Thinking about quitting minoxidil

[seraphix]

Hi,

I have been on minoxidil for about 2.5 years. I don't think it has done much to improve my hair - I'm still a NW 3 and been on propecia for about 18 months.

If I quit minoxidil now, will this cause my hair to fall. I don't think I had regrowth with it in the first place. Does hair become dependent on minoxidil?

Cheers,

[rtpatter]

I was wondering the same thing about all hair becoming dependent on minox or only the ones that you regrew as aresult? How is your experience with propecia been? How old are u and what is your dosage, any sides as well?

[seraphix]

I was wondering the same thing about all hair becoming dependent on minox or only the ones that you regrew as aresult? How is your experience with propecia been? How old are u and what is your dosage, any sides as well?

My experience with propecia is good. I cannot see much difference but don't think that I lost hair since being on propecia. I'm 31 and take 1mg - no side effects.
I might start by applying minoxidil once a day and gradually going off it. Anyone else here quit minoxidil?

Cheers

[heynow1234]

from what ive heard bad things happen when u quit minox after using it for a while. You can probably however put it on like once everyother day

[seraphix]

from what ive heard bad things happen when u quit minox after using it for a while. You can probably however put it on like once everyother day

Bad things happen? Like what? Anyone has more specific views please?

[KeepTheHair]

Bad things like you lose a ton of hair in a short period of time.

[spamgoeshere]

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[rtpatter]

I'm still unclear does all hair become dependent on minoxidil or just the ones you regrew as a result. I have gotten confilicting answers.

[KeepTheHair]

I read a bunch of the clinical trials... well...sort off.


What I deduce from it is you will just lose some of the hair. Your hair will go back to the previous state, or a worse state if DHT did some damage while you were on minoxidil.

Minoxidil does nothing for MPB it only regrows and stimulates some hair growth. Your hair is still getting worse.

[KeepTheHair]

What? Really?

[jenniferlima]

Hi,

My advice: STAY AWAY FROM MINOX!
And if you are on it QUIT (not cold turkey, but very gradually)

And one more thing: I know there is the debate on weather your 'healthy' hair becomes dependent on minox or now. My opinion:

YES! It does 100%. It will cause your unhealthy & healthy hair to fall out for 3 - 4 month after you quit.

However since the huge shed after quitting, my hair in now recovering & regrowing very much everywhere!! It feels better than ever before. Best decision of my life.

I do however still take natural DHT blocker which I strongly recommend:

Biotin
Zinc
Evening Primrose oil
Nisim Shampoo (hair stops falling within the week!!)
Laser comb (3 x week)
Excersie (5 times week)
Also I cleaned up my diet, lots of fruit & veg, lean meat

I promise: THIS WORKS!

[KeepTheHair]

Hi,

My advice: STAY AWAY FROM MINOX!
And if you are on it QUIT (not cold turkey, but very gradually)

And one more thing: I know there is the debate on weather your 'healthy' hair becomes dependent on minox or now. My opinion:

YES! It does 100%. It will cause your unhealthy & healthy hair to fall out for 3 - 4 month after you quit.

However since the huge shed after quitting, my hair in now recovering & regrowing very much everywhere!! It feels better than ever before. Best decision of my life.

I do however still take natural DHT blocker which I strongly recommend:

Biotin
Zinc
Evening Primrose oil
Nisim Shampoo (hair stops falling within the week!!)
Laser comb (3 x week)
Excersie (5 times week)
Also I cleaned up my diet, lots of fruit & veg, lean meat

I promise: THIS WORKS!

This advice is absolute garbage and I recommend everyone completely ignore it.

Minoxidil works very well. If you stop using it, it will stop working...obviously.

The lasercomb is complete junk and DOES NOT work.

Exercise has no effect on hair loss.

Diet will have no effect on androgenic alopecia.

Biotin and zinc will do very little and probably nothing at all for hair. There is only 1 study that shows biotin might help but it will do nothing against DHT and neither will any of the other things mentioned in the above post.

Nisim Shampoo I am unfamiliar with... but looking at the ingredients I don't really see anything that is going to help with male pattern hair loss.


Your regimen is an unintelligent one. There is no "debate" whether some hair becomes dependent on minoxidil. It DOES. That has been firmly established. It's a treatment, not a cure.

[25 going on 65]

My understanding is that the hairs which become dependent on minoxidil are ones that you would have lost anyway during the treatment. Sort of like when you quit Propecia and within a year you lose all the hairs that were being protected from DHT during that time (except with minox the mechanism is growth stimulation and not DHT blocking, like KeepTheHair pointed out).

Unfortunately, I have to agree that jenniferlima's advice will not be useful for men with MPB. If a man is losing his hair due to genetics and wants it to stop, he needs proven treatments, not a lifestyle upgrade.
Exercise, nutrition, special shampoo (besides Nizoral), etc. may improve the quality of existing hairs. It may make individual strands appear healthier. But if that's your whole regimen, your hair will continue to fall out, and the "healthy quality hair" will become a horseshoe pattern on your head.

[seraphix]

Update

I've been 8 months since I quit minoxidil and I thought I'd update. I didn't quit cold turkey; over a 3 month period, I dropped it to once a day and then three times a week. I noticed an increase in shedding and it would have been due to me stopping minoxidil. However the shed stopped round about 6 weeks after and now my hair is back to where it was when I was on minoxidil.

So I'm glad I quit minoxidil as for my case it wasn't doing much, it is a hassle to apply twice a day and cost money. I kept using it as it was the fear of losing hair that without minox, I'd be bald. In my case that wasn't true.

I am still on propecia and been using it for over two years. Like everyone else, I'm waiting for this 'cure' until then propecia is the next best thing.

[kanyon]

That's interesting seraphix. I haven't quit minox but I started getting lazy with its usage. I didn't intend to quit but in my lazyness (I think) I lost a heap of hair by late last year and am continuing to.

Since November I've been using it twice a day and unfortunately it doesn't seem to have the same effect as when I started it in 2004. In fact I think it has no effect at all. Am now hoping Propecia will save me.

What I would give to have the same head of hair I had in only October last year.