Using regaine

[emc4raz]

Ive been using regaine for just under a month and noticed my eyes have been red in the mornings, therefore i wish to stop using this stuff.

I have been reading that minoxidil can have bad side affects such as bags under eyes and wrinkly skin, i wish to stop this can i stop this straight away or do i have to stop it gradually.

TBH after reading the side affects i dont want to touch the stuff, but dont want bad side affects from stopping the stuff

Any advice would be much appreciated.

[Tracy C]

You can just stop using it if you want.

The side effect profile of Minoxidil is really not that bad. It sounds more like you had an allergic reaction to one of the ingredients.

[emc4raz]

Cool thanks, i dont want to be walking around with black eyes and a wrinkly face. My eyes are worth more than my hair, the reviews do give you a fright.

http://www.baldingblog.com/2005/08/31/minoxidil-side-effects/

[Tracy C]

...the reviews do give you a fright.

That does not hold any weight. The side effect profile of Minoxidil is very mild. Again, what you are describing sounds more like an allergic reaction to one of the ingredients. I have been using Minoxidil for over three years and have never had any reaction even remotely like that. The truth is most people don't. But some people are allergic to some medications or other ingredients added to some medications. You might be one of those few people.

[emc4raz]

it been nearly a month and the symptoms have just occurred now, not sure what i should do carry on using or stop

[Tracy C]

Stop using it. If the symptoms go away, you know it was either the Minoxidil itself or one of the ingredients in the solution. If the symptoms continue, it is more likely that something else is the cause.

[emc4raz]

cool thanks will do that, pretty sure its that ive searched all over the net and alot of people have similar affects..

[emerson]

Still on the topic of Regaine, could anyone clarify these issues for me (I couldn't find any answers on other postings):

1. When a shedding occurs, is it the weak, minaturized hairs that are shed, or can healthy terminal hairs be shed too? If it's the former, then a heavy shed is obviously a bad sign, because it means that there's alot of minaturizing that's been taking place over the scalp.

2. If you stop taking Regaine after (or during) a shed, are those shed hairs likely to be lost forever (in effect, by speeding up their demise) or will those hairs return?

2. Does Regaine work by entering the blood system as opposed to just being effective only where it is applied? I've read that it can cause excess body hair growth which makes me think it gets into the blood system.

Thanks for any clarification you can give me.

[Tracy C]

...could anyone clarify these issues for me (I couldn't find any answers on other postings):

On 1: I am not sure if I understand what you are saying - it kind of counters itself... But yes, the weak follicles are the ones that are shedding while the miniaturization is reversing. If a person has really heavy shedding, they most likely had more miniaturization going on than they thought they had.

On 2: I do not know if those hairs are lost. I do know that to stop treatment because of shedding is usually a mistake.

On 3: The active ingredient in Rogaine/Regaine is Minoxidil. Minoxidil is also available in an oral form to treat blood pressure. In the topical form, Minoxidil works where you put it. In an oral form, it gets into your blood - and when taken orally it can cause excessive body hair. Rogaine/Regaine is a topical form of Minoxodil.

[emerson]

@ Tracy. Many thanks for your reply. Much appreciated.

Sorry for any ambiguity in what I wrote on 1.

What I was trying to say is that if I take Regaine and have a heavy shed at the early stage (even with an apparantly full and healthy head of hair - except thinning crown), then I'll know that I've got alot of weak hair that would have succumbed in the near future to MPB (bad). If I have only a slight shed, then I'll know that I've got alot of hair that's healthy and not currently succumbing to MPB (good).

If all that shed hair grows back by continuing with Regaine, then I'm guessing that the "Regaine hair" is only staying on my head for as long as I continue the treatment, or the treatment remains effective - just like Fin (which I won't take).

I've read that Minox remains effective for up to 5-7 years, so after that, all the Minox supported hair is going to go, along with previously healthy hair that it is now supporting. I'm just not sure what's worse (for me) - a gradual, continued loss by going without Regaine, or keeping my hair for a while (until the Minox ceases to be effective) and then having an obvious rapid "all-in-one go" loss due to all the hair falling out that was only kept going through "Regaine". Doesn't sound like a great option to me. Do you understand my dilemma Tracy, or am I missing something here?

On 3, I've read about those side effects using the topical application (not tablets). Hair growing on forehead, excess hair on body, eyebrows, ears, etc. That's what made me wonder if it ultimately gets into the system. I'm aware that applying Regaine foam on one part of the head will be absorbed by the whole head (with the result of possible shedding all over the head, not just where it's applied) - just couldn't see how it manages to work its way to hair on the body if it wasn't via the blood system or similar.


Thanks again, Tracy

Emerson

[Tracy C]

I've read that Minox remains effective for up to 5-7 years...

I'm not buying into that. Time will tell. I've only been using it for a little over three years. Even if it is true, I highly doubt there would be an "all at once" mass shedding. It's just too far fetched, even considering those like yourself who do nothing to try to control DHT.

Excessive hair on the forehead and ears is probably possible, but I don't think body hair would increase

It is not my place to talk about whether a man should take Finasteride or not. I do want to ask you if you have thought about trying an herbal DHT blocker though. It will either work or it won’t. You won’t know until you try.

[emerson]

Experienced early unpleasant side effects on Propecia, Tracy, which is why I won't go down that avenue again. Guess I was one of the 2%.

Have just got some Saw Palmetto - no idea if it's any good, but I'll give it a go. That's the only herbal DHT blocker I'm aware of.

[Tracy C]

Have just got some Saw Palmetto - no idea if it's any good, but I'll give it a go. That's the only herbal DHT blocker I'm aware of.

I looked to see what I could find about this last week or so after reading so many comments about these concerns in this forum.

What I found is that Saw Palmetto should be taken in a complex form, not straight Saw Palmetto. A "complex" means it has other herbs blended in with it. Since I use supplements from Nature's Bounty, I check their web site and found that they have a Saw Palmetto complex that has identical ingredients to the one I read about in a study. I am including a link to the PDF file from Nature's Bounty's web site so you can see what those ingredients are.

Please be aware that the only reason I am using information form Natures Bounty is because I am familiar with the brand and use their products myself. I am sure other supplement manufacturers offer similar products.

http://www.naturesbounty.com/VF/LABELS/L006052-NB.PDF

http://www.naturesbounty.com/PRODUCT/006052

You probably already know this, but it will take a full year of using it as directed before you will know if it helps or not. Although this does not apply to me, I would be very curious to know if it works for you or not... I have two brothers. Both have vertex hair loss and a bit of trouble going #1. They both said they will try it for a year when I told them about it last week.

[emerson]

Thank you Tracy,

I appreciate all the effort you went to in your last post. I'll see what happens.

Best wishes

Emerson

[Amercancer]

Hi, I read on here that minoxidil makes u look older! Is that true bout the wrinkles and black saggy eyes?