Skipping Minoxidil, Crash Diets and More: Hair Loss Q&A

Can you skip Minoxidil once or twice a week the way some patients do with Finasteride? Will hair growth medication also grow hair on your body? Can a weight loss programme trigger baldness?

In this article based on his Q&A video, Dr. John Watts — dermatologist, trichologist and hair transplant surgeon in Hyderabad — answers four practical viewer questions.

Will hair growth medication grow body hair too?

Subbu worried that taking hair growth medication would cause body hair growth. Dr. Watts says some amount of body hair growth is likely. “However, it would not be excessive hair growth like that of a chimpanzee. Your nails can also grow faster and your skin texture can improve with hair growth medication,” he explains.

Can you skip Minoxidil like Finasteride?

Uday Shankar asked if he can skip Minoxidil once or twice a week, as is sometimes done with Finasteride tablets.

Both Minoxidil and Finasteride are used for hair growth and for protecting existing hair from damage. “While Finasteride is often prescribed as a stop-and-use medication and a patient is asked to take it after evaluating if it causes side effects, it is not the case with Minoxidil,” informs Dr. Watts.

Unlike Finasteride, Minoxidil does not show side effects in patients. Finasteride directly targets the root cause of hair fall as a DHT blocker, while Minoxidil carries nutrition to the hair roots for growth.

“With Finasteride, you can see immediate results as a drug for effective control of baldness. However, Minoxidil shows delayed results only after regular use. Once you skip or stop this medication, the visible hair growth results may get affected. Hence, one has to be very consistent in its use and should never discontinue it,” explains Dr. Watts.

Can Tinea Versicolor cause baldness?

MK asked whether Tinea Versicolor (Pityriasis Versicolor) can lead to baldness. Dr. Watts explains it is a type of skin disorder. “Usually, one can see white spots on the neck or back with this skin disorder. It can also lead to dandruff. Though it is a type of fungal infection, it may not lead to baldness,” he says.

However, the disorder can still cause adverse consequences such as hair fall, scalp inflammation, hair thinning, or weakening and breakage of hair.

Can weight loss programmes cause baldness?

V Jagannath asked whether a weight loss programme can lead to hair fall and baldness. Dr. Watts notes that drastic or extreme weight loss methods can lead to several adverse consequences including hair fall — but not baldness by themselves.

The exception is family history. “Say if one is 20-25 years old and has a family history of baldness, there is a possibility that an extreme crash diet programme can trigger it earlier,” he explains. Without a family history, an extreme diet may instead cause Telogen Effluvium — a temporary, reversible hair loss that recovers with the right nutrition and rest.

The bottom line

Minoxidil rewards consistency — skipping doses can undo visible results, so never treat it like a stop-and-use drug. And while crash diets and fungal skin conditions can cause shedding, true baldness is driven by genetics.

This article is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Consult a qualified dermatologist for diagnosis and treatment.