dropped minoxidil after the first shed... what happens now?

[gagaplex]

Ok, im a 19 year old male and about two months ago my girlfriend noticed that my hair around the scalp was starting to thinn out. it still looked pretty healthy and i guess you wouldnt notice it unless you looked really closely, but i thought it was better to be safe than sorry so i decided to give rogaine forte (5%) a try.

After about two weeks i started to shed like a madman and since i had not heard any other stories and was stupid enough to not do any reasearch on the internet, i quit rogaine after about 4-5 weeks of usage. i know now that shedding is a normal phase and that you should stick to it as it will eventually regrow, but i did not know better and if you read the product guide they actually do suggest you to drop the treatment if the shed doesnt stop after two weeks.

Now, two months after i started the treatment the shedding has stopped, but my scalp is almost entierly visible in some areas, i look like my grandpa did when he was in the late 30s! im starting to get really concerned about this and my question is; can i expect some of the hair that i lost during the shed to grow back even though i stopped using rogaine? will it eventually return to how it was before i started the treatment, or is it just going to get worse?

thanks in advance.

[namratasnv]

Hi,

The medicines like Rogaine and Minioxidil should not be taken in a combination with Propecia it does not put that impact on body but some where it may cause harmful effects.

So, I will strongly suggest you to go for Propecia alone as, it is the only pill that proves to be beneficial.

It is important to consult a doctor also, if there are some symptoms you are finding.

[Pierre_PILC]

I agree with NAMRATASNV, Finasteride is the only FDA approved medication that will help you regrow hair. Propecia is very easy to take (daily) and there is no messy foam or liquid to apply like Rogaine. 98% of Dr. Baxa's patients at PILC are on Finasteride. You should definetely consult with a doctor before taking Finasteride (Propecia). Do expect some shedding from the pill as it may happen for the first couple of weeks and then it goes back to normal. I hope this information helped out.

Pierre Marquina
Surg. Tech/Patient Consultant
Mark D. Baxa, M.D.

[Person]

bump

This is almost identical to my situation except i was on it for like 8 weeks.

[marikeo]

I agree with NAMRATASNV, Finasteride is the only FDA approved medication that will help you regrow hair. Propecia is very easy to take (daily) and there is no messy foam or liquid to apply like Rogaine. 98% of Dr. Baxa's patients at PILC are on Finasteride. You should definetely consult with a doctor before taking Finasteride (Propecia). Do expect some shedding from the pill as it may happen for the first couple of weeks and then it goes back to normal. I hope this information helped out.

Pierre Marquina
Surg. Tech/Patient Consultant
Mark D. Baxa, M.D.

This is very poor advise. I have seen no evidence that suggests you should not be taking Propecia (Fin/Proscar) with Minox (Rogaine). In fact, I would suggest you are not truly combatting your loss if you are not on both.

Proscar is a Alpha Type I inhibitor which is necessary to reduce the amount of DHT attacking your follicles. However, it is not a growth stimulant. You may seen better growth of your existing hair with decreased DHT, but to stimulate hair growth, you need to bring in something like Minox.

I have been using Minox since 1988 and Minox + Prop since 1997. I have seen many people lose their hair over that time while I have been able to control the rate of my loss (sadly not stop).

WRT to your shedding. Yes, shedding is normal when you start a treatment. However, I have seen (and experienced) very heavy sheds on Rogaine foam. I would suggest you start this product carefully and work your way in gradually.

If your shed was caused by the Minox triggering your follicles to move into growth phase from resting phase, then yes your hairs will come back. I would expect you will have them all growing in a couple of months. THis does not mean, however, you won't experience another shed.

[clandestine]

First few posters are rather ignorant, last guy is right (marikeo). Propecia and minoxidil can and should be taken in combination, as they are synergistic, and work together and have different functions.

Propecia is a DHT blocker.
Minox is a growth stimulant.

And yes, you should have waited out the shed and continued using treatment consistently. Live and learn, though.

Not sure what your next course of action should be, actually. Maybe get Tracy C in here, she`s very knowledgeable regarding these matters.