How to Apply Minoxidil Foam

You’ve made up your mind to treat your male pattern hair loss and have minoxidil (or its brand name version, Rogaine®) in hand. Now what?

Knowing how to apply minoxidil foam or other forms of the hair loss treatment both safely and effectively requires some understanding of how this powerful medication works on your hair follicles. Correct application is key to slowing down hair loss and stimulating hair growth, and avoiding unwanted minoxidil side effects.

Below, we’ll explain the best way to apply minoxidil foam to treat male pattern baldness, discussing questions such as whether there is a best time to apply Rogaine foam and how much Rogaine foam to use. If you’ve opted for the liquid version of minoxidil to address thinning hair instead, we’ll also offer some tips there.

Originally developed for high blood pressure, minoxidil is one of two FDA-approved medications to treat male pattern hair loss. This topical treatment comes in multiple forms, including a topical solution in liquid form and minoxidil foam.

To understand why the application method for topical minoxidil is so important, let’s go through a quick explanation of how hair grows, stops growing, and falls out, as well as how minoxidil works on all of that. 

There are four phases of the hair growth cycle: anagen (growth), catagen (regression), telogen (rest), and exogen (shedding). 

Male pattern baldness (or androgenetic alopecia) directly affects the anagen, or growth, phase and is caused by a combination of two factors: the production of certain male hormones and the sensitivity of your hair follicles to these hormones.

The main hormone affected by androgenetic alopecia is dihydrotestosterone (DHT), a byproduct of testosterone. DHT binds to the hair follicles and causes them to shrink, which can slow hair growth and may stop hair growth entirely over time. 

Experts aren’t completely sure how minoxidil works to improve hair growth, but current research suggests that there may be four mechanisms. It appears that minoxidil:

• Reverses the miniaturization of hair follicles, which leads to thinner hair shafts that are more likely to fall out

• Stimulates blood flow around the hair follicle to support healthy hair growth

• Prolongs each phase of hair growth

• Stimulates follicles to move into the anagen (growth) phase

There are two minoxidil dosages available: 2% and 5% concentrations. Both minoxidil foam and liquid solution are applied twice a day, either using half a capful of foam or 1 milliliter of the liquid solution.

It’s pretty easy to learn how to apply minoxidil foam, although it may take a few applications to get the hang of it. Minoxidil foam has more substance to it than the topical solution, which may make it easier for some men to apply. 

Here’s how to apply minoxidil foam: 

1. Apply to clean, dry hair. The best time to apply Rogaine (or minoxidil) foam is after you’ve showered. Make sure your hair is completely dry before applying minoxidil foam.

2. Part your hair for easier access. Gently part your hair in sections, so you can easily access the thinning areas on your scalp.

3. Hold the can upside down to dispense. Hold the minoxidil can upside down and press the nozzle to dispense about half a capful of the foam onto your fingers.

4. Massage on affected areas of your scalp. Apply the foam to the areas of the scalp affected by hair loss, starting in the middle of each section. Using your fingertips, gently massage the foam into your scalp.

5. Wash your hands. When you’re finished, wash your hands thoroughly to remove any remaining foam from your skin.

6. Allow the foam to dry completely. Let the medication dry for at least four hours before washing your hair, using a hair dryer, or putting on a hat. 

If you find the foam awkward or difficult to apply, you can use a dropper to apply the liquid solution. (We’ve also written up a guide on the pros and cons of minoxidil foam versus liquid if you are having a tough time deciding which formulation to use.)

Here’s how to apply minoxidil solution:

1. Make sure your hair is dry. Make sure your hair is completely dry. If you’ve just taken a shower, dry your hair completely before applying the liquid minoxidil solution.

2. Fill the dropper. Insert the dropper provided with your medication into the solution and fill it to the 1-milliliter mark. (There should be a black line on the dropper at 1 milliliter.)

