Massive Shed from Minoxidil

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Latelly ive been shedding like crazy! I think its from minoxidil but ive been on it for almost a year so i shouldnt be sheeding anymore. You can see my scalp with dry hair its really disgusting for a 18 year old.
Does minoxidil not work for me or should i stick with it?


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BigTexasSexy

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Whoops, didn't see you already mentioned that ha

I think you might want to look into an anti androgen. I'm guessing you don't want to try finasteride because of its infamous reputation, but spironolactone cream might be more your speed. It's not as effective but it will block dht from forming on your scalp, which minoxidil does not.

In regards to whether or not minoxidil is working for you, I think that's more or less a question that you could answer. After being on it for a year I would imagine you would have seen some type of improvement or at least progress, right? I went through a pretty intense minoxidil shed, but that was only in my first month.

Btw your hair honestly does not look that bad. I'm always as blunt and truthful as possible when it comes to this stuff because I hate when people sugar coat things to make you feel better.
 

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Im getting a lot of smaller hairs in my hairline wich i think is a sign of my hair getting worse. I dont think it has done anything... I think it has gotten worse.

Where can i get spironolactone? I am from europe I cant find any distribuitors here.

It wouldnt be bad if i was older but im 18 so I can only go downhill from here :S .
Thank you.
 

BigTexasSexy

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I genuinely have no idea where to get it, sorry. Try to find it on your own, or maybe search this site for an answer? You can't be the only guy from Spain!
 
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CliffLee

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Which minoxidil are you taking, how much in ml and how often? You could consider lowering the dose.

Are you saying that you have been shedding for about a year or are the sheds intermittent? The shed now could just be a sign that it’s working. Also, are you on finasteride?

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If you're getting smaller hairs in your hairline, surely that is a sign that it's working...? Are they new hairs?

You should research finasteride, the actual studies that have been conducted and consider starting a course.

You can order spironolactone topical on this site, I believe they ship internationally. Click on get your treatment at the top right. I have heard a lot of mixed reviews on spironolactone topical, weighted more to people who said it didn't do anything. finasteride is an FDA approved drug with a high success rate.
 
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Ive been using the one they sell in pharmacies in here it is 5%. I dont really know how much ml but what my dermatologist told me was to aply 4 sprays on each side and then 2 on the crown. Ive had periods where my hair seemed a little better after minoxidil but atm i think i am worse than baseline.

Im not on finasteride atm, I have a dermatologists appointmente in 2 weeks though.

I would say I have some new hairs, some of wich are thick but it seems that all of my "weaker" hairs have shedded, so it looks a lot less dense than what it used to i think(first photo).
 

TinSoldier

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I started losing at the same age, and while I do think minoxidil helps, it certainly doesnt stop it. I use spironolactone 5% once a day now.. unfortunately theres really no way of knowing if this works because you can't see an alternate version of yourself if you hadn't used it! But I do know that recently I travelled for 6 months and stopped it and when I came back my hair was very bad. Since going back on spironolactone and starting minoxidil again things have thickened up but I dont know which has helped. The problem with spironolactone is its just SO damn expensive.. a year on that stuff once a day (1/2 dose) will still cost you about $300-400 a year which is just outrageous to pay for something you dont even know is working..

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I should also add, your hair looks just about perfect so don't worry too much. As someone who has been in your exact situation, let me please impart some wisdom on you I wish someone had to me. Cherish the hair you have now, and don't worry about whatever thinning may be occuring because at your stage it is very minimal and most likely no one will even notice. Trust me. Dont let it bring you down. Love it while you've got it because in 5-10 years you'll probably be looking in the mirror and seeing a whole lot more scalp! I spent most of my time with hair worrying about it not being perfect rather than enjoying the fact I actually had it.. Its only gonna get worse so enjoy it and your youth while you can.

That said, now is also the time to seek treatment and potentially slow it down/stop it. You are the age where if you treat now, you quite possibly could never lose your hair if you keep up treatment (or by the time it gets worse in 10 years there'll probably be better treatments). So act now, just do your research into medication side effects etc.
 
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