Microneedling and Minoxidil are two very different treatment forms for your hair. Microneedling is used for the skin in general, while Minoxidil is primarily for your hair.
The question is which of these is better for stimulating hair growth? We plan to answer that question right here in this article. We’ll take a look at the pros and cons for both microneedling and minoxidil.
Read on to learn which of these two methods is better for stimulating hair growth!
What is Microneedling?
Microneedling is a process where you use a machine with many small needles to prick the upper layers of your skin. The idea is that your body will respond to the minor skin damage and boost collagen production to compensate.
Microneedling is also supposed to induce stem cell production in your scalp. The additional stem cells help improve hair growth.
Pros of Microneedling
Microneedling has a higher chance of success when it comes to stimulating hair growth. The process is more intense than minoxidil, but people have expressed more satisfaction with the results.
It is also faster than minoxidil when it comes to noticeable results. When microneedling does work, it works fast!
Microneedling can even improve the success rate of minoxidil by preparing your skin for absorption.
Cons of Microneedling
Microneedling is a tad more dangerous and has many more possible side effects. Your skin may get inflamed and, in worse situations, form scabs from the needle pricks.
You can’t undergo the microneedling process if you have a history of any kind of skin disease. Diabetes, pregnancy, and certain medications will also remove you from consideration.
In even worse cases, you can get an infection on your scalp. Most of these side effects can be prevented when the treatment is performed by a professional and you use whatever creams you’re given to keep the skin safe and healthy.
What is Minoxidil?
Minoxidil comes as either a foam or liquid. You apply it directly to your scalp twice a day, every day. The idea is that the contents of the liquid or foam are absorbed into your scalp and help revive the hair follicles that have stopped or slowed your hair growth.
Pros of Minoxidil
Minoxidil is much less risky than microneedling. There’s little to no chance of any side effects turning up from using it.
It is also much easier to acquire. Instead of needing to get an appointment and set up a treatment date, you can head into the nearest pharmacy and buy it over the counter.
It is also incredibly easy to use. You simply apply it to your head twice a day. There’s no particular method, but you should rinse your scalp after a half hour or so with lukewarm water.
Cons of Minoxidil
Minoxidil doesn’t leave much room for error. If you forget to use it for even a single day, the effects that it has on your hair growth are all but nullified. You will need to apply the foam or liquid to your scalp twice a day for the rest of your life.
Minoxidil tends to work for younger people. At a certain age, the treatment is no longer enough to help your hair growth. When your hair follicles have completely died, minoxidil won’t be able to help them anymore. So, if your issue is with dying hair follicles, you’ll need a different form of treatment.
Conclusion
Overall, microneedling is more efficient and has a higher success rate. The risks are higher, but these can be reduced by making sure you only go to a professional and follow all the instructions they give you.
Minoxidil can be used by anyone but has a slower growth rate. It doesn’t help once you reach a certain age, depending on your genetics.
So, our conclusion is that microneedling works better than minoxidil. However, we recommend using minoxidil after your microneedling treatment to further improve your hair growth!