Bad Results From Liquid Minoxidil - Can Foam Make Better Results?

[tom305]

I have been using 5% liquid minoxidil (Regaine then I had to use Kirkland because I could´t get Regaine in my country anymore for some unknown reasons) for approxinately 3 months 1x per day but I get kinda overall bad results from it - on the frontline where I applied it hairs thinned much more than it was before and there was not a single sign of regrow at all and I was still experiencing hairloss + got some dandruffs from it aswell. I know that minoxidil can make hairloss worse in the beginning, but the problem is that my hairline thinned to the point that I could see my skin shine through the hairs and I was almost for the whole time shedding hairs (not any drastically like over 100 hairs per day or so but I was just shedding more than before). At the moment its almost for starting to use Toppik to disguise these receded spots...
Well it is true that I can see some small fluff in the beginning of hairline where I applied minoxidil aswell, but they are very far away from full-fledged hairs and I could almost count them all on my fingers, so its almost nothing overall + I have also read that some people never get over those fluff to normal hairs.
I stopped apply minoxidil because I was affraid it just could make things even worse - I know that 3 months is kinda small time to see some results but I think it was just ruining my hairline and it is not certain it could get any better if I continued using it. And at the beginning I was planning to put it on my thinning vertex aswell but now I think I´m glad I didn´t put it there too...
So my question is - can foam version make some better results or I´m simply just not good responder to minoxidil? Is there anyone who also had bad results from liquid version and changing to foam produced better results?

 

[itsjustsimon]

Finasteride my friend. Foam won't change anything.

 

[tom305]

Finasteride my friend. Foam won't change anything.

I know about that but finasteride is something that I just don´t want to use due to its possible sexual side effects and also due to my young age (24) + its also unfortunately not guarantee it will 100% work. It makes me to give foam a shot but I also just don´t want to get things more worse and get my hairs thinned more...
How can I actually tell for sure that I´m really not a good responder to minoxidil - according to this my case or I just need to give minoxidil more time to start working? I'm really beginning to be helpless..

 

[real kombo]

I know about that but finasteride is something that I just don´t want to use due to its possible sexual side effects and also due to my young age (24) + its also unfortunately not guarantee it will 100% work. It makes me to give foam a shot but I also just don´t want to get things more worse and get my hairs thinned more...
How can I actually tell for sure that I´m really not a good responder to minoxidil - according to this my case or I just need to give minoxidil more time to start working? I'm really beginning to be helpless..

You need an anti androgen or you have no chance of saving your hair long term. I started using finasteride at 16.

 

[tom305]

You need an anti androgen or you have no chance of saving your hair long term. I started using finasteride at 16.

Well then I kinda admire you if you started at 16. How long do you use it and did you experienced any side effects? Finasteride is only on medical prescription in my country and they won´t give you it if you are not adult over 18+

 

[real kombo]

Well then I kinda admire you if you started at 16. How long do you use it and did you experienced any side effects? Finasteride is only on medical prescription in my country and they won´t give you it if you are not adult over 18+

I've been using it for 5 years now, I'm 21. No side effects.

 

[Alphalete]

@real kombo did u still grow properly after finasteride at 16? as in height

 

[real kombo]

@real kombo did u still grow properly after finasteride at 16? as in height

Yes

 

[Retinoid]

I have been using 5% liquid minoxidil (Regaine then I had to use Kirkland because I could´t get Regaine in my country anymore for some unknown reasons) for approxinately 3 months 1x per day but I get kinda overall bad results from it - on the frontline where I applied it hairs thinned much more than it was before and there was not a single sign of regrow at all and I was still experiencing hairloss + got some dandruffs from it aswell. I know that minoxidil can make hairloss worse in the beginning, but the problem is that my hairline thinned to the point that I could see my skin shine through the hairs and I was almost for the whole time shedding hairs (not any drastically like over 100 hairs per day or so but I was just shedding more than before). At the moment its almost for starting to use Toppik to disguise these receded spots...
Well it is true that I can see some small fluff in the beginning of hairline where I applied minoxidil aswell, but they are very far away from full-fledged hairs and I could almost count them all on my fingers, so its almost nothing overall + I have also read that some people never get over those fluff to normal hairs.
I stopped apply minoxidil because I was affraid it just could make things even worse - I know that 3 months is kinda small time to see some results but I think it was just ruining my hairline and it is not certain it could get any better if I continued using it. And at the beginning I was planning to put it on my thinning vertex aswell but now I think I´m glad I didn´t put it there too...
So my question is - can foam version make some better results or I´m simply just not good responder to minoxidil? Is there anyone who also had bad results from liquid version and changing to foam produced better results?

Foam will not necessarily give you better results. It was created mainly for irritation purposes. Also you really should not stop Minoxidil. Treatments take a very long time to work really well--you essentially have to wait for multiple hair cycles. I would start using it again or start using a Minoxidil/Finasteride formulation like Brintop if you are averse to taking it orally. If you are 24 and need Toppik to conceal your hair loss then it is likely you will need other weapons as opposed to just Minoxidil. It if was mild crown thinning, I would say to just use Minoxidil till newer treatments arrive in the next 5yrs or so. Since it is moderate front thinning, using some sort of androgen modulator will probably be needed.

 

[tom305]

Foam will not necessarily give you better results. It was created mainly for irritation purposes. Also you really should not stop Minoxidil. Treatments take a very long time to work really well--you essentially have to wait for multiple hair cycles. I would start using it again or start using a Minoxidil/Finasteride formulation like Brintop if you are averse to taking it orally. If you are 24 and need Toppik to conceal your hair loss then it is likely you will need other weapons as opposed to just Minoxidil. It if was mild crown thinning, I would say to just use Minoxidil till newer treatments arrive in the next 5yrs or so. Since it is moderate front thinning, using some sort of androgen modulator will probably be needed.

