Start with minoxidil 2% or 5%?

[bearbear]

Is it better to start with 2% and then bump up to 5% after it starts losing effectiveness or start with 5% right away? what i mean is do you develop a resistance to it which could be delayed with the 2 step process.

 

[follicle84]

I see your point. It can lose its effectiveness over time (usually after a year or two). Depends on your situation. For agressive hairloss go straight to 5%. For minor hairloss start on 2% and upgrade later. 2% wont do much for agressive hairloss.

 

[Bryan]

I don't know of any scientific evidence that topical minoxidil ever loses its effectiveness. Its main problem is simply that balding continues, even as you use it. Furthermore, both of the available versions (2% and 5%) turn into the same thing when you apply them to your scalp: a saturated solution of minoxidil in propylene glycol (about 7.5% or so). I'd simply use whichever one is cheaper per gram of minoxidil, which is almost always the 5% version.

 

[bearbear]

when we say loses its effectiveness after 1-2 years ( this is something i hear a lot)... does it take longer to get back to the baseline? studies say 5 years to get back to baseline but it doesn't really seem like people on here are doing even that well... (even if they supplement with spironolactone or tricomin etc)