Is it safe to apply Minoxidil on your face to grow facial hair?

Question

Are their any harmful side effects or health complications that can result from this. If one is applying are there any signs or symptoms that should prompt them to stop?

Jae Pak, MD · Answer

It may be safe to apply topical minoxidil to the face but it probably will not grow a beard.  Speak to your doctor before starting any medical treatment.

Ryan Welter, MD · Answer

Minoxidil is not effective for growing facial hair.   A beard transplant is the only realistic option for improving facial beard hair when you don't have a full beard.

Sara Wasserbauer, MD - Account Suspended · Answer

There are no side effects from using Minoxidil. However it has not shown to grow more facial hair even though it increases blood supply to that area where it is applied.

R. Stephen Mulholland, MD (retired) · Answer

Dear jake1996,

Minoxidil has not shown to be
successful at predictably and reliably increasing facial hair growth.  Its efficacy in the scalp is increased blood
flow to challenge follicles that have not enough 5-alpha reductase to break
down testosterone into its usable components and ends up resulting in
accumulation to 3 dihydrotestosterone, which can be toxic to the follicle.  Increased blood flow will overcome some of
the cytotoxic effects of the dihydrotestosterone on the mitochondria of the
follicles.

There is no such metabolic mishaps or
genetic conditions in the facial beard and as such Minoxidil is not
successful.  Latisse on the other hand
has proven to be successful  at growing
eyelash, eyebrow as well as facial hair. 
This will require a prescription and advice from a physician
knowledgeable in hair growth, tactics and strategies.

In the final analysis an ineffective
beard or insubstantial beard can be very successfully treated with hair transplantation.  We have been performing follicular unit
extraction and transplantation for the past 10 years and are Canada’s foremost
leading clinic in non-linear scar FUE NeoGraft and Artas technique.  Beard transplantation is a very successful
part of out transplant program.

I hope this information is of some
assistance and best of luck.

R. Stephen Mulholland, M.D.

Certified Plastic Surgeon

Yorkville, Toronto

William Rassman, MD (retired) · Answer

Minoxidil does not work well for growing beard hair, but it may grow peach fuzz on the face. That is not a beard. Many young men want to accelerate their beard growth and ask
about it. It takes age (genetic triggers which occur in family lines) so
if you want to find out when your beard will grow out, you need to find out
when your father or grandfather started to grow theirbeard. Hormones should have kicked in
nicely by the time a man reaches 18 but he must wait out his genetics
as hormone alone are not responsible for the onset of beard grown. Beard
transplants can be done when the young man is a bit older (over 25) if the
beard has not grown in yet

Omeed Memar, MD, PhD (license suspended) · Answer

I have patients apply minoxidil to the beard area or eyebrows with positive results.  The negative can be a contact allergy or irritation.  If that occurs,  then stopping the minoxidil should resolve the problem.

Is it safe to apply Minoxidil on your face to grow facial hair?

Answers (6)

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