Your Guide to Minoxidil in Australia

Minoxidil is well-known for treating male-pattern baldness and female-pattern baldness. It has been used by most people to prevent hair loss and trigger new hair growth. While it is not a permanent cure for baldness, it can hinder shedding if you have just started losing your hair and wish to slow down future hair fall.

It is something that has been on people’s minds when they hear about minoxidil and whether it is available in Australia or not. Here, we will answer those questions and also look at how Hairy Hair may help you with your baldness.

What is minoxidil?

Minoxidil is a drug that will slow or prevent hair loss and induce hair growth. It may also be referred to by the name Rogaine. The medication has been on the market since the 1980s.

The exact mechanism by which it stimulates hair growth is not known, but a study published by the Journal of Drug Design, Development and Therapy indicated that it acts to increase the flow of blood to the scalp. This encourages an increase in the supply of oxygen and nutrients to the follicles so that they become well-nourished and healthy enough to produce healthy hairs.

What should I consider when looking for minoxidil?

There are a few points to remember when you’re looking for minoxidil products in Australia.

Minoxidil strength

The solution strength that you use may affect your results. In men, a 2% or 5% solution can be used.

The 5% solution is more effective, as indicated by a study by the American Academy of Dermatology that found the 5% solution had 45% more hair regrowth than the 2% solution. However, the 5% solution also had a greater incidence of side effects than the 2% solution.

It is advisable to see a dermatologist first before initiating minoxidil therapy, and he or she can recommend beginning with the 2% solution. It is simpler to find out if you are sensitive to the potential side effects of minoxidil and if the 2% solution will be effective enough.

If you don’t see any hair growth after 6-12 months on the 2% solution and you don’t have a high number of side effects, you may be recommended to apply the 5% solution.

A 2% solution or 5% foam can also be used by women, although the 5% solution has not yet been approved for use by females.

Minoxidil 10% and 15% have not yet received a license for use in women and men. Minoxidil in these strengths may be more difficult to obtain and should be discussed with your doctor before using these medications.

Foam or liquid

There is not much difference between foam and liquid minoxidil’s efficacy at the same concentration. One study in the Indian Journal of Dermatology found that both versions were effective in promoting hair growth.

Liquid minoxidil is more easily absorbed by the skin of the scalp. This is a result of propylene glycol in the product, but it also results in contact dermatitis.

The foam, nonetheless, dries quickly and is possibly more handy to apply. The liquid may have to be treated with more caution in ensuring that the liquid does not cause overgrowth of hair in other parts of the body, but the foam minimises the risk of such an accident.

The foam might be less likely to drip onto your face or scalp since it penetrates the skin more rapidly and could leave a less greasy shine than the liquid solution.

Liquid solution comes with a dropper for measuring exactly the quantity of minoxidil that should be used. This would be easier for people having long hair, while the foam solution could prove easier to apply over larger patches of balding hair.

Is a prescription needed for minoxidil?

You can buy Minoxidil over the counter in Australia, so no prescription will be needed. Topical minoxidil is likely to not need a visit to a doctor, but it is advisable to speak with someone first if you have any medical conditions or are on other medications.

Combination therapy can provide adequate solutions for individuals suffering from baldness. It can be administered along with finasteride, which is a prescription medication. Baldness drugs can encompass these medications in combination in a single oral pill for ease of administration.

This is also achievable as there is a type of minoxidil that is available orally. Although it is used intravenously in the treatment of high blood pressure, it would also be prescribed as a medication for hair loss.

Oral minoxidil may be considered if you cannot tolerate the side effects of topical minoxidil or you have not seen an improvement in hair growth from the topical solution. Oral minoxidil is prescribed, but now it can be ordered online with an online consultation.

How to buy minoxidil in Australia

If you wish to buy minoxidil, Australia does not require you to undergo a pre-consultation or prescription, so you can procure the medication. Australia has pharmacies and shops, as well as online retailers, that can sell topical minoxidil. Australia has online companies for topical minoxidil that can deliver your treatment to your home without the need to visit a physical pharmacy.

The pill form of minoxidil may be a more convenient option in that it only requires taking one pill daily, and it is possibly less intrusive on your everyday life. The oral form may be more tolerated by some people if the topical form has not caused hair growth to increase.

