What about oral minoxidil? Though pet toxicity studies have only been conducted with the topical formula, Dr. Long advises that “ingestion of the oral product could cause the same symptoms and complications.” Basically, don’t let your pet eat minoxidil pills. When it comes to your pet licking your hair, skin, or pillowcase while you’re taking the oral medication, there’s currently no conclusive evidence of the impacts, though New Hampshire-based board-certified dermatologist Neera Nathan, MD, assures me that “oral minoxidil is not excreted through your skin.” Personally, I still wouldn’t risk taking it with Buffy around.
That single study alone was enough evidence to convince me to never use minoxidil so long as I have my cat. I urge other pet parents to do the same. Dr. Long concurs: “It is not unreasonable to consider discontinuing or not using this medication, especially the topical formulation, and especially if you have a cat,” she says. Unfortunately, there’s just not enough information currently on how much your pet would have to ingest to become ill—in that study, there were some cats who weren’t affected by exposure to minoxidil but it’s unclear why, exactly, that is. Nevertheless, Dr. Long advises that if you do use minoxidil to sleep with your hair covered and/or don’t allow your cat to sleep in the room with you. Also, “handle the medication carefully, wash your hands after using it, and keep packaging away from pets,” she says.
Currently, I’m worrying about the possibility of my hair thinning once again. According to a recent scalp analysis I had done by a trichologist, my hair density is overall normal, but there are some concerns. For one, I’m 40 years old, a common age for people’s hair to start thinning out. I also have scalp psoriasis, which already impacts my hair density in certain areas . On top of that, I recently started using a GLP-1 medication, which might cause some hair loss, though the scientific verdict is still out on that and the FDA is currently investigating the matter. Nevertheless, weight loss in general can cause telogen effluvium, the same temporary hair loss condition I experienced a few years ago. TL;DR: I’d love to get ahead of any weight- or age-related hair loss before I start seeing clumps of hair in the shower again.