Minoxidil is a product that men have used to combat male and female pattern baldness for years now and, since it’s such a popular treatment, you may be interested to know if the product can be used to promote hair growth on any other parts of your body.
One particular spot where people deal with hair loss on their faces – especially as we age – is the eyebrows.
In this article, we’ll take you through everything you may need to know about Minoxidil and whether it can be used to help encourage eyebrow hair growth in thinning or sparse brows. We have a dedicated article for more information about the causes of eyebrow hair loss.
Minoxidil is a topical hair treatment that is used to prevent or reverse hair loss. It’s most commonly found under the brand name, Rogaine®. For Rogaine to work effectively, it must be used twice a day, every day.
This treatment works by widening the blood vessels, which improves blood flow and encourages a better flow of nutrients to your hair follicles. This increase in blood flow can help the hair follicle enter into what is known as the ‘growth phase’ of the hair cycle, which can help stop balding and thinning hair.
Minoxidil is an effective hair loss treatment and has a variety of studies [1,2] that have proved its efficacy.
Although Minoxidil is not designed for use on thinning eyebrows, there have been a few studies that have sought to discover whether its effectiveness extends beyond just treating male and female pattern baldness.
In one study [3], two groups of people suffering from eyebrow hair loss were given either a 3% dose of Minoxidil or a 0.03% concentration of bimatoprost, which is used to treat glaucoma but is also known to extend the length of eyelashes and restore thin eyebrows.
The study was conducted over a 16-week period and, at the end of the study, half of the participants saw hair generation equally with both products.
In another study to examine the effectiveness of Minoxidil for eyebrows [4], 40 participants applied 2% Minoxidil to their eyebrows for 16 weeks. After the trial period, those who had kept up the usage of Minoxidil noticed better hair regrowth results than other participants who had been using a placebo treatment.
The studies also evaluated potential side effects of using Minoxidil for eyebrow growth and these were only found to be minimal.
Although there is not a substantial amount of research on the use of Rogaine on the eyebrows to make a definite conclusion that it’s an effective hair loss treatment, many people have seen impressive results.
Considering that side effects are minimal, it would be fair to say that Minoxidil is a well-tolerated treatment that can help those suffering from thinning brows or eyebrow hair loss, although there still needs to be some more research into this area.
You can find Rogaine in both 2% and 5% concentrations and, because the skin around your eyebrows can be quite delicate, we’d recommend starting with the lower concentration first.
If you’re able to use this concentration without experiencing any side effects or issues, you can then move up to the 5% concentration to speed up new hair growth.
To experience the full benefits, you must apply Rogaine to your eyebrows on a daily basis. Take a small amount of product on a small cosmetic stick or cotton swab and apply it directly to your brow hair.
After you’ve finished applying the product, make sure that you wipe away any product that is outside of the eyebrow area and wash your hands thoroughly.
Since Minoxidil has proved to be effective at regrowing eyebrow hair, you might also be wondering whether you can use it for your facial hair too.
Studies have been carried out to determine the effectiveness of Minoxidil for men who are struggling to grow their beard hair. In one 16-week trial [5], 48 men aged between 20 and 60 were told to apply 0.5 ml of 3% Minoxidil to their chin and jawline twice daily.
At the end of the trial, hair count was significantly higher, suggesting that Minoxidil is also an effective treatment for facial hair as well as eyebrow hair.
Like any medication or treatment, there are a number of side effects that a very small percentage of users will experience when using Rogaine or Minoxidil.
Some of these side effects include:
These are similar side effects that are experienced on the scalp when using Minoxidil as a treatment for male pattern baldness.
You should also be careful to not use Minoxidil anywhere other than your eyebrows as, if you accidentally get it on other parts of your face, you may end up seeing hair growth in these areas too.
If you don’t want to use Minoxidil or thicker eyebrows, or you’ve tried Rogaine and it hasn’t worked for you, there are a few different options that you can choose from.
Some treatments include microblading, eyebrow tattooing, or you could go for a more natural option, like an eyebrow transplant.
An eyebrow transplant follows the standard FUE hair transplant technique where hair is taken from areas where hair is growing naturally and reimplanted to the eyebrow for a full, natural look. Eyebrow transplants cost £3,820 on average.
Hair is usually taken from behind the ears, and at Wimpole Clinic our experts are able to carry out the process with minimal scarring and discomfort.
If you’re interested in getting an eyebrow transplant, we’re one of the go-to clinics in the UK to bring you the full eyebrows of your dreams.
If you’d like to learn more about the process and what you can expect, book a consultation call with our eyebrow transplant specialists.
During this call, we’ll take you through the transplant journey and answer any of the questions that you may have about the procedure. We’ll also discuss our full range of female hair loss treatments with you, so you can make an informed decision about your treatment plan.
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