Can i take minoxidil just once a week and still benefit?

[neddy2016]

i have used minoxidil 5% for 2 weeks now and looking in the mirror in day light i can see very light tiny hairs that i assume could be a good thing but at the same time i also noticed being more dyhidrated then usual so i been drinking alot of water to combat it but today i was looking at myself in the mirror and noticed forehead wrinkes that were standing out so i decided to do some research and found out minoxidil might not be good for collagen cells and so now i dunno what to do... would i still benefit if i took it once or twice a week so i can give my skin room to breath or would reducing it to 2% make a difference?

Today is the first day i have thought about stopping using it

 

[lickawrist]

Minoxidil isn't very effective unless you use it everyday; it only has a 4-hour half-life.

 

[neddy2016]

It sucks because i get the feeling it was gonna work for me and i thought it felt way to good to be true so now i am like oh thats the catch to using this product

i have thought about using intense moisturisers to combat the effect but i dunno if it would combat it at all since i am reading so many mixed reports about minoxidil so i dunno what exactly is happening to my skin when i use it

 

[Afro_Vacancy]

Minoxidil isn't very effective unless you use it everyday; it only has a 4-hour half-life.

False.

The reason is, that although minoxidil has a relatively short half-life of several hours when given orally, when topically applied, it has a half-life of 22 hours in the skin. This suggests that once a day dosing is a reasonable option.

http://www.bernsteinmedical.com/medical-treatment/medications/rogaine-minoxidil/

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[Iopu]

Yes, you can use skin treatments to combat this effect. I didn't really have any problems with the minoxidil. But I started using retinoid products anyway with great results!

 

[yetti]

It has to reach the scalp/follicles to have any effect. And probably at least twice a day.

Bernstein is a hair transplant specialist. He makes lots of money off people who are bald.

Not saying he is lying, but his advice on Minoxidil is questionable. I can't see how it would
be effective in the bloodstream.

Minoxidil isn't an anti androgen. It has no effect on DHT levels. It only effects the scalp where there is
some hair growth.

I have to chime in on this one. I saw Dr. Bernstein last summer. I had a big bald/balding area on my head and he could have told me anything. What he told me was

- I should not get a hair transplant (so, he chose not to try to make money off me - very legit advice, not questionable advice)
- He recommends finasteride and minoxidil
- I can use only minoxidil or only finasteride if I want, with reduced results (and he said that finasteride affects DHT levels, thus it's more effective than minoxidil, as you said)
- minoxidil can be used once a day, as it has a half life of 22 hours. Just make sure to use at least double the normal dose. If used this way it will be almost as effective as using it twice a day.

So I followed his advice and did not get a hair transplant. I also decided not to use finasteride, and to try using minoxidil once a day.

Now, the next summer is fast approaching, and I'm sure glad I listened to him. I have a lot more hair than I did. minoxidil once a day absolutely works, and it's great to not have to deal with it in the mornings, only in the evenings. If things get worse perhaps I'll try finasteride at some point.

You know, Bernstein is a real expert. I listened carefully to everything he said, and I discount everything I read here, as we are a bunch of non-experts. This strategy has served me well.

 

[DoctorHouse]

I think if you use minoxidil at least every other day after you used it for about 6 months might still help you maintain.

 

[rcom440]

Decrease dosage to around .5ml once a day. If you applying it at night do it 2 hours before going to bed so it dries on your head instead of getting it on the pillow and eventually all around your face when you sleep.

 

[yetti]

He told me that the research shows that doing it once a day at twice the dose is almost as effective as doing it twice at half the dose, because of its half-life. He didn't recommend doing it once a day rather than twice because it saves money. He recommended it because it's almost as effective, and much less of a pain.

Also, that using twice the dose once a night really
doesn't make sense. How is that saving money? That seems kind of stupid to me personally

So, it seems stupid to you because you aren't understanding the advice, it's not about the money.

Two percent Minoxidil is only effective for thirty percent of males. Five percent is effective for forty five percent of males.

Not sure how this is a relevant comment as far as Bernstein goes, he recommended 5%.

Bernstein is probably making it cheaper on the Finasteride (less pills/Proscar dosages), and I really don't understand his
Minoxidil reasoning.

Because it has nothing to do with the money. It's about convenience.

But he admits that it's not as effective as twice a day, if I'm understanding that last blog correctly.

