# Minoxidil

Hacker Approved page: https://hackerapproved.com/p/minoxidil/

5 people recommended Minoxidil in Hacker News comments, 1 had mixed feelings and 1 criticized it, November 2025 to October 2026. It was recommended in 3 of 12 months, in 4 threads. It does not meet the Hacker Approved badge rule.

These are opinions from Hacker News comments, not medical advice. Talk to a doctor.

**Verdict:** People recommend it for regrowing hair on bald spots and stopping shedding, often paired with finasteride. Critics say it won't help advanced hair loss unless you're a super responder.

Summary written by Claude from 8 comments.

## Why people recommend it

- Works well combined with finasteride (4 comments in the sample): "Topical minoxidil / finasteride has roughly zero side effects (due to the limited systemic exposure) and has something like a 90% efficacy rate." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46150767)) "I saw a friend who went bald at 28 get all of his hair back from Minoxidil + finasteride" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46439581)) "I am now on Minoxidil and Finasteride, with no creatine, and no longer have shedding." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48348820))
- Regrows hair on bald spots (1 comment in the sample): "Many people have success regrowing hair on bald spots with minoxidil and/or finasteride." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46440911))

## What people warn about

- Carries risks, along with finasteride (2 comments in the sample): "There are definitely less risks in not taking finasteride and minoxidil." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46070974)) "there are risks associated with these unfortunately" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46070672))
- Won't help Norwood 5–7 hair loss (1 comment in the sample): "If you're Norwood class 5–7, it won't help you unless you're a super responder (an outlier" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46151427))

## What people recommend instead

- [Finasteride](https://hackerapproved.com/p/finasteride/): 7 recommend, 3 mixed, 6 criticize

## The badge

A product earns the Hacker Approved badge when at least 10 people recommend it, recommenders outnumber critics at least 2 to 1 (mixed feelings count toward neither side), it was recommended in at least 4 of the 12 months and in at least 5 different threads, and no single thread supplies more than half of the people who recommend it. Health and money products are never badged.

## Cite as

Hacker Approved, "Minoxidil", https://hackerapproved.com/p/minoxidil/ (5 recommend, 1 mixed, 1 criticize; Hacker News comments, November 2025 to October 2026).

Counts updated 2 Nov 2026, with data through October 31, 2026.