How Long Can One Safely Take a Break from Minoxidil?
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TheLastHairbender
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I stopped for six weeks and lost tons and tons of hair, at least half of my gains since starting. Here was the timeline:
T - Stopped using minoxidil
T+1.5 months - Restarted using minoxidil
T+2 months - Started major shedding
T+3 months - Shedding started to calm, vellus hairs visible again (1.5 months after restarting minoxidil)
T+4.5 months - Back to full strength (3 months after restarting minoxidil)
It was a horrible two months of shedding though. I will probably never intentionally take a break from minoxidil again except for missing one application here and there which tends to happen naturally for me. Pics of all that process are in my story, link in signature, period in question was from 1/15/12 through 5/31/12.
T - Stopped using minoxidil
T+1.5 months - Restarted using minoxidil
T+2 months - Started major shedding
T+3 months - Shedding started to calm, vellus hairs visible again (1.5 months after restarting minoxidil)
T+4.5 months - Back to full strength (3 months after restarting minoxidil)
It was a horrible two months of shedding though. I will probably never intentionally take a break from minoxidil again except for missing one application here and there which tends to happen naturally for me. Pics of all that process are in my story, link in signature, period in question was from 1/15/12 through 5/31/12.
Stefan_88
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You noticed that Minoxidil's effectiveness increased after the break?
- - - Updated - - -
Thanks for the reply.
6 weeks are way too much for me. i consider giving 1 week break just because i feel that Minoxidil's effectiveness dropped a bit in the last months. Some friends said and advised that 1 week or 5 days break will increase its effectiveness, im evaluating it.
I think that you will only lose hair. If you increased the concentration, you would do better.
Stefan_88
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i tried increasing the concentration but it didnt work either.
i gave a 3-4 days break when i runned out of my Minoxidil, i thought that break increased the effectiveness at really good degree. This is why im thinking about it.
you'll only lose hair if you give a break more than 1 month.
TheLastHairbender
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Yeah 6 weeks was way too long. I didn't even intend to take any break. I had run out of minoxidil as well and getting my cosmetic / pharmaceutical order together just kept getting put off til the next day over and over again because I was so busy with other things that before I knew it 6 weeks had gone by. I should've just run to the drug store and paid the extra $20 for Rogaine, would've taken me 15 minutes. Still can't believe how that happened.
Since I would like to increase the effectiveness of minoxidil as well, whether or not the effect has been diminished, I plan to do a month of 15% minoxidil once daily and 5% for the other daily application. Just waiting for results to stabilize on the other treatments I've been experimenting with, namely AHK-Cu at the present moment. I've also found that 15% minoxidil is not very easy to obtain in the U.S., I will probably need a friend in the EU to purchase it and ship to me. Hope you find out what works for you - I don't really have any other personal insight other than what was shared. Good luck!
Stefan_88
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Thanks for the help. im also considering 1 week break at maximum. i hope that increases effectiveness of it.
TheLastHairbender
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You know, a little dab of .05% Retin-A once a day is also believed to increase the effectiveness of minoxidil. Start slowly though, some people are more sensitive to it than others so make sure it doesn't irritate your skin before you start using it regularly. Retin-A (Tretinoin) requires a prescription here in the U.S., I didn't want to bother at the time so I ordered mine from inhousepharmacy.com and was happy with the transaction. Just another alternative to consider.
Stefan_88
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i have some problems regarding Retin-A.
First off, i dont know how to use Retin-A cream, because everyone says different things, such as using Retin-a cream then wait 1 hour then Minoxidil application time.
Second off, it leaves white flakes on the scalp after 1-2 days. i thought that flakes could minimize Minoxidil absorption.
TheLastHairbender
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I agree, the application is not scientific enough, even just the amount to apply. All the directions I've seen, even on the package itself, say to use a 'tiny amount' or the smallest amount necessary to cover the area. It's known in the skin care community that too much Retin-A can cause hair loss as well. I think there may be some variation in individual response. For that reason I tested it on a dime-sized area at the bottom of the back of my hair for a few weeks (an area not prone to male pattern baldness) and didn't notice any irritation or negative effects. And I had great results with minoxidil for the 6-8 weeks I used Retin-A concurrently, so I will use it again and plan to cycle an 8 week course (about the contents of one 20g tube) once or twice a year.
