Minoxidil Treatment: Risks, Cost and Procedure

Have you ever tried to figure your head without hair? How would you look? You wouldn’t be happy with your looks. Balding and hair thinning are among the factors that will make you lose self-esteem.
Do you experience hair loss or thinning and are afraid that your hair will go forever? Worry no more. All you need is minoxidil for hair loss treatment. That way, you can regrow your hair back, stop or slow hair thinning.
It doesn’t matter whether you’re a man or a woman. You can use minoxidil for hair loss to treat baldness. Though the treatment can’t rescue your receding hairline, it stimulates hair growth, increasing the density of hair on your head. Before embarking on stimulating hair regrowth, ensure to know what minoxidil is, the procedure involved, risks, and cost of minoxidil for hair loss treatment.

How to use Minoxidil for Hair Loss Treatment

As with other medicine, minoxidil has patient instructions that you should adhere to. It’s vital to read and understand what minoxidil is and the given instructions on how to use it.
You should apply minoxidil specifically as directed. Never use more often use beyond what your doctor has recommended. Doing that increases the risk of the medicine being absorbed through the skin into your body.

You shouldn’t also apply minoxidil to any other part of your body other than the scalp. If the medicine is absorbed into your body, it can affect your blood vessels and heart leading to unwanted effects.
When you choose minoxidil for hair loss, ensure you avoid using other skin products on your scalp. If you have to apply hair relaxers, hair permanents, and hair coloring, make sure to wash your scalp well before applying them. If you undergo a hair treatment procedure, avoid using minoxidil for hair loss treatment before or after.

If you ever miss any minoxidil dose, never double your dose as a way to making up for the lost dose. Overdosing has adverse effects on your health.

Steps to Apply Minoxidil for Hair Loss Solution

• Before applying minoxidil for hair loss, ensure your scalp and hair are dry.
• Use only the recommended amount on the treatment area of the scalp.
• After applying minoxidil, avoid using shampoo on your hair until four hours are over.
• You should wash your hands when done applying minoxidil for hair loss.
•  It’s not recommended to use the hair dryer to make your scalp dry after applying the minoxidil solution. Blowing hair makes the treatment less effective.
• You will have to allow the minoxidil 2-4 hours to dry after applying for effective results.

Procedure to Apply Minoxidil for Hair Loss Foam

• Match the arrow found on the can ring with cap arrow to open the container
• Expose part of your head with thinning hair by parting the hair into rows
• Hold the minoxidil can upside down. Then press the nozzle for the foam to come out to your fingers
• Using your fingers, spread the medicine on parts of your head where hair loss has occurred
• Ensure to use a lot of water to clean your hands when done applying minoxidil for hair loss. 

Risks Involved in Using Minoxidil for Hair Loss Treatment

Once you understand what minoxidil is and the procedure to follow, you can go ahead and apply it. It will help to promote hair growth. However, it’s also essential to note the risks involved with the usage of minoxidil for hair loss treatment.

Here are some of the common side effects of minoxidil medicine.

Skin irritation near areas where minoxidil has been applied

Among the common side effects linked to minoxidil or hair loss is irritation. After using the medicine, you’re likely to experience some irritation on areas near your scalp. Some patients also develop a skin rash or a mild burning after applying or minoxidil spray.

Irritation may be due to the reaction of minoxidil itself. But that can also be due to other substances that make up the minoxidil formulas. Several minoxidil products are made of alcohol and propylene glycol, contributing to skin irritation or rashes when used topically.

Dizziness, headache, and fainting due to excessive use

It may come as a shock, but yes. You can even faint due to the excessive use of minoxidil. Sometimes, such side effects are experienced after applying too much minoxidil at once. Using more than recommended at once leads to absorption of the medicine into your body.

 Therefore, if you are new and want to treat receding hairline, ensure to know what is minoxidil, how to use and the amount you should apply to avoid aver dose. That way, you’ll avoid the risks of having headaches, dizziness, and fainting.

Other side affects you many experiences

Minoxidil for hair loss connects to other side effects, but they are less common. They include hair loss, facial swelling, hair roots inflammation, facial hair growth, and acne. All these are relatively uncommon side effects that never affect most patients that use minoxidil.

The increased hair loss, which is one of the widely publicized minoxidil risks, occurs when the hair follicles rapidly go through the cycle of hair growth. That leads to the shedding of your hair before the anagen phase. But that’s is quite normal since it is part of the process through which minoxidil works.

Rapid weight gain, face and feet numbness, flushing, and irregular heartbeat are also among the risks links to excessive use of minoxidil for hair loss treatment. However, after applying minoxidil, you experience such side effects, ensure to talk to your doctor as early as possible.

Cost of minoxidil for hair loss treatment

 The cost of minoxidil varies depending on the quantity and chemist you seek to buy from. However, you are likely to pay about $60- 70 per month to get a prescription pill for 30 days if you’re buying Propecia. On the other hand, rogaine prices range from $30- 40 per month to access topical ointment lasting for one month.
When planning to seek a hair thing or hair loss treatment, you should keep in mind that insurance won’t help to cover the cost. That is because such treatment is cosmetic, and many insurance covers do not have such policies.

Conclusion

Visit an expert and discuss whether you can use minoxidil to treat hair thinning problems. The medicine helps to stimulate hair growth which can reduce or slow hair loss. But you should ensure to know more about what is minoxidil and the risk involved in using it before committing yourself.