How to Intermittent Minoxidil: Can You Skip a Day?

Beard Care, Hair Care, Minoxidil

Yes, it is possible to skip a day of minoxidil considering the fact that minoxidil takes a long time to show any good result. Therefore, you can miss it for a day and probably still see a positive result in the end. The only thing you need to do is ensure that you apply the next day after your missed day.

For best results, you should still use it twice a day in your hair or beard area. You may forget to use it or find yourself in a situation where you can’t. In that case, skip it for a day, but it shouldn’t be a routine task.

If you are looking into skipping days and wonder how to intermittent minoxidil, please keep reading.

What happens if you miss a day of minoxidil?

How to Intermittent Minoxidil

No one knows the exact difference between the effectiveness of minoxidil if you skip a day here and there. But it is very unlikely that you will see any difference, anyway. But missing it for consecutive days or missing it frequently could have a bad effect on your hair or beard.

However, if you ever miss one or two days of using minoxidil, don’t give up on your regimen. Just pick your next day to apply it and continue letting it do its work. You shouldn’t have to make up for missed treatments by doubling the amount that you would usually use for each of them. The research shows that a greater dosage of minoxidil at one time does not give a significant increase in results, instead causing side effects.

Well, this brings the next question –

Do I have to use minoxidil every day?

We have already answered this question – you have to use minoxidil every day and twice a day. There are some debates over it as minoxidil have a shelf life of 20 to 22 hours, do you need to use it twice a day?

Let’s discuss –

Does using minoxidil once per day have the same effect as using it twice each day?

According to Hair MD India – “It is alright to use minoxidil once a day. One has to understand that the average lifespan of minoxidil applied on the scalp is about 20-22 hours, which varies from person to person. But for better results, an application twice daily is recommended.”

As minoxidil has a lifespan of 20 to 22 hours, you can have the same results if you use it twice or once a day. Using it once a day means your minoxidil bottle will last for one more month and saving you money. But, there are no strong research behind this. So for now, using it twice is safer and can provide you with the best result.

But, if you want to do some research on yourself, you are open to do. As the lifespan of minoxidil is 20 to 22 hours, I would use it once a day and the next day use it twice. Keeping a gap about 16 to 18 hours in between.

It will not only save me money but less unnecessary chemicals in my body.

Ok, so how long I need to keep using minoxidil?

In order to preserve your hair’s health, you have to use minoxidil as long as you use it to prevent male pattern baldness. The duration is up to you.

So, what’s the bad effect you may see if you leave minoxidil suddenly? You will gradually lose any hair that you have regrown as a result of this medication. So, keep using it until you no longer need to take care of your hair.

How long its need to see some positive result of minoxidil?

You need to use it for 4 months at least to experience some positive result. Sometimes it may take even longer. So, you need to be patient enough when you have decided to use this medication for your hair. But, even if after 8 months you are not seeing any result, consult with a doctor.

How much minoxidil can you use daily? It is alright if I use too much of it?

You cannot use more than 2ml in one day. That’s also not more than 1ml at once. If you like, the amount needed to cover your medication area can be less than 1ml at a time and that’s not a problem. Using more won’t bring better result though can cause side effects. As just a few paragraphs above, I have talked about using it only once a day is enough sometimes, you should understand, overdosage can only harm your body and minimum dosage most of the time can bring the best result.

So, what is the best minoxidil in the market?

Though Rogain is considered the best minoxidil on the market, we recommend Kirkland minoxidil since it’s cheaper and offers somewhat the same quality as Rogain.

But, I am having some side effects of minoxidil. Should I stop using it?

Side effects of minoxidil are rare, but if you have side effects like itching, swelling, redness of face or other similar side effects, we recommend switching from liquid version to minoxidil foam version. You don’t need to stop using it. Foam version should help to reduce most of these side effects. But if you still having side effects, please consult with a dermatologist.

What are the alternatives of minoxidil?

Minoxidil has several alternatives. For hair, the best alternatives are Finasteride, PRP, Saw Palmetto supplement, Saw Palmetto hair lotion, Low-level laser therapy, microneedling and lastly hair transplant.

I don’t want to use minoxidil, can I go for the alternatives?

Sure you can! If you don’t want to use minoxidil, you can choose any of the other two methods. We recommend use of micro-needling even if you don’t want to use minoxidil though micro-needling with a derma roller plus minoxidil could bring fantastic result if you are ok with this method.

If you don’t want to use minoxidil, you can pick a saw palmetto hair lotion like Neo hair lotion with micro-needling.

Final Verdict

Minoxidil is a proven treatment for male pattern baldness and beard regrowth. But answering the main question, can you skip a day of minoxidil? You can, but you should not. Yes, you can skip a day accidentally and still can have good result but it should not be a routine task.

Related Questions

How long can you take a break from minoxidil?

Up to 20 hours. Minoxidil has a lifespan of 20 to 22 hours. That varies from person to person. We can say it will work for you for at least 20 hours, which means you shouldn’t take a break from using it for over 20 hours.

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