Minoxidil ruined my skin (loose skin)

deluxillo

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Hi. I will share my story. Im now 28 years old. I used minoxidil for 6 months for the beard 5 years ago, 2 times a day, liquid. I ended up with a puffy face due to water retention but whatever. Then I lost it with diuretics. As a result I had saggy and loose skin. I thought that with time it will recover but nope.

5 years later im still like this
Coming from
I tried HIFU treatment 4 times (2k€) and several water fastings for even 19 days and nothing really helped. The first days of every HIFU treatment my skin was amazingly tight but day by day I was getting again that loose skin

Im desesperate. And please dont start with denial comments. The change was drastic. You can read more complains like this for ex:

Its like my skin for itself dont generate collagen. I need help. People talk about retinol.. I dont know.


Thank you.
 

BetaBoy

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Tretinoin, L-Ascorbic Acid Serums (avoid stabilised derivatives), and SPF 50+ rated PA++++ sun screen should form the core of any evidence based pro-collagen anti-aging daily regimen.
 

NickyA

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Unless you've never had loose or saggy skin while pinching it, chances are it's normal. I'm 23 and have always had my skin look like that while I pinch it or pull it. Also maybe you were skinnier in your older pic? It seems like it at first glance, but you probably know better since it's your body.
 

Catagen

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Found an interesting post about minoxidil and its effects on the skin:

"There are more than 30 studies on Minoxidil's effects on collagen production and fibroblast proliferation. (The latter of which is the nastiest)

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8383644

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8112995

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8311472

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2826267

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2850865

If you want more in depth looks at those studies rather than just the Abstracts, then just message me and I can give you the PDF's.

It inhibits Lysyl Hydryoxylase, an important enzyme in collagen production. And, if stops fibroblasts from proliferating, AKA dividing. This means you have a smaller fibroblast cell count. Most people putting minoxidil on twice a day every day are overdosing on the drug, especially if they are doing it for extended periods like 6-12 months. The sides tend to last for a few months to a few years after Minoxidil is removed from your system, because minoxidil is a free-radical and edits cells at a transcriptional level (basically giving you misfolded proteins, which takes a long time for your body to clean out)

Lack of collagen means a paler skin tone, perhaps a greyish skin tone, dark circles around the eyes because your bones are showing through, forehead wrinkles, frizzier/darker hair, bushier looking eyebrows, and thinner eyelashes. "
Is oral min better for skin?
 

JaneyElizabeth

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Eh. You pays your money and you takes your chances. People can buy lipstick concealer for under the eyes for five bucks or something. We are all getting older so you have to add that in but I don't deny that many people claim facial disfigurement of some type. Some days, I have half circles and some days I don't and I am using 12.5mg oral and copious once a day use of the topical. And I am old, lol.

The other thing is, and I am not kidding, people should hit a salon where women with money go. Chicks know what works and there's a lot of stuff that works within reach price-wise. Goddess bless.
 

BetaBoy

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Uhhh pretty sure oral min is much worse for every side effect.
I guess he asks because none of those ex vivo studies after skimming seem to use any of the metabolites that would be seen when min is processed by the liver. Like would the outcome of the experiment be the same if the control was sulfurylated minoxidil?
 

Ganked By DHT

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I guess he asks because none of those ex vivo studies after skimming seem to use any of the metabolites that would be seen when min is processed by the liver. Like would the outcome of the experiment be the same if the control was sulfurylated minoxidil?
I guess by bypassing first pass metabolism it can be worse. I dont know why so many people use minoxidil anyway, it just gives illusion of stopping hair loss for some years.
 

Catagen

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Oral is like an entirely different medication.
This goes for medicines in general. Human body and cellular interactions are very complex and pharmacists cant account for everything in vivo. Every oral med has liver metabolites and they have a different effect on the human body. Minoxidil is a pro drug, and we want the active metabolite. And we have no idea if using the metabolite topically is the same as getting it from the liver. It probably isnt.
 

