Can I Leave My Hair Loss Treatment On For 24 Hours?'

Name: Elshaday

Question: When I leave minoxidil for 24 h with no washing water may it has any problem? Because when I am washing after every spray my hair is fall more. So please tell me something.

Answer: Hi, Elshaday. If you are washing your hair after each minoxidil application, what you are essentially doing is washing off the medication before it can work. This is likely the reason why you are experiencing more hair loss.

The treatment cannot work if it is not allowed to sink into the scalp. Generally, we would advise Belgravia clients to apply their high strength minoxidil solution to their scalps, as demonstrated by their dedicated specialist, then allow it an absolute minimum of half an hour though ideally two hours or more to be fully absorbed by the scalp. If proper absorption does not take place, it is highly unlikely the hair loss treatment will be able to do its job or, at the very least, it may not be as effective as when it is applied following the proper instructions.

This advice also applies to other scenarios which involve getting the head wet, such as swimming.

With this in mind, whilst it is generally absolutely fine to leave minoxidil on the scalp for 24 hours, remember that this is a daily application and in some cases certain formulations may require twice daily applications. In order to get the most out of your hair loss treatment the ideal scenario is to wash your hair and allow your hair and scalp to dry before applying the solution. The reason it is important to apply minoxidil to a dry scalp with dry hair is that when it is wet the moisture may dilute the medication, weakening the hair solution so that you do not get the full benefit of its capabilities compared to its intended use at full strength.

It is also important to wash your hair regularly so as to avoid any build up of the medication or hair styling products on the scalp, so this routine of washing the hair before applying your medication is the one Belgravia hair specialists recommend.

As it appears you are not a Belgravia client, we would recommend speaking to your minoxidil provider for further information, however, the advice we have given here should be beneficial regardless. You may also find our article on Frequently Asked Questions About Minoxidil helpful.