To minoxidil or not to minoxidil?

[AussieM]

I am currently a few months into using Minoxidil 5% and Folligen spray once a day. I have been on Propecia and Regenepure shampoos for two years now with good success for my receding hairline. A few months ago I noticed my temples thinning out (I cut down to half Propecia which helped the sides alot) so I started using Minoxidil 5% and Folligen spray once a day before bed.

I had a big shed from the minoxidil and I believe I am starting to see regrowth on the left temple (although still very thin in areas where I applied minoxidil) but the right temple has not recovered at all and looks the worst it ever has.

Here is the big question! To continue to minoxidil or not to minoxidil?

I have read several arguments of people for minoxidil or against minoxidil. I assume it is too late for me to stop and not receive a shed from stopping? I have read that alot of people have just shedded on the hairline and never recovered, which worries me. If I stayed with it, would 2 applications a day be better?

I would appreciate any advice! Hopefully from people who have gone through the same situation

 

[buckthorn]

I am currently a few months into using Minoxidil 5% and Folligen spray once a day. I have been on Propecia and Regenepure shampoos for two years now with good success for my receding hairline. A few months ago I noticed my temples thinning out (I cut down to half Propecia which helped the sides alot) so I started using Minoxidil 5% and Folligen spray once a day before bed.

I had a big shed from the minoxidil and I believe I am starting to see regrowth on the left temple (although still very thin in areas where I applied minoxidil) but the right temple has not recovered at all and looks the worst it ever has.

Here is the big question! To continue to minoxidil or not to minoxidil?

I have read several arguments of people for minoxidil or against minoxidil. I assume it is too late for me to stop and not receive a shed from stopping? I have read that alot of people have just shedded on the hairline and never recovered, which worries me. If I stayed with it, would 2 applications a day be better?

I would appreciate any advice!!

Stay on minoxidil

 

[AussieM]

I expected that to be the answer! I have been getting alot of an ithcy scalp lately.. either from minoxidil or toppik so switching to MinoxidilMax 5% without PG

If I added Rogaine foam to the morning so I was doing it twice a day, would I have to endure another shed?

Thanks for the help

 

[WarLord]

I have been using minoxidil since 1996. But if I started using anti-hairloss drugs now, I would jump straight on dutasteride and I WOULD NEVER USE MINOXIDIL. It is a lifelong ordeal. And once you start to use it, you cannot stop. There is no substitution for it. It has a very different mechanism of action than 5-alpha reductase blockers.

 

[Baldingat188]

I've been on minoxidil for 3 weeks and already starting to shed, thinking of stopping

 

[SayifDoit]

I would only ever use minoidil foam, the **** is so easy to put in your hair. The most time it takes up is only 30 minutes of your day which is ****ing nothing. I would never ****ing touch the liquid **** takes forever to dry and makes your hair greasy as ****.

 

[Foxi]

i take minoxidil over 3 Years, helps nothing, Hair worse

Finasterid was great but i am Impotent from it

 

[lukke103]

Use it, at least once daily

 

[hairy situation]

I decided against minoxidil after reading a few horror stories on hair loss forums. It sucks but I wasn't willing to create more problems than I had already.

 

[AussieM]

I have been using minoxidil since 1996. But if I started using anti-hairloss drugs now, I would jump straight on dutasteride and I WOULD NEVER USE MINOXIDIL. It is a lifelong ordeal. And once you start to use it, you cannot stop. There is no substitution for it. It has a very different mechanism of action than 5-alpha reductase blockers.

Warlord I feel it may be too late for me to stop minoxidil without having another shed and taking a long time to recover

Ive decided to stick with it and see how it goes! I'll update in a few months. I have realised that hairs around the area I apply minoxidil have started thinning and this is most likely due to putting on too much minoxidil before bed and having it run

Will changing to the foam or adding the foam cause another shed?!

 

[AussieM]

Foam basically doesn't cause dandruff, that's the main advantage. Also, if your allergic to glycerol,
foam is definitely the product to use. I supplement my dosage with foam daily.

Thanks k9gatton! Do you think I will add another shed when changing to the foam? Has anyone experienced changing minoxidil's?

 

[science_d]

The treatment is working

I had a big shed from the minoxidil and I believe I am starting to see regrowth on the left temple (although still very thin in areas where I applied minoxidil) but the right temple has not recovered at all and looks the worst it ever has.

