If minoxidil extends the anagen phase of a hair follicle, it therefore IS stopping-or at least-slowing down male pattern baldness. male pattern baldness is defined as hair producing finer and finer hair and being in the resting phase more than the growing phase. Well, by extending anagen, minoxidil MUST be slowing down the process. Anagen lasts 2-6 years and I believe that is why minoxidil has long-term variability. Some guys may be extending a hair follicle programmed to grow for 4 years to 8. Some may only prolong hair that was programmed to grow for 2 years by one. This is why I believe people think it loses effectiveness over time, and obviously elevated DHT levels with age contributes. However, for young men (18-29) the increase in DHT is there but it's generally in normal ranges.
Minoxidil CAN stop/slow hair loss on its own
- Thread starter Pavi
- Start date
I believe if you respond to minoxidil, it can take thinner hairs and thicken them up. I caution you that expectations need to be kept realistic if you're only using minoxidil without finasteride
I really do man. It's effective and does not impair the natural chemistry of my body.
You have a very good chance to regrow hair. After man hair cycles, your hair may be really thick
You do have a very good chance, but you have to keep expectations realistic
everyone's different .. so only one way to find out... so whatever treatment you choose.. just be consistent
J.wayneUK tab is right. Only way to know is try and be CONSITENT, no be RELIGIOUS with your treatment. Assess yourself after 6 months and see if you're improving
I've been on minoxidil and propecia since last may, then it's 8 months now, and so much vellus hair grew back on my nw2 temples... wonder if it's going to be normal hair again.. then, is it normal that every night when i apply minoxidil rubbing it (i think that's the right way) some of that short thin hair from my temples ALWAYS fall on my finger, it's really when i rub it, even if i'm doing it very softly... IS THIS NORMAL? AND DOES IT HAPPEN TO YOU?
T
tellersquill
Guest
It stopped my hairloss but I'm now taking finasteride to regain hair.
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Rough stats, for guys balding from an early age of late teens to early 20's, AKA aggressive male pattern baldness:
Chances of getting no impact at all on both minoxidil and finasteride: 20%
Chances of simply maintaining hair with both minoxidil and finasteride: 60%
Chances of re-growing hair on both minoxidil and finasteride: 20%
It is not very likely to regain hair with any treatment (apart from hair transplant of course), unless it's aggressive and dangerous drugs (and you want to have tits). Where are you getting the idea that there's a great chance of this happening? 20% is probably an overstated estimate, its for the lucky few.
As for my experience of minoxidil starting age 24, now I'm age 28:
Used for 6 months, got some density back, no movement on the hairline. Stupidly I stopped using it for 2 months, being clueless and as mentioned, stupid, I thought I could just pick up where I left off anyway. I lost any density and probably more hair than I had before starting.
Of course I started again. From there, 6 months or more of very little, and probably not noticeable increased density (nobody ever noticed as far as I know) until just maintaining for probably a year, and then, another year or two of facing up the the fact that I was losing hair at the same pace as before being 24. If I hadn't have stopped for those 2 months, I probably could have had better re-growth, but not for long.
minoxidil was no longer doing anything, which is inevitable. If you are one of the lucky few (way less than 20%, which is minoxidil AND finasteride) to get any growth from JUST minoxidil, you'll need to keep rolling that dice and hope you never luck out, but more than likely you'll need something else within a few years.
So effectively what's the point? If minoxidil alone is only going to last a few years, maybe 5 at the very most, why not just go on finasteride as well? You're only stalling the inevitable, and in that time you could have seen more growth while on both anyway.
Starting on finasteride at age 28, nearly 5 months ago, increased density, the little "island" forming at the front is now joining it's friends at the temples again, I believe the hairline is advancing slightly, there are positive signs such as the middle of my hair gaining vellus hairs a centimetre down my forehead (so in hope, I think this means the hairline across the board is advancing) and damn, why the hell didn't I start this 4 years ago?
Don't waste your time, mix it with finasteride, if you get sides which is very unlikely, stop taking finasteride and you'll get your boner back, and then mix it with some of the other drug treatments out there. But if you think minoxidil alone is a permanent solution, no. Just. No.
If you think that, you may as well just give up on minoxidil now and begin facing an early life of baldness, otherwise, come to the realisation that you'll eventually be on finasteride soon anyway, and just start taking it.
Chances of getting no impact at all on both minoxidil and finasteride: 20%
Chances of simply maintaining hair with both minoxidil and finasteride: 60%
Chances of re-growing hair on both minoxidil and finasteride: 20%
It is not very likely to regain hair with any treatment (apart from hair transplant of course), unless it's aggressive and dangerous drugs (and you want to have tits). Where are you getting the idea that there's a great chance of this happening? 20% is probably an overstated estimate, its for the lucky few.
As for my experience of minoxidil starting age 24, now I'm age 28:
Used for 6 months, got some density back, no movement on the hairline. Stupidly I stopped using it for 2 months, being clueless and as mentioned, stupid, I thought I could just pick up where I left off anyway. I lost any density and probably more hair than I had before starting.
Of course I started again. From there, 6 months or more of very little, and probably not noticeable increased density (nobody ever noticed as far as I know) until just maintaining for probably a year, and then, another year or two of facing up the the fact that I was losing hair at the same pace as before being 24. If I hadn't have stopped for those 2 months, I probably could have had better re-growth, but not for long.
minoxidil was no longer doing anything, which is inevitable. If you are one of the lucky few (way less than 20%, which is minoxidil AND finasteride) to get any growth from JUST minoxidil, you'll need to keep rolling that dice and hope you never luck out, but more than likely you'll need something else within a few years.
So effectively what's the point? If minoxidil alone is only going to last a few years, maybe 5 at the very most, why not just go on finasteride as well? You're only stalling the inevitable, and in that time you could have seen more growth while on both anyway.
Starting on finasteride at age 28, nearly 5 months ago, increased density, the little "island" forming at the front is now joining it's friends at the temples again, I believe the hairline is advancing slightly, there are positive signs such as the middle of my hair gaining vellus hairs a centimetre down my forehead (so in hope, I think this means the hairline across the board is advancing) and damn, why the hell didn't I start this 4 years ago?
Don't waste your time, mix it with finasteride, if you get sides which is very unlikely, stop taking finasteride and you'll get your boner back, and then mix it with some of the other drug treatments out there. But if you think minoxidil alone is a permanent solution, no. Just. No.
If you think that, you may as well just give up on minoxidil now and begin facing an early life of baldness, otherwise, come to the realisation that you'll eventually be on finasteride soon anyway, and just start taking it.
First off, your experience has some faults to where you can't really comment on minoxidil's efficacy. You went off the drug for 2 months. That's a game changer for your hair, in a negative way. Secondly, if minoxidil can buy someone 2-5 years that's fantastic and hopefully a better treatment is out by then. Lastly, I do think there is a distinction between aggressive male pattern baldness and premature male pattern baldness. I for example started losing hair at 15. I'm now 20 and in 5 years I have lost 2 norwoods. That is not very agreessive, just premature.
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I mean I would watch it to see if it grows back. If it does, minoxidil induced a shedding of those hairs and the hair should grow back stronger after each hair cycle
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I see you only take minoxidil. How are you compares to baseline over these past 8 years?