Minoxidil Topical Aerosol, 5% (Foam)

Active ingredient: minoxidil 5% w/w, without propellant. Purpose: hair regrowth treatment for men. Use: to regrow hair on the top of the scalp, at the vertex, which is exactly what this format is best at.

Inactive ingredients: butylated hydroxytoluene, cetyl alcohol, citric acid, alcohol, isobutane, lactic acid, butane, polysorbate 60, propane, water, stearyl alcohol.

No propylene glycol, which is the ingredient in the solution that most often causes itching and a dry, tight scalp.

Half a capful, twice a day, morning and night, about twelve hours apart.

1. Rinse your hands in cold water and dry them. Foam collapses on warm skin, and cold fingers buy you time to spread it.
2. Start with a dry scalp.
3. Part your hair into rows to expose the scalp across the area of hair loss.
4. Hold the can upside down and dispense half a capful onto your fingers.
5. Apply it directly to the scalp along the partings and massage it in with your fingertips until it disappears. It goes on skin, not on hair.
6. Wash your hands well straight afterwards.
7. Let it dry completely before bed, a hat, or any styling product. That takes two to four hours.
8. Do not wash your hair for at least four hours after applying.

If you miss a dose, take the next one at the normal time rather than doubling up. Applying more often than twice a day does not improve results.

Expect more shedding rather than less in the first weeks, which is the growth cycle resetting rather than the treatment failing. Results generally appear at two months with twice-daily use, and some men need a full four months. Hair regrowth varies, and it does not work for every man.

Continued use maintains what you regrow. Stopping means the loss resumes within three to four months.

The Dermaroller once a week is the addition with the best supporting evidence. If you are treating a defined edge such as a hairline as well as the crown, the Topical Solution places a dose more precisely than foam can.

For external use only. For use by men only. Extremely flammable, so avoid fire, flame and smoking during application and immediately afterwards. It is alcohol based, so apply it in a ventilated room, and speak to a doctor first if you have asthma, since inhaling it can make asthma worse.

Do not use if you are a woman; if your hair loss pattern is not the one shown on the carton; if you have no family history of hair loss; if your hair loss is sudden or patchy; if the reason for your hair loss is unknown; if you are under 18; if your scalp is red, inflamed, infected, irritated or painful; or if you are using other medicines on the scalp.

Ask a doctor before use if you have heart disease.

When using this product, do not apply it on other parts of the body, avoid contact with the eyes and rinse with cool tap water if that happens, and be aware that changes in hair texture have been reported.

Stop use and ask a doctor if you get chest pain, a rapid heartbeat, faintness or dizziness; if you gain weight suddenly; if your hands or feet swell; if your scalp becomes irritated or red; if you grow unwanted facial hair; or if you see no hair regrowth after four months.

If you live with a cat, read this. Minoxidil is severely toxic to cats, and the exposure does not have to be direct. In a review of poison-control cases, the most common route was transfer from the owner's own treated skin or bedding, and around one in eight affected cats died. A cat that brushes against a treated scalp, sleeps on the pillowcase or licks a sleeve can take in enough to be poisoned. Keep cats away from the treated area until it is completely dry, wash your hands straight after applying, and wash pillowcases and towels separately. If your cat is exposed, treat it as an emergency and call a vet.

If there is a baby or a small child in the house. Cases of unwanted hair growth have been reported in infants after skin contact with an adult using topical minoxidil, including through shared bedding and clothing rather than direct application. Let it dry completely before you hold a child, wash your hands straight afterwards, keep treated bedding and towels away from them, and do not let a child touch the treated area. The effect reverses once the exposure stops, but it is worth avoiding in the first place.

Store at 20 to 25 degrees Celsius. Keep out of reach of children.