The timing with minoxidil is not as important. Retin-A is active for about 24 hours, so the exact timing relative to minoxidil is not critical. Dr. Lee was a proponent of Retin-A so a lot of the knowledge about the product comes from his instruction. I just wanted to put the option on the table since the main benefit is thought to be increased absorption and effectiveness of minoxidil. Let us know how the break goes if that's the path you choose, make sure to document the dates precisely to aid in making attributions.
The timing with minoxidil is not as important. Retin-A is active for about 24 hours, so the exact timing relative to minoxidil is not critical. Dr. Lee was a proponent of Retin-A so a lot of the knowledge about the product comes from his instruction. I just wanted to put the option on the table since the main benefit is thought to be increased absorption and effectiveness of minoxidil. Let us know how the break goes if that's the path you choose, make sure to document the dates precisely to aid in making attributions.
Stefan_88
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Firstly, Thanks for the information and help. Actually, i dont know what to say. My hairs were thick prior to last month, then i really dont know what happened. i had a shedding period, then My hairs looked worse than before in 3-4 weeks timeline after this shedding period. Wheras my temples were solid at that time where i had good re-growth with Minoxidil and Finasteride. i lost hair density there. This is why im thinking that Minoxidil lost its effectiveness, since my hairs looks the same after the shedding period occured, yeah, My hairs looks worse than before for 40 days or so.
Secondly, im on Finasteride since 1 year and Minoxidil since 1.5 years and however i had 3 shedding periods before. 1 with Minoxidil, 2 with Finasteride. i shedded baby hairs when i was only on Minoxidil, this is why im thinking it was due to Minoxidil. Then Finasteride shedding phases. When i first used Finasteride, i got good impact at first, just becuase i had some balding area , this areas started to darken and thickening up in first 2 months. This is why i thought that Finasteride was working. Then i had good re-growth with it in 3-4 months. Then i had a shedding period, which started after 3.5 months and occured 1 month. i lost some hair density after this shedding phase. My hairs looked horrible after this shedding period. However, i had to cut my hairs very short in order to hide my hair problem.
Then, Hairs started to grow back after 3 months or so. Most of them are grew back. Then, wait, i had another shedding period at that time, after very short time that hairs grew back. Hair looked bad after this shedding period as well. This time, Hairs grew back shortly, in a time of 2.5 months, My hair density were pretty good. My hairs were thickening up fast. i had to thickening up some part of my frontal area.Then another shedding period. Worst of all. My hairs looks worse than before. Shedding period ended 40 days ago yet My hairs looks same and horrible after shedding period. zero improvement.
As i said before, im thinking that Minoxidil lost its effectiveness due to this reason.
Btw, All i could find is 2 Retin-a cream. First one, % 0.1gm strength, Second one, 0.05 % strength. First one is double dosage.
i already have the first one. Should i buy second one or keep using the first one? İs it really matter?
i will use it tiny amount. Cuz too much retin-a could cause hair loss. i dont remember but, when i firstly used Retin-a cream, where i used for a short time. i had flakes after 2-3 days, or sometimes just after 1 day and however this caused some hair loss,at very low rate.
Secondly, im on Finasteride since 1 year and Minoxidil since 1.5 years and however i had 3 shedding periods before. 1 with Minoxidil, 2 with Finasteride. i shedded baby hairs when i was only on Minoxidil, this is why im thinking it was due to Minoxidil. Then Finasteride shedding phases. When i first used Finasteride, i got good impact at first, just becuase i had some balding area , this areas started to darken and thickening up in first 2 months. This is why i thought that Finasteride was working. Then i had good re-growth with it in 3-4 months. Then i had a shedding period, which started after 3.5 months and occured 1 month. i lost some hair density after this shedding phase. My hairs looked horrible after this shedding period. However, i had to cut my hairs very short in order to hide my hair problem.
