Is eyebrow hairgrowth from minoxidil permanent?

[Loaded1990]

I was just wondering, recently I have gotten noticable growth of eyebrow hair from using rogaine. I actually apply rogaine to my eyebrows due to losing some in the past. An email I got from Dr. Lee said that eyebrow thickness I gain from minoxidil should remain the same after discontinued use. I would like to verify if this is true at all. These are the messages I got from Dr. Lee regarding this issue:


"If you can put up with Rogaine's cosmetic challenge for you, you can probably stop using it once you have achieve the eye brow thickness you desire. Then you won't need to purchase more minoxidil.

If you want a consultation for treating Male Pattern Baldness, then complete the form Dave sent you and return it to me."


Richard Lee, M.D.

"I also, why do you say once I reach the eyebrow thickness I desire, I no longer have to use minoxidil? is the composition of eyebrow hair different from head that the effects of using minoxidil is permanent?"

"Eyebrow and eyelash hairs are not androgen dependent, so they have no response to spironolactone, finasteride or azelaic acid. Topical minoxidil, being a non-specific biologic response modifier, would promote hair growth in the eyebrow and eyelashes, but using the alcohol-based minoxidil solutions would not be recommended. It would be best to use #930, 12.5% Xandrox lotion, which is 12.5% minoxidil and 5% azelaic acid in a lotion base.

Assuming there is no underlying pathology, regrowing the eyebrow hair using minoxidil could be a one-time only treatment. Unlike hair on the scalp, which is vulnerable to male pattern baldness, eyebrow hair is not. But you also have to understand that the eyebrow hairs grow much more slowly than hair on the scalp and is subject to different variables in regards to its growth.

In fact, when a laceration involves the skin under the eyebrows, the emergency room doctor does not shave the eyebrow, because sometimes the hair will not grow back."

Richard Lee, M.D.






"Also you say, that minoxidil for eyebrow regrowth could be a one time thing, but what about growth in general as in new and thicker hairs that a person never had before? Would those hairs stay after discontinued use of minoxidil?"

"I have no way of knowing how you will respond to treatment. However, considering the slow growth of eyebrows, if you are able to grow thicker ones with minoxidil, then they should stay that way."

Richard Lee, M.D.




If anyone could verify if this is true then I would greatly appreciate it.

 

[KeepTheHair]

That sounds really interesting.


Dr. Lee knows his stuff so I would just go with what he says.

 

[sadscalp]

I've read several places that in most cases it is permanent. However, some might experience that after they quit minoxidil their body hair (non-male pattern baldness hair) becomes a bit thinner and lighter, or so I've read, because I was wondering the same thing.

 

[pacinom]

This is very interesting. Would it be wise to experiment minoxidil 5% on eyebrows ? Would it hurt it in any manner ? I wonder why he meant when he says an alcholic solution would not be advisable ? why not ? i assume he meant rogain 5%

my brother (who also has male pattern baldness) has a scar on his eyebrow, thanks to an accident a few years ago. the hair doesnt grow on his scar part and he is always concious of this. he had a plastic surgeon try to heal that scar but it didnt help coz the surgeon wasnt good. Wonder if 5% minoxidil will help him

 

[heathercali5]

Loaded1990- I was wondering if you went ahead with the minoxidil treatment, and if so did you gain any growth? I have been suffering with the same issue and want to start the rogaine regimen, but don't want to be stuck using it forever. Dr. Lee's responses seemed promising and exciting, but I am also worried that the small amount of existing hair I have will be lost after stopping the treatment, did Dr. Lee mention anything about that? Or anyone else have any personal experiences to report? I.m real nervous about using the minoxidil, but ti seems like the only possible option left...

 

[casperz]

I don't know if it's permanent or not because I've not tried stopping minoxidil
but I can say after about three years of applying minoxidil on my brows they
went from light and almost non-existent to almost what they looked like
when I was a teen, dark and bushy. It did take a LONG time, I think it was
about year two that I noticed any improvement. But it only takes a drop
and an extra second to apply so it's no big deal.

