Stopped Minoxidil after 3 years and want to die! Help me...

[Legolas]

I am 29 and started using Minoxidil (generic), Propecia and Nizoral when I was 26 and started to experience first (very early!) signs of hair loss. I have had AMAZING results! I even let my hair grow long (very long) and it looks thick and great.

About 4 months ago I moved to the UK and couldn't get the same brand of minoxidil I used before, so ordered a different brand (kirkland) online, but for lack of time and changed routines I didn't use it as much as before. Some days only used it once, not at all, at different times etc...but kept taking propecia) about a month ago I started shedding like CRAZY! I mean it's INSANE!! I'm actually scared to wash my hair cause I'm losing massive amounts of hair every time I do.

my hair never looked so bad in my life (even before I started any of it) It got to the point where I need to use Toppik so people won't notice, and I got there REALLY FAST!

I switched to Rogaine foam hoping it will give better results and reverse what happened back to the way it was.

The thing is no one notices it yet but me (cause I cover it with Toppik), but I'm extremely depressed and stressed out of not being able to stop it and get it under control before it's noticeable even with the Toppik, which I'm sure doesn't help either. Has anyone ever experienced anything like this and managed to fix it again?!

Please really could use some advice!
Thank you!

 

[hairington]

Hi Legolas

Well I think your answer is in your question. In my opinion I would diligently and persistently start and stay with a new program.Finasteride daily perhaps even 2.5mg. per day. Keto shampoo at least twice weekly applied in two applications. Leave each app on for at least 5minutes or more.

More importantly I would get back on minoxidil twice daily. I would use 2 to 3 ml. each app. I daily app to a well hydrated scalp (after showering), Do it with discipline, every day.

If you do this you probably have a good chance in turning things around. Don't let the depression stop you. Stick with the system day in and day out and you may be able to turn it around. Perhaps a good part of it maybe all of it. Just keep at it and you'll get results.

This is my opinion and what I would do. Good luck.

 

[ripple-effect]

From the looks of it it seems like your hair reacted to the different type of minoxidil you started using. Although I never liked the idea of using minoxidil and would never recommend it to someone in the early stages of hair loss because I believe a topical DHT inhibitor alone can do the trick. I would recommend in your case trying to find a way to switch back to the minoxidil you were using before(which brand were you using before?).

 

[Legolas]

Thanks Ripple and Hairington for your replies!

I was thinking about upping to 2 propecia pills per day, but have read a lor of stuff online that it doesn't really help so started taking Saw Palmetto last week, as some people say it helps...

I used a generic brand of minoxidil called 'Minoxi' (liquid). I was living in Israel for almost 2 years and that's an Israeli brand and the only one I could get there.
Not sure if I can get it shipped here.

I know minoxidil take time to get used to, and during that time people tend to shed more, so it's been goin on for about a month now and I'm worried that if I switch again I will make it worse and perhaps I should just stick with Rogaine foam till I'm (hopefully over this shedding period!).

I really wish I could hear from someone who had a similar experience (Great results for a long time -> messing with the treatment -> getting much worse than before starting) and find out if they were able to get it back under control...

Thanks again guys for your help and support!

 

[LooseItAll]

Less is more. Just continue with your routine and be consistent. Putting more minoxidil or upping finasteride dosage won't help you and it is dangerous for your health.

 

[ripple-effect]

Legolas, taking Saw Palmetto won't due much for your hair loss because less than 2% of it actually reaches the scalp. If you try a topical DHT inhibitor it would be more effective since you would be going straight to the source of the problem.

There are some minoxidil/DHT inhibitor combos available via amazon:

Minoxidil w/ DHT Inhibitor(Azelaic Acid)

 

[Legolas]

I was actually thinking about using dualgen 15% (mostly cause they ship to the UK), I got 3 bottles about 1-2 months ago, and used it for about a week, but it made my hair very unmanageable (which is something I would have dealt with if I was sure it would work), but then I saw some posts about the company and the product on several forums where some people say they product didn't work at all for them and made things worse (which I now understand could be the case anyway if you switch between brands), but they also seem to got a bad reputation of creating fake profiles on forums and post about how great the products are. Considering how bad things are for me now, I didn't wanna take the risk with the product...

I don't know about the rest of them... Any one you recommend?
Also, do you think it safe at my current start of constant shedding to switch AGAIN?
I think LooseItAll has a point...

By the way, any of you talking from experience? Clearly we all use the products but I mean any of you went through the process of making things worse after a while due to some kind of change in their routine/lifestyle etc?

I went through A LOT of changes in the last few months which I'm sure contributed to my condition.

Only 2 months ago my hair looked VERY full! Now, the front is so thin and scalp so visible that I had to change my hair style and use Toppik or I'm sure people will think I'm sick!!!

 

[Legolas]

I can see a lot of you are viewing this thread, but not too many of you replied, so I guess the circumstances I described are not something a lot of people had to deal with, so I will try to post updates as often as I can for the next pour soul that has to go through it.

First thing I wanna say is, I got a little sense of HOPE back tonight!

The shedding had not stopped yet! although I think it may be slightly less than before. Too soon to tell. HOWEVER, I took a really close look in the mirror today and saw some fine hair in the area that thinned so drastically in last few weeks. I had to rub my eyes (and scalp) to make sure I'm not dreaming and it's not left over Toppik, but it was indeed new hair!!

