No shed on Minox

[DuckingAngels]

Hey guys. I have been using Minox foam for about five weeks now. Obviously I am aware that no visible results are to be expected yet, but I am curious as to why I have had no shedding whatsoever. I have only been applying the Minox to my hairline/temples which isn't actually recommended (although lots of anecdotal evidence suggests it works there) , so I wonder if this is the reason.

I have read lots of stories on here of people having horrific minox sheds, and most responses have been that shedding is a good thing- it means that the Minox is working. So does the fact that I have noticed practically no shedding whatsoever- potentially even less than pre minox use- mean that there is no point in me continuing to purchase Minox? Is the lack of shed in itself an indication that the Minox is having no effect? I am (potentially) at a very early stage of MPB and so it may well be that it is currently pointless to use Minox.

Any advice would be appreciated.

[Bluefalcon109]

Sometimes i feel its the blind leading the blind lmao. I've been using minox for about 4 weeks now. (since may 22nd) I've noticed a slight shed in the area that im applying it to. But the hair that im losing now looks strong and long, not those forsaken short and weakened thin hairs that are apparently a harbinger of a MPB like i used to. But that could be due to the finasteride i've also been using.

[Tracy C]

Sometimes i feel its the blind leading the blind lmao.

It is the blind leading the blind for the most part. Many people on here do not have enough experience treating their own hair loss to be able to provide reliable advise to those who are new to treating hair loss.

Hey guys. I have been using Minox foam for about five weeks now. Obviously I am aware that no visible results are to be expected yet, but I am curious as to why I have had no shedding whatsoever.

Some people do not experience a shed. Most people do but some people do not.

There is usually nothing a male can do about temple hair loss because this is a natural and normal male trait. However, some males can regrow some of their temple hair with Minoxidil. If the area you are applying the medicine is completely void of hair, continued use of the medicine in that area is not going to do you any good. Minoxidil and Propecia are most helpful in the vertex and mid-anterior areas.

[WarLord]

Hey guys. I have been using Minox foam for about five weeks now. Obviously I am aware that no visible results are to be expected yet, but I am curious as to why I have had no shedding whatsoever. I have only been applying the Minox to my hairline/temples which isn't actually recommended (although lots of anecdotal evidence suggests it works there) , so I wonder if this is the reason.

I have read lots of stories on here of people having horrific minox sheds, and most responses have been that shedding is a good thing- it means that the Minox is working. So does the fact that I have noticed practically no shedding whatsoever- potentially even less than pre minox use- mean that there is no point in me continuing to purchase Minox? Is the lack of shed in itself an indication that the Minox is having no effect? I am (potentially) at a very early stage of MPB and so it may well be that it is currently pointless to use Minox.

Any advice would be appreciated.

Using minoxidil only in temples is improvident. The hair loss will continue uninterruptedly on other areas. When you start with minoxidil, you must apply it on the whole area that is normally affected by hair loss.

You don't have to experience any shed on the low minoxidil concentrations. I have never experienced anything like this, even when I jumped from 2% to 5%. However, I experienced a very depressive shed in my temples, after I switched from 5% to 15%. In fact, even 10% is too much for me.

It is true that the success in temples is usually limited. I now experience a very encouraging regrowth in my slightly receding temples, on places that have been bald for 15-16 years. It is still premature to say, what a treatment is responsible for this, because I was using 10-15% minoxidil for 13 months (until mid-February 2012), and now I combine dermastamp + 6% minoxidil + Nizoral. In any case, you must combine as many treatments as possible, because the regrowth on these areas is difficult.

After 4 months, it will be clear if your regime works or not. If it doesn't, I would recommend either switching to a higher minoxidil concentration or to finasteride. Or combining minoxidil with finasteride.

[Tracy C]

After 4 months, it will be clear if your regime works or not. If it doesn't, I would recommend either switching to a higher minoxidil concentration...

DuckingAngels,

It is in your best interest to ignore this recommendation. The known risks of using those shady high concentrations of Minoxidil out weight the unproven benefits. Stick to legitimate 5% concentrations. Also, four months is not long enough to know how well Minoxidil is working for you. At four months you only know IF Minoxidil is working for you. It takes 12 to 18 months to know how well Minoxidil is working for you.

[DuckingAngels]

Thanks for the advice Tracy. Would you recommend applying minox to areas that are currently showing no real signs of balding?

[the_dude78]

Another user of this board, I don't remember who, posted a link to this website once:

http://www.bernsteinmedical.com/medical-treatment/medications/rogaine-minoxidil/tips-on-minoxidil/

Take a look at the site, lots of good info here.

[the_dude78]

More on minoxidil from the website:

http://www.bernsteinmedical.com/medical-treatment/medications/rogaine-minoxidil/

[DuckingAngels]

Useful stuff there, thanks for the post.

[Tracy C]

Would you recommend applying minox to areas that are currently showing no real signs of balding?

In males, Rogaine (or generic Minoxidil) is most effective in the vertex and mid-anterior areas. If you currently do not have a problem in these areas, you should not use Minoxidil.

Many males buy Minoxidil to use on there temples and hair lines. This is usually a waste of money and effort because males, especially caucasion males, are genetically programmed to loose their temple hair and develop an adult male hair line. Some males can regrow some of their temple hair with medicine but most males cannot. If your temples are completely void of hair, Minoxidil is not going to help you no matter what concentration you use. If you have at least some vellus hair in your temples, Minoxidil might be able to help you to some degree but the odds are against you.

