What is Rogaine Minoxidil 5% Foam?

Rogaine Minoxidil 5% Foam is an over-the-counter topical foam applied to the scalp, designed to help regrow hair and slow thinning from pattern hair loss.

Is Rogaine Minoxidil 5% Foam worth it?

Mostly yes. 17 of the 18 gurus who reviewed it give it their stamp of approval, for a Guru Score of 86%.

What is Rogaine Minoxidil 5% Foam's Guru Score?

Rogaine Minoxidil 5% Foam holds a Guru Score of 86%. That is our read on how warmly the experts talk about it, based on the verdicts of 18 expert reviewers we have collected. It is also Guru Certified, our mark for products that hold broad approval across many expert reviewers.

Who is Rogaine Minoxidil 5% Foam best for?

Rogaine Minoxidil 5% Foam is generally suited to dry skin, normal skin and men.

What is Rogaine Minoxidil 5% Foam good for, according to the experts?

In their reviews, experts say Rogaine Minoxidil 5% Foam is good for thinning hair (12 experts) and irritated or reactive skin (1 expert).

Is Rogaine Minoxidil 5% Foam good for thinning hair?

12 experts who reviewed Rogaine Minoxidil 5% Foam say it is. Dr. Mamina put it this way: “I do think that it's helpful for honestly most forms of hair loss.”

Rogaine Minoxidil 5% Foam: a Guru Score of 86% from 18 experts

What the gurus are saying.

Every take we've logged from this product's reviews across YouTube. Click any row to watch the moment they said it.

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Beyond50Skin

32k subs

✓Yay

"I have used Rogaine 5% Minoxidil foam for 17 years. I did a trial where I stopped using it to see what would happen, and [...] my hair fell out, it was crazy. I do use other products to supplement it now, but this is the foundation of my hair loss program."

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"I have used Rogaine Minoxidil 5% Foam for between 14 and 17 years. [...] I have to use it every day. I did an experiment [...] where I stopped using it and stopped using the Klesium hair growth system, and [...] that was a fail for sure. [...] I find the foam is less irritating to my scalp than the liquid. So, if you're having trouble with Minoxidil 5% liquid, try the foam and hold it at a 90° angle. [...] I can even put the foam on right before I do my hair and it works out fine."

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"Rogaine I've used for 10 years it was recommended by the doctor that I saw when I was diagnosed with androgenic alopecia something you have to use every day it's not for everyone but it's really helped maintain my hair growth"

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"I've been using minoxidil five percent for hair growth and maintenance for over the last 10 years. [...] I have very sparse hair and heavy shedding at times, and minoxidil plus serums that I've been trying out and use consistently along with my low level laser light therapy cup have been game changers in maintaining my hair growth, my hair density, and actually encouraging some growth along the perimeter of my hairline which has definitely started to thin out more in the last two to three years."

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"If you're looking to actually grow hair because you have hair loss, my number one recommendation is Rogaine. It's clinically proven to grow hair. [...] I've been using my Rogaine just to keep and maintain my hair because I have thin hair that tends to fall out due to androgenic alopecia."

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HotandFlashy

1.23M subs

✓Nay

"I was using Rogaine, also known as minoxidil, a topical hair growth serum, [...] in combination with the laser band, because research showed the combination worked better than either one alone. I never really loved using it, and I never really used it consistently because it makes your hair look and feel so dirty, and anything that makes my hair look and feel dirty, I'm just not into it. [...] So I actually stopped using it over the last year."

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"A lot of you guys have written in and said to try the foam because it doesn't make your hair look as dirty and my gosh of course you guys are right. [...] I've just been using it like every other night."

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"You're supposed to use this every night. I don't use it every night. I use it the night before I'm gonna wash my hair because I can't stand how dirty it makes my hair feel, but I do think it has helped with my hair growth, especially around the edges here. This is mainly where I use it, like right in here where I have like my little female male pattern baldness, but I feel like it's really helped to grow my hair in there and in here."

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"I like to use Minoxidil to keep my hair growing in really well. The women's 5% Rogaine and the men's 5% Rogaine are the same thing, so you can buy them interchangeably."

