minoxidil issue bugging me out- Comments HIGHLY appreciated

[iseras]

I've been using Revivogen for about 2 years, with good maintanence- However, 4 months ago, i decided to add some minoxidil to get some regrowth- Ever since then, i've honestly noticed that my diffuse hair loss has gotten worse- the hairs that i already had are a bit thicker, but there seems to be much less of it- it's defintintly less dense. Now i'm really not trying to freak anyone out, just seeking a rationale behind this- Could minoxidil actually make things worse? Does it have potential to have a reverse effect for some? My hair is much thinner since minoxidil, and even though I really don't want to, should i quit it?

Also, if i decide to quit minoxidil, would the shed be intollerable? I mean, if minoxidil puts all the hairs on your scalp into growth phase, and then you stop it, wouldn't they all just go to rest phase, basically causing a full shed of exisiting hairs? Then you'd have to wait another 6 months at least before they grow alone, assuming that the exisiting ones aren't even minoxidil dependent.

Please, comments on both questions/issues are highly appreciated.

 

[JesusFreak]

I've never heard of minoxidil making things worse, unless you are talking about the initial shedding, which ive never experienced. You could switch the minoxidil with another growth stimulator which also lengthens the antagen phase. Cold turkey removal of the minoxidil you are going to see a lot of shedding, but only the hair that youve grown while using the minoxidil, so maybe you wont shed at all.

To be honest, the revivogen is a waste of time as well as money. Thats just my opinion. If you want a proven anti-androgen use topical spironolactone. Its cheaper and actually works. Ive used both as single agents for 3 months and the revivogen did nothing, while I had dense regrowth with the spironolactone.

 

[x5o]

YEEEEEESSSSSSSSS! I do believe minoxidil. CAN make hair loss in some individuals MUCH worse. Please pull all of my posts and read my feelings on minoxidil. I have addressed all your questions in my previous posts. Some will say be bold and let the shedding and poor results with minoxidil. continue and claim it will eventually improve. I say use your common sense and if need be, be bold and get off minoxidil. Your hair should normalize to a pre-minoxidil. state within 6 months. If shed is real bad, just get a short flat top and wait out the 6 month period. Short flat tops make anyone look a little bald so the shed should not be that noticable and problematic for you psychologically.

 

[x5o]

Also, I think "Bombscience", on this site is a proponent of getting off the minoxidil band wagon. Check out some of his posts or PM him.

 

[iseras]

So i should quit minoxidil, or stick with it, even though i'm positive my hair has gotten less dense in the past 4 months? I want to avoid a shed- Would slowly tapering off it prevent a shed- say, 1x every 2 days for a week, then 1x every 3 days, then 1x a week, 1x a month and then stop? Thanks

 

[x5o]

Because hair loss medicine (like any medicine) is not an exact science, your into a bit of a guessing game. I hesitate to advise you on what you should do. I chose to terminate minoxidil. therapy permanently, cold turkey and the shedding stopped within days. My density since my most recent discontinuation of minoxidil. has come back much quicker than with past minoxidil. treatments as I have been using spyro. and a copper peptide topical. I also added an avodart once a week. I credit the two topicals for the quick recovery though. Keep in mind my longest minoxidil. "experiment" was about 3 months. One might expect to have different results if they have been on it a lot longer. My sheds on minoxidil. were quick and drastic. Common sense told me that the rate of hair loss increase and density reduction was not going to prove to be beneficial to me. Even the makers of Rogaine have concerns about the prolonged shedding.

Just curious, did you check out any of my previous posts??

 

[The Fluke]

I've been using Revivogen for about 2 years, with good maintanence- However, 4 months ago, i decided to add some minoxidil to get some regrowth- Ever since then, i've honestly noticed that my diffuse hair loss has gotten worse- the hairs that i already had are a bit thicker, but there seems to be much less of it- it's defintintly less dense. Now i'm really not trying to freak anyone out, just seeking a rationale behind this- Could minoxidil actually make things worse? Does it have potential to have a reverse effect for some? My hair is much thinner since minoxidil, and even though I really don't want to, should i quit it?

Also, if i decide to quit minoxidil, would the shed be intollerable? I mean, if minoxidil puts all the hairs on your scalp into growth phase, and then you stop it, wouldn't they all just go to rest phase, basically causing a full shed of exisiting hairs? Then you'd have to wait another 6 months at least before they grow alone, assuming that the exisiting ones aren't even minoxidil dependent.

Please, comments on both questions/issues are highly appreciated.

i just quit minoxidil last week. like you i noticed the density dropping but the individual hairs thickening up, almost eyebrow girth. i was on it for about 5 months. i've taken it twice since then to ween myself of it, once next week and that is it.

 

[supernova]

I'm a diffuse thinner too. My hair on minoxidil got a lot worse, but then it got a whole lot better. My advise is to wait it out.

