How effective is Minoxidil?


When questioning the effectiveness of Minoxidil you must be aware that there are different concentrations and different products which have different levels of effectiveness. However, above all of this, you need to bear in mind that the reason Minoxidil works is not fully known and so therefore, its effectiveness is purely based upon the results and they are as varied as the numbers of people who use it. When looking at how effective the different percentages are, it is important to note two things; the first is that Minoxidil is dosage dependent. Broadly, this means that the stronger the dose the more effective it should be, though it is worth questioning to what extent this is true. This means that the 5% solution is more effective than the 2% solution; however, this simply means that there will be more hair growth rather than faster growth; you will still need to wait the same length of time for any noticeable results. It has been estimated, that the 5% solution will cause 45% more hair growth than the 2% solution.

The second thing that needs to be remembered is that Minoxidil is more effective on different areas of the scalp. In general it produces better results when applied to vertex, or crown area, though it can still have some degree of effect on the hairline.

The effectiveness of different solutions

There has been much work done in recent years into the effectiveness of Minoxidil. Mainly, it has been done on the 5% solution with one study lasting for a year and posting the results that in 62% of men their bald patch was smaller, in 31.5% of men there was no change, while in 2.9% of men the bald patch had grown. This does though beg the question of what about happened the other 3%? This was compared to the 2% solution in which only 35% or 57% of men (depending on which study you look at) experienced hair re-growth. When looking at these and other studies, it is important to note the disparity between them in terms of the percentages of men who experienced hair re-growth. It can be argued that while they show us that Minoxidil can be effective, and is indeed more effective when it is used in a higher percentage, the most important thing these studies can show us is the wide range of effect that Minoxidil can have depending on the person. In general, though, over the course of many years Minoxidil has been shown (if it works for you) to be effective in reversing to some degree male-pattern baldness. It should also be noted as a final point that it is believed that Minoxidil is more effective the sooner it is used; it has its best effect when the patient has been balding for between 2-5 years.

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