Minoxidil is a joke

[All_The_Above]

After using it for two years, I am convinced minoxidil does nothing for MLB--at least for me. It may even make hair loss worse. Also, while it is not a particularly expensive medication, the price does add up after many years. I stopped using minoxidil two weeks ago so, so far no major changes to report. I will update on in a couple months if I see any changes my hair. I suspect my hair will be either the same or better.

Here's a new plan that I have high hopes for:

Nizoral twice a week.
Dutasteride .5mg twice a week
Finasteride 1mg everyday. I have a feeling that Dutasteride should not be taken everyday due to raising t levels so much. This can be the only explanation of why guys continue to thin on it.

There was a recent study or report, which I wish I had on me, where a guy got ridiculous hair growth from taking finasteride 1 mg everyday and dutasteride .5 mg once a week. Before he only took finasteride and had zero results.

 

[chrb]

I think it's absolutely necessary to take minoxidil with finasteride if you want to see good results. I think minoxidil is only effective on its own if you have very mild balding or you catch it very early on. IMO every guy who has male pattern baldness is going to have to get on finasteride or another DHT blocker at some point.

Be careful taking that much finasteride/dust. You might want to start off on a lower dosage than that just to see how your body reacts to it.

 

[All_The_Above]

Be careful taking that much finasteride/dust. You might want to start off on a lower dosage than that just to see how your body reacts to it.

I have taken dutasteride for four years and have not experienced any problems.

 

[chrb]

I have taken dutasteride for four years and have not experienced any problems.

ah. Might be a good idea to stick with the minoxidil if you can afford to. combined with the dust/finasteride you'll hopefully start seeing the benefits

 

[swingline747]

your body has to have a special chemical makeup to have Minoz really work.

"Answering the question of why minoxidil’s hair growth stimulation worked to improve hair weight and growth for some patients and not others, involved a search for the mechanism of action (why does minoxidil grow hair?). In the course of their investigation, researchers determined that in order to stimulate hair growth, minoxidil must undergo a chemical reaction in the body to produce minoxidil sulfate, identified as the active ingredient. The enzyme key to this physiologic reaction is called minoxidil sulfotransferase.(3)
All people have many types of sulfotransferase enzymes in various body tissues which work to add a sulfate molecule (a process known as sulfation) to hormones, drugs, or other chemical compounds, and has the effect of bioactivation or deactivation of the sulfated compound.
At least one study has shown that varying levels of the sulfotransferase enzyme in human scalp correlate with the effectiveness of minoxidil as a hair growth stimulant.(4) The amount of the sulfotransferase enzymes appears to be under genetic control (3 loci of the sulfotransferase genes have been mapped to chromosome 16p), and it is postulated that genetic differences in sulfation capacity are the likely determinant of minoxidil activation.(5) Non-responders appear to have little available enzyme to convert the minoxidil into the active ingredient, minoxidil sulfate."

Im one of the lucky ones tho.... minoxidil does nothing and I get horible sides on finasteride.... YAY ME! Be happy you can take dutasteride with no issues.

 

[Kirby]

All_the_above, I think minoxidil's crap as well, to be honest. If it was some kind of 'experimental' topical I'd have written it off as garbage weeks or months ago, been on it nearly five months now with no improvements. I'm only still using the stuff because 1. it's part of the Big 3, and thus a recognised treatment so I'm thinking, it must work, it must work, at the back of my head the whole time and 2. to work in conjunction with dermarolling.

 

[ohmanohno]

minoxidil for 2 years has done nothing for me as well. maybe slowed things down hard to tell. keep us posted OP

 

[anonymous]

Different people will react differently to it. Same way not everyone reacts the same to finasteride. Sounds like you're not a positive responder to minoxidil, but hey, at least that saves you some cash. Hopefully the other treatment works!

 

[resu]

You don't know what minoxidil is doing until you quit it and eventually lose a ton of hairs.

 

[talmoode]

You don't know what minoxidil is doing until you quit it and eventually lose a ton of hairs.

very true..this is the only reason why I keep doing what I am doing

 

[Sharpe]

I would caution anybody who wants to drop Minoxidil. I dropped it and regretted it immensely after I lost a bunch of hair 2-3 months later. Even if you don't gain much, it's likely its helping to retain what you have. Once it's gone you're gonna have a hell of a time getting it back. If anything I would explore other minoxidil options and/or a better conditioner and/or shampoo to help with the texture/dryness that minoxidil can produce. Getting off of minoxidil was one of the biggest mistakes I've made. Don't learn this lesson the hard way bro. Your choice...