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The Budget Dermatologist

725k subs

✓Yay

"If you have hormonal hair loss, perimenopausal or menopausal hair thinning, topical minoxidil in the 5% option from Rogaine is going to be the most effective thing you can do, research proven to slow down hair loss and even regrow new hair. It's a great deal on Amazon Prime Day."

Gothamista

683k subs

✓Yay

"I used the 5% Rogaine Minoxidil. This has a roller ball applicator, which works better than I expected. I just directly get it on my scalp where I want it to go. I also love that the consistency of this formula is also really bouncy, like a good serum or essence. So you can have a very precise application and it will not drip down your face. The minute you touch it to rub it in, it's just so light. It becomes so watery, just sinks in."

Dr. Sam Ellis

902k subs

✓Yay

"When I am using Minoxidil on my eyebrows, I'm technically using it off label, but we actually have many good clinical papers now that show that consistent application of Minoxidil to the brows helps with growth there as well. For me, I just find this to be a very easy, high yield thing I can do in my routine. [...] If you're trying to help promote brow growth or regrowth, minoxidil is a really nice, safe, well-tested option."

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"Rogaine is just the original brand name for minoxidil but now it's available generically as minoxidil. Although minoxidil is FDA approved for the treatment of androgenetic alopecia, dermatologists will often recommend it for people with other types of hair loss including things like alopecia areata, telogen effluvium, and some types of scarring hair loss such as lichen planopylaris as well as frontal fibrosis alopecia."

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"Topical minoxidil has been around since the 1980s. It used to be known as Rogaine, and now that patent is over and you can get it as a generic form minoxidil from most drugstores, you can get it at Costco. The benefit of it is that it's very convenient, you can get it over the counter, it's not particularly expensive, and it's quite effective. If someone is going to be using topical minoxidil, I always recommend they use the 5%."

Dr. Mamina

283k subs

✓Yay

"The most studied ingredient for growing longer, thicker hair is topical minoxidil, commonly known as Rogaine. It helps extend the anagen or growth phase of the hair cycle. This doesn't mean lifelong commitment for everyone, but it's one of the most effective tools that we do have over the counter."

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"There's topical minoxidil, aka Rogaine, which is a topical treatment that can help stimulate blood flow to the scalp and encourage hair growth. It's available over the counter and works both for men and women with pattern baldness. Even though it's not FDA approved for hair loss outside of pattern baldness, I do think that it's helpful for honestly most forms of hair loss. So, I think it's still a good place to start if you're not sure."

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Doctor Youn

5.57M subs

✓Yay

"The gold standard topical treatment for thinning hair is Minoxidil, better known as Rogaine. Now, it used to be prescription only, but now it's available over the counter, and you can even get it on Amazon or at Costco. It comes in both serum and foam versions, but I recommend the foam, and I actually use the foam myself everyday."

208SkinDoc

2.10M subs

✓Yay

"It comes in a 2%, marketed toward women, and a 5%, marketed toward men. [...] The 5% is absolutely going to work better, and I generally recommend that for my female patients as long as we've covered all the risks and benefits, because at those higher percentages there might be a little more risk of irritation. I generally find that they charge more for the 2%, and it definitely doesn't work as well as the 5%. So if you are a candidate for Rogaine, I would just start with the 5%."

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"The 5% is approved for men and the 2% for women, but I tell my patients not to waste their time on the 2%, everybody should get the 5%, it's basically the same formulation. [...] That said, I have instructed my patients to get the generic, the store brand, instead. It's not uncommon that the women's 2% is priced higher than the men's 5%, it's basically a pink tax."

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"This was originally released in a topical formulation called Rogaine, 5% for men and 2% for women. We found the 5% was much more effective than the 2%, and now in my clinic, as long as a woman is not having childbearing potential, we generally recommend the 5% minoxidil, or Rogaine, to use topically."

