Yes, minoxidil beard is permanent.
But there has a few do’s and don’ts. In this article, we are going to explain why some people lose back their minoxidil beard and how you can make your minoxidil beard permanent.
DHT
Before starting the main brief, it’s important to talk about DHT. This is a hormone produced naturally by the body, which is a derivative of another hormone called testosterone. But excess amounts of this hormone can affect the hair follicles.
As a result, the follicles shrink and shorten, causing more hair to fall and to be difficult to regrow.
Now, DHT hormone is bad for your scalp hair, but it’s good for your beard.
Now, many people ask, if minoxidil hair is not permanent, how come minoxidil beard is permanent? This is because of this DHT hormone. Because DHT is a natural process, your body will keep building it and if you stop using minoxidil in your hair, this DHT hormone will make them fall.
It is opposite for beard, as more DHT in your body means more beard.
But, why some people lose their minoxidil beard? Let’s discuss this in the next section.
Why minoxidil beard is not permanent sometimes?
You might have heard or used this word many times – baby hair. Some people say, “I have baby hair, but those never got thicker. That’s why I am getting bald.”
Well, let’s come to the point. After a few weeks of using minoxidil in your beard, you will see some thin, small hairs growing in your face. They’re thin and weak. Therefore, if you think your beard will grow and get thicker on its own so you can stop using minoxidil, then you are wrong.
After leaving minoxidil, these beards will fall out.
Why is that?
These thin, light brown, small beards are called vellus. Vellus does not have the necessary blood vessel structure to deliver nutrients and androgen to the dermal papillae or where the hair attaches to grow hair. That’s why it needs the help of minoxidil to do this job until it’s become terminal hair.
The terminal hair is located deep within the subcutaneous tissue. It has a much stronger network of blood vessels. As a result, they bring more oxygen-rich, nutrient-rich, and androgen-rich blood, which causes the hair to continue growing.
When your facial hair become terminal, you can leave minoxidil and your beard will never fall out.
That’s bring two questions –
1. How to know my beard hair is terminal?
2. How long its take vellus to turn terminal?
Let us answer –
How to know my beard hair is terminal or vellus?
Vellus hairs are very thin and weak. Its color may vary from very light brown to dark brown or sometimes black, depending on skin tone. Its growth is very slow as well.
On the other hand, terminal hairs are thicker, coarser, and pigmented. They grow faster and longer.
If you still can’t determine what kind of beard you have, trying matching your new beard with any other beard you had before using minoxidil. If they match 100%, then you have the terminal beard. If they don’t match, you need to keep using minoxidil.
How long its take vellus to turn terminal?
It takes usually 6 months to 12 months for vellus hair to turn into terminal hair. Sometimes it may take even longer.
As each follicle is independent and matures at its own rate, not all vellus hair will mature into terminal hair simultaneously.
How long I need to use minoxidil to get a permanent beard?
There is no exact answer to this. You need to use it for 12 months to 24 months.
The vellus hair should start appearing after 2 to 4 months of use. So, you will understand that the minoxidil is working for you.
How to use minoxidil to grow a beard?
Step 1 – Use a PH balanced cleanser to clean your face
Cleansers with pH-balancing capabilities help to protect your skin from further irritation. As the most common side effect of minoxidil is skin irritation, a pH balanced cleanser can help to reduce it.
We recommend Cosrx low pH good morning gel cleanser.
Step 2 – Apply Minoxidil
Dry your face and apply the recommended doses of minoxidil, which is usually 1ml. Though, if you have a very small area to cover, then use the required amount, 1ml is not mandatory.
You can use kirkland minoxidil liquid, which is very cheap compared with rogaine. I personally think to grow beard you don’t need an expensive brand.
But if for some reason you don’t like the liquid, you can go for the Kirkland minoxidil foam, which is more expensive than the liquid, but easy to apply, don’t irritate the skin and absorb very fast.
Step 3 – Do nothing
It takes time for minoxidil to absorb. Although it may dry within 30 minutes, your skin takes more than 4 hours to absorb it.
Therefore, don’t use anything on your face for at least 4 hours.
The best time to apply it is 2 to 4 hours before going to bed and leaving it on overnight.
Step 4 – Wash your face
You must wash your face after 4 hours of applying minoxidil, or in the morning as soon as you wake up if you left it overnight.
Step 5 – Moisturize your face
Minoxidil has chemical like propylene glycol and alcohol, which can irritate and dry out your skin.
To protect your skin from damage, use a high-quality moisturizer like Cerave daily moisturizing lotion.
Step 6 – Keep patience
It takes time and patience to see good results. We recommend continuous use of minoxidil for 2 years to achieve great looking beard.
2 years is a lot, I want my beard faster
We can understand. Let us help you with this.
There are two things you must add with your beard journey that can help you to get your result much faster and better.
Number 1 – Microneedling
In addition to activating the production of collagen and keratin, microneedling helps bring more blood to your skin, which helps in beard hair follicle growth. This can be done by using a derma roller.
Also, it creates small pores in your face, which helps better absorption of minoxidil.
Derma rolling also helps to increase blood flow, which is essential for beard growth.
As, derma rolling activates the production of collagen and keratin, it also helps to keep your face safe from the damage the minoxidil could have done.
Number 2 – LCLT (L-carnitine L-tartrate)
Some studies suggest that LCLT promotes hair growth. You can add about 1.2gm LCLT with your 60ml bottle of minoxidil to enhance your beard growth. You can buy LCLT powder from amazon.
Final words –
Minoxidil is a great product to grow a beard in your face and the great news is, minoxidil beard is permanent. But that requires a lot of work and patience.
Best of luck with your beard growth journey.