The first thing you need to know about low libido is that it’s not just a problem with women. Men can suffer from low libido too! But if you’re having problems getting or keeping an erection, then your chances are much higher than someone else’s. And if you have trouble reaching an erection, then that could be due to other factors such as depression, stress, or even medication side effects.
There are many things that can cause low libido, but one of them is testosterone deficiency. Testosterone plays a major role in maintaining sexual desire and performance. If you’ve ever wondered why some guys seem to have no interest in girls whatsoever, well it’s because they don’t produce enough testosterone.
Low testosterone levels can lead to a number of health issues including decreased muscle mass, reduced bone density, and poor mental focus.
So what does all this mean?
Well if you’re struggling with low libido, then you may want to consider taking steps to increase your level of testosterone naturally.
What Is Minoxidil?
Minoxidil is a topical drug used for treating male pattern baldness (androgenetic alopecia). It was originally used to treat high blood pressure, but researchers discovered that it had hair growing properties.
Over the years, it’s gone by several different brand names, but it’s currently available over-the-counter for treating hair loss. These days it’s sold under the name Rogaine and Regaine for men and women respectively. The active ingredient in both is minoxidil.
How Does It Work?
Minoxidil works by causing the blood vessels in your scalp to grow, which in turn causes more hair follicles to sprout. The exact mechanism is not fully understood.
There’s some evidence that minoxidil increases the length of time that hair grows. What this means is it’s not that minoxidil will cause new hairs to sprout from where there were no hairs before. Rather, it will cause hairs to grow longer.
In any case, the best results from minoxidil are achieved when used in conjunction with other therapies such as Propecia, or anti-androgens.
Does It Treat Erectile Dysfunction?
For a long time now, minoxidil has been used off-label to treat various cardiovascular diseases and high blood pressure.
More recently, studies have shown that it can also be used to treat erectile dysfunction (ED). While there are several treatments available for ED, not all of them work for everyone. Minoxidil seems to be effective in some men who don’t respond to other treatments.
Minoxidil is applied topically to the scalp and takes about five days before any effects are noticeable. It can take several months of continuous use before you notice maximum benefits.
Does It Increase Libido?
While minoxidil can increase your libido, it’s not a well-known effect among most people. This is probably because when minoxidil was first used to treat ED, the public wasn’t overly concerned about men’s sexual health.
But with the rise in awareness about hair loss in recent years, a few people have taken notice of this under-reported side effect.
The increase in libido seems to be directly related to the amount of minoxidil you use. The recommended dose for treating ED is much lower than that used for treating hair loss. As such, it’s unlikely that you’ll experience an increase in libido from minoxidil unless you use more than the recommended dosages.
Does It Cause Hair Loss?
Obviously, if minoxidil is used for hair loss, then it’s going to cause hair loss. This is why it’s important that you use it in conjunction with other treatments like Propecia.
That being said, there’s some evidence to suggest that minoxidil can cause temporary hair loss even when used on its own. This is thought to be due to the increased blood flow that minoxidil causes to the scalp.
In any case, Propecia is less likely to cause hair loss because it doesn’t increase blood flow to the scalp. This is why it’s thought to work better at treating male pattern baldness.
Of course, some people may experience temporary hair loss when using Propecia as well. In fact, this is a common side effect of most treatments for male pattern baldness.
Does It Cause Acne?
A small percentage of people who use minoxidil for hair loss experience an increase in acne. This is why it’s recommended that you use a mild topical treatment to clear up your skin before you begin using minoxidil.
Does It Cause Any Other Side Effects?
Possibly. Since minoxidil was initially used for treating high blood pressure and heart conditions, it’s more likely that you’ll experience some of the side effects related to these conditions.
The most common side effects are:
Dizziness
Headache
Hypotension (low blood pressure)
If you experience any of these, you should stop using minoxidil and contact your doctor immediately. You may need to have your medication amended in some way.
Does It Interact With Other Medications?
Yes. As with most medications, it’s important that you tell your doctor about any other medication, over the counter product or herbal remedy that you’re using.
If you’re using minoxidil to treat high blood pressure, then it’s particularly important to avoid using other drugs that also lower your blood pressure. This includes other medications like alcohol, as well as some foods like caffeine, and some herbal products such as St. John’s Wort.
Does It Interact With Alcohol?
Yes. You should avoid drinking alcohol while you’re using minoxidil if you experience any dizziness or light-headedness while using it.
Does Minoxidil Cause Weight Gain?
It’s a common misconception that minoxidil causes weight gain. In reality, it doesn’t cause weight gain on its own.
However, one of the side effects of minoxidil is that it can lower your blood pressure. Therefore, you’re less likely to experience dizziness or light-headedness when using it if your blood pressure is low to begin with. As a result, you may find yourself feeling less hungry and losing weight as a result.
This isn’t a typical side effect and is easily fixed by eating more high calorie foods and raising your blood pressure again. In any case, if you do notice your weight decreasing while using minoxidil, it’s easy to fix and not something to worry about too much.
Does It Cause Hair To Thicken?
It’s a common misconception that minoxidil actually causes hair to grow thicker or longer. In reality, minoxidil only causes hair to grow in fuller. It can’t change the texture of your hair.
If you have fine hair, minoxidil is still effective at making your hair look full and thick. If you have thick hair, minoxidil can’t make it grow any thicker than it already is.
Does It Cause Hair To Fall Out?
Well, yes. That’s sort of the point of using it! Minoxidil can cause your hair to fall out if you’re using too high a concentration. Once again, this is an issue with people making their own minoxidil solutions at home.
Sources & references used in this article:
Controversy: is there a role for adjuvants in the management of male pattern hair loss? by RJ Rajput – Journal of cutaneous and aesthetic surgery, 2010 – ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
Characterization of follicular minoxidil sulfotransferase activity in a cohort of pattern hair loss patients from the Indian Subcontinent by J Chitalia, R Dhurat, A Goren, J McCoy… – Dermatologic …, 2018 – Wiley Online Library
Effects of minoxidil 2% vs. cyproterone acetate treatment on female androgenetic alopecia: a controlled, 12‐month randomized trial by P Vexiau, C Chaspoux, P Boudou, J Fiet… – British Journal of …, 2002 – Wiley Online Library
Treatment of hair loss by VH Price – New England Journal of Medicine, 1999 – Mass Medical Soc
Depression circumstantially related to the administration of finasteride for androgenetic alopecia by G Altomare, GL Capella – The Journal of dermatology, 2002 – Wiley Online Library
Hair loss remedies-separating fact from fiction by I Bandaranayake, P Mirmirani – CUTIS-NEW YORK-, 2004 – pdfs.semanticscholar.org
The potential role of minoxidil in the hair transplantation setting by MR Avram, JP Cole, C Chase… – Dermatologic …, 2002 – Wiley Online Library
DHT and male pattern baldness explained by M Bohl – getroman.com
Can women use minoxidil? by M Bohl – getroman.com
