Month: January 2023

If I only have moderate thinning at the crown, is it worth the risk using rogaine if I may lose hair and make a somewhat bad situation worse? In other words, if it only works 50% of the time, why should I take a chance that the Rogaine causes intial hair loss and then hope I get it back with it working for me? Is this initial hair loss rare or common? If it only happens 5% of the time I will risk it but if it happens 20% of the time, it isn’t worth the risk to me. Can you help me out? Thanks.

It seems you have already made up your mind, but you may consider seeing a doctor to have your hair in the crown area measured for the degree of miniaturization (for an objective documentation) and explore other medical options, such as Propecia (finasteride 1mg). To blindly start a journey (medical treatment) without a map (miniaturization study) would not be very smart.

Minoxidil does not cause hair loss that lasts if shedding does occur, and whatever is lost from the initial shed should regrow back. I don’t have statistics to show what percentage of users the shedding occurs with.

is it ok to mix minoxidil with carrier oil, for example olive oil for easy application in scalp?? I hate the spray form, it gets into my ears and grows fur.

I don’t know what oils will do to the absorption of minoxidil. Sounds like you are inventing a new approach, but don’t expect me to endorse it or justify its safety. If you’re really disliking the liquid, you could try the Rogaine Foam.

I have been reading a lot about the drug Latisse as a possible use for MPB. My doctor prescribed me a generic version to try.

Do you think I could mix it in a bottle of minoxidil and use it or do you think it might need a different carrier agent or a stronger version to work.
I know you are not involved in this kind of research but I would appreciate your opinion

While I am not directly involved with this type of research, I have seen patients who have tried Latisse (bimatoprost) on their own scalps without success. I also have been told by a scientist (a patient) who is familiar with Latisse that just applying it to the scalp does not work. If only it was that simple.

As Latisse is packaged in very small quantities for use on the eyelashes, the costs for applying it to the scalp are out of reach for most people. I’m not aware that a generic version is available for sale in the US. The last I remember reading, a generic drug manufacturer was seeking FDA approval to market a generic bimatoprost, but it was being challenged by Allergan (makers of Latisse). If there’s anything more recent about this, I’m not aware of it.

As for your question about mixing Latisse and minoxidil — this isn’t something I’ve heard done before, and I don’t know what kind of results could be attained by going this approach. Have you talked to your prescribing doctor about it?

Something went wrong at my pharmacy and I’m going to miss almost a week’s worth of doses of Avodart. It’s 0.5 mg/day. I’ve been taking it for 5 years now-every day. Will the drug still be in my body enough to suffice or should I be concerned that it will cause my hair loss to be more aggressive?

Thanks!

I don’t know what you will notice by missing Avodart (dutasteride) for one week. I do know missing Propecia (finasteride) for one week will be almost no issue. Perhaps your physician might know better, since he/she prescribed it.

You’ve been on the medication for half a decade so I’m sure the following isn’t news to you, but I have to point this out for the rest of the readers out there: As it is still not FDA approved to treat hair loss, we do not recommend Avodart. There is no solid study on what is the recommend or effective dose for treating hair loss. In addition, the drug lasts months in your body after stopping it.

I had used minoxidil 2% and then 5% when it became available. Roughly 7 years in total. I just stopped using it in May ’06.

The reason I stopped did not become apparent to me right away. I had two near fainting incidents. I went to the ER for both of them, saw my doctor, went to a cardiologist etc. One person, the ER Dr. suggested that it might be the minoxidil. Everyone else thought it was not a ‘new’ element in my life and looked for other causes.

Well, after I got a clean bill of health, I decided to stop the minoxidil and other symptons I had experienced, erectile dysfunction, fatigue, headaches, dizziness etc slowly are going away.

I figured I was getting older, 43, and that the above were part of aging. This has caused considerable distress in my life, including my marriage. My wife was concerned about my lack of performance and within 3 weeks, the ED is going away.

Please let your readers know that minoxidil is a potent drug. The side affects I experienced are considered rare, but they came on gradually and was hard to connect to the minoxidil.

I posted the above email as the sender wrote it, unedited. Minoxidil was originally a antihypertensive drug and those that used it noticed it grew hair. The hair came to the face and other body parts as well. Like any such medication, different people require different doses and the problem with minoxidil for the treatment of high blood pressure was that it was not as predictable as other drugs. Eventually the drug became out of favor for the treatment of blood pressure as better, more competitive drugs were on the market. What is important to note is that when a drug is put on the skin, it gets absorbed into the body to some degree in every person who uses it. The above story shows just that.