minoxidil: Foam vs. Liquid

[upsail]

Hi,

after roughly 20 months on finasteride I'm considering adding minoxidil to my treatment. During the last two years I more or less maintained - I think my hair in the front (this is where I have problems) got thicker, but did not increase in number. On the top of my head I think I lost some. In addition, I've become much more conscious and critical about my hair.

Anyways, I was pretty reluctant to start minoxidil treatment - partly because of the effort, and because I'm afraid to start it and have to use it forever since I will get used to any possible improvements. But since I'm not all too happy with my hair atm I guess it's worth it.

I have a 6 months supply of Rogaine foam that I bought while I was in the States a while ago. I tried it out yesterday and had a hard time with the stuff. It's really heavily perfumed - actually I smell that stuff all day while it's on my head! Secondly, I find it very hard to apply to my scalp - I first gather some foam on my hand and then on my fingertips to reach my scalp, but a lot of it gets stuck in my hair - so I end up with wet hair and only part of the stuff on my scalp.

Didn't many people here say that the stuff was easier to apply than the Liquid? I imagine with the liquid I could just put the opening of the bottle directly to my scalp and release the liquid directly on the skin. Or am I wrong? And is the liquid also that smelly? How about the Kirkland minoxidil?

Also, what is your daily routine with applying the stuff? I shower every morning and use a hairdryer - at what step should I apply the minoxidil?

Thanks for the help! A link to a post where this was discussed would also help me, I wasn't able to find an answer through the search.

 

[somone uk]

it's just a matter of preference
would you rather drip a few drops or use a foam?

the liquid is annoying though because you put on about 1ml twice a day and you have a job trying to get that to spread across your head evenly
there is a petition to take the fragrance out of the foam

i have used neither but i am thinking or importing rogaine foam (they don't sell it in the uk :thumbdown2: )

well what i do with topicals is apply it like 2-3 hours before a shower or after a shower and leave it in

if you have short hair you shouldn't have any problems getting it to the roots, inevitably it will get in your hair as well
on the other hand with longer hair you should part your hair 3 times at the centre and sides, applying the foam each time and combing outwards each time

 

[somone uk]

hmmm i wonder about minoxidil gel actually?

 

[BodyDysmorphic]

IMO the liquid is easier to apply if you have longer hair and it is extremely cheap
it does however leave your hair looking greasy and wet for aprox. 5 hours

i use the liquid at night for that reason and the foam during the day because it doesn't make you hair look greasy for 5 hours

the foam is more expensive and is said to be more effective than the liquid

i however use about twice the amount of liquid and probably the same with the foam each application so i feel this method is the most economical way

if you can afford it though i would exclusively use the foam

 

[somone uk]

before i import some, does minoxidil foam make your hair sticky?, had an annoying experience with a sticky topical before

 

[upsail]

Thanks for the infos guys.

Which cheap brand of minoxidil liquid can you recommend? Is Kirkland a good option? Here in Germany we can only get branded Rogaine (or Regaine as it is called here) which is pretty expensive. Ebaying from the US shouldnt be a big hassle, and I see Kirkland pretty often offered there. Does it have a heavy smell?

someone uk, in my short experience with the foam it doesnt make the hair all to sticky, but it gives it a littler stiffer touch - which is, in the case of thin hair like mine, actually kind of nice. But my biggest issue with the stuff is that I have the feeling that only 30% of it actually reaches the scalp.

 

[BodyDysmorphic]

Thanks for the infos guys.

Which cheap brand of minoxidil liquid can you recommend? Is Kirkland a good option? Here in Germany we can only get branded Rogaine (or Regaine as it is called here) which is pretty expensive. Ebaying from the US shouldnt be a big hassle, and I see Kirkland pretty often offered there. Does it have a heavy smell?

someone uk, in my short experience with the foam it doesnt make the hair all to sticky, but it gives it a littler stiffer touch - which is, in the case of thin hair like mine, actually kind of nice. But my biggest issue with the stuff is that I have the feeling that only 30% of it actually reaches the scalp.

IMO Kirkland is the best generic minoxidil
it has no smell
it's even probably made by the same company that makes name brand Rogaine
The Kirkland brand minoxidil is manufactured in Kalamazoo Michigan, the same city where Extra Strength Rogaine is made. Often, generic drugs are manufactured by the same company that developed the name-brand drug. They manufacture the generic because the increased production volume helps reduce the cost of the name-brand product. Due to the economies of scale

 

[Boondock]

I use Kirkland minoxidil, liquid, twice a day. I have short hair and don't find it very hard to apply. I simply move the dispenser along my hair in strips, squirting it on bit by bit. It doesn't look too greasy, perhaps because it's short, but I do get minoxidil 'dandruff' from it. It's significantly cheaper than the foam, however.

 

[Mitch97]

I tried both the liquid and the foam. I tried the liquid (2% and 5%) a few years ago for about a year and had no visible results. I started the 5% foam a year and four months ago and I don't think there are any visible results. Been on finasteride for 3 years and four months.

If you need cheap use the liquid, but it's a PITA to use. Foam is great, and I actually like the smell. Hopefully it works for you.