Who On This Forum Has Taken Minoxidil For Decent Amount Of Time?

[otis mcdonald]

How have you found it? Has it improved your hair thickness?

I’ve been on finasteride for a year and my hairline is still much thinner than the rest of my hair. I’m thinking about getting on minoxidil

 

[HairForceOne]

I have been on it since 2012. Left pic is taken in 2012 and the right one 2/2019. It still works fine, especially with dermarolling.

 

[londonhairlossvictim]

I have been on it since 2012. Left pic is taken in 2012 and the right one 2/2019. It still works fine, especially with dermarolling.

How often do you dermaroll and how do you clean the dermaroller?

 

[Okk6281]

How often do you dermaroll and how do you clean the dermaroller?

The dermaroller is cleaned with 70% alchohol

 

[londonhairlossvictim]

The dermaroller is cleaned with 70% alchohol

Can you explain better please? What alcohol? How?

 

[Okk6281]

Can you explain better please? What alcohol? How?

Since i havent used that in a longtime i dont remember wherever it was ethanol or isopropyl alchohol.
From my experience ive used dermarollers and i havent had much a result, and sometimes the bumps from dermarollers never heal.
Also the person who mentioned using dermarollers with monoxidil is a bad idea,because dermarollers increases the absoption rate of minoxidil in the body which can cause side effects.

 

[Ryan1972]

Been on it 12 years. And I dermaroll now as well. It really works.

 

[JWM2]

Been on it 12 years. And I dermaroll now as well. It really works.

What dermarolling practice are you currently following?

 

[Ryan1972]

I used a 1.5mm dermaroller on Sunday and Wednesday every week now for 20 weeks.

 

[otis mcdonald]

Been on it 12 years. And I dermaroll now as well. It really works.

Are you using finasteride?

 

[Ryan1972]

Are you using finasteride?

Yes 1mg daily for 10 of the last 12 years. I took one year completely off 5a reductase inhibitors in 2016, but resumed finasteride in 2017 till now. I used Dutasteride for a year or so as well about 5 or so years ago then switched back to finasteride.

 

[otis mcdonald]

Yes 1mg daily for 10 of the last 12 years. I took one year completely off 5a reductase inhibitors in 2016, but resumed finasteride in 2017 till now. I used Dutasteride for a year or so as well about 5 or so years ago then switched back to finasteride.

Interesting. I know it’s hard to know for sure but how much of your hair maintenance/improvement would you say was from minoxidil? I’ve been on finastebride for a year and recently cut my hair short and my hairline seems to possibly be thinning. I’m thinking about possibly trying Minoxidil as well.

 

[timidhair]

May I ask why you switched back from dutasteride to finasteride? Is it due to sides, cost, other reasons? Did you notice any difference in your hair after downgrading your 5AR inhibitor use?

Yes 1mg daily for 10 of the last 12 years. I took one year completely off 5a reductase inhibitors in 2016, but resumed finasteride in 2017 till now. I used Dutasteride for a year or so as well about 5 or so years ago then switched back to finasteride.

 

[Ryan1972]

Interesting. I know it’s hard to know for sure but how much of your hair maintenance/improvement would you say was from minoxidil? I’ve been on finastebride for a year and recently cut my hair short and my hairline seems to possibly be thinning. I’m thinking about possibly trying Minoxidil as well.

I saw good gains from minoxidil right off the bat way back in 2007 when I first started it. At times I got lazy and went weeks without using it. I tightened up and got back to once daily and occasionally 2x daily in 2016 to current. I dropped all 5a Inhinitots for about a year and I made sure to be diligent with minoxidil during that year. When I added dermarolling a few months ago I started rubbing the rogaine foam on after the dermaroll session. I have seen a burst of new growth lately and it could be the minoxidil being absorbed better or the dermarolling or both. But overall I would say minoxidil gains for me were probably 50 to 60% of the total results over last 12 years.

 

[Ryan1972]

May I ask why you switched back from dutasteride to finasteride? Is it due to sides, cost, other reasons? Did you notice any difference in your hair after downgrading your 5AR inhibitor use?

I just didn’t notice any more improvement than with finasteride and I seemed to have some sides and felt tired a lot. I don’t think it’s with it for me.

 

[Ryan1972]

Any side effects you notice? Like skin aging, bags under eyes?

YES... I will say that when I used minoxidil twice daily and doused my head with it I started to see puffy bags under my eyes. Very dramatic. But once I went back to once daily (only occasionally 2x daily) the side effect diminished.

 

[HairForceOne]

Any side effects you notice? Like skin aging, bags under eyes?

I have bad genetics what comes to eye bags (chronic sinusitis) so maybe, just maybe, min has worsened my condition a bit. However, not by much if at all. I use min only once a day since 2016 to minimize possible side effects. I dermaroll with Derminator2 every 2-3 weeks (1,5mm).

Here is another comparison picture which IMO shows how min improves excisting hair even in a longer run. Left pic is from 2013 and right one from 2019.

 

[BigOl'BaldingHead]

I have bad genetics what comes to eye bags (chronic sinusitis) so maybe, just maybe, min has worsened my condition a bit. However, not by much if at all. I use min only once a day since 2016 to minimize possible side effects. I dermaroll with Derminator2 every 2-3 weeks (1,5mm).

Here is another comparison picture which IMO shows how min improves excisting hair even in a longer run. Left pic is from 2013 and right one from 2019.

Are you only on min?

 

[HairForceOne]

Are you only on min?

Min once a day, dermaroller every 2-3 weeks, Nizoral 2% once a week. I can´t take finasteride due to bad sides.

 

[BigOl'BaldingHead]

Min once a day, dermaroller every 2-3 weeks, Nizoral 2% once a week. I can´t take finasteride due to bad sides.

It's pretty impressive that you have maintained NW3 for so long. Did you ever try growing your hair out? Or would it be too diffused?