Oral Finasteride and Minoxidil Spray are currently the only licensed treatments for male pattern baldness in Ireland, so they’re often the go-to first-line treatment. Used together, they give the best chance to stop hair loss and promote hair growth.
However, not everybody can, or wants to, use Finasteride. In these cases, minoxidil is available as a capsule, known as Oral Minoxidil, and can be prescribed as an alternative treatment.
Learn more below about how Oral Minoxidil works, how effective it is, and if it will stop hair loss by itself.
How does Oral Minoxidil Work?
Oral Minoxidil tackles hair loss in a very similar way to Minoxidil Spray. It’s a vasodilator, which means it relaxes and widens blood vessels. This effect is helpful for hair growth, as it promotes a strong flow of blood to the scalp, flushing hair follicles with all the necessary oxygen and nutrients for a healthy hair growth cycle.
Maintaining a good blood supply to the scalp is key in counteracting male pattern baldness, which is caused by gradual follicle miniaturisation – which means follicles are cut off from blood supply, until they shrink and can no longer grow thick, healthy hair.
As well as boosting blood flow, Minoxidil is also thought to lengthen the anagen (growth) phase and shorten the telogen (resting) phase of the hair cycle, which contributes to growth of stronger, thicker hairs. Plus, it may also stimulate a key growth factor in hair follicle stems cells, called the β-catenin pathway.
How effective is Oral Minoxidil?
Oral Minoxidil is thought to be as effective as Minoxidil Spray. In this study, men with mild to moderate male pattern baldness using either Oral Minoxidil or Minoxidil Spray both saw improvements in overall total hair density and terminal hair density (terminal hairs are thick, healthy hairs). Oral Minoxidil worked better on the crown area, whereas Minoxidil Spray improved hair density on the frontal scalp (around the hairline and temples) more.
Currently, we don’t have any clinical trials which directly compare how men’s hair loss responded to Oral Minoxidil treatment alone vs Oral Finasteride alone.
Oral Minoxidil vs Oral Finasteride
In short, these are the key similarities and differences between the two:
· Same application (swallow one pill per day)
· Different licensing
· Tackle hair loss via different pathways
· Both effective at stopping hair loss
Oral Finasteride is a licensed, first-line treatment for male pattern baldness with decades of research and real-world use to support it as an effective and safe treatment. It directly targets the cause of male pattern baldness, the hormone dihydrotestosterone (DHT). By effectively reducing DHT levels on the scalp, Finasteride protects hair follicles from miniaturisation. It has been shown in studies to stop hair loss in up to 9 in 10 men. Not only does Finasteride work well at putting a stop to hair loss, it can potentially grow hair back, though this depends on the individual and the extent of your hair loss when you start treatment. The earlier you act once you notice signs of hair loss, the more effective the treatment tends to be.
On the other hand, Oral Minoxidil is an unlicensed treatment for hair loss. It is commonly prescribed to treat high blood pressure, but doctors can also prescribe it for hair loss outside of the conditions outlined on its license. You may be recommended Minoxidil Spray and/or Oral Finasteride to treat hair loss as a first step, but Oral Minoxidil may be offered in some cases.
Why use Oral Minoxidil without Finasteride?
Some of the most common reasons men opt to use Oral Minoxidil as a solo treatment are:
· They experienced side effects with Minoxidil Spray or Finasteride
· They’re worried about potential side effects of Finasteride
· Find it difficult to stick to the routine of applying Minoxidil Spray twice a day
· Didn’t see the results they wanted with Minoxidil Spray
· Are unsuitable for Minoxidil Spray/Oral Finasteride
It is not advised to use Minoxidil Spray and Oral Minoxidil at the same time – that would be overkill. Just stick to one or the other to be on the safe side. However, it is safe to use Oral Minoxidil and Oral Finasteride together.
In fact, using them together tends to give the best results, provided you are suitable for both. A large 2025 study found strong findings for the 502 men with mild to advanced hair loss using combined treatment of Finasteride 1mg + Oral Minoxidil 2.5mg. 92% of participants had no further hair loss, while 57% saw visible regrowth from the combined treatment. These findings also align with the results of other studies comparing Minoxidil Spray alone vs combined treatment, which generally conclude that a combination plan is more effective.
However, Oral Minoxidil as a solo treatment is still a good option if you want to stop further thinning, if you don’t want to or cannot use Finasteride.
All of our blog articles are reviewed by our Medical Director before publication.
