Get an oral minoxidil prescription online
Minoxidil is an off-label medication taken by mouth in a low dose as hair loss treatment. It can only be purchased with a prescription from a licensed healthcare provider.
Table of Content:
What is oral minoxidil? | What is minoxidil used for? | Minoxidil brand names | How to get minoxidil? | Get the prescription | How does minoxidil work? | Benefits | Warnings and precautions | Side effects | How to use minoxidil? | Minoxidil and other medications | Minoxidil prescription faq
What is oral minoxidil?
Oral minoxidil was originally a medication approved by the FDA for the treatment of high blood pressure. However, when studies revealed that it caused hypertrichosis (excessive hair growth) in 60 to 80% of patients taking the medication, the pharmaceutical manufacturer began clinical trials for hair loss1.
The use of oral minoxidil for hair loss is becoming extremely popular among patients and providers since it is possible to obtain the desired hair growth results with a low dose (0.25-5 mg/day) while keeping adverse side effects at bay.
Types of hair loss treated with oral minoxidil
A low dose of oral minoxidil is used as an off-label treatment2 for different types of hair loss in men and women such as
Androgenetic alopecia
Alopecia areata
Female pattern hair loss
Chronic telogen effluvium
Brand names of oral minoxidil
- Loniten
- Minodyl
- Minoxidil HTN
How can I get oral minoxidil prescription?
Do you need a prescription to get oral minoxidil?
Yes. Oral minoxidil is a prescription medication which means you need to have a consultation with a healthcare professional and it cannot be purchased over-the-counter (OTC). Oral minoxidil is taken orally (by mouth) in a low dose for the treatment of hair loss.
How can you get a prescription for oral minoxidil?
You can request a virtual photo-based consultation using the Miiskin app. The doctor may write a prescription for oral minoxidil, if the doctor believe oral minoxidil is a good fit for you. After that, you can pick it up from any pharmacy of your choice.
How long will it take to get a prescription for oral minoxidil?
A photo-based consultation usually takes less than three business days to be evaluated.
How to get a minoxidil prescription online?
Download the free Miiskin app
Request a prescription via a virtual photo-based consultation
Get minoxidil prescribed
Pick it up at the pharmacy of your choice
Process to get an oral minoxidil prescription
Through the Miiskin app, you can communicate with a healthcare provider via a photo-based virtual consultation. After reviewing your case, the doctor may decide that oral minoxidil is a good option for you. If so, the doctor will write a prescription for minodixil, which you may pick up from the pharmacy of your choice.
How to get an oral minoxidil prescription
Receive a personalized treatment plan.
Start a photo-based virtual consultation with an independent dermatology provider via the Miiskin app.
Oral Minoxidil Explained
How does oral minoxidil work?
Hair follicle growth is a cyclic process that goes through three phases: growth (anagen), transition (catagen), and rest (telogen). During each cycle, there are periods of rapid hair growth followed by periods of no growth, which are caused by signals that lead to cell death3.
Minoxidil works by decreasing the rest phase, or telogen phase, of the hair growth cycle, while also prolonging the growth phase, or anagen phase. As a result, hair stays in a growing phase for a longer period, leading to increased length, thickness, and scalp coverage4.
Moreover, Minoxidil has the additional effect of expanding blood vessels in the scalp, enhancing blood supply to hair follicles. This could also boost the availability of essential nutrients, promoting hair regrowth5.
Studies have shown promising results exploring the use of low-dose oral minoxidil for the treatment of alopecia6 7 8.
Benefits of Oral Minoxidil
Suitable for people who didn’t respond to other treatments
Highly effective
Can be used by men and women
Stimulates hair growth
Slows down hair loss
It can be combined with topical minoxidil
Warning and precautions when using oral minoxidil
Oral minoxidil cannot be used by people with heart disease and may be prescribed with a diuretic to reduce water retention or a beta blocker (a medication that reduces the workload of the heart) to prevent reflex tachycardia. There is also a risk of developing pericardial effusion that may progress to cardiac tamponade and angina pectoris exacerbation with oral minoxidil9.
During the course of this medication, it is advisable to keep track of your pulse rate and blood pressure. Seek advice from your online dermatologist if you notice any changes. Additionally, it is suggested that you regularly weigh yourself while taking the medication and notify your healthcare provider if you gain more than 5 pounds or notice any swelling in your feet or legs10.
Do not take oral minoxidil with other medicines for appetite control, asthma, colds, cough, hay fever, or sinus problems, since they may tend to increase your blood pressure.
Side effects of oral minoxidil
- Lower blood pressure
- Water retention
- Headaches and dizziness
- Palpitations and chest pain
- Swelling around the eyes, feet or lower legs
- Hypertrichosis (excessive hair growth)
- Insomnia11
Furthermore, remember that if the minoxidil has expired or been open for a long time, you should not take it. Explore in-depth information about minoxidil and its expiration date in this article “Does minoxidil have an expiration date?“
Oral Minoxidil Explained
How to use minoxidil?
Minoxidil is available in 2.5mg, 5mg and 10mg tablets.
A common starting dose for hair loss may vary between (0.25-5 mg/day) per day. You can get a tablet cutter from your pharmacy and cut a 2.5mg tablet into quarters or halves to get to the desired dose; however, the optimal dose for hair loss is not entirely clear and you and your online dermatologist may be required to test different doses to find the one that suits your needs. For men, a slightly higher dose may sometimes be required.
Medications that can be combined with oral minoxidil
Topical minoxidil and oral minoxidil can be used together to increase efficacy.
Oral finasteride has a very different mechanism of action as it blocks the effect of androgens on hair follicles in androgenic alopecia, therefore they can be used in combination.
Oral dutasteride works quite similarly to finasteride but it is more effective, therefore it can be combined with oral minoxidil.
Medications that cannot be combined with oral minoxidil
Nitroglycerin: Minoxidil can increase the vasodilatory effects of nitroglycerin, which can lead to a significant drop in blood pressure.
Calcium channel blockers: these medications are used to reduce blood pressure and since minoxidil lowers blood pressure it is not advisable to combine these drugs.
ACE inhibitors: these medications are used to treat high blood pressure and heart failure, therefore it is not advisable to use them in combination with oral minoxidil.
Start a photo-based virtual consultation to request oral minoxidil
Interested in getting an oral minoxidil prescription for your hair loss?References:
1https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32516434/
2https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32516434/
3https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK499948/
4https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/19/3/691#:~:text=It%20has%20been%20reported%20that,cells%20%5B13%2C15%5D
5https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6691938/
6https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0190962221004187
7https://www.aad.org/dw/dw-insights-and-inquiries/archive/2022/low-dose-oral-minoxidil-alopecia
8https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7649170/
9https://www.pdr.net/drug-summary/?drugLabelId=Minoxidil-minoxidil-774
10https://www.mayoclinic.org/drugs-supplements/minoxidil-oral-route/precautions/drg-20068757
11https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0190962221004187