Then, Hairs started to grow back after 3 months or so. Most of them are grew back. Then, wait, i had another shedding period at that time, after very short time that hairs grew back. Hair looked bad after this shedding period as well. This time, Hairs grew back shortly, in a time of 2.5 months, My hair density were pretty good. My hairs were thickening up fast. i had to thickening up some part of my frontal area.Then another shedding period. Worst of all. My hairs looks worse than before. Shedding period ended 40 days ago yet My hairs looks same and horrible after shedding period. zero improvement.
As i said before, im thinking that Minoxidil lost its effectiveness due to this reason.
Btw, All i could find is 2 Retin-a cream. First one, % 0.1gm strength, Second one, 0.05 % strength. First one is double dosage.
i already have the first one. Should i buy second one or keep using the first one? İs it really matter?
i will use it tiny amount. Cuz too much retin-a could cause hair loss. i dont remember but, when i firstly used Retin-a cream, where i used for a short time. i had flakes after 2-3 days, or sometimes just after 1 day and however this caused some hair loss,at very low rate.
TheLastHairbender
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I think intermittent sheds are natural with minoxidil use, so it may not be the case that anything is necessary. You might find you're back to full strength in a few weeks just by continuing as directed. I am also going through a thinning period right now despite doing everything I'm supposed to...I'm noticing increased shedding and a thinner appearance on top in general. This also coincides with a very high stress / low sleep period for me right now so making attributions is difficult.
I understand what you're saying in those first three paragraphs, I've experienced similar occurrences. I don't think we have a good model for describing short-term variation in shedding and density. Taking a broader perspective, I wouldn't expect diminishing returns after 1.5 years of minoxidil use - clinical evidence suggests 5-10 years is the typical window for desensitization, but it is entirely possible since some people never experience benefits from minoxidil at all. Unfortunately our knowledge based on clinical results leaves your best course of action ambiguous; I'm afraid you may need to act on the anecdotal evidence that springs from the community. I have a great deal of faith in any advice given by Captain Combover. He has helped me tremendously in my progress over the past year with advice that turned out to be very beneficial. I think the best thing you can do is document the actions you take very carefully so you can make a better determination in the future. And please do share your findings with the rest of us, so it may benefit others in the same position. I have been on finasteride and minoxidil for just short of 1.5 years, so I will likely be exploring those options myself in the near future.
Regarding the Retin-A, I know it comes in a variety of strengths, from like .01% up to .1%, which obviously a large variation. I have only had experience with .05%, which seems to be about in the middle. My guess, and this is only an informed guess made without objective support, is that .1% would be ok to use as long as it is applied in a smaller amount than would be applied for .05% for example. I try to use as little as is possible in order to cover my problem area (vertex), so I think it would be difficult to scale down the amount. I spread a half-pea-sized amount over as large an area as possible so that only an unnoticeably thin film remains at any one point. You would probably want to use a barely macroscopic amount of the .1%. Knowing the risk of overexposure to Retin-A, it's best to err on the side of too little than too much. I can say with more certainty that you only want to apply it once per day at most, and maybe even only 4-5 days per week. It's also advisable to apply it at night rather than in the morning, as it may generate some temporary photosensitivity, so spacing application as far away from your exposure to sunlight is a good idea. Monitor for irritation or skin damage and discontinue or substitute a weaker strength, maybe .025%, if any occurs. Let us know what you decide!
I understand what you're saying in those first three paragraphs, I've experienced similar occurrences. I don't think we have a good model for describing short-term variation in shedding and density. Taking a broader perspective, I wouldn't expect diminishing returns after 1.5 years of minoxidil use - clinical evidence suggests 5-10 years is the typical window for desensitization, but it is entirely possible since some people never experience benefits from minoxidil at all. Unfortunately our knowledge based on clinical results leaves your best course of action ambiguous; I'm afraid you may need to act on the anecdotal evidence that springs from the community. I have a great deal of faith in any advice given by Captain Combover. He has helped me tremendously in my progress over the past year with advice that turned out to be very beneficial. I think the best thing you can do is document the actions you take very carefully so you can make a better determination in the future. And please do share your findings with the rest of us, so it may benefit others in the same position. I have been on finasteride and minoxidil for just short of 1.5 years, so I will likely be exploring those options myself in the near future.
