Minoxidil pills, scam or worthwhile investment?

[SeanT1]

Hi,
Thought to open a discussion thread in regards to taking Minoxidil in pill form.

As we know, Minoxidil typically comes as a foam or serum.  As of recent years more and more suppliers are offering Minoxidil as a pill.
What Minoxidil does is promotes blood flow to the area it is applied, so how on earth would oral Minoxidil have any affect preventing future hair loss?

Hope someone could clear this up once and for all.
 

 

Edited April 18, 2022 by SeanToman

[NARMAK]

5 minutes ago, SeanToman said:

Hi,
Thought to open a discussion thread in regards to taking Minoxidil in pill form.

As we know, Minoxidil typically comes as a foam or serum.  As of recent years more and more suppliers are offering Minoxidil as a pill.
What Minoxidil does is promotes blood flow to the area it is applied, so how on earth would oral Minoxidil have any affect preventing future hair loss?

Hope someone could clear this up once and for all.
 

 

People who don't respond well to topical versions usually see a better response to Oral Minoxidil but it also has an increased side affect profile risk. 

Personally i would say to combine with Microneedling for maximum results. 

Either way, you need to inhibit 5AR with Finasteride 

[HappyMan2021]

Maybe an unpopular opinion but I find Minoxidil/Rogaine to be pretty ineffective and gimmicky in much the same way PRP is. 

I personally would never take an oral version of Rogaine. 

[SeanT1]

2 hours ago, NARMAK said:

People who don't respond well to topical versions usually see a better response to Oral Minoxidil but it also has an increased side affect profile risk. 

Personally i would say to combine with Microneedling for maximum results. 

Either way, you need to inhibit 5AR with Finasteride 

But what is the science behind it?  How can a pill variant of a topical promote growth in the scalp area?

 

Just now, HappyMan2021 said:

Maybe an unpopular opinion but I find Minoxidil/Rogaine to be pretty ineffective and gimmicky in much the same way PRP is. 

I personally would never take an oral version of Rogaine. 

I thought this too, there are some solid results online from people who do apply it on the crown.  But nothing ground breaking.
It doesn't make sense how pill form will affect the balding area.

[shiba1985]

No not a gimmick. minoxidil working as a vasodilator, is an old school thinking. Its mechanism of action is more complicated and involves molecular signaling at the cGMP level. Some studies, albeit poor quality, show that 5mg oral minoxidil has similar effectiveness as 1 mg finasteride. A 3 month supply of minoxidil would probably cost $10. Gimmicks are usually created to make money. I do not see how anyone would profit from a cheap medication like oral minoxidil. With prp, whether you agree or not, atleast the doctor can charge hundreds of dollar and make money. oral minoxidil will be more effective than the topical as it can reach certain molecular targets that a topical source cant. 

Edited April 18, 2022 by shiba1985

[SeanT1]

14 hours ago, shiba1985 said:

No not a gimmick. minoxidil working as a vasodilator, is an old school thinking. Its mechanism of action is more complicated and involves molecular signaling at the cGMP level. Some studies, albeit poor quality, show that 5mg oral minoxidil has similar effectiveness as 1 mg finasteride. A 3 month supply of minoxidil would probably cost $10. Gimmicks are usually created to make money. I do not see how anyone would profit from a cheap medication like oral minoxidil. With prp, whether you agree or not, atleast the doctor can charge hundreds of dollar and make money. oral minoxidil will be more effective than the topical as it can reach certain molecular targets that a topical source cant. 

With respect, I've never seen Minoxidil pills priced that cheap.
It's always around £10 for two strips.

It's a medication for hypertension, something doesn't sit well with me.
I'm not convinced of it compared to foam or serums. 

Edited April 19, 2022 by SeanToman

[NARMAK]

1 hour ago, SeanToman said:

With respect, I've never seen Minoxidil pills priced that cheap.
It's always around £10 for two strips.

It's a medication for hypertension, something doesn't sit well with me.
I'm not convinced of it compared to foam or serums. 

Basically the topical version is FDA approved for us for hair loss. Oral Minoxidil is used "off label" kind of like Dutasteride. 

Oral Minoxidil i believe has something to do with sulfur transfese (sic) not working as effectively in topical versions but the oral version does and why it works for people that don't respond as well to topical. 

Tbh, it's also probably similar to oral Finasteride vs Topical. 

Personally i don't think it's a gimmick but it isn't effective for quite a large group of people apparently. However combined with Microneedling even in topical form, it usually will see a boost. 

[shiba1985]

3 hours ago, SeanToman said:

With respect, I've never seen Minoxidil pills priced that cheap.
It's always around £10 for two strips.

It's a medication for hypertension, something doesn't sit well with me.
I'm not convinced of it compared to foam or serums. 

do what you got to do brother. No skin of my back whether u take it or not. you asked a question, and I was giving you the facts. You can have and keep your opinion but its wrong. I dont take it myself, not cause it is not effective but there is a small potential for side effect, and I will not take anything that can cause side effects for a cosmetic reason such as hair loss. 

[shiba1985]

there are lots of medications, that initially discovered for one reason, end up being used for another down the road. Latisse is one that comes to mind, I believe it was initally approved for glaucoma, but then they realized side effect of long eye lashes, and now used cosmetically for longer eye lashes, and some trials even for male pattern baldness. 

Edited April 19, 2022 by shiba1985

[Curious25]

Anyone who has been involved in the hair loss industry for even just a modest amount of time - will be able to tell you of the Dr backed recommendations for using this, and it is for good reason. 
 

I’ll tag @Dr. Felipe Pittella for you, as I know he is an advocate. 
 

I would also recommend watching Melvins Instagram lives with Dr Bisanga, Dr Mwamba, and Dr Konior. 
 

No one’s pinning you down and trying to force it down your neck, so there’s no need to be so defensive over it - you came here to ask about it, and people are just providing you with resources for you to look at, and then make up your own mind. 
 

[SeanT1]

I think you're both getting the wrong impression of my intentions.

A discussion is meant to be argument / counter argument, nothing is personal and I'm only asking questions for the answers.  That's all.

It's an important read for anyone who has these questions and stumble upon this thread.

Edited April 19, 2022 by SeanToman

[Curious25]

The reason the topical exists is because scientists discovered the hair growth that was experienced from taking the oral.