 

[HAIRLOSSMILITANT]

Oh come on guys!
We're told a million zillion times to try minoxidil for 6 months MINIMUM until making an observation if it works or not.
For Propecia its 1 year minimum to wait to see if it works.

 

[x5o]

Told a million zillion times by whom?????? It does not take any more than a few days, sometimes a few hours to know if a particular drug of any type has an adverse affect on an individual. Why so many people on this site are unwilling to accept that minoxidil. has an adverse affect on some people is beyond me.

 

[Guest]

Told a million zillion times by whom?????? It does not take any more than a few days, sometimes a few hours to know if a particular drug of any type has an adverse affect on an individual. Why so many people on this site are unwilling to accept that minoxidil. has an adverse affect on some people is beyond me.

If you are talking about an imediate allergic reaction, I would agree.

I don't think this is what was implied by the post. Clearly to see if minoxidi is going to work for regrowth, one needs to give it a go for a number of months, no?

 

[Kramer3]

Told a million zillion times by whom?????? It does not take any more than a few days, sometimes a few hours to know if a particular drug of any type has an adverse affect on an individual. Why so many people on this site are unwilling to accept that minoxidil. has an adverse affect on some people is beyond me.

Told a million time by people who have had experience with the drug and subsequently saw regrowth.
When you say adverse reaction, are you implying constant shedding? If so then I would disagree and say that it would take over 4 months of persistant shedding to determine whether or not you've had an adverse reaction. I agree that a very small percentage of people may have an adverse reaction to the drug but commonly it's just initial shedding. I think the reason people are so hesitant to accept the fact that people have experienced adverse reactions is because they want to stay optomistic in the period in which it appears their shedding incessantly. The last thing any of us need to be doing is questioning our logic behind taking a drug and become nervous about this supposed adverse reaction. It's hard enough waiting out a shed.

What if they decide to get off minoxidil and consequently endure an even greater shed? You have the good fortune of experiencing hairloss at an older age, I don't have that benefit. I need minoxidil.

 

[jason566]

Hey kramer
Im not sure where u use miox at r how much etc what norwood u are and everything..I read the shed material as you suggested but it still doesnt answer any questins regarding if somebody is on minoxidil for 4 months say they use on the hairline and it only got worse in those 4 months while on it faster than it did prior to using the drug Would that mean minoxidil made them worse? or could they still possiably experience regrowth even though there hair looks worse?

x50 I cant find your posts how do u look them up ?

 

[morphuesX]

i've close to 3 1/2 months on minoxidil in the front and hairline..and i swear to god things are gotten worse....iam seriously considering dropping the stuff..iam running out of patience waiting for the shed to end :evil:

 

[x5o]

To view my posts, pull my profile and click on "find all posts by".

 

[Kramer3]

Jason: I suggested you read the shedding article because you were asking basic questions on why sheds are neccessary and what causes them in another thread. I wouldn't have told you to read the article to answer the particular question you have now.
Do I believe that persistant shedding for four months on a drug such as minoxidil is an indicator that the drug isn't working?
Generally I'd have to say yes. If you honestly feel that minoxidil has caused a sustained increase of hairloss throughout that entire time period without any signs of regrowth then you may not be a responder. It may not mean you had an adverse reaction, just that didn't you respond. Shedding heavily throughout the first 2 months is normal but eventually you should see some sort of sign that things are improving. Four months of persistant shedding seems to be excessive.

 

[jason566]

thanks kramer
Ive havent been on minoxidil for even 2 months yet so and im just using it on a thinning area to see how it works I figure if it thickens up there gotta work anywhere else i might apply..my only concern is it affecting nearby terminla hairs id like to not shed out of fear of them not growing back as terminals again..would u say somebody who has 4 months of persistant shedding if they did quit minoxidil would the hair grow back?.
still confused on how minoxcauses this reaction in people gottta be a minority though..I mean it is otc...as far as sheddin for me since im using so little of it..it be hard for me to ntoice a shed but just in over a week i kno the hairs im pplying too are less in the area..still unsure how much i should apply there though..

 

[bombscience]

My hair is thinner since I started my big three treatment. I am continuing with the minoxidil for now, but it is definetly no HELPING my sitaution yet. I'm at the 9 month mark and ordered 3 more months this week. So i'm sticking with minoxidil until a year to make that decision. Why? Because if finasteride kicks the DHT in the ***, the minoxidil may become more effective. I will see. However right now i'm thinner than ever have been 9 months into minoxidil + finasteride.

 

[jason566]

so bombscience sounds like treatment has made u worse..any regrets?

 

[bombscience]

so bombscience sounds like treatment has made u worse..any regrets?

made me worse than what? who knows how much hair i would have lossed/saved if i never started a topical treatment. my gut feeling is it wouldn't have made a difference or might have a little more hair.

but what am i supposed to regret? at least i tried. i just wish something would work.