Yes, he said the same thing in person, that it's almost as effective. Meaning, not quite as effective, but almost. That makes a lot of sense to me - it's active in the scalp for 22 hours. So if you do it once a day, you're leaving the scalp without active minoxidil for 2 hours, making it a little less effective.

To be honest though I don't need to understand the chemistry to listen to a well-regarded doctor's advice. That's why I paid an expert for the visit rather than listened to a ton of contradictory nonsense - much of it about "remedies" for hair loss that seem to be completely ineffective - in this forum.

Anyway, the point of my response was that you said Dr. Bernsteins advice is questionable, because he makes a lot of money off people on hair transplants. Now, undoubtedly there are a lot of sleazy doctors who by default steer people to the most expensive option. So really the point of my comment is to say, I saw him, and he did the opposite. He recommended that I do NOT get a hair transplant, and instead that I use minoxidil and finasteride. And furthermore he did not recommend that I use some "special blend" minoxidil that he profits from (or some special proprietary shampoo or vitamins or anything else) - he told me to use over the counter Rogaine.

 

[GiveMeAccessToMyAccount]

I have to chime in on this one. I saw Dr. Bernstein last summer. I had a big bald/balding area on my head and he could have told me anything. What he told me was

- I should not get a hair transplant (so, he chose not to try to make money off me - very legit advice, not questionable advice)
- He recommends finasteride and minoxidil
- I can use only minoxidil or only finasteride if I want, with reduced results (and he said that finasteride affects DHT levels, thus it's more effective than minoxidil, as you said)
- minoxidil can be used once a day, as it has a half life of 22 hours. Just make sure to use at least double the normal dose. If used this way it will be almost as effective as using it twice a day.

So I followed his advice and did not get a hair transplant. I also decided not to use finasteride, and to try using minoxidil once a day.

Now, the next summer is fast approaching, and I'm sure glad I listened to him. I have a lot more hair than I did. minoxidil once a day absolutely works, and it's great to not have to deal with it in the mornings, only in the evenings. If things get worse perhaps I'll try finasteride at some point.

You know, Bernstein is a real expert. I listened carefully to everything he said, and I discount everything I read here, as we are a bunch of non-experts. This strategy has served me well.

Bernstein is not going to con you, I have never seen anyone say anything bad about him.

He even promotes minoxidl and finasteride on his clinic's official website by showing dozens of before and after pictures of his patients who he told to hold off on hair transplant and get on finasteride/minoxidil for at least a year, and you can see really good results there.

 

[yetti]

It's really not an inconvenience to use it twice a day. Doesn't really take that long
to put on (a minute at most?)

And it doesn't last 22 hours on the scalp.

Maybe you don't understand how it works.

I didn't say it lasts ON the scalp for 22 hours, I said it's active IN the scalp for 22 hours. It has a half life of 22 hours. Hey, what I know is that I took a well-respected doctor's advice, and now I have a lot more hair. I don't care how it works, I'm just speculating, as are you. What I know for sure is that Dr. Bernstein knows more than either than us about this topic. So much more.

Whether or not it's an inconvenience to use it twice a day is obviously a matter of perspective. A lot of people post here saying that they don't want to use it twice a day because it's so annoying and might quit and you respond "you must use it twice a day". Which is false. Is it more effective twice a day? Yes. But the stuff stays wet for hours. I tried it in the morning and found it inconvenient. I like taking my morning shower and ending up with a nice dry head of hair, not having this substance in it all day. So I'm psyched that I get up in the morning and don't put it in my hair. If you don't find it inconvenient that's fine, I'd never tell you "no, you're wrong, it's really inconvenient". As you are a different person.

Anyway, again, the point of my response wasn't to debate how many hours it stays active or how convenient or inconvenient it is. The point was to disagree with this statement you made:

Bernstein is a hair transplant specialist. He makes lots of money off people who are bald.

Not saying he is lying, but his advice on Minoxidil is questionable

It's completely illogical. How does advising that someone buy over the counter Rogaine and use finasteride, rather than getting a hair transplant, make him extra money? Because that's what happened when I went to see him.

Dude, you know, in thinking about it, he also talked about how it's OK to be bald. That taking action for baldness is unnecessary - it should be considered carefully because after all it is surgery, or medication, for purely cosmetic reasons. And he is bald.