Well it was because of the liquid Minoxidil that made me to seriously think about starting to use Toppik on the thinned spots because it made my thinning hairs on frontline worse. I had some thinning on the frontline before using minoxidil but it was yet not that bad like it is now after I started using minoxidil on the frontline. I know that I should stick with minoxidil and give it a time but as I said I´m just afraid to put it on my frontline again after this bad experience. I would like to give that foam a shot but I just don´t want to make it more worse than it is now. And I just noticed that my front hairline seems to starting to recede a little aswell... I just don´t know what should I do then, in the minoxidil leaflet they say if the shedding is not decreased in a few weeks or if there is no improvement in 3-4 months or if the situation gets worse, then you should stop using it. But some people anyway recommend to stick with it and continue using it despite all of this...
I´m planning to see a dermatologist soon so I will see what he can tell/advise me, then I will decide.
At the moment its over a week I stopped using minoxidil, my hairloss is probably the same like it was before or maybe some days its a little better and I also decided to try use only Nizoral shampoo 1 - 2x per week and I started to wash my hairs only with lukewarm water without any shampoo to see if there is any difference.

 

[Red October]

Well it was because of the liquid Minoxidil that made me to seriously think about starting to use Toppik on the thinned spots because it made my thinning hairs on frontline worse. I had some thinning on the frontline before using minoxidil but it was yet not that bad like it is now after I started using minoxidil on the frontline. I know that I should stick with minoxidil and give it a time but as I said I´m just afraid to put it on my frontline again after this bad experience. I would like to give that foam a shot but I just don´t want to make it more worse than it is now. And I just noticed that my front hairline seems to starting to recede a little aswell... I just don´t know what should I do then, in the minoxidil leaflet they say if the shedding is not decreased in a few weeks or if there is no improvement in 3-4 months or if the situation gets worse, then you should stop using it. But some people anyway recommend to stick with it and continue using it despite all of this...
I´m planning to see a dermatologist soon so I will see what he can tell/advise me, then I will decide.
At the moment its over a week I stopped using minoxidil, my hairloss is probably the same like it was before or maybe some days its a little better and I also decided to try use only Nizoral shampoo 1 - 2x per week and I started to wash my hairs only with lukewarm water without any shampoo to see if there is any difference.

I would say read up on the forum about different users' experience. One of the popular approaches is to use finasteride with min and to use derma-rolling. I've been using minoxidil since early this year. Recently I've added derma-rolling and am seeing some results. It takes time for those hairs to thicken up but you need to wait it out. It may take a year of your hair being crap but the alternative is that you lose all your hair and it doesn't come back!! When it gets serious enough you will want to get on something and stay on it. To be honest I don't think you've given it enough time. As the other poster said you need finasteride as well to protect your hair from DHT which will keep on eating at your existing hair as well as as any regrowth from Minoxidil. Try some anti-DHT shampoos too. Nizoral 2% can be a bit harsh. There are others like Revivogen, Foligain, Revita, Regenepure which could help. They're a bit expensive. The revivogen seems to be the best value. This will help to keep your scalp healthy so that the Minoxidil and finasteride can work. Check out @Somebody 's thread.

 

[tom305]

I would say read up on the forum about different users' experience. One of the popular approaches is to use finasteride with min and to use derma-rolling. I've been using minoxidil since early this year. Recently I've added derma-rolling and am seeing some results. It takes time for those hairs to thicken up but you need to wait it out. It may take a year of your hair being crap but the alternative is that you lose all your hair and it doesn't come back!! When it gets serious enough you will want to get on something and stay on it. To be honest I don't think you've given it enough time. As the other poster said you need finasteride as well to protect your hair from DHT which will keep on eating at your existing hair as well as as any regrowth from Minoxidil. Try some anti-DHT shampoos too. Nizoral 2% can be a bit harsh. There are others like Revivogen, Foligain, Revita, Regenepure which could help. They're a bit expensive. The revivogen seems to be the best value. This will help to keep your scalp healthy so that the Minoxidil and finasteride can work. Check out @Somebody 's thread.

Anti-DHT shampoos was the very first step I made - I tried Revivogen (+ their Conditioner), Revita (+ their Conditioner), Foligain, Folivital Pro + their vitamins, but nothing helped, I was still experiencing hairloss. Foligain + Folivital Pro made at least my hair to look thicker and good after shampooning (especially that Foligain), so I was surprised and happy about that, but when I was using them for longer time, it just didn´t have the same thickening effect like in the beginning for some reason, don´t know why...
I just ordered a derma roller 0,5mm and going to try dermarolling aswell.

 

[Red October]

Were you trying the shampoos without anything else? I think they might work best as part of a multi pronged approach.

 

[tom305]

Were you trying the shampoos without anything else? I think they might work best as part of a multi pronged approach.

Well the very first shampoo on hairloss I used was Alpecin + Alpecin liquid like 4 years ago. I was loosing around 150+ hairs when showering/styling my hairs after shower and I managed to reduce it with that combination to max 80 hairs lost, which was quite good I think. It lasted almost around 2 years then it unfortunately lost its effect probably because my hairloss/Androgenetic Alopecia just got worse.
What exactly do you mean by that I should add to shampoos something else (except finasteride and other things)? Like some oils or so?