Minoxidil is a common hair restoration method for male pattern baldness and female pattern baldness.
But did you know that minoxidil can be used for your temple hair loss, too?
You'll learn everything you need to know about using minoxidil for temple hair loss and whether minoxidil temples work. Plus, other treatment options for you!
Does minoxidil grow hair on the temples?
While minoxidil is not guaranteed to grow hair on the temples, it may be worth a try for those suffering from hair loss.
In some cases, minoxidil may need to be used for several months before results are apparent.
If minoxidil does not work after six months, it is unlikely to be effective. As with any treatment, it is essential to consult a doctor before using minoxidil.
What alternatives to minoxidil do you have for temple balding?
There are many options you have to prevent hair loss at the temples and encourage hair regrowth. These are some:
- Saw Palmetto
- Finasteride
- Hair Transplant (see hair transplant before and after)
- Nanoxidil
Not enough?
See the best alternatives to minoxidil!
How does minoxidil regrow temple hairline?
Investigators have proposed different hypotheses explaining the mechanism of action of minoxidil in treating hair loss.
One of the hypotheses is that minoxidil improves blood flow to the hair follicles in the scalp, in this case, the temples. There is an increase in cutaneous blood flow after 10-15 minutes of minoxidil application.
Minoxidil also upregulates the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). This helps maintain the dermal papilla vasculature as well as promote their growth. VEGF accelerates hair growth by increasing perifollicular vascularization. Improved blood supply provides nutrients to the hair follicles, required for the growth of new hair.
The active metabolite of minoxidil, minoxidil sulfate, is thought to promote hair growth by opening the potassium channels. This prevents the inhibition of hair growth and mediates the onset of the anagen phase of the hair growth cycle.
Minoxidil is most effective when it is used early in the course of hair loss, and it is generally successful at regrowing temple balding hairline.
Studies on minoxidil and temples
Studies have shown that minoxidil can help to regrow up to 40% of lost hair.
Other studies on minoxidil usage on frontal hair loss have delivered promising results for both men and women.
What is temple hair loss?
Temple hair loss or frontal baldness usually is an early sign of androgenic alopecia. You might see hair thinning across the scalp area and a visible pattern hair loss on your temple.
Usually, you'll also see a receding hairline or a maturing hairline happening at the same time.
Temple hair loss happens in both female pattern hair loss and male pattern hair loss, but it's more prominent in men.
What is minoxidil?
Oral minoxidil was initially used for the treatment of hypertension. The physicians observed hypertrichosis as an outcome of treatment with minoxidil.
This led to the development of minoxidil liquid and minoxidil foam for topical application as a treatment option for hair loss.
The main ingredient in minoxidil is a vasodilator, which helps widen blood vessels and improve circulation.
This can be beneficial for hair growth, as it helps to bring nutrients and oxygen to the follicles.
Minoxidil is most commonly used to treat androgenetic alopecia.
However, it can also be effective against:
- Thinning hair
- Alopecia areata
- Traction alopecia
- Telogen effluvium
Side effects of using minoxidil
The common side effects that appear after topical minoxidil treatment of hair loss include hypertrichosis of the hands and face of the user. Other commonly reported side effects include itching of the scalp, erythema, increased dandruff, and contact allergic dermatitis.
There are more severe side effects of minoxidil sexually, physically and mentally.
To check allergy to any of the components, you may do a patch test prior to the treatment.
Which minoxidil should you use for temple hair loss?
Topical formulations of minoxidil including minoxidil foam and minoxidil solution are available as 2% and 5% formulations.
5% formulation has greater efficacy as compared to 2% formulation.
Minoxidil foam is a more efficacious and easy-to-apply formulation than minoxidil solution, which is associated with scalp irritation and takes longer to dry.
You can boost minoxidil results with the use of minoxidil & dermaroller.
Why do I see hair shedding after applying minoxidil?
Topical application of minoxidil may cause temporary shedding of the scalp hair. As the hair loss treatment commences, minoxidil stimulates a growth surge of the miniaturized follicles, which then induces the anagen phase of the hair growth cycle of the resting hair follicles.
The hair in the previous telogen phase is rapidly shed 2-8 weeks after the hair loss treatment begins. The temporary minoxidil shedding of the scalp hair reflects the beneficial effect of minoxidil on the hair follicles. The hair shedding usually subsides after a few weeks of treatment.
Reference
Umar, S., & Carter, M. J. (2021). A Multimodal Hair-Loss Treatment Strategy Using a New Topical Phytoactive Formulation: A Report of Five Cases. Case Reports in Dermatological Medicine, 2021, 1-12. https://doi.org/10.1155/2021/6659943
Mirmirani, P., Consolo, M., Oyetakin-White, P., Baron, E., Leahy, P., & Karnik, P. (2014). Similar response patterns to topical minoxidil foam 5% in frontal and vertex scalp of men with androgenetic alopecia: a microarray analysis. British Journal of Dermatology, 172(6), 1555-1561. https://doi.org/10.1111/bjd.13399
Badri, T., Nessel, T. A., & Dinesh Kumar D. (2021, December 19). Minoxidil. Nih.gov; StatPearls Publishing. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK482378/
Suchonwanit, P., Thammarucha, S., & Leerunyakul, K. (2019). Minoxidil and its use in hair disorders: a review. Drug Design, Development and Therapy, Volume 13, 2777-2786. https://doi.org/10.2147/dddt.s214907
Read more:
- Why You Should & Shouldn't Use Minoxidil After Hair Transplant?
- Can You Use Minoxidil Once A Day?
- How A Scalp Biopsy is Linked To Hair Loss?
