| Author | Message | ||
     Carlson |
About one month ago I started using 2% Rogaine for my pattern baldness. My hair is now shedding quite a bit. I was warned to expect this but I would like to know the reason why. When will the shedding stop and when will new healthy hair start to grow? At present I'm depressed and would like some comforting answers. | ||
| Tom Hagerty (Admin) |
Most people who start using Rogaine and Propecia experience a month or two of shedding. The reason is that the miniaturized follicles that produce the thin vellus hair cannot just grow into healthy large follicles in one step. They have to enter a several month resting stage (telogen) first. In this resting stage the old vellus hair falls out or is pushed out by the new thicker hair in the next growing stage (anagen) of the perhaps larger follicles. You may not see any satisfying results for four or five months. Hair grows slowly - about a half inch a month. Of course, as I'm sure you already know, you may never see the results you want. Some people do not have success with these drugs. Rogaine and Propecia are certainly worth a try, though, especially if you are in the early stages of baldness. If you've been bald for over ten years, these drugs have a slim probability of working because the hair follicles may be dead instead of miniaturized. With miniaturized follicles pattern baldness is potentially reversible; with dead follicles it is not. | ||
| brucelee |
Carlson. Most folks have very good results with this regimine. Propecia Minoxidil Nizoral shampoo-1% three times a week Folligen therapy spray from skinbiology.com Good luck Brucelee | ||
| PeterG |
Hi brucelee, How long do you keep Nizoral on your head when washing? Peter | ||
| Clint |
Hi Tom, You wrote: "Most people who start using Rogaine and Propecia experience a month or two of shedding. The reason is that the miniaturized follicles that produce the thin vellus hair cannot just grow into healthy large follicles in one step. They have to enter a several month resting stage (telogen) first. In this resting stage the old vellus hair falls out or is pushed out by the new thicker hair in the next growing stage (anagen) of the perhaps larger follicles." Well, I have long hair. Where I'm not going bare its still healthy, I think they are NOT the miniaturized follicles that produce fine vellus hair as you mention. So, if I use Rogaine do I run the risk of shedding healthy hair that has taken a long time to grow, or does the shedding only take place among vellus hairs? Is it possible my long hairs are actually just clinging to progressively miniaturizing follicles??! | ||
| Tom Hagerty (Admin) |
Clint: I've read your question or rather questions several times. I wish I could give you a short, definitive answer but I can't. So here goes with a long, probably less than satisfying answer. All hair, both vellus and thick terminal hair, is eventually shed during the late telogen or early anagen stages of the hair cycle. But because only about 10% of the hair follicles enter telogen at any one time, the shedding is not noticeable. In people who have pattern baldness often 20% of the hair follicles are in telogen at one time so hair loss in these people is noticeable. With healthy hair follicles, though, the thick hair that is shed in the telogen stage (the resting stage) is replaced by more thick hair in the next anagen stage (the growing stage). Your specific questions are: (1) Will you run the risk of shedding healthy hair if you use Rogaine? and (2) Will you just shed the vellus hair which will (hopefully) be replaced with thick hair? Rogaine is supposed to stabilize the growth of thick hair, and according to reports it does a pretty good job of this. So if you lose some thick hair during the telogen stage of the hair cycle, there is a high probability that it will be replaced by more thick hair during anagen. Your other question is more problematic. If Rogaine is doing the job you expect from the product, the vellus hair will shed and the vellus hair follicle will enlarge into a follicle capable of producing a thicker hair in the next anagen stage. But Rogaine, as I'm sure you know, does not always work the way one expects or hopes. Your other question is: Are your thick hairs just clinging (hanging on for dear life) to progressively miniaturizing follicles. I wish I had a crystal ball for this one. My best guess is that if your areas of thick growth have been stable for quite a while, then they will remain stable. | ||
| Anonymous |
