what are YOUR thoughts on minoxidil and aging skin?

[Baldingbutstillawesome]

I've been using it for one year. No changes in my skin noted. Try it and document your journey. Take pictures every now and then and see if any unexplainable aging has occurred.

 

[TransientHair]

If skin aging really was caused by Minoxidil then wouldn't the hairline or forehead be the area of the face that had accelerated aging? Medication applied to the scalp shouldn't have an effect on the under eye area.

 

[recedingyt]

I've been on minoxidil from Dec '14 - Mar '15, and then from July '15 - now... so not the longest time, but still. I haven't noticed any wrinkles or aging. I actually take better care of my skin now than I did before (moisturizing every day/wearing sunblock) so if anything my skin has only gotten better over this time. I used to have kinda obvious forehead wrinkles that are barely noticeable anymore. I have dark circles/bags under my eyes, but I've always had those because of my insomnia. I've noticed those lessening a little bit with my skincare regimen too, they're still noticeable for sure though.

As a side note, everyone should moisturize and wear sunblock every day. It's amazing what it does for your skin.

 

[1knox1]

I've been on minoxidil from Dec '14 - Mar '15, and then from July '15 - now... so not the longest time, but still. I haven't noticed any wrinkles or aging. I actually take better care of my skin now than I did before (moisturizing every day/wearing sunblock) so if anything my skin has only gotten better over this time. I used to have kinda obvious forehead wrinkles that are barely noticeable anymore. I have dark circles/bags under my eyes, but I've always had those because of my insomnia. I've noticed those lessening a little bit with my skincare regimen too, they're still noticeable for sure though.

As a side note, everyone should moisturize and wear sunblock every day. It's amazing what it does for your skin.

Yep, even on cloudy days, uv rays are still hitting you. The sun damage all adds up. Never too late to start using sun cream though.

 

[abcdefg]

Yeah aging is largely yet to be understood processes and genetics so no one ages exactly the same. I think blaming minoxidil for it is pushing it to say the least. Its hard to imagine the mechanism by which minoxidil would age your skin and would that happen near where you applied it or your saying it happens everywhere?

 

[labellavita1985]

Thanks everybody for your insightful and informative responses.

I was so close to adding minoxidil to my regimen, but I think I'm going to hold off for now. I'm just not able to take the risk at this time of an initial shed and/or negative skin changes.

I'm already become hyperaware of fine lines, undereye darkness, etc as I've gotten older (I'm 29 now.)

I am also a cigarette smoker, and although I want to, have been unable to quit

I just really, really wish there was something I could use that would contribute to my hair regimen (birth control pills, Spironolactone, Ketocoanzale, and tons of supplements,) other than minoxidil.

Please let me know if you have any suggestions as to what could be helpful for me. Stemoxydine, laser caps, folligen, etc.

 

[Captain Hook]

Thanks everybody for your insightful and informative responses.

I was so close to adding minoxidil to my regimen, but I think I'm going to hold off for now. I'm just not able to take the risk at this time of an initial shed and/or negative skin changes.

I'm already become hyperaware of fine lines, undereye darkness, etc as I've gotten older (I'm 29 now.)

I am also a cigarette smoker, and although I want to, have been unable to quit

I just really, really wish there was something I could use that would contribute to my hair regimen (birth control pills, Spironolactone, Ketocoanzale, and tons of supplements,) other than minoxidil.

Please let me know if you have any suggestions as to what could be helpful for me. Stemoxydine, laser caps, folligen, etc.

Unrelated to hair loss but if you want to quit and are having trouble (especially with conventional methods). Try using snus, it's a smokeless tobacco product from Sweden that doesn't carry the health risks that smoking does (it doesn't cause cancer at all due to its pasteurisation method of curing the tobacco compared to usual fire curing methods, it's also regulated as a food product in Sweden and hence has to adhere to a certain standard)

Long story short the way it works is that you know how nicotine gum and patches only provide a low plasma nicotine level compared to smoking's large spike then levelling off? Snus is in between, it provides a medium constant plasma nicotine level helping to satisfy cravings for several hours even!

