Is Minoxidil Dependency Just Theory?

Doctor

You’ve said you take propecia. Why don’t you use minoxidil as well? Do you feel it would be of no benefit? To be honest if you don’t take it one would wonder why they should start.

Also how do we know all hair treated with minoxidil won’t become dependent? Is this just a theory or has it been proven and if so how?

Thanks for such an informative site.

To clarify, I did use Propecia for years, but I stopped using it some time ago. I hoped that my hair loss stabilized and took a chance by stopping the drug, and thankfully I experienced no further loss. One of my sons is still using it daily, however. I didn’t use minoxidil for a couple of reasons — mainly because the twice a day application was cumbersome to me, but also because I was looking to maintain and not necessarily regrow. The Propecia was found to be sufficient for that.

As for minoxidil dependency to existing hairs, the drug spreads to the surrounding area, so some people will find the dependence extended beyond where they applied it. Sometimes it even spreads to the face, and in women, facial hair growth is a side effect of minoxidil.

To touch back on the reason that I considered minoxidil to be cumbersome — before starting any drugs or treatment regimens, one must consider the compliance factor. A pill a day is easy for most. Washing your hair then putting on minoxidil twice-a-day everyday takes time and most men are not the best at keeping to this type of regimen. Most men simply quit after a few months before seeing any results. This ends up being a waste of time and money. A drug or a treatment plan is only as good as the person who is willing to follow the plan.