[mpb47]

More on minoxidil from the website:

http://www.bernsteinmedical.com/medi...ine-minoxidil/

"Minoxidil will work in the front part of the scalp and temples if these areas are just starting to thin – so it is important to apply it to the front part of your scalp and hairline if you are thinning in these areas."

I think the "just starting to thin" is the key here. When I was much younger I had a slight regrowth with just minox, It wasn't much but better than nothing. But over time I lost that hair and my hairline started to slowly go back even though I was still using minox. Had better luck with Fin but after I stopped using it, hairline started creeping back once again.

I think Tracy is right, it's just really really hard to avoid masculine traits.

[WarLord]

"Minoxidil will work in the front part of the scalp and temples if these areas are just starting to thin – so it is important to apply it to the front part of your scalp and hairline if you are thinning in these areas."

I think the "just starting to thin" is the key here. When I was much younger I had a slight regrowth with just minox, It wasn't much but better than nothing. But over time I lost that hair and my hairline started to slowly go back even though I was still using minox. Had better luck with Fin but after I stopped using it, hairline started creeping back once again.

I think Tracy is right, it's just really really hard to avoid masculine traits.

If you regrew hair on minoxidil, then I don't believe that you would lose it soon. I always wonder, if you guys have such an aggressive form of MPB or if you don't use it properly, every day. It just boggles my mind: You REGROW hair, and soon after you start to lose it? It doesn't make much sense to me.

I have never regrown any hair on 2% minoxidil, but it worked very reliably for 11,5 years. Then I switched to 5% minoxidil and I just try to regrow some hair in my temples with the help of dermaroller. And I have been quite successful so far. Well, so far it has been barely cosmetically effective, but when I consider that I lost that hair 15 years ago...

[mpb47]

If you regrew hair on minoxidil, then I don't believe that you would lose it soon. I always wonder, if you guys have such an aggressive form of MPB or if you don't use it properly, every day. It just boggles my mind: You REGROW hair, and soon after you start to lose it? It doesn't make much sense to me.

I have never regrown any hair on 2% minoxidil, but it worked very reliably for 11,5 years. Then I switched to 5% minoxidil and I just try to regrow some hair in my temples with the help of dermaroller. And I have been quite successful so far. Well, so far it has been barely cosmetically effective, but when I consider that I lost that hair 15 years ago...

Never said I lost it soon in fact it was just the opposite. I regrew a small amount of hair up front and it stayed around for a few years then slowly went. Over TIME as in YEARS my hair has gradually moved back. So gradually that I don't really notice it till it adds up. Like I recently noticed the front of my forehead has become thinner and both hairline corners are becoming more indented.

So is the minox still working up front or not? Can't really say because my family pattern is very slow progression even without meds. Not only that but we bald noticeably faster in the back than recede in the front.

Fast or slow, a little bit or a lot, I think your hair will move back.

[yeahyeahyeah]

This is usually a waste of money and effort because males, especially caucasion males, are genetically programmed to loose their temple hair and develop an adult male hair line. Some males can regrow some of their temple hair with medicine but most males cannot. If your temples are completely void of hair, Minoxidil is not going to help you no matter what concentration you use. If you have at least some vellus hair in your temples, Minoxidil might be able to help you to some degree but the odds are against you.

She is right, take a look at him for example:

[WarLord]

Never said I lost it soon in fact it was just the opposite. I regrew a small amount of hair up front and it stayed around for a few years then slowly went. Over TIME as in YEARS my hair has gradually moved back. So gradually that I don't really notice it till it adds up. Like I recently noticed the front of my forehead has become thinner and both hairline corners are becoming more indented.

So is the minox still working up front or not? Can't really say because my family pattern is very slow progression even without meds. Not only that but we bald noticeably faster in the back than recede in the front.

Fast or slow, a little bit or a lot, I think your hair will move back.

And did you use it really regularly, every day? Remember that minoxidil doesn't excuse any interruptions of treatment. YOU DIDN'T UNDERTAKE ANYTHING, WHEN YOU STARTED TO LOSE THE REGROWN HAIR? Judging from the fact that you stopped using finasteride, I would say that you don't take your hair therapy much seriously.

If I didn't read the claptrap in the internet, it would never occur to me that the treatment should stop working. I have been on minoxidil for nearly 16 years already and it doesn't seem that it would lose its effectiveness anytime soon. In fact, I start to believe that I could use it indefinitely.

One man called BEACH MAN, who has been using minoxidil for 24 years, summed it up on another forum: "Those for whom Minoxidil actually works to grow mature hair don't want anyone to know that they are using it, just as they don't want anyone to know how much hair they have lost underneath the adjusted (e.g., comb-over) hairstyle designed specifically to conceal the hairloss. Thus not only do they have no need to post on a hairloss website like this; they have had no need to even consider that such sites exist, and most don't even realize that they do. It's primarily just the 34% for whom Minoxidil doesn't work that search out such sites, and not all of those post; they just read and continue web surfing for answers. Therefore you're getting a negatively skewed or distorted percentage of postings regarding the use of Minoxidil and its success/failure rate on hairloss websites, and always will. The same applies to other hairloss treatments for the same reasons. It's the nature of the numbers influenced by human nature."

We see the same with finasteride, after all. Not a long time ago, the hairloss communities spread mythologies that it works only for five years. Now we know that it is effective in 86% people for 10+ years. It's always those hopeless souls, who are whining on internet forums, creating an impression that any hairloss therapy is a lost battle. Some of them even passionately infect people's minds with poisonous crap like the famous "offset regrowth theory" in minoxidil. LOL