Minoxidil for Beard Growth: What It Does, the Evidence and the Risks

It’s a crime that beards don’t grow easier.

But if they did, then all that hard work put into your beard game would be less impressive.

So it’s no surprise that minoxidil keeps coming up. It’s a hair-loss treatment, not an oil, and some men have started using it on their beards to fill out patchy growth.

Before we go any further, here’s where we stand: Mission Beard doesn’t endorse or recommend minoxidil for beards. We’ve seen some promising results from people who’ve tried it, but it’s a medicine, it isn’t licensed for use on your face, and the skin there is very different from your scalp.

In this article, we’ll cover what minoxidil is, how it works, what the research actually says, how people use it, and the side effects you need to know about.

If you’ve ever looked for products to overcome hair loss, thinning, shedding, or breakage, you’ll probably have come across it.

Minoxidil is a medicine that helps hair grow. You’ll find it in pharmacies as a liquid or a foam (Regaine is the best-known brand in the UK), licensed for treating hair loss on the scalp.

It isn’t a beard oil, and it doesn’t work like one. Using it on your beard is what’s called off-label use: the product isn’t licensed or tested for your face, even though some people use it there.

It’s also only for adults over 18.

We’ll be straight with you. We don’t endorse or recommend minoxidil for your beard.

Anecdotally, it’s produced some interesting results, and we understand why people are tempted. But anyone considering it should proceed with caution. The skin on your face is very different from the skin on your scalp, and much more sensitive.

If you do decide to try it, talk to a pharmacist or GP first, especially if you take any other medication.

If you want to understand how minoxidil works, it will help to first understand the stages of beard growth (also called the hair growth cycle).

While it’s a pretty complex process, we’ll try to keep things simple for you.

Your hair grows in three stages – growing, transitioning, and resting. Minoxidil lengthens the growing stage (called anagen) and shortens the resting stage (called telogen).

In theory, that means follicles spend more time growing, which is why people hope it will fill out patchy areas.

Whether that translates to your beard is a different question, so let’s look at the evidence.

Most of the research on minoxidil is about hair loss on the scalp, where it’s well established.

For beards, there’s far less. The main study is a small trial from 2016: 48 men aged 20 to 60 used either a 3% minoxidil lotion or a placebo for 16 weeks.

The minoxidil group saw a bigger increase in hair count (an average of 5 hairs in the measured area, against 0.35 with the placebo) and scored better in before-and-after photos. There was no significant change in how thick the hairs were.

That’s a real result, but a modest one, from a single small study. Beyond that, most of what you’ll read about minoxidil beards online is anecdotal: promising, but not proof.

If you do try it, don’t expect quick results.

The patient information for scalp use says it usually takes two to three months to see an improvement, and up to a year for the full effect. On the scalp, new hair tends to fall out again within three to four months of stopping.

Compared with the oils people use to support beard growth (which we’ve covered here), that’s a long, ongoing commitment.

And if that sounds like too much, there are other ways to promote beard growth.

If you still want to try it, here’s how people typically use it, based on the manufacturer’s instructions for the scalp.

Remember, those instructions weren’t written for your face. Follow the pack and the advice of your pharmacist over anything here.

Start with a clean face and beard, so there’s no leftover product, oil or dirt in the way. A gentle beard wash does the job.

Then dry it completely. The patient information says hair and skin should be dry before you apply it, and suggests leaving about an hour between washing and applying.

Minoxidil comes as a liquid solution or a foam. Use the amount on the pack, apply it to dry skin, and work it into the skin under the hair rather than the hair itself.

Wash your hands straight after.

A few other things to know:

• Keep it away from your eyes, mouth and any broken or irritated skin.

• Let it dry fully before your face touches pillows, towels or anyone else. Children and pets are at risk from contact with it.

• Don’t use heat to speed up drying.

Follow the frequency on the pack, and don’t use more than it says. More doesn’t speed things up, and it raises the chance of side effects.

If you have sensitive skin, think twice before starting at all.

And before you use it on your face, try it on a small patch of skin first, so you can see how your skin reacts.

Minoxidil is a medicine, so it can have side effects, and some of them are serious.

Let’s start with the common ones.

The most common are itching, dryness, flaking and redness where you apply it.

If that happens, stop using it. Remember that the skin on your face is more sensitive than your scalp.

For some people, minoxidil just doesn’t agree with their skin. If that sounds like you, read our article on other ways to grow a beard.

Rarer, but serious, are side effects that happen when minoxidil gets into your bloodstream.

Stop using it and get medical help straight away if you notice:

• Chest pain

• A racing or irregular heartbeat

• Dizziness or feeling faint

• Fainting

Also stop if skin irritation carries on after you’ve stopped using it, and speak to a pharmacist or GP.

Nobody needs to risk their health for a couple of extra inches on their beard.

Like any medicine, minoxidil isn’t for everyone. Don’t use it if any of these apply to you:

• You’re under 18. At that age, not being able to grow a beard is usually just your age.

• You have a heart condition, blood vessel disease or high blood pressure.

• You have sensitive skin, a skin condition such as eczema or psoriasis, or broken or irritated skin on your face.

• You’re pregnant or breastfeeding.

And if you live with a cat, be very careful. Minoxidil is highly toxic to cats, and even small amounts on their skin or fur, from a pillow or from rubbing against you, can be fatal.

If minoxidil isn’t for you, a good beard oil is a gentler way to look after the beard you’ve got.

So, does minoxidil work for beards? There’s some evidence it can help, and plenty of anecdotal success stories. But it’s a medicine, it isn’t made for your face, and it comes with real risks.

We don’t endorse or recommend it. If you’re considering it, go in with your eyes open, talk to a pharmacist or GP first, and stop at the first sign of trouble.

And whatever you decide, the beard you’ve got still deserves looking after. Our beard oils, beard balms and beard brushes are made for exactly that.