devilray

I've got an answer for you. I stopped using rogaine months ago figuring that perhaps taking propecia was sufficient and I was tired of twice a day applications. Well, I started shedding hair big time and went back on rogaine after about 3 months. Going back on it I decided to compromise by putting on 1.5 applications at night rather than the recommending 1 application at night and 1 application in the morning. Very soon I stopped the shedding completely and all is very well. I'm looking to hold on to what I got rather than regrow so can't speak to that with regard to 1x application daily. I'm pretty excited because putting on rogaine at night is a burden I can live with for a lifetime. Dealing with that oily stuff in my hair every morning was a real drag. good luck

Couldn't wait for you all to respond so found out an answer. If you are on rogaine (especially the 5% vs. 2%) don't quit cold turkey and not expect shedding. The follicle goes into shock with the sudden lack of the rogaine fertilizer and becomes dormant (there's a scientific name for the phase of dormancy and think it might be called telligan phase but don't feel like trying to confirm) It's likely that after the shedding and a period of dormancy for the follicle, maybe 50% or more will overcome the shock and sprout long term successful hair again. I assume that had I phased out the rogaine I would have saved some of the follicles from reaching permanent dormancy so quickly, but the ones that my "shock" killed probably were probably weak anyway and going to die in time. This relieves some of my guilt from murdering my own follicles. Now I have a choice. I can choose to stay off the rogaine (i continue propecia) which I will once I see the shedding slow to a crawl or disappear {note I believe I have seen the first signs of this after about 5 weeks of the wierd, worrisome shedding period that freaked me), start again full time or perhaps start part time [i.e. only use at night which is much more user friendly then having the "goop' in during daylight hours.] Once the shedding stops, I'm going to make the determination based on the long term hair loss trend. Hope this helps someone. It sure helped me to learn what was up.

Did more on-line research and thought I'd offer some pot'l insight into my own question while I wait for responses from the forum group. 1/ Excessive shedding during the first several weeks/months of using rogaine seems to result because the follicle is being encouraged to grow bigger hair and since it can't do that mid-stream, the follicle chooses for some reason to shed the current hair in place, goes dormant and reawakens later growing new, thicker, stronger hair. O.K. so when I stop, does the effected follicle go dormant again for awhile and then reawakens to grow continually weaker hair with the eventual "death" of the follicle. 2/ given the cycle issue, it seems that the excessive shedding should stop soon. 3/ of course, if that's true, the remaining question is should i begin again?

I've been using propecia and rogaine for about 4 years effectively slowing my hair loss. About 3 months ago I decided to stop using rogaine for the usual reasons: 1/ inconvenient 2x daily use 2/ oily substance that runs down your forehead 3/ thought perhaps I didn't need it since I was using propecia. Now I'm shedding big time like everyone else that has stopped rogaine. My questions are: is the excessive shedding a temporary phenomenon? When can I expect it to stop? Does the shedding prove that Rogaine was preventing hair loss that would have occurred had I not been using Rogaine? Do I get back on it despite the inconveniences because it was working and I want the shedding to stop or just ride out the excessive shedding "period" and then be glad to be done with it? thanks for any help!!

I've been using propecia and rogaine for about 4 years effectively slowing my hair loss. About 3 months ago I decided to stop using rogaine for the usual reasons: 1/ inconvenient 2x daily use 2/ oily substance that runs down your forehead 3/ thought perhaps I didn't need it since I was using propecia. Now I'm shedding big time like everyone else that has stopped rogaine. My questions are: is the excessive shedding a temporary phenomenon? When can I expect it to stop? Does the shedding prove that Rogaine was preventing hair loss that would have occurred had I not been using Rogaine? Do I get back on it despite the inconveniences because it was working and I want the shedding to stop or just ride out the excessive shedding "period" and then be glad to be done with it? thanks for any help!!