Minoxidil solutions cause side effects?

Hi greetings - this is a very common question I get from almost all my patients. One has to realise that minoxidil (Mintop) is a very safe drug and does not have any serious side effects - commonest being mild itching, scaling, mild stinging and these are often seen in the initial phase only - and stop as the scalp get used to minoxidil. Very very small percentage of patients complain of mild head ache and this may require stopping of the medication if head ache occurs daily or causes discomfort. Next, coming to your point- losing hair after stopping minoxidil is not a side effect - its just that "since you have stopped applying minoxidil and stopped taking care of your hair" - your baldness will proceed in the same way as dictated by your genes. Minoxidil is a part of regular hair care in patients with androgenetic alopecia - just like brushing your teeth is important to keep them clean. !!! stopping hair minoxidil will not increase the rate of your balding in case of androgenetic alopecia. Also - rule out other causes of balding such as nutritional - with blood tests. Hope your doubts have been answered adequately. Warm regards - Dr Govind Suresh Mittal. Bengaluru