Does Minoxidil Stop Working While On Finasteride??

[worm]

Hi, I keep reading minoxidil stops working after two years, and that's because dht attacks your hair in spit of the regrowth experienced. Therefore, everyone says use finasteride to prevent dht from attacking your follicles.

Sooooo, by that reasoning, is it safe to assume that minoxidil will work indefinitely as long as you're applying it? I'd like to jump to this conclusion, however I've never read any studies or heard any testimonials to that effect.

Any insight or actual evidence is appreciated.

Cheers!

 

[kj6723]

Hi, I keep reading minoxidil stops working after two years, and that's because dht attacks your hair in spit of the regrowth experienced. Therefore, everyone says use finasteride to prevent dht from attacking your follicles.

Sooooo, by that reasoning, is it safe to assume that minoxidil will work indefinitely as long as you're applying it? I'd like to jump to this conclusion, however I've never read any studies or heard any testimonials to that effect.

Any insight or actual evidence is appreciated.

Cheers!

I don't think it stops working, just the follicles it temporary revives are still dying if not protected by an anti-androgen

 

[Kev123]

I don't think it stops working, just the follicles it temporary revives are still dying if not protected by an anti-androgen

That makes sense.

 

[623]

Replying here hoping for an answer on this as well. finasteride responder - hoping that means that minoxidil will work as long as finasteride is working.

For example:
finasteride only: 60% of baseline maintained, losing 10% every 10 years
finasteride + minoxidil: 60% baseline + 20% from minoxidil, losing 10% every 10 years

So by that math, starting at age 20 and going to 40, you could have either 40% baseline or 60% baseline

 

[DoctorHouse]

Hi, I keep reading minoxidil stops working after two years, and that's because dht attacks your hair in spit of the regrowth experienced. Therefore, everyone says use finasteride to prevent dht from attacking your follicles.

Sooooo, by that reasoning, is it safe to assume that minoxidil will work indefinitely as long as you're applying it? I'd like to jump to this conclusion, however I've never read any studies or heard any testimonials to that effect.

Any insight or actual evidence is appreciated.

Cheers!

Bryan always said minoxidil continues to stimulate growth while you use it but if you don't use something to inhibit DHT, you will fall below base after around 2 years because the balding process continues while you still use minoxidil by itself. There have been some cases that some men stayed above baseline for over 5 years but it was assumed that they were balding at snail's pace. If you are on treatments, the problem is you don't know how aggressive your balding would be off treatments.

 

[hairblues]

Bryan always said minoxidil continues to stimulate growth while you use it but if you don't use something to inhibit DHT, you will fall below base after around 2 years because the balding process continues while you still use minoxidil by itself. There have been some cases that some men stayed above baseline for over 5 years but it was assumed that they were balding at snail's pace. If you are on treatments, the problem is you don't know how aggressive your balding would be off treatments.

I am curious about the opposite.

I added topical finasteride to my regimen...and I am responding really well to it so far.

My curiosity is if you respond well to finasteride--what happens if you drop minoxidil? Not going to, just curious.

Been on minoxidil since last November...added finasteride this July.

 

[DoctorHouse]

I am curious about the opposite.

I added topical finasteride to my regimen...and I am responding really well to it so far.

My curiosity is if you respond well to finasteride--what happens if you drop minoxidil? Not going to, just curious.

Been on minoxidil since last November...added finasteride this July.

I have been on finasteride for 12 years. Been off and on minoxidil for at least 10 times. I never got a big shed anytime I went off it.

 

[hairblues]

I have been on finasteride for 12 years. Been off and on minoxidil for at least 10 times. I never got a big shed anytime I went off it.

Thats cool...I think I got some regrowth from the topical finasteride either that or the minoxidil went from good to bad to really good...which seems to coincidental to the starting of finasteride.

 

[Pacey123]

I am curious about the opposite.

I added topical finasteride to my regimen...and I am responding really well to it so far.

My curiosity is if you respond well to finasteride--what happens if you drop minoxidil? Not going to, just curious.

Been on minoxidil since last November...added finasteride this July.

You will lose all your minoxidil gains since they're unrelated to the finasteride gains. The best way to keep hairs for years is to start finasteride and minoxidil together because there's a synergy between the two.

I must admit it's mostly anecdotal what I've seen but I didn't see one person maintaining on minoxidil alone neither did i see one person with crazy regrowth on finasteride alone. BUT I saw many people using both with crazy success including myself!

 

[DoctorHouse]

You will lose all your minoxidil gains since they're unrelated to the finasteride gains. The best way to keep hairs for years is to start finasteride and minoxidil together because there's a synergy between the two.

I must admit it's mostly anecdotal what I've seen but I didn't see one person maintaining on minoxidil alone neither did i see one person with crazy regrowth on finasteride alone. BUT I saw many people using both with crazy success including myself!

