Rogaine topical, once you stop do you revert to pre Rogaine, or do you lose more ?

[original]

Thinking about Rogaine, everywhere states once you stop all hair gains revert back to prior state.

My question...

what about the hair I have now in that area, if I stop rogaine will I be in a worse situation than i'm in now, or does only the new growth rogaine created shed?

 

[zaymar]

I also want an answer to this.

 

[Hoppi]

I didn't experience any increase in shedding after dropping minoxidil but I wasn't on it for that long.

You will obviously get a sudden shed. I'd advise something like boar bristle brushing to maintain adequate vasodilation after minoxidil but that's just me...

why are you dropping it?

 

[Xen]

For me I took it for some weeks then stopped as it made my face go puffy, especially under my eyes, in those weeks my hair shed massively, but now the following two weeks OFF of it, the shedding is continuing, and i've got dandruff, hair is thinning a lot, i'm just hoping it'll come back within the next few months and stop damn shedding, because I never had one dandruff flake/shed before using it, really wish I never touched the stuff

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Don't take my word for it though, other's have seen good progress on it, I don't wanna look like i'm going round slagging off the product, just saying my experience wasn't positive, and maybe if it didn't cause the side affects on my face and I rode it out it would've grown back thicker.

My theory is, I read somewhere that it shifts your hair into phases, so the weaker hairs get put to shed/sleep phase, to fall out and allow new, stronger hair growth...so maybe it shifted my hair into shed phase, and after this is over (which I really hope is soon..) they'll grow back like they were, don't quote me on that though, i'm seeing a specialist tomorrow, i'll tell you if they can 'shed' any light on it, haha xD

 

[Philly78]

One thing i am not sure about though is that if you have existing hairs that are minitaurising and they thicken up due to Minoxidil, whether these hairs will return to their minitaurised state or whether they will be lost.

I'm guessing they would slowly go back to their miniaturized state. But then again, would it be faster than normal process?? I mean, it took years before my hair miniaturized and eventually starting to fall... should we expect the same thing once we quit minoxidil or the miniaturized/fall will be much quicker???

 

[Philly78]

I think they would return to their original minitaurised state.

That's what i think too. What we don't really know is would the MBP would start back at zero with the new minoxidil thickend hair. I would love to know and be sure that's what would happen if i'd quit minoxidil. I'd go on for a year or two and take a 6 months break etc...

 

[Dr Tom]

The application of Minoxidil is now part of my morning routine, just like brushing my teeth.

This is a great way to think of it. I advise to apply it before brushing your teeth and shaving, so it is dry by the time you finish.