Minoxidil: 0.5g per corner too much? Dispense into the cap?

[JB48]

Hi guys

Sorry for yet more questions about this medication, I haven't found good answers to these yet...

I'm a 25 y/o male with some hairline corner recession which started when I was about 20/21. I guess the pattern is heading towards NW2, at this stage it might just be 'maturation' but I've been trying to save as many hairline hairs as possible. I am used to having a nice straight hairline and the recession really bothers me: it has receded unevenly, with the left moving up higher than the right. Have been on minoxidil (foam)+finasteride for about a year.

My first question is, is 0.5g per hairline corner too much? The guidelines advise 1g per application (approx half a capful), but this is loosely based on scalp application and I only use at the hairline. Is this too much for a smaller area? (I now use once per day, though I started on twice a day).

My second question, connected to the first: I use the cap to dispense the minoxidil, filling it halfway. Is this OK to do? I use my fingers to scoop bits out and then apply to my hairline. I find that the foam does not evaporate in the cap, but it evaporates much quicker on the fingers.

I ask these questions because I am always worried I am not using it correctly, whether using too much or not applying it correctly. The medication appeared to be working, but just in the past few weeks I seem to have suffered a setback. I seemed to be maintaining thickness, as the hairline had barely changed at all for a year, then suddenly several weeks ago, the right side started fading (catching up with the left), and then more recently it started itching too, something I never suffered. I have now stopped using minoxidil for the very first time and am hesitant to resume. Can anyone comment on what might have happened?

Any input is greatly appreciated,

Thanks

 

[Folliman]

It depends on the person. 5 years ago rogaine worked marvels for me twice a day, I don't know how much I used, I just made sure to completely cover all the balding areas. I stopped because it was growing hair all over my forehead. I didn't want my hairline to fuse with my eyebrows, rather be bald.

 

[JB48]

What changed? Did it stop working?

 

[JB48]

Can anyone else offer any input?

To put the question a different way, is 1g of minoxidil foam an arbitrary guideline/limit which has been set to avoid serious side affects associated with overdose (heart rate, chest pains etc)? Or is there some kind of ideal dosage in proportion to the surface area covered?

That's the problem with this medication. The 1g recommended dosage for the 'affected scalp area' is too vague. I can see from a lot of questions posed on the internet (and most answered inconclusively) this causes concern over dosage. Is 0.5g per hairline corner (1g total, once a day) too much or should I just stop worrying? Perhaps I should just adjust dosage (e.g. decrease) to avoid itching?

Thanks

 

[trhorn]

Hey, sorry to piggy-back this thread - I'm unable to start a new one yet because of my post count. I have some similar concerns/questions about minoxidil foam and dosage etc. that I'm hoping some people may be able to help with.

I'm a diffuse thinner and about a month ago started using Kirkland 5% foam, I also buzzed my hair down for the first time ever (using a number 1 guard, so very short) so I could effectively target my problem areas (pretty much all over the top/crown + hairline). Application is a breeze with buzzed hair but I'm going over the recommended dose of half a cap and am concerned I might be overdoing it, especially as I'm applying directly to my scalp.

Over the month as my hair has grown the amount I'm using has crept up to around 1 cap per application twice a day. Is this too much to be applying basically right on to my skin? I just buzzed my hair again and tried to use half a cap but it is simply not enough considering I'm hitting a large area.

As JB48 said, the actual instructions are quite vague, I'm not sure if I should be trying to make half a cap go as far as possible or if I should be using half a cap on each effected 'region' which is pretty much what I'm doing. Any thoughts?

I'm just a little bit concerned I might be going overboard with the amount applied and thus increasing the chance of sides, especially since it's all going straight onto my scalp, which I understand is the aim, but still...

Any advice or thoughts would be great!

 

[dusty]

Hey, sorry to piggy-back this thread - I'm unable to start a new one yet because of my post count. I have some similar concerns/questions about minoxidil foam and dosage etc. that I'm hoping some people may be able to help with.

I'm a diffuse thinner and about a month ago started using Kirkland 5% foam, I also buzzed my hair down for the first time ever (using a number 1 guard, so very short) so I could effectively target my problem areas (pretty much all over the top/crown + hairline). Application is a breeze with buzzed hair but I'm going over the recommended dose of half a cap and am concerned I might be overdoing it, especially as I'm applying directly to my scalp.

Over the month as my hair has grown the amount I'm using has crept up to around 1 cap per application twice a day. Is this too much to be applying basically right on to my skin? I just buzzed my hair again and tried to use half a cap but it is simply not enough considering I'm hitting a large area.

As JB48 said, the actual instructions are quite vague, I'm not sure if I should be trying to make half a cap go as far as possible or if I should be using half a cap on each effected 'region' which is pretty much what I'm doing. Any thoughts?

I'm just a little bit concerned I might be going overboard with the amount applied and thus increasing the chance of sides, especially since it's all going straight onto my scalp, which I understand is the aim, but still...

Any advice or thoughts would be great!

As a diffuse thinner myself I usually double the dosage because I have such a large area to cover. Unless you start to experience sides just keep doing what you are doing also the liquid is much cheaper ($50 a year)

- - - Updated - - -

Hi guys

Sorry for yet more questions about this medication, I haven't found good answers to these yet...

I'm a 25 y/o male with some hairline corner recession which started when I was about 20/21. I guess the pattern is heading towards NW2, at this stage it might just be 'maturation' but I've been trying to save as many hairline hairs as possible. I am used to having a nice straight hairline and the recession really bothers me: it has receded unevenly, with the left moving up higher than the right. Have been on minoxidil (foam)+finasteride for about a year.

My first question is, is 0.5g per hairline corner too much? The guidelines advise 1g per application (approx half a capful), but this is loosely based on scalp application and I only use at the hairline. Is this too much for a smaller area? (I now use once per day, though I started on twice a day).

My second question, connected to the first: I use the cap to dispense the minoxidil, filling it halfway. Is this OK to do? I use my fingers to scoop bits out and then apply to my hairline. I find that the foam does not evaporate in the cap, but it evaporates much quicker on the fingers.

I ask these questions because I am always worried I am not using it correctly, whether using too much or not applying it correctly. The medication appeared to be working, but just in the past few weeks I seem to have suffered a setback. I seemed to be maintaining thickness, as the hairline had barely changed at all for a year, then suddenly several weeks ago, the right side started fading (catching up with the left), and then more recently it started itching too, something I never suffered. I have now stopped using minoxidil for the very first time and am hesitant to resume. Can anyone comment on what might have happened?

Any input is greatly appreciated,

Thanks

Just keep doing what you are doing with minoxidil. You are probably just going through a shed. Also minoxidil is not even approved to work on the hairline so you might lose ground but it is definitely better to use it.
If you are experiencing irritation it might be from some of the inactive ingredients so maybe a change in brand from kirkland to equate or maybe switch to rogaine.