I remember this kind of hair from when I started Minoxidil a few years ago! If it's anything like last time I'd be EXTREMELY happy!

 

[davidleeroth]

Legolas,

In response to an above reply, I doubt the problem was due to a different type of minoxidil. minoxidil is minoxidil. What caused the shed is probably due to changing your use habits. Until you stopped using minoxidil regularly, the follicles were duped into staying in the growth phase, which is how minoxidil works. Once ceasing minoxidil, they revert back to the ever-increasingly long "rest" phase which causes male pattern baldness. (Completely bald areas are follicles in a constant rest phase.)

Return immediately to your old regimen. Don't skip any applications. You did the absolute right thing by starting minoxidil at age 26 immediately upon the first signs of loss, as that is what minoxidil is by far best at doing: simply holding the line. Don't mess it up now. My feeling is that if you get right back on your minoxidil regimen you may be ok.

 

[Legolas]

Hi davidleeroth,

Thanks for the encouraging comment!
I really hope you are right!

I've noticed that the shedding has calmed down a bit when I brush my hair. Still Shedding quite a bit when I wash my hair though. Possibly slightly less than before but still quite a lot.

I truly hope that it will only get better from now on!

To be honest this forum is helping a lot. It's not something I discuss with anybody, and since I started posting about it here, I started feeling slightly better.

 

[rcom440]

From the looks of it it seems like your hair reacted to the different type of minoxidil you started using. Although I never liked the idea of using minoxidil and would never recommend it to someone in the early stages of hair loss because I believe a topical DHT inhibitor alone can do the trick. I would recommend in your case trying to find a way to switch back to the minoxidil you were using before(which brand were you using before?).

Minosidil is Minoxidil as long as it has same % it should be fine no matter what brand you use.

 

[Legolas]

UPDATE


After a few weeks of being back on track with Regain foam, the shedding had finally STOPPED! I was washing my hair and couldn't be happier!! After weeks of shedding HUNDREDS of hair every time I washed my hair (and serious thinning), I washed my hair and there were no more than 5 hairs in my hand when I finished. 2 days later I washed my hair again, and same thing!

It also seems like very thin and very small hair is starting to grow back, but mostly on the sides and not in the front. they are still very thin and I definitely still need to use Toppik to hide my bald spots.

Will keep updating.

BTW
Was thinking about using the 15% minoxidil I still have here once a day just a few drops on the front where I'm not sure the foam is helping. Any advice on that? could work? big no-no?

Thanks!

 

[Swopo]

any update, Legolas?

 

[aleks10]

I stopped the minoxidil 5 % 7 weeks ago. I use minoxidil 5 % one time a day, and I want to ask when do I notice fall the hair.
And I want to ask Does using the minoxidil evoke (generate) faster grow hair on the beard (chin), faster aging, apear a wrinkles??? Do You remark this ????

 

[Legolas]

Sorry for the late reply,
thought it was time I posted an update.

My shedding has now stopped and seems to be quite normal. As for regrowth, it's only been about 2 months since I restarted the treatment so I'm not TOO surprised I'm not seeing much yet (even though a few years ago when I started I think I saw more results at this stage - I was almost half a decade younger though...). There MAY be some early results... just a little bit of very soft and not too dense fuzziness. I'm not really expecting serious results for at least another 2-3 months.

I'll try to document my progress every few weeks for anyone who may be facing this problem.

 

[Jack82]

good luck dude, interesting post, i'm on the same boat. During summer i used a differend brand of minoxidil and skipped some applications, and in mid august, BOOM shedding started. During september it got much worse i could say i lost 20% of my hair in frontal region, diffuse thinning. I am 12 days on foam in the morning and kirkland at the evening, shedding seems to calm down when i comb style or apply minoxidil to my hair, but i can;t see any regrowth yet. Let's hope it will recover...

 

[ddc1983]

Wow this is exactly where I am right now too. I had been applying minoxidil every night, about 1.5mL, since I was 24 (I'm 28 now). I saw reasonable enough results at the start, particularly during the first year when I applied twice daily. Since then I dropped to once a day, and in the last 6 months I've been lazy and usually missed one or two applications a week.

I did this until mid August, when I left the country for a month. During that time, I applied minoxidil at most once or twice a week, and by the end of September I still hadn't regularly applied it (maybe only 3-4 times a week). I went through a massive shed, and now my entire frontal region looks so thin that I've had to use Toppik every day.

I got back on a regular routine by the start of October, and one month in I'm finally not seeing as enormous of a shed - instead of 100+ hairs in the shower, now maybe only a dozen.

I finally ordered finasteride (off of 4RX.com), so I'm hoping that as long as I can maintain the minoxidil treatment and don't experience finasteride sides, I should be ok. (I'm probably a NW2.5).

 

[ding30]

Same boat here.

minoxidil 7% once a day for 5 years with great results. Skipped a few days here and there when I was getting low started shedding then switched to a 5% solution, shed more and more.

Seems as though the shedding has calmed down but lost ALOT of hair in the process. Upped dosage to 2x 1ml per day.

Fingers crossed.

Please everyone keep updating your progress. Thinking of getting back on the finasteride if nothing happens.

 

[wolfe1457]

any update?