Here is the big question! To continue to minoxidil or not to minoxidil?

If you are seeing initial shedding followed by regrowth, that is a good sign. That means your hair is responding to the minoxidil; the minoxidil is pushing out your fading ("telogen") hairs to make room for new hairs in their growing stage ("anagen" hairs). However, the minoxidil only works on hairs that still exist and thus can be recovered. If there is a spot on your head that is not growing (such as your right temple), that simply means there is no viable hair left in that area, OR that you haven't given it enough time (4-6 months). Overall, it seems that your hair is at least responding to the minoxidil.

Whether or not you continue with minoxidil is a personal preference. I experienced success using minoxidil (in combination with a laser cap), but I also seemed to have experienced the side effect of water retention, and was gaining weight suspiciously more than usual. I am not totally sure if that was the minoxidil, but I did end up stopping it and my weight returned to normal.

Also, there have been some interesting studies showing that another treatment known as 2% ketoconazole shampoo seems to produce the same effect on hair regrowth that minoxidil does. In addition, it is easier to apply (simply shampooing your hair) and you only have to use it a few times a week, rather than every day and night. So if you don't want to continue with minoxidil, it might be worth looking into the ketoconazole shampoo. I discuss this option as well as the scientific studies examining it in a blog article of mine (https://attackplan.wordpress.com/2016/02/27/helpful/).

 

[science_d]

Switching to foam should not cause shedding.

If you have shed after sixteen weeks, it's definitely not working for you. At that point, shedding should
be gone.

I agree. The only exception would be if an additional treatment was started around that time, in which case the shedding could possibly begin all over again, if there are any leftover telogen hairs.

 

[AussieM]

Thankyou both! I really appreciate the replies! The hardest bit has been trying to work out which direction to head but worrying that I'm just making matters worse. Kind of wish I never started minoxidil

I'm going to add Rogaine foam in the morning and am switching to MinoxidilMax 5% without PG with AA at night

I am currently using Regenepure 2/3 times a week which has Ket in it. The nizoral 2% gave me terrible Ket burn but I may have left it on too long

Is it possible that if I am a nonresponder to minoxidil, my hair will shed but wont come back? Or will it just not come back stronger/thicker?

 

[science_d]

Thankyou both! I really appreciate the replies! The hardest bit has been trying to work out which direction to head but worrying that I'm just making matters worse. Kind of wish I never started minoxidil

I'm going to add Rogaine foam in the morning and am switching to MinoxidilMax 5% without PG with AA at night

I am currently using Regenepure 2/3 times a week which has Ket in it. The nizoral 2% gave me terrible Ket burn but I may have left it on too long

Is it possible that if I am a nonresponder to minoxidil, my hair will shed but wont come back? Or will it just not come back stronger/thicker?

You're welcome!

The Regenepure certainly doesn't hurt, but just realize that it only has a 1% concentration of ketoconazole, and while 1% ketoconazole has been shown to reduce shedding, it has NOT been shown to increase hair density (http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1046/j.1467-2494.2002.00145.x/abstract). The more powerful 2% concentration actually increased hair density on men experiencing male pattern baldness (https://attackplan.wordpress.com/2016/02/27/helpful/). However, I definitely understand wanting to stop because of irritation, and the 1% can certainly help.

If you are a nonresponder to minoxidil, then your hair will not come back unless you use a treatment that you DO respond to. So if you begin a treatment that is effective, those hairs that have shed might have a chance of growing back. If minoxidil is effective, then those hairs will grow back. If not, then they will not grow back.

The fact that you say you see regrowth on some of your hair makes me think perhaps you ARE responding to the minoxidil, however. I think the only way to tell is if you had been using minoxidil consistently for 4 - 6 months, without introducing any new treatments during that time. The fact that you were using Folligen Spray (which supposedly SHORTENS the resting phase of your hair follicles, which SHOULD increase shedding) at the same time introduces a confounding factor, so that you are unable to determine which treatment is causing what. Thus, I am not totally convinced you are a nonresponder to minoxidil yet. My suggestion is perhaps keep things simple, stop using everything except minoxidil, finasteride, and the 1% keto shampoo, and try that for 6 months.