Regarding the Retin-A, I know it comes in a variety of strengths, from like .01% up to .1%, which obviously a large variation. I have only had experience with .05%, which seems to be about in the middle. My guess, and this is only an informed guess made without objective support, is that .1% would be ok to use as long as it is applied in a smaller amount than would be applied for .05% for example. I try to use as little as is possible in order to cover my problem area (vertex), so I think it would be difficult to scale down the amount. I spread a half-pea-sized amount over as large an area as possible so that only an unnoticeably thin film remains at any one point. You would probably want to use a barely macroscopic amount of the .1%. Knowing the risk of overexposure to Retin-A, it's best to err on the side of too little than too much. I can say with more certainty that you only want to apply it once per day at most, and maybe even only 4-5 days per week. It's also advisable to apply it at night rather than in the morning, as it may generate some temporary photosensitivity, so spacing application as far away from your exposure to sunlight is a good idea. Monitor for irritation or skin damage and discontinue or substitute a weaker strength, maybe .025%, if any occurs. Let us know what you decide!
Stefan_88
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One of my friends had a completely bald spot on vertex area, with liquid Minoxidil, he completely filled it in after 8-9 months of Minoxidil usage. 2ml a day, just one application, 5.5 days a week, 1.5 days break a week. He says that Minoxidil doesnt lose its effectiveness if he gives breaks like this.
i think that im gonna use 0.05 Retin-a cream if i can find it. However adding 2.5 mg Biotin is advised by some friends, i think that im gonna add it to my regimen, which is normal dosage for hairs. im still giving my break, just 4 days passed, 3 days left. i'll start with Biotin and Retin-a cream after 3 days.
İs it really matter using 1ml Minoxidil 2 times or 2 ml Minoxidil just one application? Some people keeps saying that one application is for maintenance, 2 application for re-growth?
Thanks again.
i think that im gonna use 0.05 Retin-a cream if i can find it. However adding 2.5 mg Biotin is advised by some friends, i think that im gonna add it to my regimen, which is normal dosage for hairs. im still giving my break, just 4 days passed, 3 days left. i'll start with Biotin and Retin-a cream after 3 days.
İs it really matter using 1ml Minoxidil 2 times or 2 ml Minoxidil just one application? Some people keeps saying that one application is for maintenance, 2 application for re-growth?
Thanks again.
TheLastHairbender
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Hey Stefan, yeah everyone responds a little differently. Glad to hear about your friend's success, it's not clear that the weekly 1.5 days break from minoxidil is responsible for those results, but if it makes you feel better than by all means. There is also no evidence to conflict with that being an acceptable regimen. The original developer of minoxidil assures us that a break of 'a day or two' will not impair its effectiveness despite making no claims that it's beneficial.
I also include 10mg daily biotin as a dietary supplement, and that is pretty common practice. I take half, 5mg, in the morning and the other half at night. Since you've already taken the break from minoxidil you might want to see how you respond when you return before starting concurrent Retin-A treatment. It may be the case that the break works like you hoped and your results will be restored. Then you can save the Retin-A for the next time you feel like effects are diminishing. My suggestion was to consider it as an alternative to breaking from minoxidil, which I personally view as too risky for more than 'a day or two'. Others may make the case that the effects of Retin-A are somewhat ambiguous and therefore that treatment is a more risky alternative. Both are valid points; for your case I would suggest one or the other but not necessarily both until you're confident that both approaches are necessary to deliver the results you're after. In a financial sense, breaking from minoxidil and integrating Retin-A is a riskier portfolio than either strategy use alone: you simultaneously increase the potential quality of the outcome along with the potential probability for an unintended outcome. With that knowledge, the choice of how to proceed is yours.
To your last question, minoxidil is recommended to be used 1mL per application two times per day. This was found to be more effective than one-application-per-day use. I choose to use 2mL per application, twice per day, to provide greater coverage of my thinning areas - using 1mL on the vertex as directed and another 1mL to cover the forelock and temples. This latter part of the application is considered 'off-label' minoxidil use, as application to any part of the scalp besides the vertex is not supported by the manufacturer. Even so, I have found it to be very effective when used in this forward region, thanks to the good advice of Captain Combover. Hope that information helps!
