Rogaine is making me shed

[Baldingat188]

I've only been on rogaine for about 3 weeks but just tonight I noticed I am shedding a lot of hair

before I started rogaine I had not experienced any shedding so this gets me very panicky .


if I stop rogaine will I stop shedding? Also, how long should I expect this shed phase to last for?

 

[buckthorn]

I've only been on rogaine for about 3 weeks but just tonight I noticed I am shedding a lot of hair

before I started rogaine I had not experienced any shedding so this gets me very panicky .


if I stop rogaine will I stop shedding? Also, how long should I expect this shed phase to last for?

Hey man,

1) you don't need to start multiple posts for us to address your concerns

2) treatments take months to cause hair shedding, so I think this may just be in your mind or caused by something else. Either way, you can't rebuild a house with out tearing down some walls... so, ride it out.

 

[Hairloss23]

Nope, sorry Buckthorn but on this occasion shedding is to be expected. Minoxidil (Rogaine) can cause shedding from as early as the first week that can last for a few months before regrowth begins to be seen. Shedding for most people is a good sign that the treatment is beginning to work. In some people Minoxidil can however, make things worse and they don't stop shedding until they drop treatment, that is a very small number of people though, like less than 1% (sadly I was one lol). You should consider Finasteride if you want to maintain your hair, Minoxidil may give an initial boost but in the long run you will lose hair without finasteride.

 

[Baldingat188]

Sorry I posted this in two places because they seemed like they both applied to my situation

I am seeing a hair loss doctor next week so I am looking to get on finasteride and get a prescription ( should I expect shedding on this?)

honestly , I am about to stop using rogaine though. My hair isn't to bad yet and this shedding is freaking me out

 

[abovedagame]

Yup, that's part of it. If you had read the booklet that came with your rogaine then you would know that shedding is a part of the treatment.

 

[Baldingat188]

I guess I was clueless then

How much longer would you expect the shedding to go on for if I stop using rogaine?

I basically want to keep the hair I have right now , a little thicker on the crown wouldn't be bad but I don't want to have it shed all off

 

[buckthorn]

Nope, sorry Buckthorn but on this occasion shedding is to be expected. Minoxidil (Rogaine) can cause shedding from as early as the first week that can last for a few months before regrowth begins to be seen. Shedding for most people is a good sign that the treatment is beginning to work. In some people Minoxidil can however, make things worse and they don't stop shedding until they drop treatment, that is a very small number of people though, like less than 1% (sadly I was one lol). You should consider Finasteride if you want to maintain your hair, Minoxidil may give an initial boost but in the long run you will lose hair without finasteride.

How is shedding after one week even possible? For a hair to shed it needs to transition from the anagen stage to the telogen phase. Telogen lasts 2-4 months before catagen and release of the actual hair fiber... maybe I am missing something?

 

[Hairloss23]

Nope, Minoxidil syncs the phases of a lot of the hairs, meaning they can fall out straight away and then start growing, it's the main reason behind the shed. Hair treatments don't always follow the rule of law for follicles falling.

 

[Baldingat188]

So what I am wondering is if I stop using minoxidil now will the shedding go away before I lose to much hair?

At my current stage my hair loss isn't to noticeable , I started minoxidil because I thought it couldn't hurt and I would like the thicker hair. Somehow I wasn't aware of the shedding affect of it

What would be better in my situation if I just want to maintain the hair I have ? Could minoxidil have damaged my hair in that short of a time?

 

[Hairloss23]

I don't know man, I quit minoxidil after 4 and a half months cause all it it did was make me lose more hair. After I quit I still feel like a lot of the hair I shed never really grew back. It was the worst decision of my life starting minoxidil, if you are going to do it then I recommend to everybody no matter how severe their loss, that they begin with Finasteride first.

 

[Baldingat188]

I feel kind of cheated because my derm told me to start using it

In reality my ignorance is to blame

And I'm going to the Doctor next week probably going to start on finasteride

At least before I started rogaine I didn't have any shedding. I mean damn , shedding has to be the worst ! Constantly noticing hairs falling off reminding me of the fate of my hair

 

[direk]

I was thinking starting minoxidil but now men

 

[cefegro]

I read on Rogaine booklet that the shedding means the products is already working and the weak hair bulbs are falling giving the chance to new ones to grow

I've only been on rogaine for about 3 weeks but just tonight I noticed I am shedding a lot of hair

before I started rogaine I had not experienced any shedding so this gets me very panicky .


if I stop rogaine will I stop shedding? Also, how long should I expect this shed phase to last for?

 

[Armando Jose]

minoxidil is not a preventive method, then if you have a healthy hair don't use minoxidil

 

[rcom440]

minoxidil is not a preventive method, then if you have a healthy hair don't use minoxidil

I agree, if there is nothing to regrow than what are you trying to regrow with minoxidil.