I have been using rogaine for about a month as well. Shedding is prolific, about 30-40 hairs after use of rogaine, and when washing of hair about 80-100. Three quarters of the hair shed seems to be thicker terminal hairs, not small vellus hairs. Is this normal ? Should I stop treatment ? I know shedding is to be expected for 2 months or so, but I'm worried by the time I stop shedding there wont be much left, and there is still no garruntee that rogaine will actually regrow anything. One observation I've made is that there is'nt many posts, either on this forum or any other I've visited, that actually have sung any praises for rogaine and it's effectiveness. This is worrying. | ||
| Tom Hagerty (Admin) |
Anonymous: You wrote that you have not seen too many posts from people singing the praises of Rogaine on the forums you have visited. I think if you go to the Web sites where Rogaine is sold, you will see lavish praise for this product. The question is, of course, who writes these testimonials. | ||
| mwoods |
In my opinion, my case actually, hair has to get worse before it gets better. 2% Minoxidil did not a thing for me, and when I used the 5% man oh man it shed like crazy, BUT, that tells you it's doing it's job. Hang in there and ride the storm. The telogen phase lasts aprrox. 100 days, after that, you should see new hair growth. http://www.minoxidil.com has a 5% Xandrox solution women can use (& men) without propylene glycol- that's the substance that causes unbearable itching. Trust me, my scalp has felt perfectly fine! It's the daytime solution. Good look & don't lose hope! | ||
| Europe |
Hi' there I have used Rogaine or Regaine as it's called in Europe, and my scalp became itcy and red after 1½ month. After some research I saw www.minoxidil.com and Dr. Lee's homepage where I could buy Minoxidil without Propylene Glycol. I made a online order, and got a email, where they said they would put a false label on, because of EU laws. I think it's a little suspect because Minoxidil is not a prescription drugs here. Is www.Minoxidil.com and Dr. Lee reliable ??? | ||
| arutha |
The various sites and forums mention Dr. Lee a lot. I've heard some criticisms of some of his treatments and beliefs, but everything I've heard about ordering from him has been positive. Remember that stuff from Dr. Lee and others is custom-made. That might have something to do with it. *shrug* | ||
| Freddie |
From what I know, he is reliable. Don't know what EU laws are like but minoxidil here is approved in two concentrations : 2% and 5%. Each contains a certain amount of propylene glycol, alcohol, water and the active ingredient in a certain proportion. By excluding propylene glycol, he is changing the makeup of what is usually available and thus customs may reject it. That is probably what he is afraid of. Since you are specifically requesting that propylene glycol be excluded since it causes you irritation, obviously you know what you are ordering. But there is no way customs will know that. They may assume its fake medication or medication manufactured not upto EU standards if he excludes the word propylene glycol on the bottle. | ||
| Anonymous |
I'm on my third day of Minoxidil (5%) and today I shed in the shower significantly more than I'm accustomed to. I take it from everything I've read this is normal? Like a significantly higher amount of shedding is par for the course? I should just ride it out for 3 or 4 months? It just looks like a LOT of hair... maybe it's cause my hair is so long... when it's wet, the hair from the top of my scalp comes down past my ears. I guess I'd just like reassurance that this is supposed to be happening. E | ||
| Tom Hagerty |
E: You started on Rogaine 5%. Just ride it out for those 3 or 4 months and see what happens. If you read all the literature that Upjohn gave you in the box, you'll see initial shedding is often part of the process of the drug working (or not working). You've made the commitment. Give it a chance. But if you see no improvement in six months, I don't have to tell you what to do. | ||
| Anonymous |
Tom I have been reading about Propecia & Rogaine a lot here, do you know anything about this Procerin that is highly advertised? I wanted to try it coz it is way cheaper than Propecia but I have not seen any feedback from anybody using it. Is it something you would recommend? | ||
| Tom Hagerty |
Anonymous: Click on Keyword Search then type in "procerin" is the search box. Now click Perform Search at the bottom of the page. You'll see a wealth of information about this product. Most of the "testimonials" are negative. | ||
| Bob |
Did you notic a change in the appearance of your hair during the initial shedding period, or did you simply notice that there was more hair in the sink, shower, etc.? | ||
