Dissolve these billowing clouds.

[SE-freak]

Searching through the net, I often come across articles that describe hair loss treatments of today "in detail".

Some of these articles contain claims like: "Rogaine is shown to be effective only during the first two years of use and its effect diminishes due to tolerance","Rogaine causes a dreadful shed when discontinued taking away healthy hairs too" or "propecia is shown to work for the first two years and then the results fade away gradually".

It would be great if anyone aware of relevant studies could comment on those remarks.

(My gut tells me there is a lot of scientifically packaged rubbish in cyberspace but I would really like to hear some views here).

 

[Weepy]

The only way to know anything definitive about these treatments is to know someone "inside" at Merck and/or at the FDA. They're the only ones who have all the real data. It drives me nuts knowing this.

 

[Justlooking]

3+ years on both and still going strong.

 

[SE-freak]

3+ years on both and still going strong.

Nice to hear JL.

 

[Weepy]

3+ years on both and still going strong.

Great news!

BTW, sorry for sounding paranoid.

 

[SE-freak]

get up there.

 

[Radio]

"Rogaine is shown to be effective only during the first two years of use and its effect diminishes due to tolerance"

Rogaine will (when used by itself) 'out run' the balding process for two or three years, but as you are not addressing the underlying DHT issue, you will indeed start to lose the battle after a while, this is not minoxidil loosing efficacy. Stopping minoxidil at this stage will see additional hair loss.

"Rogaine causes a dreadful shed when discontinued taking away healthy hairs too"

On cessation of minoxidil some 'safe' hairs can be lost alongside those destined for the sink, but your overall condition will return to where you would have been if you had never used minoxidil after a few weeks/months. (see yellow line in the graph below)

but....

You only loose the hair you have gained (and as mentioned above the possibility of a little 'safe' hair).

So...if you feel you have gained next to nothing using Rogaine (a good reason to give it up) then go ahead and stop using it, you will shed next to nothing as you have gained next to nothing.

If on the other hand you have made spectacular gains then why would you stop using Rogaine ?

..or "propecia is shown to work for the first two years and then the results fade away gradually".

Propecia used by itself may give this impression, see comments above.

It would be great if anyone aware of relevant studies could comment on those remarks.

One problem will always be that no one has done a combined finasteride/minoxidil study.