Topical Minoxidil: is it really that bad?

Chud

im considering starting minoxidil 5% topical since ive completely halted my hairloss with peating and want to experience some regrowth on my temples.

ive been shaving my head for the past 2 years, however i let my hair regrow the past 3 months & it grew so rapidly and thick i couldn't believe it, the transformation was jarring since i was used to my baldcel look. my current hair is much longer and thicker than my hair was in my teens. im taking thick ray peat, schopenhauer type hair.

the only problem is the areas where i receded during my rapid hairloss phase at my temples are not regrowing, despite microneedling and applying topical caffeine & b3 somewhat frequently. ive only been able to regrow a few tiny vellus hair

from doing research on hairloss, minoxidil seems to be the only drug that is able to wake up dormant hairs and cause significant visible regrowth (especially when combined with dermarolling). looking online at minoxidil transformations there is just too much evidence for its effectiveness. ive read that it works especially well for people who's hairloss happened rapidly (in 2-3 years).

Im thankful i avoided finasteride like the plague but i wish i had started minoxidil when i began receding.
Im planning to get a transplant next year and i want to gain as much hair back as possible so i dont have to use too many grafts and ruin the density in the back of my head.

The only potential side effect im concerned about is the reported heart palpitations, but its relatively uncommon and and ceases upon stopping the medication. i looked through countless photos of people using minoxidil on r/tresless and r/minoxidilbeards and i couldnt really see any horrific skin aging that some peaters say could happen when using the stuff. Plus im only going to apply it to the top of my head and not my face. to reduce systemic absorption and skin irritation im only going to use topical 5% minoxidil 6-10 hours after i dermaroll. i only plan on using it for a few years and then weening off it and stopping it completely. Since i've halted my hairloss i dont think my terminal minoxidil hairs would shed if i stop the medication in the future.

here is a very good FAQ on minoxidil:
https://www.beardwiki.com/minoxidil-faq

does anyone have experience with minoxidil? did you experience any side effects?

Chud

upMinoxidil

AstralPMP

Have you tried topical castor oil already? Was there any change from it?

CO3

@Chud Nothing that increases NO is good. Avoid!

Chud

@AstralPMP
actually yes i started topical castor oil last month, i use it at as carrier oil for rosemary oil, since rosemary oil alone can cause scalp irritation and burning. new studies show that rosemary oil is is supposedly as effective as 2% minoxidil. I haven't seen results yet using castor/rosemary but these things take time as the hair works in cycles.

I dont see any insane castor oil/essential oil transformations online & alot of the people who use castor oil and are also on minoxidil, so its hard to estimate how effective it is. Minoxidil 5% monotherapy has some pretty insane transformations though.

AstralPMP

Castor oil testimonials do seem a little lackluster if used in isolation. Palpitations are no fun. I'd consider supplementing with thyroid before going back to minoxidil.

You're sure also that you have enough biotin, D, and E in your diet/ stack?

Chud

@AstralPMP said in Topical Minoxidil: is it really that bad?:

Castor oil testimonials do seem a little lackluster if used in isolation. Palpitations are no fun. I'd consider supplementing with thyroid before going back to minoxidil.
You're sure also that you have enough biotin, D, and E in your diet/ stack?

yeah i supplement with vitamin d and progest-e. i also eat lots of cooked eggs so im getting biotin, i did have a period where i ate a lot of raw eggs whites in my protien shakes, maybe this could have caused some biotin deficiency but i stopped doing the raw eggs a few months ago.

my temples have that classic bald shine on them so im pretty sure they're calcified. im currently supplementing with vitamin k and dermarolling and finger massaging it as often as possible to break up the scar tissue.

(not me) but this is what my hair looks like except ive grown my sides and back out way longer, my temples are extremely receded basically up to the middle of my skull but the rest of my hair is healthier and longer than ever. im definitely getitng a transplant this year i really like having hair and the hair transplant technology has gotten really good. my donor area is pristine so i should be able to get full coverage with 3000 grafts i might even push my hairline a bit lower since ive always had a 5head.

