rogaine use in women the early studies with minoxidil were on balding men, but it appears that minoxidil may actually be more effective in women. this is probably because women usually exhibit a more diffuse type of hair loss so that areas thin rather than become totally bald. thus, there is still hair present for minoxidil to "work on". as with men, minoxidil is only modestly effective in restoring one's hair and it does not seem to work in older, post-menopausal women.
although the 5% solution seems to be more effective, it is also stickier due to it's higher propylene glycol content (the 2% solution contains more alcohol). this makes it impractical for many women to use during the day. as a compromise, it is advised that women use the 2% alcohol based solution in the am and the stronger 5% propylene based solution in the pm.
side effects from minoxidil are also slightly different in women than in men. women seem to be a little more sensitive to the medication and have an increased risk of developing contact dermatitis. a more significant local reaction is the development of facial hirsuitism. the development of facial hair slowly resolves when the medication is discontinued but can be a real nuisance when it occurs. carefully trying to avoid the medication dripping down onto the temples and forehead seems to reduce but not totally prevent this problem from occurring.
some women appear to get light-headed or hypotensive (develop low blood pressure) when using the medication, but the exact incidence and significance of this is unclear. |