 

[heathercali5]

That's great that it worked for you Casperz, but that is a real long time, I am surprised you stuck with it for so long til you saw improvement. I am wondering though, why did your eyebrows get so thin? Did it just happen as you got older, or was there some other factors involved? For me, I believe it happened due to incessant overplucking through the years, and I am hoping it will still work in my case. (fingers crossed) Now are you going to stop anytime soon since you achieved the thickness you want, or are you going to keep applying it for maintenance?

 

[KeepTheHair]

Will there be a shedding phase for the eyebrow hair?

 

[Loaded1990]

Heathercali5- not only did I regain hair that I lost, my eyebrows are far more thicker than they have ever been. I believe that minoxidil works better on eyebrows than it does on your head hair probably due to more blood vessels on your face. This is only after 3 months as well.

The reason dr. lee recommended against alcohol was due to its potential risk of getting into your eyes and being extremely irritating.

There was a shed at first but nothing too major as head hair.

 

[heathercali5]

@Loaded1990- Wow that sounds amazing, I can't believe the results, I wish I had heard about this sooner. Now, what is your regimen like? Are you using it twice a day and rubbing it on with a qtip? I have been researching this a bit and some say they use 2% and some 5%, any suggestions? And also are you buying your minoxidil supply from Dr. Lee or getting it at the store? And are you planning on stopping the regimen soon since you achieved the thickness you wanted? Sorry so many questions I just want to find out as much as I can so I can achieve the same results... hopefully.

 

[Loaded1990]

Casperz-What brand did you use, and how often are you using it on your brows?

Heather-Well to be honest I never really had eyebrow hairloss that was too bad, the only reason that I used rogaine on my eyebrows in the first place was to make them thicker darker and fuller, and after 3 months of using it has. However I couldn't handle the cosmetic challenges that rogaine was putting me through is especially the dry scaly skin and the unabsorbed coating of ppg with minoxidil I had to peel out 1 to 2 hours a day. So I recently switched to dr. lee's regular 5% minoxidil and it has done wonders for me cosmetically in fact the residue that people claim they get from dr. lee's doesn't seem to be as bad as the one I got from rogaine, at least on m brows; however I'm not sure about the effectiveness of dr. lee's thus far as i've only been using it for about a week now. Lately it seems I've been loosing 2-4 hairs everyday when I shower and rub my eyebrows however I think that is normal shedding. I am still going to continue to use minoxidil and see how thick, dark, and full my eyebrows can really get.

Other than that I've been using minoxidil along with emu oil, folligen every other day or every third day. I've also been taking multivitamins, msm pills, biotin pills, and vitamin b-complex pills to speed up the hair growth and make them healthier.

If you have anymore questions to be answered let me know and I'll assist you as best as possible. Good luck with what you are trying to achive

 

[heathercali5]

Loaded1990- Thanks so much for the info, it is greatly appreciated! I am currently on biotin supplements as well, and they do seem to be helping somewhat, but I will have to give the minoxidil a try and see what results it gives me. Thanks again for the advice!

 

[Loaded1990]

Heather its no problem, I am delighted to help you with answers. I wish you good luck on your "journey", I know you will be pleased.

 

[heathercali5]

I sure hope so... thanks again!

 

[casperz]

I just put a drop or two on each brow and spread it around with a finger twice a day. Since I put minoxidil on my scalp it's not a big deal, just part of the routine. I use Kirklands.

I always thought eyebrow loss was part of balding but then I read it could be related to a thyroid condition. Got that checked out and I was healthy as far as the thyroid. I really think for me it's part of balding because the hairs do the same thing that my scalp hairs do, they get smaller, thinner and lighter. minoxidil seems to have reversed that.

 

[feeling defeated]

eyebrows falling out after minoxidil

hi

i over-plucked my eyebrows and they weren't growing back so i decided to use minoxidil on them, liquid and foam, and i didn't really see any improvement after six months so i stopped. in the weeks after i stopped my eyebrows started falling out, not the hairs that had grown from the minoxidil, there wasn't many of those, but my normal brow hairs.

i don't know when they're going to stop falling out but the're falling out quite rapidly and i'm kicking myself for ever using minoxidil on my brows. i hope this is informative to anyone who is considering minoxidil. for there eyebrows.

thank you

 

[musky]

i don't believe eyebrow regrowth from minoxidil is permanent

i experienced a minor shed on my brows once stopping and they returned to normal