minoxidil after 10 years
- Thread starter temp28
- Start date
I don't think minoxidil lose its effectivness. It makes your hair grow as long as you use it but it doesn't do anything against DHT, so if your balding is agressive, the gain from minoxidil won't last. If you are very slowly balding, that could work for a few years.
Xandroxuser
Established Member
- Reaction score
- 2
Dr Richard Lee - who had a lot of experience - used to say that lots of people thought of giving up minoxidil when after a number of years it seemed to have lost its effectiveness, in the sense that it didn't seem to be growing more hair.
His advice was if you give up minoxidil you will lose all the hair it had grown for you. So don't give it up.
On other occasions he said that some people find that applying minoxidil once a day - as opposed to twice a day - maintains the minoxidil dependent hair once re-growth has stabilised.
How all this is affected by the ageing process has always been somewhat unclear to me.
As regards finasteride, it seemed to me from researching the issue that it is simplest/best to regard minoxidil dependent hair and finasteride dependent hair (what you would have lost if you had not taken finasteride) as quite separate.
His advice was if you give up minoxidil you will lose all the hair it had grown for you. So don't give it up.
On other occasions he said that some people find that applying minoxidil once a day - as opposed to twice a day - maintains the minoxidil dependent hair once re-growth has stabilised.
How all this is affected by the ageing process has always been somewhat unclear to me.
As regards finasteride, it seemed to me from researching the issue that it is simplest/best to regard minoxidil dependent hair and finasteride dependent hair (what you would have lost if you had not taken finasteride) as quite separate.
maximiliandreams
Established Member
- Reaction score
- 1
And what if you stop minoxidil,and lose more hair?Did you think about that?
- Reaction score
- 42
temp28 said:
The point is that topical minoxidil doesn't appear to interfere with the fundamental process of balding. It continues to stimulate the growth of hair as long as you use it and the hair actually exists, but balding continues at about the same general rate.
2020 said:Here is that chart:
^ as you can see, your hair count will go back to baseline after only one year! Of course that's still considered success because you didn't lose ANY hair in that year...
And apparently, the significant regrowth seen after taking sugar pills also ends up back at baseline after a year. And here I thought placebos were good for life!
Seriously though, from what I gather, minoxidil provides a boost to your hair when you use it. If after two years, your hair is the same density as when you began, that does not necessarily mean it has lost effectiveness. Think of it as like hair thickening shampoo. It will make a big difference at first, but then you'll notice that your hair continues to lose density. It doesn't mean that the shampoo is not having the same effect anymore, only that your "baseline" is dropping because you are not tackling the main driver behind your hair loss.
Nene
Senior Member
- Reaction score
- 12
I've been using minoxidil for for 8 years with a 1.5 year break or so in between. I've recently switched to once a day, banking on Dr. Lee's theory described by another poster. I'm tired of applying it twice a day, and I'll save money this way, plus I'm not convinced it'll make a dfference one way or another at this point. So far I haven't noticed any drastic hair loss.
I was looking at research today and found something you guys may find interesting. Here are the graphs that everyone cites when they say minoxidil stops working after two years, but this one includes a caption: http://i74.photobucket.com/albums/i261/ ... veness.gif
Notice what it says. After 96 weeks, the treatment was stopped. That's why there is a sudden drop. I can't believe no one has mentioned this when it's been debated so often.
Notice what it says. After 96 weeks, the treatment was stopped. That's why there is a sudden drop. I can't believe no one has mentioned this when it's been debated so often.
- Reaction score
- 42
kc444 said:
I've never seen anybody mention that specific Vera Price study as an argument for saying that topical minoxidil "stops working" after two years. I haven't seen anybody mention ANY specific study for that reason. By the way, I've cited the Price study numerous times over the years for various reasons, and I've mentioned its 96 week duration several times.