Does Minoxidil Cause Grey Hair?

Three weeks ago, standing in my bathroom, I snapped a selfie and didn’t think twice. My hair roots looked like they always had: mostly dark, a little bit of brown, the usual. This morning, I took another photo and noticed something completely unexpected: about a quarter of my roots are now gray.

For context, both pictures are right below.

Am I really going grey overnight?

If this sounds dramatic, well, it felt that way. But as a dermatologist who’s seen just about everything, I had to put my science brain to work on myself.

So, what could cause that much change in just three weeks? Let’s find out.

My Backstory

I’ve been recovering from telogen effluvium, a hair-shedding condition linked to stress, illness, or, as in my case, a vitamin D deficiency. Alongside vitamin D supplements, I started using minoxidil every evening.

Minoxidil and Greying of Hair

Minoxidil is a classic hair fall therapy. In fact, the ONLY evidence-based topical medicatio with a consistently track record for hair growth. It increases blood flow to hair follicles, reverses follicle miniaturization, and helps stimulate dormant hairs back into growth mode.

Minoxidil has a few well-known side effects like scalp irritation, dryness, and transient hair-shedding. But there's another lesser talked about adverse event. About a quarter of people using minoxidil notice their hair turning gray or experiencing other color changes over time, even more so if you’ve got a family history of early grays, or you’ve used it for longer stretches.

There’s even a cross-sectional research showing that 26% of minoxidil users reported new grays, with a notable chunk seeing the change within just a few months. The mechanism isn’t fully understood, but the suspicion is that minoxidil tweaks pigment production at the follicle level. According to several published case reports, sometimes the new hair comes in lighter, gray, or even yellowish or orange in rare cases.

However, in an animal study, minoxidil has also been found to reverse the greying of hair.

Minoxidil's Effect on Colored Hair

If you color your hair, like I sometimes do, the alcohol base in topical minoxidil can fade or lighten dyed hair, especially at your roots. You might notice your hair color looks duller or “off,” especially in regrown portions or freshly dyed strands.

It is recommended to wait at least 24 hours after a minoxidil application before coloring your hair to minimize scalp irritation or color interference. And if you’re using other products, just know that perming and relaxing are generally safe with minoxidil, as long as you let your scalp rest in between.

What about hair quality? Some see their new hair coming in thicker, shinier, and sometimes even. Regardless of the color of hair, with consistent use of minoxidil, hair definitely grows healthier and stronger.

So: Am I going gray overnight? No, but minoxidil is certainly fading my hair dye at a much faster rate than it otherwise would. And if you want to use Minoxidil but are concerned about fading of your hair color, go for alcohol-free minoxidil, or a compounded mix with Redensyl, Capixyl, Procapil, or AnaGain. They help keep follicles (and pigment cells) healthier for longer. My top recommendations are:

1. ELEVATE 5% Minoxidil Hair Growth Spray - Alcohol Free Non Oily Formula Extra Strength Professional Treatment

2. Kings Topical 5% Minoxidil - Alcohol Free

3. Man Matters Minoxidil 5% - Alcohol Free
   

BTW, don’t get confused when you see a ‘for men’ label on 5% Minoxidil bottles. That's just a marketing gimmick. Women can definitely use 5% Minoxidil (just once a day), and it works better than the weaker 2% version. So no, women don’t need to pay extra for the 2% ‘ladies’ version’ with less effect. That’s just the pink tax in action, and we’re not buying it.

FYI, men need 5% twice a day for best results.