I have posted this observation many times. You need both together for the best results. Minoxidil stimulates the hairs that finasteride keeps from miniaturization to grow and keeps your hair cycles in the growth phase longer as a bonus. I would love to see a study with topical finasteride with topical minoxidil versus oral finasteride and topical minoxidil and compare hair counts as well as sides.

 

[michel sapin]

yes this is my real fear . What can happens if you add minoxidil after several years on propecia .
And if you drop minoxidil abruptly ?

I read several studies were you can see that you drop below placebo . Even bryan quoted this . check this study:

But this is true that the best sucess stories are always with the combination . You have to be extremely lucky to have regrowth ( and even maitenance in my opinion) with finasteride alone ?

 

[Pacey123]

@michel sapin , ofc you will fall below Placebo, but only short term. All the minoxidil hair will go and you are worse off than placebo, that doesn't mean you will level out with placebo eventually

 

[michel sapin]

the pictures in the study are quite scary .

 

[michel sapin]

but why do you fall below the placebo ? it means that minoxidil make things worse than if you would have taken nothing ?

 

[Pacey123]

the pictures in the study are quite scary .

Well it's not a cure, it's a treatment. If you have high blood pressure and stop taking the meds it will rise again as well. Nothing to worry about tbh

Because you had more hairs thickened up that will fall which would be on there normal cycle without minoxidil, hence why

 

[michel sapin]

ok but xhy do you fall below the group who take no treatment ?
that means there is an acceleration of hairloss .
You lose more than what you have gained .

 

[hairblues]

You will lose all your minoxidil gains since they're unrelated to the finasteride gains. The best way to keep hairs for years is to start finasteride and minoxidil together because there's a synergy between the two.

I must admit it's mostly anecdotal what I've seen but I didn't see one person maintaining on minoxidil alone neither did i see one person with crazy regrowth on finasteride alone. BUT I saw many people using both with crazy success including myself!

i ran out on Saturday and did not replace it yet...NOW i will go get some today this scared me LOL

I think I will be fine only a few days,

What i noticed since adding finasteride is a lot of the regrowth is thicker in caliber, and I have some vellus hair were i was slick bald--this is hard to tell because I had such small (eraser head size) bald spots..but seeing more appratant vellus hair is good sign to me.
and my shedding decreased it seems.

Im a woman and my hair loss was mild to a lot of men--so this may be why the topical is working for me..
its too soon to tell for sure..i think 2 to 6 more months I will have a better take away.

 

[worm]

I have been on finasteride for 12 years. Been off and on minoxidil for at least 10 times. I never got a big shed anytime I went off it.

Same happened to me. I used to use both, off and on with minoxidil though.

I guess what I really want to know is, does minoxidil stop being as effective regardless of whether or not you're on finasteride?

Everyone says, with an anti dht, minoxidil will continue to work. I dont know if I believe that, and wonder if maybe your scalp begins to become tolerant to minoxidil and eventually it stops working as well...

 

[worm]

Thats cool...I think I got some regrowth from the topical finasteride either that or the minoxidil went from good to bad to really good...which seems to coincidental to the starting of finasteride.

Can you get topical finasteride at the pharmacy? or do you mix it yourself? Any sides btw?

 

[hairblues]

Can you get topical finasteride at the pharmacy? or do you mix it yourself? Any sides btw?

I get it from my Doctor...he has it compounded for me...No sides so far..its only a month...I was surprised to see regrowth so quickly...my hair grows fast/long but all of a sudden all these miniature hairs I had that were stuck at like 1 inch are starting to grow to 2 inches and thicken up--NOT all of them but enough that I feel like I can see a subtle difference...I may take pics in another month or so, hopefully will be more noticeable at that time.
I am assuming it is the addition of finasteride--others will probably think its the minoxodil--I have been on minoxidil since November...I did really well by February, in June I started to shed like crazy again and lost some ground...now i made up that lost ground and I think I am gaining more better caliber hair coming in. I am thinking the finasteride helped..but again its hard to say for sure.

Going to try and get DHT tested when i see my gyno to let you guys know if its gone systemic or not...If it did I don't feel any negative sides so far (of course cant have a baby/concieve-but I did not want one so this is okay I am 46).
my percentage is 0.5% which I guess is on high end not sure. I also use topical spironolactone but I think the finasteride is what really made a difference--although now scared to stop the spironolactone LOL.
The DHT test I think will shed a lot of light on what is going on systemically.

I am tempted if it has gone systemic just to switch to a pill...there is a GREAT study on women who took finasteride or dutasteride for 3 years--holy cow the hair loss in some looked completely reversed. Really impressive for women. Of course Doctors do not want to prescribe the drugs to women in child bearing years (understandable if they do not go on birth control pills) --BUT they prescribe spironolactone..I guess it has a shorter life in system compared to finasteride/dutasteride.