Dr. Shereene Idriss

1.73M subs

✓Yay

"I like the foam. I don't care for the solution because the foam I think adheres better to the scalp. [...] When you use it in combination with [tretinoin], it can definitely help trigger your hair growth, especially if you have a thinning hairline. Is it going to be the most elegant solution? Probably not. If you have long hair, it's going to be annoying. You're not going to want to do this every night because you don't want to wash your hair every morning."

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"Minoxidil is a medication that was originally created in the 1950s for people with high blood pressure. [...] In the 70s in a clinical trial they realized it's actually increasing your hair growth as well and they started to utilize it for people with androgenetic alopecia, female pattern hair loss, male pattern hair loss. But in the 80s they took it a step further and made it available over the counter in the form of a foam that can be utilized."

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"If you're using it on your scalp and you have it on your fingers and you're touching your face, you might have increased hair growth elsewhere. [...] For me, I didn't like the fact that my hair looked a little grimy the next day, and I did get an irritation from it when I used it topically where I would get a lot of flaking and itching, and therefore I had to quit it."

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"Minoxidil, which is also known as Rogaine, has been shown to promote hair growth and slow down hair loss. It was originally developed as an oral pill for blood pressure and they noticed people were actually growing their hair when they were on this blood pressure medication, and so they thought why not make it topical where people can apply it topically on their scalp. [...] It is also now available over the counter at anywhere from three to five percent."

Dr. Vanita Rattan

1.23M subs

✓Yay

"Rogaine is the brand name and this helps to stimulate hair growth. Clinical studies show that 5% topical minoxidil is very effective with approximately 40% of women experiencing significant hair regrowth. Minoxidil is applied directly to the scalp usually twice a day. It's important to be patient as it can take about four months or more to see changes. [...] Minoxidil is supposed to increase blood flow to the hair follicle promoting hair growth and keeping it in its natural growth phase."

Dr. Jenny Liu

324k subs

✓Yay

"Minoxidil, or goes by the brand name Rogaine, is the best most evidence-based product without a prescription to truly effectively stimulate hair growth. [...] I recommend the foam because it's far less irritating. If you put the solution that has propylene glycol in it, it can cause irritation and may flare dander of psoriasis. The foam is a little bit greasier and is also easier to apply, so less likely to drip down and cause unwanted hair growth."

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"Minoxidil, aka Rogaine, [...] is FDA approved for treatment of androgenetic hair loss or female and male pattern hair loss. [...] Minoxidil seems to work by improving blood flow to the scalp as well as prolonging the anagen or growing phase of the hair cycle and shortening the telogen or resting phase. Although it's only approved for pattern hair loss, off label I actually recommend all my patients who are experiencing hair loss regardless of the type to try this if they're able to."

Dr. Somji Skin

361k subs

✓Yay

"I think it's got some decent ingredients in there, nothing really too strong. If you've got male or female pattern hair loss, this product is good. [...] Stick to what you're using that's FDA proof for hair loss, and you can use it as an add-on just to improve the health of your hair, that's how you should be using this product."

Dr. Aleksandra Brown

153k subs

✓Yay

"I do recommend 5% for women as well. I think 5% is much superior to the 2%. The minoxidil will work really well on androgenetic alopecia. It will also help with telogen effluvium if you're somebody whose hair is falling out from stress and you just can't wait for it to stop falling out and new hair to grow, this will help. Also if you have alopecia areata or there's little circular patches of hair loss from stress, it will help all three of those types."

Dr. Daniel Sugai

723k subs

✓Yay

"Topical monoxido or Rogan and the dread shed that is associated with it so we'll talk about all these shocking facts around Rogan"

Tea with MD

115k subs

✓Yay

"The foam can be less irritating than the liquid so you can choose accordingly. I always tell patients to choose 5% minoxidil solution or foam, don't go for the wimpy 2%, just go for the 5% because that is what is the most efficacious. I definitely recommend investing in and using Rogaine. The cheapest formulation you can just find it on Amazon, just use it until your telogen effluvium is over, which is about 6 months, lasting up to a year."

Cassandra Bankson

2.46M subs

✓Yay

"Minoxidil, which is known as Rogaine, is that hair growth solution that you see over the counter or you can get as a prescription from your doctor."

