Can topical hair loss treatments like Minoxidil and Finasteride change your hair color? Learn why this might happen.
If you are currently using or considering hair loss treatments like Minoxidil or Finasteride to help combat your hair thinning, you likely just want your hair to be thicker, denser, and grow longer.
But, can your hair loss medication also come along with a hair color change?
There are anecdotal reports of color changes to hair when using treatments like Minoxidil and Finasteride, and, for some, the color may get darker or lighter.
Below, we will cover just why hair color can change when using hair loss treatments, the potential reasoning behind these changes, if a color change is a good thing, and what you can do if you aren’t liking these kinds of changes.
There are reports of hair color changes when using Minoxidil and Finasteride.
Most products containing Minoxidil, like Rogaine products, even list hair color changes as a potential side effect in their product packaging and medication information.
Most of the time, if a hair color change is seen, it is a change to a darker color, like dark brown or black.
This may occur because when hair thins, as with male pattern and female pattern hair loss, more narrow strands aren’t usually the only thing going on with each hair.
The follicles also tend to produce shorter hairs with less pigmentation, along with thinner strands. Over time, this can cause grey, white, or just a less dark head of hair.
When you use hair loss medications like Minoxidil and Finasteride, they aim to help improve the growth of hair while reducing losses.
This may also lead to an overall boost of healthier hair growth in some. And, healthier hair growth can mean thicker, longer, and more pigmented hair.
As this new hair grows in, some may notice a pretty significant darkening of the hair growing out from the root.
This may be a minor change, be enough for people to ask if you’ve been delving into the world of hair dye, or it may not change the color of your hair at all.
Something else to note when using these hair products is that some are meant to be used as a topical application 1-2 times daily.
Depending on your application schedule, this may mean that you have a light layer of a gel-like or oily product in your hair almost all of the time.
For some, this extra layer of product may make the hair look darker, just like hair looks darker when it is wet or has a lot of gel in it.
This darkening effect when using hair loss medications may be more common and apparent in those that already have relatively light-colored hair like blonde or light brown.
Learn More: Dr. Bauman: How Minoxidil and Tretinoin Work Together for Hair Loss (Video)
Some people also report topical formulations of Minoxidil making their hair lighter, although this is only likely to occur if you have died hair, and the formulation may be causing the hair dye to fade out sooner.
Finasteride is mostly used as an oral tablet, so it is unlikely that it would lighten your dyed hair like
Minoxidil. However, if you are using a topical Finasteride formulation like our topical Finasteride formula, you may experience the same sort of hair dye fading effect.
Some people with very light hair like very light gray or white hair may also report a slightly yellowed or grayish tinge when using topical hair loss medications.
Also Read: Why a Topical Finasteride Gel Is So Awesome!
Most of the time that hair color changes when using hair loss treatments, it will become darker.
This darkening may be a sign that the medication is helping your new growth come in thicker and healthier than before, and can be a good thing.
If you don’t like the color change a hair loss medication is causing in your hair, you can always visit a salon or drugstore and change your hair color to whatever you prefer.
Although, if you are using a topical hair loss treatment, the color made fade sooner than usual.
Stopping the hair loss medication will also likely cause your hair to return to its previous color once it grows in, but this will probably also cause it to return completely to its previous state, including the shedding of any hairs retained or regrown during treatment.
If your color change is lighter, yellowish, or grayish from a topical product, you may want to try an oral hair loss medication instead of a topical gel or oil.
Hair color changes don’t always happen with hair loss medications, but they can occur in some people.
Most of the time, this color change is to a darker shade which may appear more youthful, and this may not bother you.
Hair lightening may occur with topical products, especially if your hair is color-treated.
Here at Strut Health, we carry oral and topical hair loss medications with active ingredients like Finasteride, Minoxidil, Dutasteride, Spironolactone, Latanoprost, Caffeine, and Melatonin, many of which can be adjusted to suit your hair needs.
If you have a preference for one treatment route over another, or you want to leave out an active ingredient, our doctors can work with you to find the best option for you.
We offer prescription hair loss treatments crafted for men and women.
You can have your free online questionnaire and image-based consultation today in 10-15 minutes. If you are a good candidate for hair loss treatment, your medication will be shipped to your front door with our free shipping.
If you have any questions or concerns during your treatment, our staff and doctors are available for free unlimited follow-ups.
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