In short: no, minoxidil 10% spray is not better than 5% for stopping hair loss and promoting growth. Minoxidil Spray can contain a variety of minoxidil concentrations, the most common being either 2%, 5% or 10%. You may have noticed that most companies sell the 5% version, and there’s a good reason for that: it’s the dosage officially approved in Ireland (aka licensed) for treating male pattern baldness. Sons are one of the only license holders in Ireland and the UK for Minoxidil 5% Spray (plus the other licensed medication for male pattern hair loss: 1mg Finasteride tablets).
It makes sense to assume that the stronger concentration would work better, but it’s actually the opposite according to research. Minoxidil 5% Spray has proved more effective than 10%, plus side effects happen less. The 5% strength has also been shown in studies to be better at regrowing hair than the 2% version. Let’s break it all down.
Minoxidil 5% vs Minoxidil 10%
A stronger minoxidil spray doesn’t mean you’ll grow more hair. Studies which have compared minoxidil 5% to 10% support this.
A 2021 clinical study of 90 men with androgenetic alopecia (male pattern baldness) found that 5% minoxidil actually performed better than 10%, offering moderately superior results. The group using 10% also reported more side effects, including extra shedding, scalp irritation, and unwanted hair growth (hypertrichosis).
A more recent study in 2024 with 51 participants did show that those using the 10% spray saw slightly more regrowth at the front of the scalp, but results across the rest of the scalp were basically the same between 5% and 10%. However, there was a difference in the side effects the groups experienced. Once again, 5% came out better tolerated.
Researchers believe that the benefits of minoxidil start to plateau beyond strengths above about 7.5% because of how minoxidil is absorbed. Minoxidil can’t penetrate the skin on its own - the molecule is too large - so it’s usually dissolved in propylene glycol, an alcohol that helps it get through the scalp barrier and reach the follicle. But minoxidil’s maximum solubility in propylene glycol is around 7.5%.
Anything stronger than that becomes unstable and starts to crystallize, which can actually make it less effective. Higher concentrations of minoxidil require more propylene glycol, which is why side effects are more likely since most irritation is caused by sensitivity to the alcohol base, not the minoxidil itself.
Minoxidil 5% vs Minoxidil 2%
When it comes to 5% vs 2%, the research is pretty clear: 5% simply works better.
One large study on 393 men found that the 5% solution led to 45% more hair regrowth after 48 weeks compared with 2%. Not only that, but the men using 5% started seeing results earlier, which is always a win when you’re dealing with hair loss. Both strengths were generally well tolerated, although the 5% group did experience a bit more itching and scalp irritation.
Another study looked at women with female pattern hair loss using 5% vs 2%, and the findings lined up almost exactly with the men’s study: the 5% group saw better results across the board. So whether you’re male or female, the higher concentration tends to deliver stronger regrowth.
Why Sons use 5% Minoxidil
As with any medication, the goal is always to find the dose that delivers the best results with the least risk. For minoxidil, 5% hits that sweet spot. It’s the strength that medical regulators have approved for treating male pattern baldness because it consistently delivers results and stays within a safe side effect profile. That approval is based on robust clinical trials and ongoing monitoring of how people respond to the medication in the real world.
While 5% can still cause minor issues like dryness or irritation for some users, clinical evidence shows that more serious side effects are extremely rare, which is why it remains the recommended and licensed concentration.
That said, if you do find yourself reacting to Minoxidil 5% Spray, it’s completely understandable to want to stop, even if it’s helping your hair. The good news is that you’ve got other options. There are propylene glycol–free formulas designed for those sensitive to the chemical, and there’s also a capsule version, known as Oral Minoxidil. It works systemically (inside the body) rather than sitting on the scalp, which can be helpful for people who experience irritation or struggle to keep up with twice daily applications. If you want to know more about the capsule version, you can read more here.
Source List:
· Ghonemy S, Alarawi A, Bessar H. Efficacy and safety of a new 10% topical minoxidil versus 5% topical minoxidil and placebo in the treatment of male androgenetic alopecia: a trichoscopic evaluation. J Dermatolog Treat. 2021 Mar;32(2):236-241. doi: 10.1080/09546634.2019.1654070. Epub 2019 Oct 21. PMID: 31403367.
· Mahinaz El-sayed Ali El-sayed, Nermeen Samy Abdel Fattah, Ahmed Abd-elfattah Afify, A Comparative Study on the Efficacy and Safety of 10% Topical Minoxidil versus 5% Topical Minoxidil in the Treatment of Male Pattern Hair Loss, QJM: An International Journal of Medicine, Volume 117, Issue Supplement_1, June 2024, hcae070.174, https://doi.org/10.1093/qjmed/hcae070.174
· Shreya Singh, Anant Patil, Nika Kianfar, Anna Waśkiel‐Burnat, Lidia Rudnicka, Rodney Sinclair, Mohamad Goldust, Does topical minoxidil at concentrations higher than 5% provide additional clinical benefit?, Clinical and Experimental Dermatology, Volume 47, Issue 11, 1 November 2022, Pages 1951–1955, https://doi.org/10.1111/ced.15338
· Olsen EA, Dunlap FE, Funicella T, Koperski JA, Swinehart JM, Tschen EH, Trancik RJ. A randomized clinical trial of 5% topical minoxidil versus 2% topical minoxidil and placebo in the treatment of androgenetic alopecia in men. J Am Acad Dermatol. 2002 Sep;47(3):377-85. doi: 10.1067/mjd.2002.124088. PMID: 12196747.
· Lucky, A. W., Piacquadio, D. J., Ditre, C. M., Dunlap, F., Kantor, I., Pandya, A. G., Savin, R. C., & Tharp, M. D. (2004). A randomized, placebo‑controlled trial of 5% and 2% topical minoxidil solutions in the treatment of female pattern hair loss. Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, 50(4), 541–553. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaad.2003.06.014
All of our blog articles are reviewed by our Medical Director before publication.