Do some research on it if it interests you, many smokers have quit using snus and I personally still use it occasionally after quitting smoking myself!

 

[xetudor]

Lolz. You can't even make this stuff up. Afraid of undocumented side effects but smokes, something that has a ton of ****ed up health effects. Not to mention it AGES your skin (as if that matters when it essentially kills you). WTF is this?

 

[labellavita1985]

I'm a female. And not blue collar and my IQ has tested at 165.

It really is amazing how you can come to a forum that is supposed to be a place of support for the community of hair loss sufferers and get put down.

You would have no idea how hard it is to quit smoking if you've never smoked.

Can you please provide the sources for the so called facts you've mentioned?

Physical addiction does not discriminate between intelligent vs less-than-intelligent, blue collar vs white collar, etc. Genetics play a big role in making a person susceptible to physical and non physical addictions (sound familiar?) Look into the "disease model of addiction."

 

[xetudor]

165 is a genius IQ and it's extremely rare.

 

[stressftw]

I'm a female. And not blue collar and my IQ has tested at 165.

It really is amazing how you can come to a forum that is supposed to be a place of support for the community of hair loss sufferers and get put down.

You would have no idea how hard it is to quit smoking if you've never smoked.

Can you please provide the sources for the so called facts you've mentioned?

with your IQ you shouldnt be here lurking about hair products, you should be using your brilliant mind to figure the cure for bald!!:twisted:

 

[Wolf Pack]

Lets stay on topic and not get too personal, this is about Minoxidil and her making a decision.

Blue collars smoke more but it's not because they are dumb but it's the culture they are in. Every single person knows smoking is bad for you, that's a scientific fact. You only need one brain cell to know that past the 1990s, you're not intelligent if you know this fact. The relationship was established in the 1970s iirc and definitely everyone knows now. Someone working blue collar jobs doesn't also mean they don't have a good IQ. Again, silly. Some professionals also smoke due to stress.

I've seen her pictures she posted, she looks younger, healthier than some guys on here for what it's worth despite being older.

 

[Wolf Pack]

No one said "everyone is a winner." Misleading. IQ is independent of accomplishments, that's the whole point of the test. Also going to university is not that hard or a measure of IQ, especially if you did a non STEM degree like communications. Not being patronising here, but where I went to and studied, the advice was those degrees won't get you anywhere and were seen as mickey mouse courses. It was just to tick the box to enter general grad schemes.

People don't go to university for all sorts of reasons. It could be being dumb, money, no desire or motivation, personal problems or circumstances. Some want to start their own business or are too lazy to study traditional academic subjects.

People also smoke for all sorts of reasons too: stress, addiction, social e.t.c.

Sir John Major and Richard Branson never went to university, hardly call them dumb. Yes blue collar will pay less of course, but it's not a reflection on that persons IQ, although it could be too.

One study in the Israeli ARMY of all places does not represent all smokers.

Just being a bit more calm and open minded might help you see things.

 

[I.D WALKER]

http://www.counselheal.com/articles/5514/20130523/5-surprising-signs-re-actually-genius.htm

 

[Wolf Pack]

Better brace yourselves! http://www.counselheal.com/articles/5514/20130523/5-surprising-signs-re-actually-genius.htm

Funny you show that link. I have heard that people who are into really crazy drugs have higher IQs, that's what that link mentioned. But what Fred says is true, people in low socio-economic class have a tendency to smoke. But there is no link between IQ and drugs as such I feel. Equally intelligent and notso intelligent, will delve into it depending on their surroundings.

You would have been considered very high IQ ID Walker if you were born a few centuries ago. Back then, the test was based on how articulate someone is or ability with literature. Now the test is scientific. Not saying you still won't ace it Mr Walker :innocent:

Ok more on Minoxidil and growing hair now.