| Kshkol |
Hi Everyone, I'm 29 year old (male), i'm planning to go on Propecia, any advise? What’s the right way to take the doze & how much doze I needed a day? Where can i find it cheap (without worrying that it's not the fake product or generic). Do I need to start any other medicine with Propecia? Like Minoxidil.. Rogaine? Or combination of few? Plz advice, appreciate your time & affords. | ||
| Anonymous |
I started Rogaine 5% two months ago, and today I have noticed that my hair has gotten thinner. My hair has stayed the same for two months until today. Could this be the shedding phase where my hair starts to regrow? Isn't it a little late for it to start shedding now, after all I started it two months ago. | ||
| Anonymous |
Tell me more about "Tom's exercises" what is that? | ||
| Tom Hagerty |
Find out for yourself about "Tom's exercises" by clicking - My Approach. | ||
| Anonymous |
on the container of minoxidil it says not to use it if you do not have a history of baldness in your family. how true is that? | ||
| Rachel |
Hi... I just thought I would let you know that I am a Rogaine success story..(I promise I do not work for the company! lol) AND I have no family history of premature balding in my family AND I used it on the frontal regions of my head. I am a 33 yr old female who was losing a noticeable and frightening amount of hair daily.. I couldn't wash my hair without crying and getting nauseaus at the sight of what would look like a small animal when I was done... My probable diagnosis was TE due to chronic stress and poor nutrition, weight loss, etc. With the advice of my Derm I started 2% Rogaine twice a day, every day and after a few weeks I did notice an increase in shedding.. upset I called my Derm and he told me I had to stick with it that it had to get worse before it got better, etc.. not really believeing (but not knowing what else to do) I continued using it.. It is about 6 months later now and my hair looks like new..perfectly normal.. noone (not even me) can notice I even had a problem.. my hairdresser, my husband, and friends have told me my hair looks great.. I wish I had before/after pics but I don't because during the "before" I was very camera shy! I realize that Rogaine will not be a "miracle" for everyone who uses it but I just thought I would let you know that it does work sometimes and the 2% was plenty strong enough for me as well. (when I started seeing positive results I got excited and asked my Derm if I should switch to the 5% to get even better results and he did not recc it.. he said that it would increase my chances of negative side effects such as facial hair, burning scalp, etc..)just remember that with medicine, more is not neccessarily better! Rachel | ||
| PKA |
That's a fantastically positive story. You must be over the moon. I can't imagine how distressing losing hair must be for a woman, it's bad enough for men, but at least you know all your life that maybe you should expect it . I think am going to try Rogaine soon. | ||
| Rachel |
Thanks PKA, I wish you and everyone here success and if not that then at least peace and happiness....I know how upsetting this is. I really do think that many people have positive results with Rogaine (and possibly other treatments as well but I can't say I know about them first hand) but if you think about it, most people that spend time on the boards are people who have NOT found much luck yet which is why they are still here... I would guess that the majority of the people that have good results move on and get busy with their lives again, etc. and don't take the time to post "it worked!" which is why I wanted to be sure that I did... I guess what I am trying to say is that it can look very dismal if you search the boards for success stories but keep in mind that most "success" stories probably don't bother posting... Rachel | ||
| Anonymous |
Rachel, I'm a 51 year old woman using Rogaine 2%. I started using it a year and a half ago. After about 6 weeks I began to see some improvement. Gradually I saw my scalp vanishing. It had been painfully evident up till then! Now my hair seems to be falling again even though I've changed nothing in my routine. I faithfully apply the Rogaine every morning and night. I'm even careful about what shampoos and conditioners I use because I've noticed that some brands seem to accelerate my hair loss. I'm at my wits end with this problem. I had no idea that Rogaine came in two strengths. I'm only familiar with the over the counter product. Can you or anyone else suggest things I might try for this? While no other female relatives have had this same problem I have noticed that both my sisters (older than me) seem to have high foreheads. They don't report significant hair loss though. I've never done perms btw and I don't bleach or otherwise color my hair. Thanks for any help with this, Molly | ||
