More and more men are turning to Minoxidil, the hair growth medication, to fight against the phenomenon ofhair loss. All medications have an expiration date, i.e., how long can you use thembefore it starts to lose theirquality?Hence, Minoxidil is no different and also has an expiry datethat can be found on the packaging.
The shelf life of minoxidil varies from a few months to a year or two depending onthe brand. Using expired oral minoxidil can cause more harm in comparison to topical minoxidil. The risks range from ineffectiveness, and chest pains to allergy and swelling.
In this article, we will be going over minoxidil’s shelf life, and expiration and also touch on the topic of side effects of using expired minoxidil!
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Shelf Life of Minoxidil
This term is used to refer to the quality of the product and how long it will last over a specific period. For all medicinal drugs, the shelf life varies from a few months to up to a few years.
Just like that, minoxidil and other products containing it have shelf lives that have different ranges which stretch from either a couple of months to many years. Each package of the product has the expiry date printed on it so keep an eye out and look for it before you make a purchase.
You can dodge the worry of the expiry date altogether if you use the correct dosage and do not miss out on any days of application. But if instead of scalp hair growth you are focusing on beard hair growth, then you might be using less amount of the drug and eventually be left with some product after it expires.
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Oral and Topical Forms of Minoxidil
Before diving deeper into expired minoxidil, it is first important to know the two forms in which it exists. This drug was originally a blood pressure medicine and it got popular for hair growth after its users reported to be experiencing it since they started using minoxidil.
Since it is a medicinal drug, it was essentially in the form of tablets but after the breakthrough about it boosting hair growth, companies began to manufacture in other forms as well i.e., foams and serums.
The topical minoxidil medication (serums, foams, and lotion) is less because they are not ingested directly, just applied on the surface. But the oral tablets on the other hand raise an alarm if used after the best-before date.
Moreover, you can easily make a purchase of the foams but to buy the latter, you need a doctor’s prescription. When oral medication is being prescribed, the doctor would need to take note of other pre-existing issues such as cardiovascular problems.
If you are a user of the prescribed, oral tablets then you need to be more vigilant and careful of the expiry date. Intake of any sort of medicine after its best-before date has been hit is not a smart idea! The risks are increased in such cases as compared to expired topical medication.
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Risks of Using Expired Minoxidil
Any and every doctor or manufacturer you ask would highly recommend you get rid of any expired medicine as soon as it hits the expiry date. This is due to the fear of any side effects or risks you might face because of expired medications.
In that case, it is better to consider what drawbacks the manufacturers have listed or acknowledge in terms of medicinal drugs that are past their usage date. The risks of using expired Minoxidil are listed below.
Less Effectiveness
The most primary issue regarding expired Minoxidil by the producers is the shift in its effectiveness and quality. It will lose potency over time; an exact period cannot be given of when it starts to perform less good but a few months after the expiry date is a good guess.
The reason minoxidil’s quality can deteriorate quickly depends on how it is stored, a cool and dry place is ideal whereas places with direct sunlight or heat sources can speed up the process of degrading.
It is to be noted that minoxidil does not immediately turn toxic and harmful when past its expiry date, if it was then the companies would be printing it on the packaging. But this does not go to say that minoxidil still does not have any other side effects, but don’t worry! We have compiled them here for you to spread awareness.
Chest Pains
It is a common side effect of using expired minoxidil to experience chest pains, if that is the case for you then the smarter choice is to get a new dosage as soon as possible.
Dizziness
Another risk of using outdated minoxidil is dizziness and lightheadedness. Keep an eye out for such symptoms so that they do not worsen as time goes on.
Allergy
Another obvious reaction is skill irritation and allergy along with itchiness and redness. The chemicals in the product might begin to be a nuance to your skin if they have expired and contaminated.
Weight Gain
One more symptom that is not very known about using expired minoxidil is an increase in the individual’s weight.
Swelling
Certain body parts might begin to swell at extremities so it is better to avoid such a situation by marking the best-before date of the dosage the moment you purchase it.
Minoxidil Warnings
The Food Drug and Administration (FDA) assigned a black box warning to minoxidil for serious side effects. This warning alerts the user of the adverse side effects and harms of using this drug.
A doctor may not prescribe you minoxidil if you suffer from additional health problems. Hence, it would be smart to look at the said risks before buying the drug because if it has so many issues when it is not expired then you do not know what there could be waiting for you if it is expired.
For how long can I use Minoxidil after it has expired?
Minoxidil can be used a few months after the expiration date given you do not experience any side effects. Keep an eye out for such risks, if there is no hair growth after a few regular usages then you have got yourself an answer.
Make sure that you do not continue to use for years after the best-before date as it is of no use because the drug has probably lost all of its potency and effectiveness at this point.
Why is minoxidil assigned a black box warning? How can I avoid such side effects?
If you have been prescribed minoxidil, then it is best to follow the instructions of your doctor and take the dosage as advised. If you were at a risk the doctor would not have prescribed it to you in the first place.
If you have purchased foams and serums of minoxidil (topical), then use the products in the proper dosage, not too much not too little. It is also better to make sure your skin is not experiencing any additional issues such as rash, sunburn, or irritation.
If you have no such issues beforehand then the chances of you developing them after using minoxidil are low.
Do any environmental elements cause minoxidil to go bad before the expiry date?
The only way the process of your minoxidil going bad before the expiration date is if you store it in the wrong place. If you place it in direct sunlight or near any heat sources, such as the kitchen cabinets, then the chances of minoxidil ingredients going bad are high.
If you are now wondering where to place your medicinal drug, then the answer to your query is a cool and dry place. Preferably one that is not damp. It will preserve your product longer.
Other than this, there are no additional environmental factors that would cause your minoxidil to go bad quicker before you have even passed the best-before date.
Conclusion
Like any medicinal drug, minoxidil too has an expiration date, typically a few months to multiple years, and it is an inevitable process that you can not avoid.
If you have a bit of your product left after the best-before date then you might be able to use it for a little while but the moment it seems to not be doing the job, get rid of it! We hope that this guide helped you understand how minoxidil and expiration work and any side effects you may experience from it.
