Topical Cetrizine for Hair Loss instead of Finasteride (Propecia)

[cuprous]

Anti-histamines and corticosteroids are induce hair growth. But both cause alot of problems when used over a long period of time. Thats the problem. Whatever you use, you need to know that you can continue to use it over an extended period of time or else its pointless. Your only buying very little time if you have to drop this within 6 months to a year from now.

Agree that the risks to any such long-term usage need to be evaluated. What kills me is that they frequently sell 365 pills / bottle. Think that's a coincidence?

I've also read that cet probably has low first-pass metabolism meaning most of the oral dose gets into the blood. The take-away should be that we are probably not exposing ourselves to excessively high doses. With my current batch I'm getting exposed to 70mg over approximately two weeks or approx half a normal dose. I may cut that further as I feel it's still having a mild cognitive effect.

And what the hell ever happened with OC0000049 or whatever it was called? It was all the hoopla, then production delays, then I saw some random photos of a bald guy with what appeared to be impressive regrowth, and then silence.

 

[shivers20]

Cetrizine probably works the same way minoxidil and Bimatoprost does. Both have hypertrichosis (abnormal hair growth) as a side effect. Possible pro-growth prostaglandin mechanism. Anyone willing to try and apply Cetrizine on their eyelashes for a few weeks. I would be quite interested to see the results.

Here is a thread by a person who talked about CET helping her child grow back eyelashes and scalp hair,

http://www.alopeciaworld.com/forum/topics/attention-this-worked-for-us

She mentioned that her child was growing white colored hair on the scalp and eyebrows. EGFR inhibitors have also been shown to regrow white-colored hair.

 

[cuprous]

Sooo .. I feel a bit foolish. I randomly pulled up the bottle of what I thought was cet and nope -- it's Loratidine. I feel the shipper did me a switch-a-roo as I'm sure I only searched for cetirizine. I've only been using it for a couple weeks so no big deal. Still, unless Loratidine causes spaciness, I've been imagining "sides" when I probably needed a slap upside the head. :sulkoff:

 

[oofah]

Anyone use Zyrtec liquid gel? Can anyone tell me if I could just let the capsule dissolve in water or do I need to prick each capsule and squeeze out the liquid intodistilled water?

 

[cuprous]

Anyone use Zyrtec liquid gel? Can anyone tell me if I could just let the capsule dissolve in water or do I need to prick each capsule and squeeze out the liquid intodistilled water?

There's so much other crap in a liquid gel that I would discourage you from going that route. Just dissolve tablets in water like the rest of us.

 

[oofah]

Ok, thanks for the advice. I think as long as I have the capsules, I'll just use the liquid in a water base and when i run out I'll use the tablets.

 

[zeroes]

I've decided to drop Cet for now. I've only been applying to temples and haven't seen any results.

I'm also on long term antibiotics to help fix up some spot loss of hair. One has already filled up nicely.

 

[casperz]

Sorry to hear that zeroes.

I've decided to drop Cet for now. I've only been applying to temples and haven't seen any results.

I'm also on long term antibiotics to help fix up some spot loss of hair. One has already filled up nicely.

March 1st marks six months using Cet and I took some pictures this weekend but I did not have good lighting so I'm going to try again in the next few days. I'm not convinced yet but I think with good lighting these will show that Cet/minoxidil is improving things. I think it's working at least as well as finasteride did and possible better. Cet is not a cure but I'm stable and not losing hair like I was after stopping finasteride and I've had some regrowth. I've also been off finasteride for a year and I'm no where near my pre-finasteride scalp of 2007 so I think it's helping. More in the next few days.

 

[zeroes]

I'm looking forward to the pictures cas please do post them.

 

[oofah]

Casperz, I think you said you went thru an initial shed when starting cet, have you shed since then in the last six months?

 

[casperz]

Casperz, I think you said you went thru an initial shed when starting cet, have you shed since then in the last six months?

Nope, I was shedding tons when I started Cet since I had stopped finasteride about 6 months before. The first 2 or 3 weeks of Cet scared me because the shedding was even worse. Then the shedding stopped cold and I've not shed since. I see maybe a hair a day in the sink and none in my hands when I shampoo, prior to Cet I'd see a dozen or more. As soon as I get good light I'll take some pics, I don't get home before dark so maybe this weekend.

 

[kamikaze2803]

how can I tell if these little baby hair are miniturized or regrowth? I never really noticed these hairs before I'm not really sure if they were there in the beginning to start with, my hairline is receding but there's a lot of thin black short hairs than I can see up close. I've been on cet since November.

 

[tommyt123]

any progress with those picture casperz i'm really curious hahah

 

[casperz]

any progress with those picture casperz i'm really curious hahah

Sorry guys, took pictures this weekend and was busy all week. Here is a recap from where I started till last weekend.

First pics is where I started in 2007, pre-treatment of any kind.

Second pic is after 36 months of various treatments, best it got.

Third pic is prior to starting Cet, had been off finasteride for 6 months (minoxidil was all that I was using)

Forth and fifth pic is from this weekend after 6 months of Cet/minoxidil.

You guys decide, it's not a cure but I think I'm going to keep at it for a while. The front has not
responded nearly as well as the vertex but it never did with the other treatments either. I think Cet may
be almost as effective as finasteride, should be able to tell in another 6 months.

I think once they come out with a PGD2 blocker that is properly dosed and more effective than Cet we
will all see a ton more regrowth, but right now we are all just guessing at dosing, etc.

 

[kamikaze2803]

so this is where im at 4 months on cet

 

[casperz]

Nice, looks like some good growth throughout!


More pics:

1. Camera close up of vertex. Lots of smaller hairs getting thicker as they mature.
2. Second pic vertex, can't really get a good micro shot anymore because of the number of hairs, but seeing lots of double
and triple hairs.
3. Last two pics are frontal scalp, many of the baby hairs have grown into longer hairs and show darkening at the base.

 

[tommyt123]

hey kamikaze do u have any before pictures? i couldnt find them

 

[kamikaze2803]

Sorry I don't have any before pics, I've been on cet for 4.5 months I started first week on november, I will continue to use cet and ill post an update in about a month

 

[tommyt123]

all in all i think this is pretty exciting as i cant go on finasteride due to the sides and i think cet would work well in at least maintaning. How do prostalgins fit in with relation to dht though is dht the trigger to prostalgins which results in inflamation which eventualy leads to hairloss or do dht and prostalgins have no relationship to eachother and attack the hair folicle in diffrent ways? Do you think DHT would still need to be blocked in order to stop hairloss indefinately?

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also casperz did you use ethanol or water to disove your cet in

 

[z3t4_0509]

casperz good improvement on your head..

I am a newbie here, from Indonesia, starting to use your regimen now.. I hope it works for me as well..

Do you apply cetirizine with minoxidil during ur 6 month treatment, cause i'm just thinking maybe minoxidil the main driver to ur regrowth..