| Rachel |
Molly, Hi..sorry it took me so long to respond.. I haven't been checking the boards... Im sorry you seem to feel you are having a "relapse". I assume you do realize that some fallout is normal and hair grows in cycles... are you sure this is more than normal shedding? Rogaine comes in mens (5%) and womens (2%) both OTC (at least in the US it does.. not sure where you are)Have you seen a specialist? what have they said? what is your diagnosis? I am definetly not an expert.. just someone who has had some luck with Rogaine.. I would keep using it.. How long have you been on it now? It is possible that what you are experiencing is the initial fallout that many people have on Rogaine before they see regrowth.. let me know how you are doing.. if you want to email me you can... I don't check the boards very often Rachel | ||
| Bruce |
Hi: I am 30 y.o. and have noticed a very alarming receeding of my temples and thinning of their surrounding areas. The rest of my head has thick healthy hair. If I pull pack my hair I have the clear M shape in the front, and since it's usually covered by bangs, I get really depressed when I realize I am also a potential Hairloss candidate. I dont know if I should use Propecia and/or Rogaine. I have always thought that once you start, you would affect the entire hair area and that EVEN my healthy hair will be dependent on those products forever. I read here that once you start on those meds you must continue or the hairs fall again. Can I apply those meds only to the temple area ? without touching the good hairs? Will the absorption affect a larger area of scalp? Propecia is a pill. What happens to my good hair?- If I stop, would everything fall out later on? (Including the good hair in the entire scalp) The Initial Shedding- Will I shed hair from everywhere on my head or just the thinning troubled area? To tell you the truth I find it very scary to take this first step. I would really love to find another way , even try the scalp excercises I read about, even if it takes a year to see some results, but I dont know if I should wait or not- time is precious and it seems that this could progress more. Also - Starting on these meds seems like a "Road of no return"- and Accepting that hairloss is a reality and a permanent problem Forever.. I need help with this - I am very undecided and I need advice. | ||
| Mike Miller |
I am 35 years old and I have been using Nioxin for a few years because i am loosing hair on the top of my head. i have noticed that it kind of stopped my hairloss but it might be starting again. Never really regrew any hair. I need something with more strength. There are alot of products out there but i think I have ruled out Propecia ( dont like the idea of a pill and the side effects) procerin (again a pill and dont have alot of faith in something that is not directly applied) My questions are this: minoxidil seems to be the answer. Is there any difference in Rogaine versus the generic--minoxidil? The minoxidil is cheaper. Should I use any type of specific shampoo--maybe stay with the Nioxin? When using minoxidil, I understand that you have to apply to a dry head--how do you all use it? I tend to wash my head in the shower, dry it,then use a little mouse or gel to style. Can i apply after i do all that or is my hair going to have to go "al natural" ? Cant do that--my hair is a mess if I dont use the some mouse or gel or hairspray. I understand there is some shedding at first--how much are we talking and how long? You can see my scalp from the top front to the top back, am i going to be basically bald if i start shedding before it goes back? i dont have much to loose up there without it becoming a problem--appearance wise. | ||
| Anonymous |
Hey all, I am 21 yrs old, have started losing my hair at 18. I started using Nioxin, which seemed to calm the shedding, I figured my hair would catch up, but it seems that I am wrong. I started taking nutritional pills (I know I don't eat a lot during the day, I cod liver oil pill form can't find the liquid here and don't want to use the internet, B12 pill, B75, C. At times I switch shampoo to aloe vera (however u spell it, just started changing shampoos recently). My question is, what seems to work? Is rogain the answer? Propecia? I also started taking your scalp exercises tom and it feels great! If anyone can recommend something it would be greatly appreciated | ||
| Tom Hagerty |
