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Minoxidil 5% Topical

Over the counter, and it pairs with finasteride

How minoxidil works

Minoxidil widens the tiny blood vessels feeding your hair follicles and keeps each hair in its growing phase longer. It works on a completely different mechanism than finasteride, which is why the two are usually used together rather than instead of each other.

Apply it to a dry scalp, not damp hair, twice a day.

The thing that makes people quit: around weeks 2–8 you shed *more* hair. That's actually the drug working — old hairs being pushed out by new ones starting. Push through it.

What to expect

Shedding at weeks 2–8, regrowth visible around 4 months, real judgment at 6–12. Like finasteride, it works only while you use it.

What it hits — and when to take it

  • Minoxidil
    Widens follicle blood supply and extends the growth phase
    Twice daily to a dry scalp
3-month foam
$71.20 $89.00 member / retail
Minoxidil 5% Topical — Over the counter, and it pairs with finasteride · Uptitrate