I also include 10mg daily biotin as a dietary supplement, and that is pretty common practice. I take half, 5mg, in the morning and the other half at night. Since you've already taken the break from minoxidil you might want to see how you respond when you return before starting concurrent Retin-A treatment. It may be the case that the break works like you hoped and your results will be restored. Then you can save the Retin-A for the next time you feel like effects are diminishing. My suggestion was to consider it as an alternative to breaking from minoxidil, which I personally view as too risky for more than 'a day or two'. Others may make the case that the effects of Retin-A are somewhat ambiguous and therefore that treatment is a more risky alternative. Both are valid points; for your case I would suggest one or the other but not necessarily both until you're confident that both approaches are necessary to deliver the results you're after. In a financial sense, breaking from minoxidil and integrating Retin-A is a riskier portfolio than either strategy use alone: you simultaneously increase the potential quality of the outcome along with the potential probability for an unintended outcome. With that knowledge, the choice of how to proceed is yours.
To your last question, minoxidil is recommended to be used 1mL per application two times per day. This was found to be more effective than one-application-per-day use. I choose to use 2mL per application, twice per day, to provide greater coverage of my thinning areas - using 1mL on the vertex as directed and another 1mL to cover the forelock and temples. This latter part of the application is considered 'off-label' minoxidil use, as application to any part of the scalp besides the vertex is not supported by the manufacturer. Even so, I have found it to be very effective when used in this forward region, thanks to the good advice of Captain Combover. Hope that information helps!
Stefan_88
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Sorry for late response, i was not active on internet for some days. Whatsoever, im here again for an update.
Firstly, i have to say that i ended up my break and re-started to Minoxidil. i also added 2.5 mg Biotin and retin-a cream to my regimen. i hope that they'll work.
in this case, i have 2 minor problem, i was not able to find another brands, this is why i had to buy Solgar Biotin 5mg, However, i consider taking 2.5 mg Biotin a day but yet, i cant divide Solgar biotin into 2 pieces. Second problem is, i couldnt find 0.05 Retin-a cream anywhere, therefore, im using 0.1 dosage, also considering im using retin-a cream 1 hour before my Minoxidil application. i hope it works.
Regarding Minoxidil application, im also using more than 2 ml a day, i had an impression at the end of my Minoxidil application that its not enough for some parts, its better to use enough Minoxidil, for not taking any risks. Thanks for every advice.
Firstly, i have to say that i ended up my break and re-started to Minoxidil. i also added 2.5 mg Biotin and retin-a cream to my regimen. i hope that they'll work.
in this case, i have 2 minor problem, i was not able to find another brands, this is why i had to buy Solgar Biotin 5mg, However, i consider taking 2.5 mg Biotin a day but yet, i cant divide Solgar biotin into 2 pieces. Second problem is, i couldnt find 0.05 Retin-a cream anywhere, therefore, im using 0.1 dosage, also considering im using retin-a cream 1 hour before my Minoxidil application. i hope it works.
Regarding Minoxidil application, im also using more than 2 ml a day, i had an impression at the end of my Minoxidil application that its not enough for some parts, its better to use enough Minoxidil, for not taking any risks. Thanks for every advice.
Stefan_88
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Update;
First off, i restarted to Minoxidil with retin-a cream after 5-6 days of break. Second off, i gave up on 5mg Biotin because of sebum problem, which caused so much sebum on my forehead and face. Therefore, im considering other options that can speeds up hair and nail growth.
it has been 12 days after i restarted to Minoxidil, no improvement so far.
First off, i restarted to Minoxidil with retin-a cream after 5-6 days of break. Second off, i gave up on 5mg Biotin because of sebum problem, which caused so much sebum on my forehead and face. Therefore, im considering other options that can speeds up hair and nail growth.
it has been 12 days after i restarted to Minoxidil, no improvement so far.
TheLastHairbender
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Hey Stefan, good to hear that you're back on track, but I'm sorry the biotin isn't being kind to you. I haven't heard of it inducing that type of effect before - I take 10mg/day and don't really notice anything at all. I don't think it's a big loss to your regimen though, it's an inexpensive and simple addition for most people that might generally improve biological conditions for hair growth, but it's definitely not finasteride or something you can't be successful without.
