- Reaction score
- 4
10 years ago, my husband saw a picture of the back of his head and said, "Wow, I'm thinning just like my dad. Is there something I can do about it?"
I said, "There's Propecia and Rogaine. Propecia is prescription and can have some sexual side effects. I can pick you up some generic Rogaine next time I'm in the grocery store."
So I did. He started using it then, not expecting reversal but hoping to slow/halt hair loss. After 5 years, he realized his temples had filled in some and he no longer had a thin patch in back. Even my mother commented. He kept using it.
It's been 10 years. By this point, his father was a NW4-5. My husband? NW0-1. He could add Propecia, sure, but we both prefer to avoid any side effects. 2% is waaay too high of a risk.
Minoxidil doesn't work for everyone. It worked for him partly out of luck and partly because he has used it VERY consistently for a decade and started at the first sign of thinning. For about 15% of people, it doesn't halt or severely slow hair loss. Only for 20-30% is there substantial regrowth. But it's a big step toward a solution for a lot of people. Even if you're on finasteride, if you're not using the #2 weapon in the hair loss arsenal, you're leaving potential hair growth on the table, because minoxidil has a completely different mechanism of action.
I said, "There's Propecia and Rogaine. Propecia is prescription and can have some sexual side effects. I can pick you up some generic Rogaine next time I'm in the grocery store."
So I did. He started using it then, not expecting reversal but hoping to slow/halt hair loss. After 5 years, he realized his temples had filled in some and he no longer had a thin patch in back. Even my mother commented. He kept using it.
It's been 10 years. By this point, his father was a NW4-5. My husband? NW0-1. He could add Propecia, sure, but we both prefer to avoid any side effects. 2% is waaay too high of a risk.
Minoxidil doesn't work for everyone. It worked for him partly out of luck and partly because he has used it VERY consistently for a decade and started at the first sign of thinning. For about 15% of people, it doesn't halt or severely slow hair loss. Only for 20-30% is there substantial regrowth. But it's a big step toward a solution for a lot of people. Even if you're on finasteride, if you're not using the #2 weapon in the hair loss arsenal, you're leaving potential hair growth on the table, because minoxidil has a completely different mechanism of action.