Quite a few of us who have heard of, or have used minoxidil before in our lives may know that there is such a thing as men’s Rogaine and women’s Rogaine.
And while we might at first glance think that there are significant differences between the two since they’re promoted separately for both sexes, they’re mostly the same.
That does raise the following question, “can men use women Rogaine?”
Let me get to the point and answer that question for you.
Can men use women Rogaine or not?
So can men use womens Rogaine? Or is it dangerous?
The answer is a resounding yes. Men can use women Rogaine without any worries or losing sleep over it.
The main difference between men and women’s Rogaine is the strength of the topical solution.
Women’s Rogaine solution is 2% and men’s Rogaine solution is 5% with added propylene glycol that makes the absorption of the product easier and thus more effective.
Does Rogaine for women work for men?
Yes, Rogaine for women will work just fine for men.
The main disadvantage of the lower strength women’s Rogaine solution could be that the results one can attain would be slightly worse than the men’s minoxidil solution can, since it’s more potent due to its higher strength.
Let us look at the other differences between men and women’s Rogaine.
Difference between men and women rogaine
Now that we know that guys can use women’s rogaine, we should take a look at the main differences between the male and female versions of the product.
Rogaine, which is the brand name of common minoxidil has a foam and solution formulation for both men and women.
The rogaine version for men features both a 5% foam and a 5%solution. Women’s Rogaine on the other hand presents a 5% foam and a 2% solution.
The men’s 5% solution is the strongest and, thus, also the most effective due to the inclusion of propylene glycol.
What is propylene glycol?
Propylene glycol is an active ingredient that helps to penetrate the scalp or other areas where the solution is applied more easily. This increases the effectiveness of the product.
Other products might be slightly less efficient because they don’t incorporate the propylene glycol in their minoxidil.
Appliance difference between Rogaine for men and women
Instructions for the men and women products differ slightly on the label. Men’s 5% foam and 5% solution are both recommended to use twice daily. The 2% women’s solution should also be used twice daily, while the 5% minoxidil foam is suggested to be applied only once daily.
While the 5% solution may be stronger than the foam, it is also generally considered to be more irritating to the scalp. This means that there are typically more side effects with the 5% solution. Especially since some people are more sensitive to the added propylene glycol. This may cause common although typically harmless side effects such as redness, itching, burning, irritation, and flaking of the skin.
If this is the case, then people should consider switching to the 5% foam or the 2% solution. This is typically enough to resolve or greatly lessen the annoying side effects of minoxidil usage.
Price
Another difference between Rogaine for men vs Rogaine for women would be the price.
Rogaine for women has consistently been priced higher than the male version. This means that a lot of females have been looking at the male product of Rogaine as a viable alternative, rather than vice versa.
This is not surprising, and it is actually a great substitute. We know that the foam formula is basically exactly the same for both men and women. The topical solution of women’s Rogaine however is of a lower strength and without propylene glycol.
Where to buy Rogaine for women?
So, where to buy Rogaine for women if I want to combat hair loss?
You can buy it directly from Rogaine at their personal website, www.rogaine.com, or at several well known online vendors such as Amazon, eBay, and Walmart.
Is Rogaine available over the counter?
Women’s Rogaine contains minoxidil as the active ingredient.
Topical minoxidil is an FDA approved ingredient that’s sanctioned to get over the counter.
Final note
Men can indeed use women’s Rogaine, as it is considered safe for men to use women’s Rogaine. On the flip side, women can’t use men’s Rogaine, or at least not the topical solution since it’s a stronger product than is FDA approved for women.
The main disadvantage of a man using minoxidil for women would be that the women’s Rogaine solution is only 2% strength without added propylene glycol, compared to the men’s Rogaine 5% solution with included propylene glycol.
This could mean that the women’s Rogaine is less effective and that you could possibly get worse results than you would get with a higher strength minoxidil. But, it would probably be much more affordable.