Stick with the minoxidil, you've been there before so I'm sure you're not expecting anything after 12 days. If you are looking for something mild to replace the biotin that will help speed up hair growth, I would look at taking MSM - methylsufonylmethane. It's a sulfur-rich supplement that some people take to improve joint health (similar to glucosamine and chondroitin supplements) but has some other beneficial functions as well, one of which is pretty well known to be an increase in hair growth rate. If you take a look at the long-hair communities and ethnic hair care communities ('long hair care forum', longhaircommunity.com, my favorite: black hair media forums) MSM is the supplement of choice. It seems to be well-known amongst long-hair enthusiasts that MSM makes it grow out faster. Whether this is good or bad for those of us with male pattern baldness is not so clear - it may advance more hairs into the anagen phase giving you a fuller head of terminal hairs, or I suppose it's possible that it increases the rate of turnover such that male pattern baldness's effects are accelerated. I tend to favor the first hypothesis - I started taking 3g (yes, 3 grams!) of MSM a day in the first few months of my treatment plan (1.5g in morning, 1.5g at night) and have had really good results, to the point that I continue taking it to this day. Of course credit primarily goes to the finasteride, minoxidil, keto, and spironolactone, but the little things like MSM and biotin deserve mention too, especially at a cost of just ~$10 per month. Plus it's nice to have a treatment for which you'd actually expect beneficial side effects, as is the case with MSM and its therapeutic effects on connective tissue and elsewhere in the body. In fact, in all my research the only things I've found to have an unequivocally positive (or at least non-negative) impact on health are omega-3 FAs and MSM. I've come across a number of studies on supplemental MSM intake, I don't recall any noting any adverse effects. From my own experience, I would say - subjectively, but with some confidence - that it does make your hair grow out faster. When you're starting (or restarting, as in your case) treatment with finasteride or minoxidil or whatever, I would conjecture that the increased growth rate works to your benefit in generating results more rapidly. [I suppose the converse would be that if you're faced with a fixed number of hair cycles over a lifetime you would also reach NW7 more quickly, but I don't think such a model of fixed-lifetime-growth-cycles has been supported). I take NOW Foods MSM (EDIT, see below) in 1.5g tablets by the way (they're big and chalky pills, but inexpensive and effective. Liquid versions are also available). [EDIT: My mistake - I actually take Drs. Best MSM in 1.5g tablets, as this brand now uses the highly preferred 'OptiMSM' form of MSM made by Bergstrom Nutrition in the US. An alternative form is Lignisul MSM, made by Fine Neutraceuticals, which is the form Drs. Best used to include, although the non-scientific anecdotes I came across tended to favor OptiMSM.]
Good luck, stick with the minoxidil and don't over-do the tretinoin.