 

[I.D WALKER]

Born too late and a dollar short. -)

Funny you show that link. I have heard that people who are into really crazy drugs have higher IQs, that's what that link mentioned. But what Fred says is true, people in low socio-economic class have a tendency to smoke. But there is no link between IQ and drugs as such I feel. Equally intelligent and notso intelligent, will delve into it depending on their surroundings.

You would have been considered very high IQ ID Walker if you were born a few centuries ago. Back then, the test was based on how articulate someone is or ability with literature. Now the test is scientific. Not saying you still won't ace it Mr Walker :innocent:

Ok more on Minoxidil and growing hair now.

 

[Wolf Pack]

My English skills were good at 16, I got the second top grade. I won an award for debating Russian History. BUT I have noticed that my English skills are getting poorer and I no longer can write well or even spell, grammar. It's because of all the science exams over the last decade and what I went into. It means, asides from reading on the net, I never actually read. Writing never happens. My gf was amazing at English, she is very creative but I have noticed she has declined but not as much as me lol. It's something that can be corrected with reading and writing again but I don't have the passion. I went to a private school with entry exams, my marks were pretty good with all subjects.

The degree gets you somewhere as it ticks the box for graduate jobs, that's what I wrote above. But the degree itself has little use. It's just a filter. If someone could get a paper with that certificate, it would be almost as good as they could quickly crash course all the main stuff with a book, online e.t.c. With traditional subjects you pick up skills, you could never do the job without it.

I know about the French-Dutch thing over there. When I was there many years on the tour bus lol, they let us know that via headphones. Showed us some gardens of the Royal family but I can't remember well, probably Brussels. I thought most people spoke French, minority is Dutch? That does suck. You already speak English too! We had to learn French at school, but I have forgotten it now. I may learn German one day, mainly because some guy told me it's the second most spoken language in Europe, well he was an arrogant German. Spanish is great because it covers South America too.

 

[recedingyt]

I don't want to be disrespectful, but I've read many studies saying that smokers have lower IQ's.

They're often blue-collard and just less self-aware, which may be why OP doesn't pick up the irony here.

I've never smoked and none of my friends or the people I interact with are smokers. I usually don't get along with smokers.

It has also been shown that if there is more than 10 points of difference between two persons in IQ, they won't be able to relate to each other.

Again, I'm not saying this to put down OP, it's just an observation that is backed-up by science.

And it's common sense that someone knowingly damaging his health on a daily basis would not be very smart.

"I dont want to be disrespectful, but" followed by a bunch of insanely disrespectful crap. Such odd generalizations about a person you know literally nothing about (not even her gender). Kind of a jump to go from "smoking damages your skin" to "OP is obviously stupid, people who smoke are stupid, this is backed by science!!!11one" don't you think? You are clearly someone who has never dealt with addiction and for that I'll say good for you but don't trivialize how hard it is to quit something that makes you physically dependent by basically saying if you can't do it you're stupid. YOU'RE the stupid one if you honestly think that.

I agree she's maybe making a rash decision on not using minoxidil because of unproven effects on the skin but c'mon, you're just taking this to ridiculous places to make yourself look/feel smarter. Nothing is worse than that guy who always has to point out he's smarter than someone else (which is honestly up for debate since neither of you even know each other).

 

[EvilLocks]

This is gold, just pure gold. The guy is a cigarette smoker, but is afraid to use minoxidil because of unproven potential negative effects on his skin. Brilliant!

LOL

 

[Yoshi3Mario]

I think the whole aging skin is a rumor spread by snake oil company's that want you to buy their hair loss products that don't work.

Almost every article I read about how finasteride and minoxidil are bad for you have false facts and are trying to sell their nonsense at the end of it.

I'm actually strongly considering going back on treatments in a month. I feel like there is a lot to gain and little to lose.