minoxidil questions

uphillbattle · Aug 30, 2012

1. Will minoxidil cause unwanted facial and body hair growth on men that cannot be reversed after discontinuing use? I really would not like this side.

2. Is it effective at the side temple region of the hairline?

3. Will all the possible hair growth stimulated by minoxidil disappear after discontinuing usage, or will some remain?

4. Is it even worth using without taking finasteride?

Bowser · Aug 30, 2012

1. minoxidil can grow hair anywhere its applied. avoid on pillows during night application.

2. can grow hair on temples but variable. it did for me initially. quite impressive but early growth dwindled.

3. hair follicles become dependant on minoxidil after some time so have to continue for life.

4. minoxidil alone can be ok if your hair loss is not that aggressive. finasteride has its own issues.

just my own opinion. good luck

uphillbattle · Aug 30, 2012

Bowser said:
1. minoxidil can grow hair anywhere its applied. avoid on pillows during night application.

3. hair follicles become dependant on minoxidil after some time so have to continue for life.

1. I was thinking more along the lines of the mino getting absorbed through the skin into the bloodstream and causing unwanted hair growth throughout the body? Also would it be permanent?

3. EDIT: NVM found the answer to this one in another thread by Warlord
Would this be all the hair follicles that mino comes in contact with, or just the ones positively affected by the mino? So if I use and discontinue would it mess up the existing follicles that have hair and end up damaging them too?

All hair that was treated with minoxidil will be shed after you quit it. Even if you didn't suffer from male pattern baldness, the hair dependent on minoxidil would be probably shed, because hair follicles are not much "flexible". If minoxidil saved some of your hairs from destruction, the hairs will now be lost forever (if finasteride doesn't bring them to life again).

Wouldn't this theoretically render minoxidil useless, unless you intend on using it for your entire life, since it is just going to end up making you lose the hair that it affected anyways?

Bowser · Aug 31, 2012

I've been on minoxidil for over 5 years never had any growth away from scalp. in theory it may be possible, avoid applying it while scalp is wet/damp and stick to doses recommended.

yep once you start minoxidil got to keep on it for life. id be scared to quit it now, id probably be left completely bald whereas at the moment i still have a decent amount of hair.