3. Place drops on affected areas. Apply the minoxidil liquid solution drop by drop to areas of the scalp that are affected by hair loss. You may find it helpful to part your hair in several places to improve penetration into the scalp.

4. Recap the bottle and rub off excess solution. Once you’re finished applying the liquid, put the cap back on the bottle and rub the solution into your scalp using the tips of your fingers.

5. Wash your hands. Wash your hands thoroughly to remove any remaining solution from your skin.

6. Allow the solution to dry completely. Give the medication at least four hours to dry before washing your hair, using a blow dryer for styling, or wearing a hat.

Beyond the basic tips for how to apply minoxidil foam and solution outlined above, here is some other useful information to keep in mind:

• Minoxidil is most effective early on in the hair loss process. If you’ve been bald for some time, it can’t help you regrow all of your hair.

• While you may be tempted to use minoxidil for beard growth, this treatment is only intended for use on the scalp — not facial hair. If you accidentally get some of the foam or liquid solution on your face or other parts of the body, rinse it away with cool water. Talk to your healthcare provider or dermatologist if you notice irritation or redness developing after skin contact.

• If you miss a dose of minoxidil, there’s no need to worry. This treatment is intended for twice-daily application, so apply it as soon as you can after a missed dose. If it’s already close to time for your next dose, just apply the medication as intended and skip the missed dose.

• Store your minoxidil in a visible location at room temperature, away from heat, moisture, and direct light, like in your bedside table drawer or a bathroom cabinet. If you have children living in your household, make sure to store it out of their reach. 

• If your hair is still wet with minoxidil foam or liquid, remember that it can get on towels, pillowcases, and other surfaces.

• Understand that minoxidil’s benefits last only as long as you keep using the product. Once you stop, hair loss will follow.

Want to know more about the other form of minoxidil? Our guide on how to apply minoxidil for hair growth includes more information and tips.

Minoxidil is generally considered safe when used properly, but all medications come with a risk of side effects. Be sure to know how much Rogaine foam or minoxidil foam to use with each application to avoid complications or side effects.  

The most common minoxidil side effects include:

• Irritation at the application site

• Mild burning or itching

• Dryness

• Flaking or scaling

You should also be aware of the potential for increased hair loss. Since minoxidil works by moving your hair follicles into the growth phase, the medication restarts the hair growth cycle. This means that when you first start treatment, the hair follicles may rapidly move through the current growth phase into the shedding phase. 

In other words, it’s completely normal to experience a significant amount of hair shedding when you first start minoxidil treatment. Over the next few weeks and months, the hair follicles will start new growth. You may also notice that some new hairs feel thinner, though you’ll probably be glad to see any new hair growth, even if some of those strands aren’t quite as full.

If you’ve started noticing thinner hair or larger bald spots coming in, you may have reached for a hair loss treatment. Minoxidil, one of the most effective treatments for hair loss, is available as a foam and a liquid solution.

To get the most out of the medication, however, it’s important to understand how it works and how to apply it. Here’s a recap of what we covered:

• Minoxidil works by increasing blood flow to the scalp, thereby encouraging hair regrowth and balding to slow down. Because of its mechanism, minoxidil for a receding hairline can work well.

• Both minoxidil foam and liquid solution are applied twice daily. The best time to apply Rogaine foam or liquid is generally when your hair is dry and you’ll have enough time to let the medication dry.

• The processes for how to apply minoxidil foam and solution are slightly different but have a lot of overlap. You’ll want to make sure you apply the medication to dry hair, put it directly on affected areas, and wash your hands after application. Make sure to let the medication fully dry before washing your hair or wearing a hat.

If you’ve just started using this treatment, you can find out how long minoxidil takes to work to know when to expect results.

There are also other hair loss treatments to consider. Another FDA-approved hair loss medication called finasteride is available as an oral tablet or combined with minoxidil in a topical finasteride-minoxidil spray.

It never hurts to explore your options. You may find the most successful treatment is actually a combination of hair treatment solutions.