 

[Afro_Vacancy]

If the half-life is 22 hours then it's active much longer than 22 hours.

Put on 10% minoxidil in the morning at 8:00am, you effectively have 5% minoxidil in your scalp at 6:00am the next day.

 

[yetti]

If the half-life is 22 hours then it's active much longer than 22 hours.

Put on 10% minoxidil in the morning at 8:00am, you effectively have 5% minoxidil in your scalp at 6:00am the next day.

Indeed that would be correct! Half life. Maybe in practical terms it doesn't work out that neatly, I don't know. (for example perhaps although the half life is 22 hours, after a day the remaining minoxidil has dissipated enough that it's no longer really effective)

Anyway, I just know that I took the doctor's advice - which was not to get a hair transplant or buy anything extra from him, but to go to a pharmacy and buy an over-the-counter product that I could then use once a day - and now I have a lot more hair. (The other part of the advice, which was to get on finasteride, hasn't happened yet, will see how minoxidil goes first. So far so good I think.)

 

[baldboy86]

You have to take it every day for at least a year to see benefits if you're just starting. At least, that's what my doctor told me.

 

[yetti]

I, and a lot of people who have commented here, started to see benefits around 3-4 months. Now I'm in my 8th month and theres obviously more hair, and has been for a long time. Your Doctor is wrong.

 

[yetti]

That's amazing though that you got results from once a day. You are lucky.

But I was told that that's exactly what would happen, as long as I use at least double the normal amount. So I expected it.

Sounds like you've made amazing progress and have a very good, aggressive regimen. I do feel like I'm lucky in that my hair loss started late, and I feel like it isn't so aggressive. However it's definitely happening, so if/when my current simple regimen starts to not work as well I may be looking to your post above for pointers!

 

[neddy2016]

I been using it for almost 3 weeks and i have noticed in the light some really light tiny hairs and i been trying to work out whether thats part of using minoxidil or whether thats normal and i have just never been looking for it before, its only most noticable on one side of on the front though, for all i know it could be doing nothing and i am reading to much into nothing.

i am using a minoxidil product called energinox that also has vitamin B12, Caffeine, Q10, rosemary and l-carnitine so perhaps thats helped it along? i dunno.

i still haven't worked out what i wanna do yet, i am a little paranoid about the whole wrinkles thing when using the product, i know its not under the actual side effects but some have said they had those effects and i am using retinol and collagen creams right now hoping it can combat it but... hmm..

 

[transam]

It's supposed to stop shedding between twelve and sixteen weeks. The benefits should be in six months. The benefits
aren't as fast as Finasteride. And possibly not as permanent either.

Not trying to rain on your parade. It's just I personally don't even think five percent is enough for people.

And I'm not just all talk. I take thirty percent, which I supplement with five percent daily. So, I'm definitely a user.

That's amazing though that you got results from once a day. You are lucky. I'm getting good results, but that's only
after I mixed Finasteride and Progesterone in the mix. These amounts are very small. finasteride is only .1% of what I use.
Progesterone is .25%.

I'm going to post pictures on my Progesterone thread today. I got a buzz cut. Last time I hated it, and other people did
to. My vertex was so bald. Not only have I regrown it, but it's very thick as well. It is amazing. And some of my island
grew back on the front. Some.. But it was good though. I would say since Janaury, .75 cm on both vertexes. Also, my
right has more terminal hair as well (right temple).

Not only did my vertex grow in, but the guy cutting it said it was thick. He was right. No diffuse areas. Wish that
was the same on my temples. Can't have everything I guess.

Hey bud, where can I see your pics? I'd really like to see your progress bro

 

[abovedagame]

False, it has 22 hour half-life. Edit your message so people wouldn't be misinformed.

I've read the same thing as you that it has a 22 hour half life- I believe Dr. Bernstein pointed this out. However maybe the 4 hour half life is when it's ingested rather than topically? No idea...

 

[michel sapin]

hey k9gatton , you seem to be a wise man about minoxidil . Ive been using it for 4 mont and 13 days now ( after being on propecia for 19 month with no result). and my temple and hairline are worse than baseline . Can minoxidil worsen hairline ? ive got some tiny vellu hair , but minoxidil make me shed thick hair behind my hairline . So i'm really sad . can it worsen Androgenetic Alopecia ?