Horrible side effects of minoxidil?

[z06guy]

Hey guys I've been on minoxidil for a little over a month now. I've noticed that this product is somehow making my skin feel dull and lifeless around the hairline, i'll be damned but I think it's taking the collagen out of the skin near the hairline, My ears are kinda red and feel swollen a little bit, I'm seriously thinking that minoxidil doesn't go very well with me.

Recently people have been telling me that I look a little tired... However nothing has changed in my routine except for adding minoxidil and taking hairomega 3 in 1 multivitamin.

From what I've read minoxidil (foam or liquid) can potentially cause many side effects including black rings under eyes, wrinkles around forehead, and many many other things. the thing that scares me is that it pretty much will grow back your hair at the expense of making you look older....

I found this info just now from what other people have posted about their experience with minoxidil.

http://www.publichealthforums.com/h-33-minoxidil.html

Can I have your experiences with minoxidil?

[clandestine]

I've heard similarly. Perhaps try nanoxidil, rather than minoxidil. Apparently there is a lesser instance of sides.

[z06guy]

Thanks I'll look into nanoxidil.

Currently I think I'm still 'normal looking' but I'd hate to look back and say "damn this sh*t is aging me so quickly, I wish I didn't start minoxidil!" Like I said earlier it seems like foam or liquid are the same story... The liquid is just worse because of potential layers of minoxidil flaking on the scalp and the greasy hair...

First I was scared off of using finasteride (for many reasons) and now minoxidil is apparently no saint either...

damn it I'm a little upset.

Tracy if you're reading this I'd like to see what you think of it.

[Jcm800]

I've been slapping Minox foam on my hairline for over ten months now-can't say I've noticed any rapid ageing facially-can't say I've noticed much regrowth at all either..

[z06guy]

I've been slapping Minox foam on my hairline for over ten months now-can't say I've noticed any rapid ageing facially-can't say I've noticed much regrowth at all either..

I'd probably think that it's probably helping you keep what you have at least.

Maybe that website I found with all the people complaining is a hoax? I dunno, but I've read that minoxidil can age your face and cause a lot of different issues on a few different blogs and forums. It's really unsettling since I think it's affecting me. =(

I can only hope that gradually discontinuing use over the course of a few weeks will allow me to keep my hairline....

[Jcm800]

Hmm well when I started using it my hairline was in fairly good shape, a month after it was thinned quite noticeably. And it never came back, don't think it will now.
I had a quick look at that page, perhaps I'm lucky and get away with those complaints, starting to wonder if I'm using fake stuff too, but I think it's real.

[z06guy]

Okay I just thought of something else.

I've always been a side sleeper. However for the past two weeks whenever I get up in the morning I have these tiny little wrinkles on the sides of my face. I thought "wtf I must have slept bad" but it's been happening every single night since.... I'm now certain THAT is because of minoxidil.

I'm very unhappy about this... Just when I thought i had a good little regimen going it's gets shot down! Maybe older folks don't notice these subtle changes to their body but as a young guy with little to no wrinkles on my face this past month has been hell. I honestly thought I was over thinking that I look older and more tired but this has happened to MANY MANY folks out there.

This quote pretty much sums it up.

"do not let vanity destroy your health.minoxidil will not only cause irreversible skin damage where applied but all skin because it travels your blood vessels, that damage is mainly the end of collagen production, it will also cause irreversible damage to blood vessel walls this is why it was stop being used for high blood pressure for which it was made.that is why people get the dark cicles under their eyes and easy bruising.these effects vary depending on the amount of drug absorbed and is very easy to have too much absorbed,applied to wet skin or after washing area even after dry if pores are still enlarged,destressed skin such as sunburn,dandruff or allergic reaction to any ingredient in product,higher percentages of minoxidil in product,hands used to apply it comming into contact with mouth or nose,through the hands if cuts or hangnails,from head to pillow to mouth or nose if you go to bed after applied i could go on.i have seen people who used this drug only a few weeks,absorbed too much and it damaged their blood vessels so bad that wearing sandals leaves bruises where the straps are and this damage is permanent,have also seen people who sleep with their face on their arm or hand or thin pillow between have bruises on their cheekbone area or where pressure is."

[clandestine]

Don't think it's anything you're doing. I have read instances of minoxidil sides, including black bags under eyes, aged face, etc. Haven't seen many people on these forums report any, though.

