Why Are Hairs Grown from Minoxidil Dependent on Continued Use of the Drug?

Since I’m Propecia (as I was told adding minoxidil (Rogaine) ) may help, but I’ve heard Doctors (as yourself) speak of minoxidil dependent hair. If you are already on Propecia, and minoxidil stimulates the anagen phase and acts as a vasodilator, how would a minoxidil hair become dependent or be different from a non-minoxidil dependent hair, once it starts growing and you are already on Propecia, how is it different, wouldn’t the DHT blocking effects of Propecia prevent the fall-out if stop minoxidil? How would a hair that has helped grow back from Propecia be different biologically from a hair grown from Rogaine (minoxidil), don’t all the hairs benefit from the vasodilation, presuming that is the mode of action of the minoxidil?

I wish it was that simple, but unfortunately nobody really knows the right answer (including me). You may have heard that what we do, as doctors, is called the “practice” of medicine and not the “science” of medicine. Sometimes medicine works in mysterious ways! Things that should work sometimes do not. Things that should not work sometimes do.

Minoxidil’s impact on hair growth is the result of the drug’s side effect. For example, if a woman takes minoxidil as a pill (used for high blood pressure years ago, but not today), they may grow facial and body hair as a side effect of the drug. This observation is what induced doctors to try this medication in liquid form and be used for hair loss.