My own experience with minoxidil has been weird and I can’t seem to find a single totally similar case. So I began using topical minoxidil 5% twice a day in July of 2015. I was then prescribed 2mg oral minoxidil by my derm around August. I went through the dread shed that many do when starting minoxidil, and of say it lasted maybe a bit over a month, but absolutely decimated my hair. At that time my hair was so thin and I had receded so far (yes I am female but I have low estrogen), that I ended up getting hair extensions, shaving one side of my head and getting a fringe cut to cover my hairline. The only part of my hair density that I could really judge was the top of my head and my fringe for a while then because the rest was either shaved or had extensions. I was so concerned about the fact that the top of my head and fringe was getting thinner and thinner than I didn’t actually realise that my hairline and nape fully regrew and then some. Like a huge amount. That was around December that year. I thought that Things would get better. By the way, I had already been on 200mg spironactone since June 2015 by this stage. So with that I calmed down a bit, but then I noticed my hairline receding again, and my overall body hair getting thinner and growing more slowly. I panicked and waited it out, sure enough it regrew again a little... but then started to recede again. I decided in Feb 2016 to stop spironolactone because apart from doing nothing to stop my hairloss, it actually made me lose a heap of weight and made me quite sick. I also shaved all my hair off. That helped me not to noticed the thinning so much, so when my hairline grew back really thick again around May-June, I was pleased and though maybe I just went through a few initial sheds and it would be over soon. Nope. November 2016, I once again noticed the recession, and that my hair still got thinner all over with emphasis on the top of my head. I tried to ignore it and was in denial until the same process came around again in June 2017. The recession was really bad this time, and my hair was thinner than ever. I knew something was wrong with my hair cycle but told myself to wait, still. So in August-November 2017, my hairline regrew, but my overall density never recovered, and I began to really notice the top of my head was so thin. So where I’m at now is in the recession process again, with the thinnest hair I have ever had, and a part line which gets wider by the day, and hairline that creeps back day-to-day. The changes are rapid. So over this 2 and a half year process, I’ve realised I have maybe 3 months of SOME regrowth, followed by 3-4 months where my hair just does not grow. It just stops; and the hairs I do grow get thinner and thinner as they fall out and try to regrow. Like the minoxidil only works sometimes to open up hair follicles to grow, and then stops for a while. Again and again. I have up until recently not tried any other anti androgen or 5AR treatments, and have been now taking 0.5mg avodart daily for almost 4 weeks, and 5% RU coming up on three weeks. I’ve started to dermaroll more seriously too. I haven’t noticed any changes, and it seems like my hair still gets thinner by the day, and that my hair is not growing. I lose lots of short black hairs and miniturised hairs. I feel like minoxidil has fucked my hair growth cycle, and regardless of what I take otherwaise, my hair is doomed to fall out in three months because it’s done some weird sh*t to my hair. I want to stress that this is something that I have only found for myself, and most people find minoxidil works well. I’m probably just really really unlucky. I think the best thing to do is find a good growth stim + dht blocker and use that combo. You can’t fight genetic baldness without stopping DHT doing it’s thing, so you’re going To want to at least try Propecia. I seriously hope everything works out for you. I wouldn’t wish what’s happening To me on anyone.