[topcat]

I have used minoxidil off and on during the years and I believe I first started back around 1980 before it was even approved. But a few years ago I tried the rogaine foam and I was mortified as about 1 week later I looked like I had aged 100 years. That was pretty scary and I stopped immediately. It's not worth any amount of hair. But I'm sure others don't have that same experience but it's worth mentioning and monitoring over time if you are using the product.

[Tracy C]

From what I've read...

As with any other medication, some people are allergic to the active ingredient. Your description sounds like an allergic reaction, not a side effect. If what you are describing were actually side effects of the medicine, women would not go anywhere near it. Many women have to use Minoxidil, more than you realize. I have been using Minoxidil myself for over four years - and I easily look ten to fifteen years younger than I actually am.

The actual possible side effects of Minoxidil are very mild and well tolerated by most who use it. Most who use Minoxidil do not experience the possible side effects at all. However, if you are allergic to the active ingredient, and it sounds like you are, you should not use it at all.

[z06guy]

Tracy you always have such wise posts. Perhaps you are right, maybe I am allergic to the active ingredient. Perhaps I even fall into a 'unlucky' category where it seems that whatever can go wrong will go wrong. I'm just really frustrated that I will have to stop taking it.

I'm glad the minoxidil isn't aging you like it seems to be doing to some others. If you look ten to fifteen years younger than your age and you've been on minoxidil for four years it kinda shoots down that collagen depletion talk I keep hearing all over the place.

Well I still have a good head of hair so I have time to think of the right regimen. I'll be lurking around the forums more often now.

[VictimOfDHT]

People used to always tell me I looked at least 7 or more years younger than my age despite the fact that I had been using Minox for many years. Now some people still think I look a bit younger than my age although I have way more gray hairs (thanks to the unhappiness in my life and many difficult circumstances, and yeah, the HUGE STRESS that HAIR LOSS has caused ).

It seems like there are people out there who have nothing better to do but find something wrong with this product or that.
So Minox makes you look older !! And baldness doesn't ??? I prefer to look 20 years older than my age WITH HAIR, than to look 20 years younger without hair. But is it even possible to look younger than your age when you're bald/ing ???
If they made Minox juice I'd drink too.

[z06guy]

It seems like there are people out there who have nothing better to do but find something wrong with this product or that.
So Minox makes you look older !! And baldness doesn't ??? I prefer to look 20 years older than my age WITH HAIR, than to look 20 years younger without hair. But is it even possible to look younger than your age when you're bald/ing ???
If they made Minox juice I'd drink too.

Ahh, a mental midget has arrived. How nice.

I wouldn't be here posting this if minoxidil didn't have a negative effect on me. (DURRRRR)

If you have no side effects from minoxidil that's good for you. I hope it allows you to keep your hair with no side effects. Obviously some people have side effects and some people do not.

Just this week I've noticed very faint rings under my eyes, itching eyelids, swelling of the ears, fine wrinkles around the hairline area where I've been applying minoxidil for the past month, also since I'm a side sleeper on my pillow I've noticed some fine wrinkles in the morning when I wake up. Maybe the minoxidil that has rubbed off on the pillow from my hair has been getting in contact with my skin and taking out the collagen (just a theory). I've also heard that minoxidil enters your system through your scalp so that is how a lot of these side effects occur (including accelerated aging). I've been noticing shoulder pain/chest pain for the past week as well.. whether that is from minoxidil or not I do not know. Fact is I've noticed a difference, my friends say I look more 'tired and exhausted' when in fact nothing has changed in my life except for recently adding minoxidil to my regimen.

I'm 24 but a lot of people I first meet think that I'm much younger. I literally have a nw1.5/nw2 hairline and I have no visible wrinkles on my face. I've never had an allergic reaction to anything in the past and it's funny how my allergic reactions are strikingly similar to the side effects that others report.


I'm gonna bottom line this so I can throw away the other four bottles I have and wash this crap out of my bed sheets with a powerful detergent.. I won't be using minoxidil and I won't be recommending it to anyone else either. However I'm not going to parade around this forum talking about the negative side effects it's had on me like some other members do with finasteride. It'll stay on this thread. Please no more ridiculous comments like the one above from mental midget.

[topcat]

z26guy, don't sweat and I'm sure your not. Some people just have a problem with too much information for whatever reason. Your post will help someone along the way as they make the connection to what is happening to them and this medication. Will it happen to everyone of course not but it's always good to have as much information as possible.

[z06guy]

That's very true topcat.

I'm not against minoxidil at all. If it wasn't for my adverse reaction to it I'd still be taking it. I encourage anyone to try it to see if it works for them without side effects. If you experience side effects just stop using it.