Anonymous: Just a short recommendation. Try to get most of your nutrients from real foods. Supplements are OK but don't count on them to take the place of nutritious meals. Don't believe the hype supplement companies print in their catalogs. No one has any authority over what the supplement companies put out in their advertisements except for the ingredients on the label. I take some supplements but I also eat good food. | ||
| Anonymous |
Rachel, When you were using Rogaine, did you shed all over your scalp,or just where you apply rogaine? How long did the shedding stop and what did you use for scalp itchiness? Thanks A | ||
| melissa ann louise |
Hello. I used Rogaine for 1 1/2 weeks and I was shedding 3 xs the amount before I started treatment. It scared me so much I stopped it. My hair is still shedding like crazy a week later, is that normal. How long will it take to stop now that I stopped the minoxidil? Thanks. | ||
| Anonymous |
I started having a receding hair line when I was 28 and immediately started using Rogaine. My doctor highly recommended against Propecia and assured me that Rogaine works for hairline balding but has only been tested on vertex balding. Here it is 5 years later and my hair is a little bit better than it was 5 years ago. That's not bad if you ask me. It stopped the fallout and reversed it a little bit. I've started losing some hair again and I'm thinking about adding Nioxin to the routine. Rogaine does have some disadvantages: it's greasy, it makes my scalp peel off like huge dandruff flakes, it's expensive, but it's better than being bald. The guy who cut my hair this weekend highly recommended Nioxin, but when he showed me his Nioxin progress, I think that my Rogaine progress was better. | ||
| Common sense |
Have you tried looking at Xandrox? You can order it without propylene glycol and it also contains a DHT inhibitor. You can get it in higher concentrations of minoxidil (up to 15%). This means if you use it it will cause no irritation, itching or dandruff at all, and it can help grow more hair as there is a higher concentration of minoxidil + the DHT inhibitor. Minoxidil is supposed to lose its effect after 5-10 years on some people. I would therefore look at using a higher concentration if i were you. I've been using Xandrox 5% for 6 weeks and i've experienced a lot of shedding up till now. It seems to have calmed down a little but who knows whats going on. Hopefully it will start to grow back thicker over the next month or two. Fingers crossed... | ||
| Anonymous |
Hello, I used 5% minoxidil for about 2.5 months during the summer and then stopped because of irritation and shedding; when I went off, the shedding stopped (as did the irritation). Now, it is about three months later, and I am wondering: is there any chance that the hair I lost during my minoxidil use might grow back somewhat? Except for my vertex, the rest of my hair is pretty health and I am pretty young, and from what I read I thought that maybe the telogen phase that the minoxidil induced might now end and anagen might start again. Any ideas? Thanks a lot | ||
| Anagen |
I am not 100% positive but this shedding could be your follicle reaction to minoxidil- although the initial shed comes a bit earlier. This is typically a good respond to the topical and it leads to new growth. Many people have irritation issues with minoxidil. Are you using Nizoral shampoo? There are solutions with lower concentration of PPG available. These along with the use of a ketoconazole shampoo would probably settle it. | ||
| whodey |
I am going through the same thing Anonymous...although I've been on Minox for 8 months and don't seem to be responding, only shedding. I stopped using it a couple of days ago and it stopped my usual shed. But now I'm freaked out because I hear people who stop will have a horrific shed. Not sure what to do. -whodey | ||
| Anagen |
If you have not grown new hair due to minox you will not experience a noticeable shed. The thing is that you might have gotten results due to minox while your MPB progresses and not be aware of it. | ||
| bruce |
Hello im 28. from march last year i started used regaine extra strength. After 4-6 weeks my hair started shedding from the crown area where the balding occurs. Basically six months later thats all it did. I realize that shedding is natural due to old hairs being replaced etc but all i got were little sprouts that can hardly be seen. Overall it made my hair worse as there seems to be good scalp coverage on on side of the crown but the other side is shedding making it look like a bald "strip". Basically this has distressed me quite considerably as maybe i have had a bad reaction to regaine and should have came off it sooner. I was on it for a total of 7 and a half months (i fell behind with doses so used six bottles in 7 months then didnt finish the 7th bottle before stopping use) So i was wondering has anyone had a similar experience and when will the shedding stop and my hair resume its "normal" appearance? its been over two months since i stopped using it. Please help. | ||
