Today, we’re going to answer the question, “can women use men’s Rogaine?”
As some of you might know, there are some differences between Rogaine for men and women.
Let’s start by figuring out if Rogaine for men does indeed work for women or not.
Does Rogaine for men work for women?
It should be noted that Rogaine for men does indeed work for women.
The main difference between men’s Rogaine and women’s Rogaine lies in the %. Or in other words, the strength of the product.
Are men's and women's Rogaine the same
No, men’s and women’s Rogaine or not the same.
There are some small differences in the strength of the product, which is depicted in %.
Difference between Rogaine for men and women
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 largely 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.
Now let’s finally answer the main question of today. Can women use men’s rogaine?
Can women use men's Rogaine or not?
There’s no reason why women can’t use men’s Rogaine. Or at least the topical foam version of Rogaine for men. On the flip side, men can use women’s Rogaine without any issues. That’s because the products tailored to women specifically are typically less intense.
The FDA recently raised the approved topical foam dose of Rogaine for women from 2% to 5% Minoxidil.
However, with regard to the topical solution, only the 2% topical solution is FDA approved. This means that the FDA doesn’t approve and does not recommend the 5% topical solution for women.
This intends that women can indeed use the topical foam men’s Rogaine to combat hair loss.
The Men’s Rogaine extra strength formula is 5% foam, and has a 5% solution as well. The 5% topical foam dosage was previously only FDA approved for men. But, like I said before, the approved topical foam dosage for women has been raised to 5%.
The 5% topical solution is still off limits for women, seeing as it’s not FDA approved.
This means that it is now also considered safe for women to use the topical foam version of men’s Rogaine.
When and why should a woman not use men's Rogaine
So when and why should a woman not use men’s Rogaine in some specific cases?
Some people can react very strongly to minoxidil in rare instances.
Women who have skin issues or have reported other minoxidil side effects such as the growth of unwanted body hair, or blood pressure issues are usually advised to stay away from higher strength products.
Since men’s Rogaine products are typically stronger and more potent than women’s Rogaine, they can also induce more potential side effects. That’s why people and women with a sensitive skin or who report multiple side effects best steer away from higher % minoxidil.
Final note
It is safe for women to use men’s Rogaine.
The main difference between men’s Rogaine vs women’s Rogaine is the strength of the product. The percentage for the men’s topical solution is higher than for the women’s product.
Keep in mind that the higher strength products will generally deliver more potent results. The only disadvantage is that the stronger the product is, the more potential there is for annoying, albeit largely harmless, side effects.