Why Would Minoxidil Cause Oily Skin/Acne?

[Subliminal]

I've been on Xandrox 5% (1-2x/day) and nizoral for over a year now for a little recession in the temples. My facial skin is much more oily now and prone to whitehead pimples if I don't take extra care. I'm 26 and never had oily skin like this since I was 16. Kind of frustrating, makes me want to get on isotretinoin to stop the oil and just stick with nizoral/copper peptides and possibly finasteride.

Another thing I notice is I have all these little baby hairs over the upper half of my face now, where it was completely hairless before. The only thing minoxidil has given me is maybe peach fuzz on my hairline.

What's the mechanism of action of minoxidil that may cause oily skin? Does minoxidil enlarge the pores, thereby facilitating hair growth but at the same time increasing oil production? There is no official mention of acne as a side effect for minoxidil, usually just blood pressure/heart rate issues.

What's the deal? I've read other people on here speak of oily skin while on minoxidil too.

 

[incubusor]

Some breakouts are due to irritaiton of the skin (which can be the culprit for more oil production). Use Benzoyl Peroxide 5% - apply it to the areas you are suffering acne once in the morning, and again at night (after cleansing your face).

http://acne.org/

I had mild acne growing up and I pretty much followed the regimen on this website. You should consider buying the BP Gel from this site (http://www.clearskinregimen.com/) because it's the only place that offers it in such a large tube, and a great price. It will last you a while.

 

[Subliminal]

Some breakouts are due to irritaiton of the skin (which can be the culprit for more oil production). Use Benzoyl Peroxide 5% - apply it to the areas you are suffering acne once in the morning, and again at night (after cleansing your face).

http://acne.org/

I had mild acne growing up and I pretty much followed the regimen on this website. You should consider buying the BP Gel from this site (http://www.clearskinregimen.com/) because it's the only place that offers it in such a large tube, and a great price. It will last you a while.

Place minoxidil on the scalp, and oil production on the face increases? I can understand if breakouts occur right where the minoxidil is placed. But minoxidil is absorbed systemically and affects hair growth all over the body. That's why it warns women about using it.

But anyhow, I already use BP-based products since starting minoxidil. Point is, I didn't have this problem before.

 

[Z]

If you are receding, you are likely to experience greasier/oily skin simply because there is less hair there to hold the sweat/sebum secreted by your scalp.

The hair that was once there would hold the sebum that was being produced taking it away from the skin.

So essentially, your skin is not actually producing more sebum or sweat at all, it just has less hair to soak it up and has nowhere to go but on your forehead and temples.

 

[Bryan]

Hair doesn't soak up oil.

 

[Z]

Hair doesn't soak up oil.

I know, sorry for my poor wording, but it does get coated by it as such, thus still making my point valid.

 

[Subliminal]

If you are receding, you are likely to experience greasier/oily skin simply because there is less hair there to hold the sweat/sebum secreted by your scalp.

The hair that was once there would hold the sebum that was being produced taking it away from the skin.

So essentially, your skin is not actually producing more sebum or sweat at all, it just has less hair to soak it up and has nowhere to go but on your forehead and temples.

I said my whole face is way more oily now.