| Anonymous |
I've never used minox, but I've been reading up on it a bit. Apparently rogaine only works in 1/3 of all patients. Also, it may not work in the absence of insulin; in fact, it seems as if minox might even inhibit hair shaft elongation in the absence of insulin so maybe this is what's happening to you: http://www.hairloss-reversible.com/discus/show.cgi?tpc=5&post=22383#POST22383 So one thing you might want to try is to raise your insulin levels as described here: http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showpost.php?p=3123433&postcount=2 before applying minox. If you follow this approach be sure to work out a lot to avoid building up insulin resistance. If you do this please let us know how it goes! Also, from reading the forums I get the impression that minox doesn't work if you have any kind of scalp inflammation. So maybe you should first get rid of any inflammation you might have before continuing with minox. Hope that helps! | ||
| Bruce |
Bruce, Rogaine is total crap. I don't know why people insist on putting PPG and alcohol on their scalp, it will 80% of the time make things worse. Unfortunately you have been on it for a while, so quitting may induce more shedding. I would suggest using something like folligen or NANO and ween yourself away from this stuff. | ||
| phil james |
Just thought I would add my experience about rogiane - Basically I had no hair problems until early '05. I had telogen effluvium after a number of general anasthetics in 03/04 - just generalised thining all over but no hairline recession. I went to a derm who suggested I go on 5% rogaine for six months as it would assist with regrowth. That is when my troubles started. After two weeks of use the hairline on the temples and front receded dramatically - hair dropped out all over the place. Freaking out I stopped after four weeks. After six weeks the shedding basically stopped, although the front hairline was still thinned. Six months later I have recovered most of the hair I had shed because of the TE, so my hair is pretty much back to 100% in most areas, but have yet to get any real growth back in the areas that receded when I applied the rogaine. I'm hoping the the hairline at the front will eventually recover as I have since found that regrowth is generally slower in these areas. Whether the rogaine triggered hair recession that was going to occur anyway or not is impossible to say. All I know is that the time line of my hair recession and use of rogaine was basically in one clear time block, from which I have had a partial, (and hopefully eventually) a full recovery. While rogaine may be of use to people with pattern baldness, I would say it can be hair poision to people with TE - the manufacturer said it was only to be used for people with pattern hair loss. This I raised with my derm prior to using it, and he told me it was OK. Needless to say I reckon the guy is a quack who gave me the worst possible advice. My advice to people with true TE is to let nature take its course & don't mess around with the stuff. I'm hopeful that in another 6-12 months everything will be OK - if I don't get back what I reckon rogaine took away, c'est la vie - an unfortunate lesson in trusting professional advice without doing my own research. Had I read some of the rogaine horror stories I have since acquainted myself with, I would have flushed it down the toilet before putting a single drop on my head! | ||
| Jay Smith |
Rogaine sucks.. It only works on 1/3 of the people that use it and its messy and makes your head read and itchy. It also leaves little white flakes that are all over the place. I would suggest just using propecia and Nioxin.. stay away from rogaine.. | ||
| Anagen |
I do not have any of the above problems and I have been using Rogaine for 10 months now. Flakes and itchiness usually subside with time, especially when combining it with Nizoral shampoo. "stay away from rogaine" what if someone reading your message is one of the pharmacogenetically priviledged 1/3? pf... | ||
| Common Sense |
Anagen.... how are you doing? Haven't spoken to you in ages!!! Tried emailing you but no response  I was wanting ask you a few private questions so i'll try emailing you again... Common |
