i purchased 4 months worth of 5% rogaine.

I am pretty sure its not the foam, its the liquid i think or whatever the non foam is, i havent opened it up yet.

It cost $160 australian - is that a good price?


Should i have got the foam instead - is that more effective or just easier to use?


What do i have to do with the rogaine to get the best effects from it.

Do i have to put it all over my head including on the safe zone? or just in the areas that are balding?

Is putting it on once a day enough? can i put it on once every second day etc?
What is the best time to put it on?


Is it ok to put other products on top of the rogaine? how long should i wait to let the rogaine soak in before putting on gels etc?

I heard rogaine works better if you have shorter hair? if you put it on the actually hair, rather than the scalp? does it damage the hair?


Again if you have any tips or tricks that you employ to improve the effectiveness or ease of application, i would appreciate your insight.

thanks.

I'll try to answer some of your questions:

Well, if it is the foam, it will specifically say that on the packaging, so I would assume it is the liquid;

I'm not sure what Australian currency is as far as relation to the dollar; but I use to buy the generic version at Walmart for about 25$ for 3 months supply; Foam doesn't come in generic yet, but if you want to save money and you don't mind the liquid, I would go generic;

The foam and liquid both contain minoxidil; the foam is not as messy to apply; easier to use; the effectiveness of each is equivalent;

You need to apply it twice a day consistently to benefit; results usually take four to six months to see; and you must continue it for life or any hair you gained or maintained due to minoxidil will be lost very quicly;

In the studies they claim it is only effective at the vertex area of the scalp; however, many people claim it is effective at the frontal area; but it is generally more effective at the vertex than the hairline area; so apply it in the balding areas;

some people say that they maintain their hair applying it once a day; but all of the studies were done with applying it twice a day; that appears to be the most effective way to use it; I think every second day would be ineffective; you apply it in the morning and before retiring;

after you apply rogaine, I think you need to wait 10-15 minutes for it to soak in your scalp and dry before applying gel, mousse, etc; also, it is not recommended to blowdry your hair after applying; do not get your scalp wet after applying or it could dillute the minoxidil;

I think it is easier and less messy to apply if your hair is shorter but it is not a requirement; you need to get the minoxidil onto your scalp; no it wont hurt your hair, but it is a waste if it doesn't get onto the scalp;

In summary, I only take propecia, I tried rogaine, but didn't like the messy regimen; I haven't tried the foam, but I heard it is much easier to apply and less messy; I feel that propecia should be the foundation of a hairloss prevention regimen, and rogaine can be added for a marginal beneift; importantly, if you discontinue rogaine, the hair maintained/grown from it will be lost rather quickly

Thanks for your response, its very helpful.

just to expand on what you have said. is my understanding correct?

there is no need to apply rogaine to the safe area(back of head and sides)

It works best on the vertex and if im very lucky it may work towards the front/hairline? So i only need to apply the rogaine from my vertex up to my hairline?



and BTW just for your information the australian dollar = 90 cents american, so it doesnt seem i got a great deal.

I have never myself, or ever heard of anyone appying it to the "safe" areas on the sides and back of the head that are not sensitive to dht;
you would have to use a ton to cover that much area;

Yes, I would apply it from the hairline to the vertex--the areas of typical MPB; use 1 ml per application.

that price seems awfully high, especially if it isn't foam; have you checked ebay for prices; I would recommend generic, if you are going to use the liquid.