I Am Starting Topical spironolactone--will Take Few Months To Tell

[hairblues]

(I edited this to be more sure)

I have Androgenic alopecia and anemia.
Androgenetic Alopecia confirmed by biopsy and ferritin anemia in blood work.
My Androgenetic Alopecia is deemed 'early' on pathology report.

I have been taking iron for 6 months and got my ferritin up from 12 to 60.
I have been using topical spironolactone with estrodial and melatonin now for about 7 weeks.

I noticed the past 2 weeks my hair shedding has decreased..I 'think' i see some new growth- it's not cosmetically different but when i look in magnifying mirror i see new hairs were i did not see before. Only time will tell what they do. I think active hair follicles is good sign.

I had a lot of short cycling hair this Summer (grows an inch and falls out with white club) this hair loss has slowed down. My hair feels more rooted than before.

I cannot tell for sure if it is the topical spironolactone I am using or that my ferritin is up higher causing the positive changes. Maybe both.

Im going to continue the topical spironolactone spray and i have added 5% minoxidil foam 1x a day.

I am also doing Keto shampoo few times a week and hairmax laser comb (i doubt this is working much)

My thoughts are to stick with this until January/February and possibly switch to oral spironolactone.
I wanted to try topical first to see how i respond.

Hair loss is weird so i have no idea if my positive results are temporary or not..Also i am sure the minoxidil may start to effect shedding going forward from what i have read.

 

[Joan]

Hoping it helps, hairblues. I'll consider giving it a try if you have success and don't experience sides. Yes, please do post updates. Even if you can just maintain the hair you currently have, that'd be great.

 

[Joan]

Thanks for the update, hairblues. Glad you've finally gotten a definitive diagnosis and can proceed with the proper treatments. I hope you have success.

 

[Norwood One]

I stopped topical spironolactone (S5)...one because they discontinued it on this site..

two, because i don't know if it was doing anything. pretty sure it wasn't. Now im on microdoses of finasteride, which actually is working.

Good luck though, do update with pics if you see something worthy to report on.

 

[hairblues]

Okay so here is an update

I am using the minoxidil for 5-6 weeks now and the topical spray spironolactone/estrodial for about 8 weeks.
Also I am keeping my iron up which my Dr thinks is important because i have ferritin-anemia.

So I am seeing some sprouts where i did not have hair..I can only see them in the magnifying mirror so I don't think a valid before/after pic would do any good until 6 month mark if even then.

Its still too soon to know for sure what is helping and to what degree it's helping.

But i am happy to see a few hairs even if they are vellus in places i was missing hair. I like that the follicle is active.

Still too soon to say anything for sure though--hair loss is a roller coaster.

 

[kj6723]

But i am happy to see a few hairs even if they are vellus in places i was missing hair.

Even though they offer no cosmetic improvement the vellus hairs are reassuring to see because you know the treatments are pushing in the right direction

 

[hairblues]

Definite regrowth!!!! Its fine and can't tell how thick it will get but it's definitely there!!
I'm both deliriously happy and oddly terrified.

My hair is no longer short-cycling this week which is first in I cannot say how long...At least a year.
My hair would grow an inch and fall out or be easily tugged out and always have a white bulb...well those hairs are not falling out and not easily tugged this week!!!!

Does minoxidil do that or is that the spironolactone??
Could be my iron maybe also? i was ferritin anemic.

Minoxidil is definitely working because i have some thickening of my baby hairs that frame the face and even on the nape of my neck i have a little extra growth/darkening that is new in this area..Im not worried about it --if worse comes to worse i will have it lasered off. For now it's not crazy noticeable. Its between my nape of my neck and back of my ear. Just a kind of dark peach fuzz.
Very little but definitely something new.

I don't know what would be working on what so far.

Here is my timeline
Im 10 weeks on topical spironolactone blend
Im 6 weeks on minoxidil 5% 1x a day half cap
I'm doing keto for like 8 months
Im doing laser light for about 8 months
I'm on high dose of iron (under Dr supervision and testing) for about 6 months
Im on 5000 biotin for about 6 months
I'm on 2000-4000 vitamin D for about 4-6 months (i was deficient)

I know the minoxidil is stimulating regrowth due to my thickening baby hairs....
BUT do you guys think minoxidil OR the spironolactone is helping my hair not fall out?

I am shedding long hairs but mostly from back of head (where i do not have hair loss) THIS I believe is the minoxidil since it started to get heavy 2 weeks into using.

But i am trying to find out if the topical spironolactone is helping my hair no longer short cycle or if that is the minoxidil or even the iron??

 

[hairblues]

Just another quick update

Im doing really well.

hair is barely shedding and i do not see anymore short hairs in shower.

Pull tests are really good--short hairs are sticking in my scalp.

They are also thickening up a bit as they are growing.

When i get out of the shower i am not 'shocked' anymore at my scalp as before. Basically not glaring scalp.