CO3

@Chud The least crazy option for hair loss I've seen was a hairline tattoo and buzzing it. Of course you're committing to a certain style then, and tattoo ink isn't healthy but it seems the least insane and expensive option.

banquos-ghost

@Chud You may be advised to start anti-androgen therapy (Finasteride, Dutasteride) to prevent loss of transplanted hairs. For obvious reasons any medication of that kind should be strictly avoided.

CO3

@CO3 I wouldn't do it personally though, just rock that thing and focus on your health

basednigga2006

Drinking the monixidil liquid version of it = me eyelashes grew 2/3x the size, i really like thaat

I love minoxidil!

AstralPMP

@Chud I don't know much about transplants but maybe they are effective and reliable these days.

I always dose my B vitamins and eat my eggs at different meals to minimize the loss of biotin.

To get the most out of your dermarolling, you might try a serrapeptase + nattokinase pill. Solaray makes a decent one and it is excellent to pair it with vit K supplementation.

I suggest this partly because of my own curiosity though! I took the Solaray and a few other brands for several months and saw scars all over my body reduce in size and redness (they did not disappear). You do need to follow the dosage guidelines and take the enzymes only on an empty stomach or else they will not work.

Santosh

@basednigga2006 said in Topical Minoxidil: is it really that bad?:

Drinking the monixidil liquid version of it = me eyelashes grew 2/3x the size, i really like thaat

I love minoxidil!

I also tried drinking the solution but more than 3 drops and I almost faint while having heart palpitations.

how many drops are you taking ?
how long did it take for visible eyelash change ?
any side effect ?

basednigga2006

@Santosh said in Topical Minoxidil: is it really that bad?:

@basednigga2006 said in Topical Minoxidil: is it really that bad?:

Drinking the monixidil liquid version of it = me eyelashes grew 2/3x the size, i really like thaat

I love minoxidil!

I also tried drinking the solution but more than 3 drops and I almost faint while having heart palpitations.

how many drops are you taking ?

how long did it take for visible eyelash change ?

any side effect ?

I use a spray, i spray it 3/4 in me mouth
More then Weeks 3/4
Not really no, only weird heart beaats lol (idk the name)

This can help you
https://looksmax.org/threads/its-safe-to-think-topical-minoxidil-heres-why.933782/
https://looksmax.org/threads/eyebrow-gains-oral-minoxidil-before-and-after-pics.926415/

Santosh

@basednigga2006 said in Topical Minoxidil: is it really that bad?:

@Santosh said in Topical Minoxidil: is it really that bad?:

@basednigga2006 said in Topical Minoxidil: is it really that bad?:

Drinking the monixidil liquid version of it = me eyelashes grew 2/3x the size, i really like thaat

I love minoxidil!

I also tried drinking the solution but more than 3 drops and I almost faint while having heart palpitations.

how many drops are you taking ?

how long did it take for visible eyelash change ?

any side effect ?

I use a spray, i spray it 3/4 in me mouth

More then Weeks 3/4

Not really no, only weird heart beaats lol (idk the name)

This can help you
https://looksmax.org/threads/its-safe-to-think-topical-minoxidil-heres-why.933782/
https://looksmax.org/threads/eyebrow-gains-oral-minoxidil-before-and-after-pics.926415/

It's like THE definition of a side effect, there is nothing to "lol" about

CO3

@Santosh LOL. "just a bit of arrythmia no biggie"

voldtzeig

Make sure to get a FUE hair transplant and it'll probably look good if the doctor is good.

I think you have to think about potential negative effects from minoxidil vs stress/feeling bad about being bald. Aspirin may also reduce the effectiveness quite a bit if you're unlucky. You probably only need to use it once daily after a while since the half life in skin is about 22h. Also I doubt you'll be able to stop using it and keep the hair, havn't seen anyone keep the gains after a year. Might be worth considering if you're gonna do a hair transplant.

Also only use topical, pill can be very dangerous.