Is minoxidil good enuff? Dont think i cant take finasteride anymore

[hairhoper]

Well you do have a point that it was dumb of me to say 'stay on finasteride'. I'd forgotten the 'Dont think i can take finasteride anymore' part of this thread and going back and re-reading the OP, it's obvious the guy shouldn't stay on finasteride if it is definitely causing sexual sides.

I didn't take the saw palmetto statement out of my sig because I no longer agree with it, I did so because I thought it was unnecessarily confrontational and despite the impression you may have of me, as we tend to argue, I try to be positive where I can on these forums and I didn't want to increase my count of arguments with idiot hippies. I'll take them as they come but I didn't want to literally have a sentence under all my posts inviting people to have a go, in the same way I wouldn't have a sentence under my posts saying 'There is no God, morons', even though I believe that to be true.

You made no proof my statement was 'hypocritical'.

But yes I have little patience for people giving bad advice and telling people that natural topical 5-ar inhibitors are going to work better than finasteride is bad advice, that doesn't make me a troll even if I get a bit sweary now and then

I've searched the forums, there aren't any success stories. There's inland who believes he's maintaining on revivogen after coming off finasteride but that's about it. He 's never posted any pics though. :dunno: I don't believe the guy is lying but it's hardly convincing.

I think Perfect Image Solutions minoxidil is suspect, it's ... odd ... how many good reviews on Amazon that product has without a single success story from anyone here using it (or on regrowth, HLH or similar forums). There have also been reports from users that crystals are left at the bottom of the bottle, so it's likely the solution is not properly compounded. I've been on the lookout for a reliable 15% solution for a while but would not buy that stuff, it just doesn't smell right. (Plus azelaic acid is bollocks).

 

[TheLastHairbender]

Do you know what "retinol" is? It's just another name for vitamin A, like what you get in food and vitamin tablets. Are you confusing "retinol" with "Retin-A"? :dunno:

For OP, since Bryan already knows this:

Retinol is - one - form of Vitamin A and yes is probably the most common from dietary sources, although vitamin tablets tend to contain retinyl palmitate. Tretinoin (brand name Retin-A), or All-Trans Retinoic Acid, is a more potent, acidic form that's typically used in cosmetic treatments for acne and hair loss, although IIRC tretinoin is metabolized into retinol in the body. Tretinoin has anecdotes both for and against with respect to hair loss. A study showed that it improved the effectiveness of minoxidil and was nominally effective on its own, yet some people using it for acne have reported hair loss as a side effect. YMMV. In general, mega-doses of any vitamin A compound tend to produce hair loss. Whether reasonable use of .01 - .025% tretinoin is good or bad for hair loss is still an open question in my mind, and may depend on the individual. Bryan's right though, that Perfect Image product contains the more inane form, retinol, so my comments about potential irritation are probably without merit for this form of vit. A. But hey you learned something about tretinoin.

Bryan - since both are generally the same, an ionone ring with a retinyl group, I imagined the method of action between the two would be similar, although surely less dramatic for retinol vs tretinoin. Anyway, maybe you could clear something up for me: I see the vague term 'Retinoic Acid' thrown around a lot, on the S5 cream from this site for example, do you think that implies Tretinoin, or could it be a different form of Retinoic Acid...one of the N-cis-Retinoic Acids for example (surely it's not Isotretinoin but could be some other cheap analog)?


Sorry OP that this thread has become so full of infighting. If you can't take finasteride I recommend trying topical spironolactone as an anti-androgen; that's just my opinion and only because I've grown hair while using it (with finasteride and minoxidil too so draw your own conclusions, but I'm not going to stop using it). HairLossTalk.com member 'Imlosinit' is doing the same thing right now, trading finasteride for topical spironolactone, you might want to check with him to see how he's fared. Fluridil is another option, although it's expensive, less well-accepted, and a major PITA to use (hair can have absolutely no contact with water for 6 hours after application). If you're looking for something that works as effectively, easily, and reliably as finasteride then sadly I don't think you're going to find it yet, so be prepared to make some sacrifices to avoid those side effects. Hope it helps, Good Luck!

 

[TheLastHairbender]

Re: Is minoxidil good enuff? Dont think i can take finasteride anymore

First of all, your hair does not look improved in the 2nd pic. 2nd of all flash actually makes your hair look WORSE not better. Noticing these little things in the background give really no credible basis to the argument. Maybe he likes his shades down and door open.

Yeah looking back it was a stupid point to make, sorry to get OT. To say it better: In general, when using a manufacturer's pictures to make treatment decisions, remember that it's easier to construct photos showing a visible improvement than it is to make a hair loss product that works. In this case though I agree that those products are legit, many people have tried them with rogaine-like results. It was just a petty gripe over the pictures, sorry to detract from the convo.

 

[Receding89]

Sorry but what is PITA?

 

[TheLastHairbender]

PITA is pain-in-the-***

which means it is an unpleasant hassle, in case English is not your first language. It doesn't mean that *** pains are literally a side effect, although that might be believable too.