Diclofenac gel to regrow hair on bald head and beard
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@Hearthfire said in Diclofenac gel to regrow hair on bald head and beard:
Found some studies that support that Diclofenac works. Minoxidil, Diclofenac, and Tea Tree Oil microemulsion worked far better than minoxidil alone.
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3686323/
In their conclusion, they say this indicates that androgenic alopecia is multifactorial. I have come to that conclusion myself. I think it's a cascade effect of multiple things leading to baldness. Two big ones I think people aren't addressing enough is fungus and Demodex mites, which the tea tree oil would address. Then you have that powerful anti-inflammatory action from the Diclofenac.
You could probably achieve the same results from just applying all three at different times throughout the day.
Heres another study with pictures: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/302483501_Topical_Diclofenac_3_Gel_for_Actinic_Keratosis_May_Induce_Terminal_Hair_in_Male_Androgenetic_Alopecia_A_Report_of_Three_Cases
If it works that well for someone in their 70s who has been bald for a long time, I imagine it works much better for a young man.
Nice finds. There does seem to be a connection with success against hair-loss and keeping fungus at bay, if you consider many of the anti-fungal remedies throughout the years used to fight hair-loss: tea-tree oil, castor oil, rosemary oil, peppermint oil, medicated talc (Miconazole nitrate), Nizoral, to name just some of them. At least for some, that may be a part of solving the puzzle.
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@Hearthfire said in Diclofenac gel to regrow hair on bald head and beard:
@Gaston This is why I think it has huge potential if done with consistency. How many people have tried this for any real length of time? Most probably quit because it's "messy". Seems like a fairly obscure thing that not many have probably tried with any real consistency for more than a few months.. The few anecdotes and studies show huge potential though.
There are tons of people who won't even stick to using minoxidil regularly because 1. it's tedious 2. it's messy, and then just stop completely because they didn't get results (because they were inconsistent), even though it's scientifically proven to work. How many more would have tried something esoteric (as far as hair regrowth treatments) like Diclofenac, it sounds much messier than minoxidil.
I am anxious to try this, but just know I'll get whatever side effects are possible. I got sides with Miconazole nitrate and Nizoral. Even so, I'll probably try Diclofenac gel.
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@wester130 said in Diclofenac gel to regrow hair on bald head and beard:
used it and it gave me weird heart pain
I would be curious if you've ever tried Nizoral or Miconazole and have gotten any side effects?
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@Mossy What sides did you get with Nizoral? I tried it for a month and it was fine. I even used it way more often than people say to (once per week, I sometimes did 2-3). No issues. Going to try it again because I think it did help increase growth.
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no particular side effects from Nizoral or Miconazole
at the moment I am experimenting with a water soluble version of vitamin A and water soluble vitamin D
they are sold as micellised vitamin A/D
the vitamin a should reduce sebum/acne/dead skin on the scalp
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This says diclofenac is used for actinic keratosis
wouldn't topical retinol be much safer and normal to solve the same thing
even topical tretinoin could be helpful
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@Hearthfire said in Diclofenac gel to regrow hair on bald head and beard:
@Mossy What sides did you get with Nizoral? I tried it for a month and it was fine. I even used it way more often than people say to (once per week, I sometimes did 2-3). No issues. Going to try it again because I think it did help increase growth.
The best way to describe it is that I feel drugged and am off. I have varying degrees of malaise, from being just functional to basically incapacitated. I've shared ad nauseam my sensitivities to supplements, but it's true. I just can't take a thing. And yet, here I cam considering this diclofenac gel.
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@wester130 said in Diclofenac gel to regrow hair on bald head and beard:
no particular side effects from Nizoral or Miconazole
at the moment I am experimenting with a water soluble version of vitamin A and water soluble vitamin D
they are sold as micellised vitamin A/D
the vitamin a should reduce sebum/acne/dead skin on the scalp
That leads me to think then that diclofenac would wipe me out, if you get no sides from Nizoral and Miconazole, but do get them from diclofenac.
I'm tried topical vitamin A (Haidut's) and vitamin D (Haidut's and other brands). Can't sustain any regimen, due to sides. I think at this point I'm just toying with myself that I'll be able to use diclofenac. Even so, I won't wholly count it out yet.
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@wester130 said in Diclofenac gel to regrow hair on bald head and beard:
This says diclofenac is used for actinic keratosis
wouldn't topical retinol be much safer and normal to solve the same thing
even topical tretinoin could be helpful
I think you could argue that, being that those are not drugs. I wonder if retinol goes systemic when used topically? My friend, whose father is a dermatologist, used Retin-A religiously, on his face and forehead, and he has all of his hair at late middle age. Though, it is all gray.
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@Mossy tretinoin isn't a systematic drug so should be okay
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9115052/
https://www.medicaljournals.se/acta/download/10.1080/00015550118916/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/1829464/
It should reduce sebum and force your scalp to generate new skin,
But it all depends on what you think is the cause of balding
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@Mossy Yeah, makes me reconsider trying it. Also in that hairloss talk thread, someone said a bunch of people tried it and it wasn't that great. Who knows how they did it or if they were consistent.
I might actually just skip trying this one.
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I started my experiment this morning on 2 small bald spots in my beard.
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@wester130 said in Diclofenac gel to regrow hair on bald head and beard:
@Mossy tretinoin isn't a systematic drug so should be okay
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9115052/
https://www.medicaljournals.se/acta/download/10.1080/00015550118916/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/1829464/
It should reduce sebum and force your scalp to generate new skin,
But it all depends on what you think is the cause of balding
Thank you for this info.
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@wester130 said in Diclofenac gel to regrow hair on bald head and beard:
@Mossy tretinoin isn't a systematic drug so should be okay
Wrong. Tretinoin does cause systemic adverse effects. Which can be even long-lasting.
They are simply not publicly acknowledged.
I can't provide the specifics anymore as I once must have written them on paper or tried to remember them in my head. It's not a good ingredient to use IMO. -
@wester130 What % of glycolic acid are you using?
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After some additional research, I'm going to have to count out taking Diclofenac gel for now, based on potential severe stomach issues, such as ulcers and deterioration of the lining.
If I understand these posts correctly, some users of Diclofenac take an additional supplement or drug to counter the lining deterioration, ulcer issue. That seems like a tightrope that would be hard to walk, getting the balance just right. At least for someone highly susceptible to side effects.
https://www.reddit.com/r/ChronicPain/comments/bn7a7z/comment/en3g3zc/
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@tubert 20% is enough to dissolve the top layer of skin
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@wester130 thx! I have that at home, but how long do you leave it on for? I used to use, but after 5 or so minutes my scalp was on fire. So I wasn't sure if thstcwas such a good thing
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@tubert persoanlly i can leave it on overnight but Vitamin A and retinol products may be better to remove old collagen
idealabs sell a Vitamin A product in alcohol so it's not as greasy
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@wester130 ok, thanks for the info! It may be that my scalp just needs to get used to the acid