcohol that are added to help Minoxidil dissolve properly and improve its absorption into your skin.
Minoxidil may cause skin irritation when applied topically, especially when your skin is sensitive to alcohol, propylene glycol, or both.
3. Burning Sensation
Another Minoxidil side effect is a burning sensation on the scalp.
The burning sensation could be caused by Minoxidil or a reaction to some common ingredients in Minoxidil formulations.
4. Facial Hair Growth
Minoxidil can cause unwanted hair to grow temporarily on your face or other exposed skin areas. Minoxidil is said to be a vasodilator.
As a result, it dilates the blood vessels beneath the application area, allowing oxygen and nutrients to flow to your hair follicles.
Consequently, it aids in facial beard growth. This is another Minoxidil side effect you should be aware of if you don’t like to have beards.
A study by Above Medical Press gives more information on Minoxidil and its use in treating hair disorders.
5. Acne at the Application Site
Another Minoxidil side effect is acne at the application site. However, the side effect is less common.
Minoxidil can sometimes cause headaches, red bumps on the skin, facial swelling, and, more so, acne breakouts.
Minoxidil may prevent the production of sebum, which causes acne, which may be the cause of the breakouts.
An article from John Hopkins Medicine states that sebaceous glands (oil glands) and hair follicle disorders are the causes of acne.
Sebum, an oil produced by the sebaceous glands, keeps the skin moist. Pimples and cysts can occur when the glands become clogged.
6. Temporarily Hair Shedding
Although Minoxidil is intended to encourage hair growth, you may initially experience temporary hair shedding.
Your hair appears to be falling out more quickly than usual at first. Because Minoxidil causes the resting hairs to cycle into the growing phase, the initial shedding of hair is normal.
As the newer, healthier hairs grow in, this shedding stops.
Don’t be alarmed if, shortly after beginning minoxidil treatment, your hair appears slightly thinner than usual.
Hang tight for three to four months, which is the standard measure of time expected to evaluate the viability of Minoxidil.
Other Adverse Minoxidil Side effects as a result of Excessive Use
The following are other Minoxidil side effects that can occur due to too much medicine being absorbed into the body. However, the symptoms are rare.
- Chest pain or/and a rapid/fast/irregular heartbeat
- Dizziness or lightheadedness or fainting
- Blurred vision or other changes in vision
- Swelling that affects your face, ankles, stomach, or hands
- Changes in your body weight, such as rapid weight gain
- Difficulty breathing when you’re lying down
- Flushing
- Headache
- Numbness or tingling of hands, feet, or face
- Swelling of the face, hands, feet, or lower legs
Conclusion
Minoxidil is not the magical cure-all and answer to hair loss that everybody has been waiting for.
It does not work for everyone. Sometimes, it worsens your hair loss.
So if you are thinking of using Minoxidil or going off of it, don’t be surprised by the Minoxidil side effects after stopping.
Therefore, consulting a doctor about using Minoxidil to stop hair loss is a good idea for improving the health of your scalp and hair in the long term.
Minoxidil side effects after stopping are minor and temporary. Still, I want to make you aware of them if you or a loved one consider stopping this hair loss treatment.
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