Can women use Rogaine for hair loss?

Rogaine is the brand name for a topical treatment aimed at regrowing hair. It contains the active ingredient minoxidil.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Rogaine for androgenetic alopecia in males and females. This condition is also known as male or female pattern hair loss (MPHL or FPHL). 

FPHL affects around 1 in 4 female adults by the age of 49 years and more than half of women by the age of 79 years. Hair loss typically starts as gradual thinning on the scalp that widens over time. 

Rogaine markets its products as:

• Men’s and Women’s Rogaine 5% Minoxidil Unscented Foam
• Men’s and Women’s Rogaine 5% Minoxidil Solution

These are available to buy over the counter online or at local pharmacies. You can also find other brands with the same formulations or generic minoxidil.

A prescription oral minoxidil medication (Minodyl) is available but FDA-approved for high blood pressure only. Some healthcare professionals may prescribe it off label for hair loss in specific cases.

Sex and gender exist on spectrums. In this article, we use “male and female” to refer to someone’s sex as determined by their chromosomes, and “men and women” when referring to their gender (unless quoting from sources using nonspecific language). While gender is solely about how you identify yourself, independent of your physical body, you may need to consider how your personal circumstances will affect diagnosis, symptoms, and treatment. Learn more about the difference between sex and gender here.

Rogaine for women: Does it work?

Doctors initially used oral minoxidil to treat high blood pressure, but around 1 in 5 of those taking the medication developed excessive hair growth across their bodies (hypertrichosis). This led researchers and clinicians to develop topical minoxidil formulations for hair growth in people with alopecia.

Topical minoxidil may improve hair growth in females in several ways, for example by:

• boosting blood flow
• activating the prostaglandin-endoperoxide synthase-1 enzyme (which helps hair grow)
• blocking antigrowth hormones
• stimulating hair follicles — where hair grows — to stay active longer
• preventing scar tissue that leads to follicle damage

A 2023 study found that both 2% and 5% topical minoxidil products successfully improved hair loss in some women. The results occurred after 4–6 months of consistent use. However, 30–60% of women using topical minoxidil didn’t experience any improvement in hair regrowth.

You may need to try Rogaine or generic minoxidil for up to 6 months to learn if it works for you. 

Consistency of use affects how well Rogaine works. It may not work as well if you often forget or skip using it. 

According to the above study, oral minoxidil in doses of 1–2 milligrams per day could also improve hair growth. However, it may cause side effects like:

• excess body and facial hair
• headaches
• insomnia
• irregular heartbeat

Only a healthcare professional may be able to establish if minoxidil in tablets or as a topical product will help you grow hair.

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How to use Rogaine for female hair loss

The Rogaine website offers instructions on how to use Rogaine foam:

1. Make sure your hair is dry or damp, not wet.
2. Wash your hands with cold water. 
3. Remove the cap. 
4. Hold the product can straight upside down and dispense the foam onto a clean, cold surface.
5. Massage the foam directly onto your scalp, not your hair. 
6. Place the cap back onto the can and wash your hands thoroughly and any part of your face that has touched the product. 

The website also lists how to use the Rogaine solution: 

1. Make sure your hair is dry or damp, not wet.
2. Remove the dropper and fill it to the 1-milliliter line. 
3. Drop the solution onto the area you want to treat. Massage it onto your scalp, not your hair. 
4. Place the dropper back onto the product and wash your hands and face. 

Follow these steps twice per day for at least 4 months to get results. 

Potential side effects of Rogaine in women

Potential side effects of topical Rogaine for women may include: 

• Contact dermatitis: Itching and irritation on the scalp are common side effects. Blisters are also possible. Consider testing a small area before applying it to your entire scalp.
• Unwanted hair growth: Rogaine may cause hair growth in other areas of your body that repeatedly come in contact with the product. For example, the sides of your face or your neck.
• Temporary hair shedding: Rogaine may activate telogen effluvium, which is temporary hair shedding and thinning. This is more likely in the first weeks after starting treatment but should ease off with time. Hair may grow back thicker. 

What happens if you stop using Rogaine?

Discontinuing Rogaine will end any hair growth effects you have experienced during treatment. 

If you don’t replace Rogaine or minoxidil with other hair loss treatments, you will likely lose newly grown hair within 3–4 months. 

Can women use finasteride for hair loss?

Finasteride (Propecia) is an oral medication with FDA approval for treating MPHL. It helps prevent hair loss in men by limiting how much testosterone the body converts into dihydrotestosterone (DHT). High DHT has a link with increased hair loss in men. 

A 2020 review concluded that oral and topical finasteride may also improve hair growth in women, though more research is necessary to confirm this.

Studies on finasteride in females are limited because this medication can have serious effects on male fetuses. If you are pregnant or of reproductive age, you should not use finasteride. 

Finasteride may only be suitable for females who have undergone menopause and can no longer get pregnant. 

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Other hair loss medications for females

If Rogaine doesn’t work for you, potential alternatives may include:

• Anti-androgens:
  • spironolactone (Aldactone)
  • flutamide
  • bicalutamide (Casodex)
  • estradiol (Estrace)
• Nutraceuticals:
  • vitamin D supplements like cholecalciferol
  • iron supplements like ferrous sulfate
  • caffeine
• Various procedures:
  • Mesotherapy, which involves injecting medications under the skin.
  • Microneedling, where a practitioner uses needles to create tiny skin punctures to promote collagen production.
  • Platelet-rich plasma, a process involving growth factor (blood serum) injections into the scalp to feed it.
  • Botox injections to relax scalp muscles and improve blood flow.
  • Low level laser therapy (photobiomodulation), which delivers continuous or quickly pulsating light to improve blood flow and boost antioxidant effects.
  • Hair transplant (hair restoration surgery), where a practitioner transplants hair follicles from one area to the thinning area.

Evidence on the effectiveness and safety of many of these options is still lacking. If you’d like to learn more about hair loss treatments for women, it’s a good idea to speak with a healthcare professional like a family doctor or dermatologist or contact a hair loss clinic. 

Summary

Rogaine may support temporary hair growth in people experiencing female pattern hair loss (FPHL). Its active ingredient is minoxidil, which you can also purchase as a generic product and offers the same benefits.

However, individual responses can vary, and not everyone will see hair growth results. The effects may also take many months to appear, and stop when you discontinue the product.