Might have to start Minoxidil. :( Very worried

[Kirby]

I've been on finasteride 13 for months. Had my hair fall to pieces since then, and not recovered in terms of density. I'm a diffuse Nw2, very thin. Since then I haven't even got back to look as good as baseline.

I saw a consultant dermatologist in November and he diagnosed Telogen Effluvium due to stress as well as the obvious male pattern baldness. He advocated minoxidil, but said that I could get away with just applying at the temples ("bitemporal area" as the letter to my GP called it) as that's where he spotted miniaturised hair.

Very very worried, TBH. My life has never been worse due to the stress the hair loss is causing me. I might need the Minoxidil all over my diffuse area so that I can reverse my heavily balding appearance. But I can't face it... What do I do if (most likely) I don't remember to use it daily or can't manage the daily use? Do I make all my 'healthy' hair minoxidil dependent and screw myself over when eventually new/better treatments emerge? What about the premature facial ageing and bloating? What if Minoxidil is as ineffective for me as Finasteride is? I'm absolutely TERRIFIED.

 

[talmoode]

hi there

I've set an alarm on my android phone to remind myself to take finasteride daily. So you could probably do the same thing for daily Minoxidil use. There are some good applications if you look around. Also if you don't think you can manage to use it daily...I don't know what to say..because honestly it only takes 30 seconds to apply and max 10 minutes for it to dry (I am using Rogaine foam)..yes it could be a hassle...not trying to be rude or anything but if you think it is just too much of a bother, you might as well forget about your hair loss....
As for Minoxidil dependent hair, I am not an expert or anything but I have read and been told that healthy hair will not become dependent on Minoxidil. Only weak hairs that are going to fall anyway will become Minoxidil dependent.
Regarding sides, yes unfortunately I have experienced some (red eyes and face bloating) but there are others who don't. So it is really up to you. You have to try it yourself to see whether it works for you or not. Good luck..

 

[Benjamin36]

I'm with you Kirby. I keep thinking of trying minoxidil when I get down about my hair, but I'll go on my computer and look up some stuff about it and always find something that I really don't like about it. Unfortunately we aren't going to know whether it's going to work for us unless we try it, although I wasn't too encouraged when I read that in the best case scenario there is a 30% chance that it will work (regrowth).

I have seen some amazing results from others on this forum who have used it, I guess I'm thinking that if it doesn't help at all it's going to be something that I'll be stuck using long-term even if I don't see results, because I'd be so worried about a shed when quitting.

Has your hair become worse after the shed that you experienced after starting finasteride? As in, is your hair loss progressing?

 

[DoctorHouse]

Kirby, I know you read what I wrote about minoxidil in a previous post and it may have convinced you to not use it. However, every time I read your posts, it reminds me of my posts when I first started Propecia. However the difference was I was already was using Rogaine and Revivogen before I started Propecia. Just to let you know I never returned to baseline ever. My suggestion is to try Rogaine foam as it's very easy to use and less people have allergic reactions with it than the liquid. Make sure you put it on at least 3 hours before you get into bed to avoid getting excess on your pillow sheet. Just remember you are going to shed even more hairs but in the long run these hair should come back all at once and give you more thickness.

Rogaine works good for Telogen Effluvium. Just remember, if you get sides they are reversible as long as you stop using it. Wash your hands very well after you apply it. Take a photo of your face before you start using it so you can know for sure if you get sides. Watch your salt intake too as this can increase facial bloating and you might think its the Rogaine doing it. Rogaine can at least buy you up to 2 to 3 years of cosmetically thicker hair until something better comes along so it might be worth it for peace of mind.

Looking back with my experience with minoxidil, I am definitely convinced twice a day is definitely more effective than once per day but if you start to get sides go to once a day as it would be equivalent to using 2 per cent minoxidil twice per day.

As much as I know about minoxidil, I really am always tempted to go back on it as I really think it really gave me that extra cosmetically thickening boost that gives you some peace of mind. I saw on Amazon a 2 percent minoxidil foam that I am very tempted to try to use for at least once per day to see if I could thicken some things back up without any sides.

 

[J.Harrison]

FWIW, I'm a diffuse thinner and when I started minoxidil, I applied it all over my head, not really knowing how to use it.

When I encountered the inevitable "shed", the only hairs that actually fell out were those affected by MBP - ie. the "horseshoe" hair was unaffected. This actually makes sense and is reassuring, as the follicle diameter outside of the "norwood area" shouldn't be miniaturized to any great degree, and minoxidil should not have any strong effect.

I spend sooo. much time worrying about finasteride and minoxidil side effects from reading postings of amateur internet research scientists, that it made my hair *WORSE* by not doing anything.

I had minimal sides in the beginning, sucked it up, and now I'm growing hair. Whether minoxidil. synchronizes your hair, or causes periodic sheds was immaterial in my case. minoxidil in my regimen has resulted in a *net gain* in hair at any given time, and this is what's important.

 

[Kirby]

Was going to write a more detailed reply to the last three posts (thanks for replying, all of you) but I'm not in a fit state (post edited to remove very bad bits)

Minoxidil: 1.) I can't face the scenario of the stuff working for me, then within 2 years I'm back at baseline, or worse. I can't face going through this again. I know there's stuff still to arrive on the market, but what happens if they never arrive and it's finasteride and minoxidil only during our life times? There must be a suspicious reason why nothing has come out since finasteride and minoxidil, and dutasteride was never licenced for hair loss.
2.) what about the long-term damage to the heart and cardio-vascular system? Even 5 or so years, to keep afloat, that's a lot of damage. I already have acute asthma, I don't want a heart condition too. 3.) the cost, as I won't be able to get it from a GP for next to nothing like finasteride.

 

[Quantum Cat]

I don't believe the Telogen Effluvium diagnosis (WHY hasn't it reversed?!),

if Telogen Effluvium is caused by stress, then clearly it hasn't reversed because you're still stressed and panicked.

 

[Kirby]

if Telogen Effluvium is caused by stress, then clearly it hasn't reversed because you're still stressed and panicked.

I was massively less stressed after seeing the dermatologist, very reassured, as un-stresssed as I'd been since realising I had hair loss, I felt optimistic that I'd be OK with finasteride. 2 and a half months later looking just as badly balding, no sign of progress, I feel the worst I've felt, can barely function

- - - Updated - - -

My GP told me that finasteride wasn't legal if prescribed for hair loss, refused to have anything to do with me if I take it, said hair loss was untreatable.

 

[WarLord]

I was massively less stressed after seeing the dermatologist, very reassured, as un-stresssed as I'd been since realising I had hair loss, I felt optimistic that I'd be OK with finasteride. 2 and a half months later looking just as badly balding, no sign of progress, I feel the worst I've felt, can barely function

- - - Updated - - -

My GP told me that finasteride wasn't legal if prescribed for hair loss, refused to have anything to do with me if I take it, said hair loss was untreatable.

I told you that you should measure your testosterone and DHT levels. You were basically idly watching your disappearing hair for the whole 1 year. I jumped on finasteride in June last year, and after half a year, it was clear that this stuff is not going to help me much, because my DHT was around 30 ng/dl! Hence I decided to add dutasteride. There was no other option.

Minoxidil must be applied on the whole scalp affected by male pattern baldness. I have been taking it for 16+ years (ONCE DAILY), and I will be taking it as long as it is effective.

P.S.: Forget the bullsh*t about bloating spread by internet idiots!