Sublingual just gets the drug into the bloodstream faster, and it clears the system faster, so it makes the half-life really short. People started doing this to minimize side effects, but IMO it reduces the effectiveness way too much. Oral will have a longer half life, and will also go through firs-pass metabolism since it is digested, which causes the liver to produce more of the enzyme sulfotransferase which converts minoxidil into its active form, minoxidil sulfate. So for those reasons sublingual is pointless to me. If you want to minimize sides just do topical. If you want maximum results use oral.