Minoxidil oral is only available on prescription and has to be consulted with before being bought, but you can perhaps have it come straight to your door by taking control of hair loss treatment at home.

How can I get the best results from minoxidil?

Minoxidil needs to be used correctly in order to see the best results. It is simple to apply and should only take a few minutes, so it may be easy to incorporate into your daily routine.

Your hair must be completely dry before application. Use the dropper supplied (if using the liquid form) to measure the appropriate dose. Apply the minoxidil to the balding areas on the scalp. Massage the solution into the scalp. Wash your hands well after application.

It is recommended to apply the topical solution twice a day, with most people applying it once in the morning and once in the evening.

After applying, allow your hair to dry for at least four hours prior to wearing a hat, washing your hair, or using a hair dryer. Use no more of the topical medication than instructed, since this will increase the risk of experiencing unwanted side effects.

Gently rinse minoxidil off areas of the body besides the scalp if it does spill over from the hairline, since it is capable of causing excessive hair growth there. Minoxidil stains bedding or clothing if it comes into contact with them, so allow it to air dry completely in advance if using at nighttime.

If you miss an application, then try to apply as soon as possible if it is close to your normal time of application time. If it is close to your next time of application time, then it is best to miss the dose and apply normally.

Minoxidil should be applied regularly to get the best result. Some growth will occur after four months of persistent application. Part of the active ingredient needs to remain in your body to prevent further hair loss and cause new hair growth.

If you discontinue application after you have attained regrowth, your hair loss can commence again, and all hair gained will be lost.

A combination treatment of minoxidil and finasteride will probably prove to be more effective than minoxidil by itself. It was noted in a study in Dermatologic Therapy that minoxidil with finasteride brought about a 94.1% improvement in hair growth. In comparison to this, 5% minoxidil alone only showed a 56% improvement.

You may expect to lose some hair during the initial few months of taking minoxidil, but this is a transient state of the drug. When your follicles begin to produce healthier and thicker hairs, the thinner ones need to fall out to make way for new growth.

How can Hairy Hair help with my hair loss?

Minoxidil can potentially provide relief from hair loss and even promote hair growth for its users. With your hair follicles receiving increased oxygen and nutrition from open blood vessels in the scalp, you may be better positioned to develop strong and resistant hair strands.

It has been beneficial in research to induce hair growth, but the topical application can have some potential side effects. These include contact dermatitis, irritation, rashes, or itching. Apart from this, you can potentially get unwanted hair growth on other parts of the body if the treatment is not applied with caution.

For an effective treatment plan, there is a higher chance of regrowth and prevention of future hair loss by doing multiple procedures to treat multiple hair loss issues simultaneously.

Hairy Hair offers a daily pill with a powerful mix of ingredients. It is a vasodilator to allow your hair follicles to receive the oxygen and nutrients they require. It is also a dihydrotestosterone (DHT) blocker. DHT is the hormone that constricts hair follicles and eventually leads to hair loss.

By stopping the conversion of testosterone to DHT, you may give your scalp a greater chance at nourishing new, healthy hair growth. To finish off the supplement, the Hairy Hair pill contains natural growth stimulators that may help with keratin development, the main protein in the hair shaft, and the reduction of inflammation, the main cause of baldness.

Conclusion

Minoxidil is a well-known hair loss medication that has been shown to yield successful results for individuals who desire a long-term medication that can help stimulate the growth of hair. Since it is offered in topical as well as oral formulations, it can also be easily integrated into your daily routine.

The medication comes with some potential side effects in both topical and oral forms, and it only tackles one hair loss issue. By choosing a comprehensive treatment plan, you may give yourself a better chance at limiting future hair loss and encouraging the production of healthy and resilient hair strands.

If you want to tackle your hair loss and want to try a convenient daily pill, contact Hairy Hair today. Accessing your hair loss treatment has never been easier, as all you need to do to get started is fill in a brief online form. 

From there, a qualified Australian GP will give you a call to discuss your personalised treatment plan and answer any questions you may have. Finally, your prescription will be shipped right to your door, eliminating the need for any awkward, in-person clinic visits. 

Manage your hair loss treatment from the comfort of your home with Hairy Hair and act at the first signs of shedding to give yourself the best chance to counter hair loss.