Are my fears about minoxidil justified?

[Hoppi]

See... here's the thing!

I erm.. at the moment I am very much veering towards stimulation of my hair, as a "quick-fix" while I continue to pursue my health approach, etc etc. That's a separate thing though!

Point is, I am considering pretty much ALL major stimulants, liking the look of Spectral RS, Mega-Tek, Folligen (and copper peptides in general), etc. However, I am of course still missing out the most popular stimulant today - minoxidil. And having heard that Spectral DNC is back to it's old ***-kicking ways, using minoxidil is becoming a more tempting prospect once again.

However, I would like to write my minoxidil fears, and maybe you guys could help me like.. work out whether or not they are founded enough to warrant concern!

1) My hair might become dependant on it ._. Does this happen? I have heard that sometimes when it is removed, the hair (even arguably without the presence of DHT, or with the help of other stimulants) may still die? Is this true, or is it.. like scare-mongering or whatever? lol

2) It might give me wrinkles. I have heard that it inhibits a link of collagen synthesis - many people have complained or commented on dark circles under their eyes, wrinkles, etc. Is this a common problem, and is it likely I would escape it on only 5% minoxidil once or twice a day, or is it a real possibility?

3) It's supposed to be harsh on the circulatory system / heart in at least some individuals.. is this due to it being a vasodilator?

4) My face might get all puffy.. what IS that all about?


Thanks guys minoxidil has always presented a mild phobia to me I guess, and I just want to get my facts straight before I embrace or discard it and particularly products I am otherwise very interested in such as Spectral DNC.

Peace!

Hoppi

 

[TEDDYRUXPIN]

1)[/b] My hair might become dependant on it ._. Does this happen? I have heard that sometimes when it is removed, the hair (even arguably without the presence of DHT, or with the help of other stimulants) may still die? Is this true, or is it.. like scare-mongering or whatever? lol

2) It might give me wrinkles. I have heard that it inhibits a link of collagen synthesis - many people have complained or commented on dark circles under their eyes, wrinkles, etc. Is this a common problem, and is it likely I would escape it on only 5% minoxidil once or twice a day, or is it a real possibility?

3) It's supposed to be harsh on the circulatory system / heart in at least some individuals.. is this due to it being a vasodilator?

4) My face might get all puffy.. what IS that all about?

(1) This is true. Applies to minoxidil, finasteride and anything that results in growth. Once you stop, it falls out over a period of time. Some specialists called it snake oil.

(2) Minoxidil was originally used to treat high blood pressure. So lowering your blood pressure further can cause side effects such as dizziness.
As for wrinkles? Ageing? It is hard to say. Some people (minor) say they experience this. Some don't. A good moisturizer around the eyes can combat this. Besides, too much sun causes this. So difficult to blame on this drug.
Dark circles around the eye? This is even more difficult. Many things cause this. Lack of sleep due to stress etc. Other things as bad circulation anyway. If you do have this. See a doctor immediately.

(3) I can be. This applies mainly to the oral version than topical. As long as you abide to the morning or night regime you should be fine. You should really start at the low percentage first 2% and see how your body behaves and then move up. But people jump up to high strength straight away. Like anything, if you body has side-effects due to this, stop! See a doctor straight away.

(4) Puffy? This can be a number of effects. One can be the allergic reaction to the alcohol which people who have eczema, psioriasis can have. Stop if you experience this and see a doctor. A good test is to rub a bit of this stuff on a different part of your skin - like your arm. See what reaction you get the next few hours. See a doctor straight away if bad reactions occur or take an antihistamine. Always see medical advice if you are getting something serious like puffy face.
Now puffy face can also results as a build up of water in the body due to poor kidney function. If you have this, you should not really be jumping straight onto the minoxidil bandwagon. If you are worried, see your doctor first. Get a basic health check and see what happen.

Just remember, although minoxidil is now off the shelf, it does'nt mean it works on everyone with no side-effects.

Good luck.

 

[dr_jekyll]

I have been using minoxidil based products for over 3 years (including Spectral) and I have never been affected by any of the things you described above. You should defo give spectral a go, it's the best of the bunch- I've tried them all

 

[Primo]

1) My hair might become dependant on it ._. Does this happen? I have heard that sometimes when it is removed, the hair (even arguably without the presence of DHT, or with the help of other stimulants) may still die? Is this true, or is it.. like scare-mongering or whatever? lol

2) It might give me wrinkles. I have heard that it inhibits a link of collagen synthesis - many people have complained or commented on dark circles under their eyes, wrinkles, etc. Is this a common problem, and is it likely I would escape it on only 5% minoxidil once or twice a day, or is it a real possibility?

3) It's supposed to be harsh on the circulatory system / heart in at least some individuals.. is this due to it being a vasodilator?

4) My face might get all puffy.. what IS that all about?

I've been on Minoxidil for 11weeks now and can tell you that...

1) Your hair WILL become dependent on it, just as it will with any treatment that actually works. As with finasteride, later on after a few years you might be able to taper off the usage to just once a day to maintain your growth, however if you give up completely you'll lose all regrowth. The DHT that overtime has accumulated around your hair follicles will proceed to miniaturise your hair if you cease using minoxidil.

Anti Androgens are obviously the solution to the root of the problem, but if you suffer sides from them, then minoxidil is an absolute must because at the very least the 5% solution will halt your hairloss for a minimum period of 3years.... so I certainly wouldn't class it as snake-oil.

2) I did notice more visible lines under my eyes after a few weeks of Minoxidil, but it was nothing severe and certainly nothing that anybody else would ever notice. Funnily enough, since I have cut down smoking and drinking, these lines have reduced greatly, so this could be down to a number of factors as said above.

3) I did notice a slight effect on my cardiovascular health, as I cycle 4 miles every morning to work, and when cycling up very steep hills I would get a bit breathless, but this was only ever in the morning when I had applied minoxidil half an hour before.

4) My face has never become puffy at any point, initially I did get very thirsty a lot of the time though.

 

[mpbsux20]

Hoppi,you have longer hair so you would be needing the liquid if you have thinning all over.For mere temple recession use the foam.The guys above me have answered all queries so I have nothing to add.

 

[Hoppi]

Thanks for all the great responses and views/experiences

I think for now I will just give the Spectral RS / Mega-Tek combo a go, see how I do, and maybe consider minoxidil later on

 

[Nashville Hairline]

Yes be careful Hoppi, minoxidil is no "quick-fix", and you will lose whatever you gain on it. In other words your question (1) has been answered - yes your hair does become dependent on it

As someone said on another forum about the side effects issue - show me the pics of guys getting terrible bags under their eyes after minoxidil use and they just aren't there. As always with these things I'd say weigh up the internet testimonials (hugely unreliable) versus the actual studies (generally decent, especially as it is FDA approved)

 

[OverMachoGrande]

I've been using minoxidil for 6 years. Is my hair dependent on it, YES but this applies to ANY treatment you use even natural ones. If you get any regrowth from any treatment you will have to continue it to maintain growth. The answer is any treatment comes with dependency.

As far as the other side effects you asked about, I have not experienced any of them but I know some people do. In the end with any treatment you will have to "pay the piper" because they are only treatments and not a cure.