Stick with the minoxidil, you've been there before so I'm sure you're not expecting anything after 12 days. If you are looking for something mild to replace the biotin that will help speed up hair growth, I would look at taking MSM - methylsufonylmethane. It's a sulfur-rich supplement that some people take to improve joint health (similar to glucosamine and chondroitin supplements) but has some other beneficial functions as well, one of which is pretty well known to be an increase in hair growth rate. If you take a look at the long-hair communities and ethnic hair care communities ('long hair care forum', longhaircommunity.com, my favorite: black hair media forums) MSM is the supplement of choice. It seems to be well-known amongst long-hair enthusiasts that MSM makes it grow out faster. Whether this is good or bad for those of us with male pattern baldness is not so clear - it may advance more hairs into the anagen phase giving you a fuller head of terminal hairs, or I suppose it's possible that it increases the rate of turnover such that male pattern baldness's effects are accelerated. I tend to favor the first hypothesis - I started taking 3g (yes, 3 grams!) of MSM a day in the first few months of my treatment plan (1.5g in morning, 1.5g at night) and have had really good results, to the point that I continue taking it to this day. Of course credit primarily goes to the finasteride, minoxidil, keto, and spironolactone, but the little things like MSM and biotin deserve mention too, especially at a cost of just ~$10 per month. Plus it's nice to have a treatment for which you'd actually expect beneficial side effects, as is the case with MSM and its therapeutic effects on connective tissue and elsewhere in the body. In fact, in all my research the only things I've found to have an unequivocally positive (or at least non-negative) impact on health are omega-3 FAs and MSM. I've come across a number of studies on supplemental MSM intake, I don't recall any noting any adverse effects. From my own experience, I would say - subjectively, but with some confidence - that it does make your hair grow out faster. When you're starting (or restarting, as in your case) treatment with finasteride or minoxidil or whatever, I would conjecture that the increased growth rate works to your benefit in generating results more rapidly. [I suppose the converse would be that if you're faced with a fixed number of hair cycles over a lifetime you would also reach NW7 more quickly, but I don't think such a model of fixed-lifetime-growth-cycles has been supported). I take NOW Foods MSM (EDIT, see below) in 1.5g tablets by the way (they're big and chalky pills, but inexpensive and effective. Liquid versions are also available). [EDIT: My mistake - I actually take Drs. Best MSM in 1.5g tablets, as this brand now uses the highly preferred 'OptiMSM' form of MSM made by Bergstrom Nutrition in the US. An alternative form is Lignisul MSM, made by Fine Neutraceuticals, which is the form Drs. Best used to include, although the non-scientific anecdotes I came across tended to favor OptiMSM.]
Good luck, stick with the minoxidil and don't over-do the tretinoin.
Stefan_88
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Firstly, i was not expecting that kind of side effect from Biotin and was very surprised, considering i didnt get any sides from Finasteride. When i googled it, i noticed that increasing Sebum is one of Biotin's side effects. Nevertheless i can try it with lover dose or lower usage such as 5mg for 4-5 days or so. After noticing that sebum was heavy on my forehead, i simply couldnt stand with that kind of sebum. Also i thought that it could effect my regimen in negative mode.
Secondly, im actually not expecting a re-growth from Minoxidil after just 12 days and however my expectations were a bit different ,as i was expecting shedded hairs in the last shedding period come back. Sadly, still no sign of coming back. it has been 50 days or so after my shedding period ended.
After that, i have grey hair problem as well. i plucked them with their roots, on 24 july, 2012, however they came back 1 month ago. it might be crazy but yet they reached the same length in 2.5 months after i plucked them with roots, considering now they are 1 cm length. Honestly, i dont know what to do againist grey hairs.
its interesting i didnt have any grey hairs prior to Minoxidil usage, i had that grey hairs after just a couple months of Minoxidil usage. it made me think that Minoxidil caused them. maybe i am wrong, i dont know.
After all, im considering my options in order to speeds up hair and nail growth, though it will be hard to find alternative, considering im not able to buy something from online shopping because of customs in my country.
My main goal is growing shedding hairs ,during my last shedding period, out faster. im considering options, i'll try to find MSM on local pharmacies. otherwise, i'll look at other options.
Thanks for the very informative post about MSM. really appreciated.
Secondly, im actually not expecting a re-growth from Minoxidil after just 12 days and however my expectations were a bit different ,as i was expecting shedded hairs in the last shedding period come back. Sadly, still no sign of coming back. it has been 50 days or so after my shedding period ended.
After that, i have grey hair problem as well. i plucked them with their roots, on 24 july, 2012, however they came back 1 month ago. it might be crazy but yet they reached the same length in 2.5 months after i plucked them with roots, considering now they are 1 cm length. Honestly, i dont know what to do againist grey hairs.
its interesting i didnt have any grey hairs prior to Minoxidil usage, i had that grey hairs after just a couple months of Minoxidil usage. it made me think that Minoxidil caused them. maybe i am wrong, i dont know.
After all, im considering my options in order to speeds up hair and nail growth, though it will be hard to find alternative, considering im not able to buy something from online shopping because of customs in my country.
My main goal is growing shedding hairs ,during my last shedding period, out faster. im considering options, i'll try to find MSM on local pharmacies. otherwise, i'll look at other options.
Thanks for the very informative post about MSM. really appreciated.