Im so thrilled and i hope it continues. I can see where in a few months the hair may fill in enough to get some good before/afters.

 

[buckthorn]

@hairblues - your doctor is prescribing a topical spironolactone / estradiol spray? I would be interested in this. what is it called?

 

[hairblues]

@hairblues - your doctor is prescribing a topical spironolactone / estradiol spray? I would be interested in this. what is it called?

Yes he has a mans blend and a womans blend.
I will PM you his site.

Do you think that is whats keeping my hair in head?
I can't tell if its that or the minoxidil.

 

[buckthorn]

Do you think that is whats keeping my hair in head?
I can't tell if its that or the minoxidil.

who knows. if using both is working then keep using both! My honest guess would be the minoxidil.

 

[hairblues]

who knows. if using both is working then keep using both! My honest guess would be the minoxidil.

Definitely going to keep up both just in case.

 

[sofia]

Hi @hairblues,
Glad you are seeing results!
Do you think that Iron and vitamins are helping, or is it just minoxidil?
I'm trying to raise my iron/ferritin levels to 70, at the moment they are at 32.
Did you have more shedding when you started iron?
I can't use minoxidil, not sure if a topical like yours would help because I am already on the bc diane35.
Thanks in advance

 

[hairblues]

Hi @hairblues,
Glad you are seeing results!
Do you think that Iron and vitamins are helping, or is it just minoxidil?
I'm trying to raise my iron/ferritin levels to 70, at the moment they are at 32.
Did you have more shedding when you started iron?
I can't use minoxidil, not sure if a topical like yours would help because I am already on the bc diane35.
Thanks in advance

If you google DR Costarellis study that all the Dr are getting the idea of iron from--it states that raising ferritin to around 70 or above WHILE doing treatments for hair loss--they are more efficient.

So i would raise the ferritin with your Dr to around 70-80. Not above this or I think you can cause hair loss no sure.
I would do minoxidil to stimulate growth
i would do anti androgen/DHT to help keep the DHT down

My hair shed so much for so long until just last week.
I am not even sure if its a temporary reprieve or not to be honest.
I think all these things worked synergistically.

 

[sofia]

If you google DR Costarellis study that all the Dr are getting the idea of iron from--it states that raising ferritin to around 70 or above WHILE doing treatments for hair loss--they are more efficient.

So i would raise the ferritin with your Dr to around 70-80. Not above this or I think you can cause hair loss no sure.
I would do minoxidil to stimulate growth
i would do anti androgen/DHT to help keep the DHT down

My hair shed so much for so long until just last week.
I am not even sure if its a temporary reprieve or not to be honest.
I think all these things worked synergistically.

Thank you

Yes, I read Cotsarelis's study.
I can't use minoxidil, I'm allergic to it. After using it for 6 weeks with sucess and no shedding, I got a contact dermatitis.
The bc pill helped for a month and then hair loss just continued, still taking it though cause I'm too afraid of more shedding if I stop. Stemoxydil does help a bit.
I'm having iron, b12 and biotin injections, had one vitamin D shot and taking drops now. Don't know how long it will take to raise the levels, but I know that years ago I had them and the hair stopped falling for a while. Dunno what to do anymore, I had a break for one and a half years, then it started again, now I have a break of 3-4 months and then it just goes on.
I'm losing 400-500 hairs every time I wash my hair.

 

[hairblues]

Thank you

Yes, I read Cotsarelis's study.
I can't use minoxidil, I'm allergic to it. After using it for 6 weeks with sucess and no shedding, I got a contact dermatitis.
The bc pill helped for a month and then hair loss just continued, still taking it though cause I'm too afraid of more shedding if I stop. Stemoxydil does help a bit.
I'm having iron, b12 and biotin injections, had one vitamin D shot and taking drops now. Don't know how long it will take to raise the levels, but I know that years ago I had them and the hair stopped falling for a while. Dunno what to do anymore, I had a break for one and a half years, then it started again, now I have a break of 3-4 months and then it just goes on.
I'm losing 400-500 hairs every time I wash my hair.

Did you try the mouse minoxidil? or the liquid?

 

[sofia]

Did you try the mouse minoxidil? or the liquid?

Yes, tried both, same same.

 

[hairblues]

Yes, tried both, same same.

wow I'm sorry to hear that for me i do think the most that is working is the minoxidil

Watch the new research page the Brotzu lotion. Its not out yet but supposedly may work as well as minoxidil with no side effects. but this is still speculation.

 

[hairblues]

also i use Keto shampoo so i don't know if this is helping my scalp

 

[sofia]

wow I'm sorry to hear that for me i do think the most that is working is the minoxidil

Watch the new research page the Brotzu lotion. Its not out yet but supposedly may work as well as minoxidil with no side effects. but this is still speculation.

Oh yes, I'm sure it's minoxidil.
Glad it's working for you. I've been watching that thread, let's hope we get some good news at some point. I live close to Italy it would be easy to get it.