shedding/fallout

[wilco]

I want to start off by saying that this site is extremely informative and helpful. I have some thinning/receding in the front/temple areas.

I do have a question related to excessive shedding during treatment. I started finasteride aout 10 weeks ago. In addition, I started 5% minoxidil about 3 weeks ago, but have since stopped. The reason being that I have been experiencing what I feel to be excessive shedding in the shower. I have read on this site that some people experience this when a treatment is "working". The thing is, it started a few weeks after I started the minoxidil and I thought that this may be the cause - since I did experience some irritation/flaking/itching. However, after reading some of the posts on the site, now I tend to think that the cause is not the minoxidil. Is it rare for shedding to occur as a result of minoxidil use....I just don't want to lose more than with what I started with.

Thanks

 

[ShedMaster]

I want to start off by saying that this site is extremely informative and helpful. I have some thinning/receding in the front/temple areas.

I do have a question related to excessive shedding during treatment. I started finasteride aout 10 weeks ago. In addition, I started 5% minoxidil about 3 weeks ago, but have since stopped. The reason being that I have been experiencing what I feel to be excessive shedding in the shower. I have read on this site that some people experience this when a treatment is "working". The thing is, it started a few weeks after I started the minoxidil and I thought that this may be the cause - since I did experience some irritation/flaking/itching. However, after reading some of the posts on the site, now I tend to think that the cause is not the minoxidil. Is it rare for shedding to occur as a result of minoxidil use....I just don't want to lose more than with what I started with.

Thanks

Absolutely you will experience shedding from the minoxidil. In fact, the minoxidil will sometimes result in more shedding then the propecia. You need to get back on the minoxidil and ride it out. Things will get worse before they get better and not worry about the shedding. Sometimes this is the hardest part of the drugs but that is how they work. Just get yourself some toppik if you are thinning out too bad because it will help give you piece of mind while you are waiting for the treatments to work. Some experience results in 2 months, others a year or so. I would say the mean being around 8 months for results. Anyways good luck and get back on that minoxidil. You are doing a good thing by using it and I don't think you will be dissapointed.