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"Products like Rogaine AKA minoxidil well I am your resident a medical esthetician your acne big sister who has been struggling with my own hair loss"

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"Minoxidil, which is known as Rogaine, is that hair growth solution that you see over the counter or you can get as a prescription from your doctor."

Dr Dray

2.69M subs

✓Yay

"If you have androgenetic alopecia, which is pattern hair loss, it is definitely a go-to established treatment for that. When you first start using it, you will experience an increase in hair shedding. That is normal. That's to be expected because minoxidil works by putting more hair follicles into the growing phase and it helps to get hair follicles that have miniaturized into the growing phase. You have to give it some time."

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"Minoxidil, sold commonly under the brand name Rogaine, we use it for androgenetic alopecia for hair growth. It works by getting hairs to get back into the growing phase of the hair cycle and it can be very effective for hair growth so long as you use it right. It helps get the hair back in the growing phase so you have hair regrowth and an improvement in thickness and density."

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"It can be irritating to the scalp, and you have to continue using it in order to maintain the results. A lot of people find that it's a pain to do and abandon [...] it. It's safe, it's effective, and it has a lot of research to back its efficacy for androgenetic alopecia, but it's not a miracle worker and it doesn't cure this condition."

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"Rogaine minoxidil is an FDA approved over-the-counter medication for androgenetic alopecia pattern hair loss which can happen in men and women."

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"Rogaine minoxidil might be more irritating, but it might be less expensive. [...] You can buy minoxidil 2% without a prescription. [...] One last point about minoxidil: those of you who have pets need to be very, very careful with topical minoxidil. Topical minoxidil can be very toxic to animals if they ingest it. Trace amounts of topical minoxidil such as what might be transferred to your pillow or if your pet licks your face have resulted in harm to pets, cats, dogs for example."

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"You can biohack that [...] and get yourself minoxidil, yeah Rogaine, apply it around the nails and the cuticles daily and within a week you can start appreciating that the nails grow faster and it's all due to the fact that minoxidil increases vasodilation allowing for better blood flow to the nails. This is proven by small studies, okay, so no huge randomized control trials but it definitely can work."

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"Topical minoxidil sold under the brand name Rogaine can actually be used to get the hair back in the growing phase. It's frustrating though because when you first start using it, it can cause an increase in hair shedding. It is safe to apply it while you are breastfeeding, just be careful that you don't let your baby come in contact with your scalp because they might end up developing some hair growth, [...] but it's not as though it's going to enter your breast milk."

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"Applying minoxidil to your nails twice a day can actually help with nail growth. [...] There are trials demonstrating efficacy of topical minoxidil to the nails for healthy nail growth. It's something that can be used alongside treatments to treat nail fungus and because it helps increase the rate of nail growth, it helps increase the clearance of fungus out of the nail in conjunction with antifungal treatments. [...] Applying minoxidil is safe and it's something that is accessible."

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"While there is evidence that minoxidil can improve eyebrow and beard thickness and density, I'm not so keen on it for the face for brow growth or for beard growth for otherwise healthy people who have physiologically sparse brows or sparse beard. It requires twice-daily application to maintain the results, and [...] as soon as you stop using it, you'll shed those hairs [...] and go right back to where you started. It's not a cure."

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"Rogaine works, but you have to use it every day and it doesn't work for everyone. Some people don't see very good results. [...] It has side effects of dryness and irritation. [...] When you start using it, you initially experience increased hair shedding, and when you stop you experience it again. So people end up bailing on it a lot of the time."

Doctorly

3.59M subs

✓Yay

"I still always recommend the 5% minoxidil preferably the foam. [...] This is tested for androgenetic alopecia but because of the way that it works by prolonging the anagen phase and by increasing blood flow to the scalp it probably will help to some extent with telogen effluvium. If [...] you have androgenetic alopecia, [...] it is a long-term commitment. It's not going to send you way back, it's going to just kind of reset your hair loss. If you stop using it, you'll lose the benefit."