Minoxidil Tablet
A single-ingredient oral hair-loss option that avoids scalp application.
Active ingredients: Minoxidil
$59 per month
No membership fee · No clinician fee · Free shipping
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Oral minoxidil's FDA-approved label is for severe hypertension. Hair-loss use is off-label and typically uses different dosing.
What it does
Minoxidil began as a blood-pressure medication. Low-dose oral minoxidil is used off-label for hair loss because minoxidil can prolong the hair-growth phase.
What's in it
Minoxidil
- What it is
- Vasodilator / hair-growth medication.
- Hormone?
- Not a hormone.
- Why it's here
- Oral use exposes the whole body and is off-label for hair loss.
Why choose this one?
Why choose this one
For people who want minoxidil but prefer a pill over a topical product.
Why choose another option?
Topical minoxidil may be preferable if you want less systemic exposure. A DHT blocker may be more relevant when DHT-driven male-pattern hair loss is the main target.
Compare your options
Topical vs oral hair treatment
| Topical | Oral | |
|---|---|---|
| How it's used | Applied to the scalp, usually daily | Taken by mouth, usually daily |
| Whole-body exposure | Lower, though some is absorbed | Higher |
| Evidence context | In a 2024 trial in men, 5% topical minoxidil improved hair density at 24 weeks | In the same trial, 5 mg oral minoxidil also improved density and was not superior to topical |
| Common tradeoffs | Scalp irritation, residue, daily application | Unwanted body or facial hair with oral minoxidil; less often lightheadedness or fluid retention |
| Who may prefer it | People who want to limit whole-body effects | People who find daily application hard to keep up |
| Price at Avono | From $75 per month | From $59 per month |
Minoxidil vs DHT blockers
| Minoxidil | DHT blockers (finasteride, dutasteride) | |
|---|---|---|
| How it works | Supports the growth phase of the hair cycle | Lowers DHT, the hormone that shrinks follicles in pattern hair loss |
| Who it's for | Men & women | Mainly men |
| Hormone? | No | No, but acts on a hormone pathway |
| What to know | Must be continued; early shedding; oral forms can cause unwanted body hair | Sexual side effects in a small minority; pregnancy restrictions |
| Used together? | Often, because they work through different pathways | Often, because they work through different pathways |
Benefits and evidence
Topical minoxidil 5% vs 2%
- What the study found
- 45% more regrowth
- Who was studied
- 393 men with androgenetic alopecia
- What it means
- In a 48-week trial, 5% topical minoxidil produced 45% more hair regrowth than 2% topical minoxidil.
- Important context
- Compared two strengths of topical minoxidil. It does not apply to oral minoxidil. Topical minoxidil 5% versus 2% and placebo · 5% and 2% topical solutions · 48 weeks
- Source
- A randomized clinical trial of 5% topical minoxidil versus 2% topical minoxidil and placebo in the treatment of androgenetic alopecia in men Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, 2002, PMID 12196747
Common side effects
Unwanted facial/body hair, ankle swelling or fluid retention, dizziness, headache, lower blood pressure or a faster heart rate.
What may help
General measures that may help:
- Stand up slowly if you feel lightheaded.
- Tell your clinician about blood-pressure medicines or supplements you take.
- Unwanted facial or body hair is the most common side effect of oral minoxidil. Let your clinician know if it bothers you, because the plan can be reviewed.
- Temporary shedding in the first one to two months can happen as hair cycles reset (9% of men taking oral minoxidil in one trial).
Do not change your dose on your own.
Important safety information
Oral minoxidil is FDA-approved for severe hypertension, not hair loss, and its label contains serious cardiovascular warnings. Hair-loss use is off-label and requires clinician screening.
Pregnancy and fertility. Oral minoxidil is not recommended during pregnancy or breastfeeding. Tell your clinician if you are pregnant, planning a pregnancy or breastfeeding.
The FDA-approved oral minoxidil label is for severe hypertension and contains a boxed warning about serious cardiovascular effects including pericardial effusion/tamponade and worsening angina. Hair-loss use is off-label and typically uses different dosing, but screening remains important.
Prescription treatments require evaluation by a licensed clinician and are not appropriate for everyone. Some ingredients are not appropriate during pregnancy or for people who may become pregnant. Compounded formulas are not FDA-approved. Not available in all states.
When to contact your clinician
Contact your clinician promptly about swelling of the ankles, feet or face, rapid weight gain, a fast or pounding heartbeat, or dizziness or fainting.
When to seek urgent care
Seek urgent care for chest pain, shortness of breath or feeling faint.
Questions people ask
How is this different from topical minoxidil?
It is the same medication taken by mouth. Convenience and no scalp residue are the advantages; systemic exposure is the tradeoff.
Is this a hormone?
No. Minoxidil is a prescription vasodilator, not a hormone, and it does not block DHT.
Oral vs topical minoxidil: what is the difference?
Both use the same medicine. In a 2024 randomized trial in men, oral minoxidil 5 mg daily was not superior to 5% topical minoxidil used twice daily after 24 weeks; both improved hair density. Oral treatment avoids daily scalp application but acts on the whole body. In a study of 1,404 people taking low-dose oral minoxidil for hair loss, unwanted body or facial hair was the most common side effect (about 15%), while lightheadedness, fluid retention and a fast heartbeat each affected fewer than 2%.
Why am I shedding more at first?
Minoxidil can push resting hairs out as new growth starts, so some people shed more in the first one to two months. In one trial this happened in 16% of men using topical minoxidil and 9% using oral minoxidil. It is usually temporary. Tell your clinician if shedding continues beyond a few months.
How long before I see results?
Hair grows slowly, so changes usually take months. In the finasteride trials and the 48-week topical minoxidil trial, results were measured over the better part of a year or longer. Your clinician can tell you when a review makes sense.
Discuss Minoxidil Tablet with a licensed clinician
Your clinician reviews your health history and decides whether this option, or another, is appropriate.
$59 per month
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Minoxidil Tablet $59 per month