Advice! 7 months on minoxidil - shed hairs haven't grown back!

[slickrick93]

Hey all,

Bit of background... I'm 23, been receding since I was probably 17 but it has been a rather slow process. Hair has always been super-thick and wear my hair long so have never had too much worries about this! Decided to do something about it 7 months ago.

Been applying the following regimen since Aug 2015.
-s5 cream 2x daily
-Nizoral 2x weekly
-Kirkland minoxidil foam 2x daily

I didn't experience a huge initial shed on minoxidil, but throughout the 7 months, I can definitely see my right temple has significantly receded and become a lot thinner. Throughout the duration, is does look like there are some more thin hairs sprouting, but some longer, thicker hairs seem to have disappeared???

Surely by now my hair should be thicker than when I began minoxidil?????

Pre minoxidil vs 7 Months:

I am extremely paranoid/concerned this shed hair will not grow back as it's been this long. Should I accept that this shed hair will not return? Or should I wait it out til a years mark and then make a decision.

Please give me some advice!

 

[garyhary]

Your after pictures do not look too bad. It almost seems to me like you regrew some hairs - which would be great!

 

[slickrick93]

Your after pictures do not look too bad. It almost seems to me like you regrew some hairs - which would be great!

Look at the first pic. You can definitely see that now it's a lot less dense. Do you think this hair hair will grow back? Should I continue treatment until 12 months or will i likely loose more?

Surely 7.5 months in and the results should have left me better off, not worse, than when I started...

I can see that yes, some smaller, weaker, vellus hairs have sprouted, but some of the longer, stronger, terminal hairs are now gone!

 

[deniak]

Yeah, this is dark side o minoxidil, you wont read about it in any scientific paper. You can gain lot of terminal, but almost invisible hairs, while same time you lose few, thick and dark ones, and that loss of denisty will make visual difference. I have lost quite sharp hairline on one temple and didnt regain it after year of using minoxidil 2%. Wait few more months, at this moment you have nothing to loose, maybe luck will be on your side.