JaneyElizabeth

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This goes for medicines in general. Human body and cellular interactions are very complex and pharmacists cant account for everything in vivo. Every oral med has liver metabolites and they have a different effect on the human body. Minoxidil is a pro drug, and we want the active metabolite. And we have no idea if using the metabolite topically is the same as getting it from the liver. It probably isnt.
Sulfurtransferase.
 

nathael

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I tried HIFU treatment 4 times (2k€) and several water fastings for even 19 days and nothing really helped. The first days of every HIFU treatment my skin was amazingly tight but day by day I was getting again that loose skin
I don't know if HIFU (High Intensity Focused Ultrasound) is that good.
Ultrasound could destroy fat tissue. If you use it in the cheek area it could potentially cause fat loss in the cheek thus aggravate loose skin appearance. Same for laser, laser could also destroy fat tissue.
 

JaneyElizabeth

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I don't know if HIFU (High Intensity Focused Ultrasound) is that good.
Ultrasound could destroy fat tissue. If you use it in the cheek area it could potentially cause fat loss in the cheek thus aggravate loose skin appearance. Same for laser, laser could also destroy fat tissue.
Microneedling.
 

nathael

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Microneedling.
That too is controversial. Some say it destroys elastin in the skin.
And yes it increases collagen but there is more than one type of collagen (for examples scars are mostly collagen) and the pathway of collagen production that minoxidil affects is different.

There's red light therapy (but again controversial, not sure if it destroys facial fat, it decreases collagen production but increases elastin production (as far as I remember)).

Exercise is also benificial for the skin. Research showed thicker skin after 6 weeks 30 min a day light/moderate exercise. Exercise is also good for hormone levels.
 

JaneyElizabeth

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That too is controversial. Some say it destroys elastin in the skin.
And yes it increases collagen but there is more than one type of collagen (for examples scars are mostly collagen) and the pathway of collagen production that minoxidil affects is different.

There's red light therapy (but again controversial, not sure if it destroys facial fat, it decreases collagen production but increases elastin production (as far as I remember)).

Exercise is also benificial for the skin. Research showed thicker skin after 6 weeks 30 min a day light/moderate exercise. Exercise is also good for hormone levels.
All's I knows is what I see in the mirror but yes using multiple treatments might be counter-productive. Since the whole point of microneedling is collagen induction and healing via stem cell promotion, I think it's quite difficult to screw up. Some do it every day and claim wonderful improvement. I had it done on my face in a salon and that might have been even more painful but it turned out nice although when you are doing it concomitantly at home, it's hard to separate. Ultimately, it's got studies and anecdotal proof behind it but it's not fun really except that I know with retin-A, my trend is younger and healthier and happier. YMMV but nothing ventured, nothing gained.
 

nathael

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All's I knows is what I see in the mirror but yes using multiple treatments might be counter-productive. Since the whole point of microneedling is collagen induction and healing via stem cell promotion, I think it's quite difficult to screw up. Some do it every day and claim wonderful improvement. I had it done on my face in a salon and that might have been even more painful but it turned out nice although when you are doing it concomitantly at home, it's hard to separate. Ultimately, it's got studies and anecdotal proof behind it but it's not fun really except that I know with retin-A, my trend is younger and healthier and happier. YMMV but nothing ventured, nothing gained.
Dermarolling is the safer option compared to laser/ultrasound/plasma. Some people say their skin drastically improved others other say it caused sagging, thin skin and discolorations/pigmentation issues.

Focused healing meditation might also help. (sounds new age but just putting it out there).
 

JaneyElizabeth

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Dermarolling is the safer option compared to laser/ultrasound/plasma. Some people say their skin drastically improved others other say it caused sagging, thin skin and discolorations/pigmentation issues.

Focused healing meditation might also help. (sounds new age but just putting it out there).
Renaming the divinity to Goddess is part of my new age approach. Goddess wants good things for us hair-wise especially if we bald like men, in the Kipling sense of the poem, "If", without becoming angry and cynical but men tend to be that anyway since largely T promotes that. Women and children tend to be much more positive in life but eh, they also have hair so who knows?

Best,
Janey
 

goku_black

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are you sure its not just facial fat? i used minoxidil too but never had this side effect. you look higher fat % in this pic
 
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