Minoxidil : Excretion and Metabolism

Hi there. I have been reading quite a lot of posts on this site but there was a particular one which really sparked my interest. Especially since it is heavily connected with the Minoxidil,which I am especially curious about,as a 1st-year medical student myself. I heard its usage is deemed to be controversial in some cases


The title of the thread is "Blood donation - Are the medications I use safe?" by capati92, under the Blood Disorders Community and the original poster mentioned something about using 5% Minoxidil topical solution though she is a female (based on my prior medical knowledge, only 2% is recommended for women as with a higher dose,it is highly likely that they will gain unwanted facial hair and what not). And true enough,this 20 year-old girl, not much older than myself at 19-going-on-20, has that problem.


The main question I have regarding Minoxidil is, can it be absorbed systematically in topical solution form so much so that it could trigger such an effect? If so,after how long is Minoxidil excreted from the body? What is its half-life and what is its duration for metabolism?