What if I stopped using rogaine permanently?

[Anonymous]

I:ve had hairloss for the past 2 years so far. It's only affected my frontal hairline but I really regret starting on rogaine. I was so fixated on my hair loss at the age of 19 that I paniced and took propecia, rogaine and zinc all at once... Which is what I'm regreting now. I think I should've just taken propecia ONLY when I first started noticing small signs of hairloss.

Rogaine is like poison, I hate it and I regret ever starting it, because once you start it, you can't stop, you have to use it daily, twice a day. And it becomes quite troublesome because it ends up flaking your hair especially in the morning when your off to work. I made a mistake and stopped taking it for a month hoping that my hair didn't need it anymore. I lost all the hair that I had gained with the rogaine and even some of my natural hair as well mostly in my temples and direct center of my frontal hairline.

 

My question is, is it too late for me to stop taking rogaine permanently? Its becoming a nuisance and I'm not noticing any significant effects on my temples or front hairline anymore.

 

I'm hoping that I could just stick with propecia and MSM but would those be enough to keep my remaining hair?

[damo]

Hi there.I also used to take Rogaine for a period of time.I found it used to flake my hair also and make my scalp itchy.Its not to late to stop taking it at all.I would stick with your Propecia as well to maintain what you have.Theres no guarantee with the propecia but ,it may get worse.The only permenant way togo is by having a hair transplant! Do you have pictures of your hair you can send me?

 

Rgds

Damo

[arfy]

You can use Minoxidil once a day and still get a lot of the benefits from it. You could try backing off to once a day if it's becoming a huge hassle. Maybe use it only at night? You could also try putting it on in the morning, leaving it on for an hour, then rinsing it out before work (plus using it at night). I agree that topicals are kind of a hassle, and guys should not always include them in the beginning unless really necessary.

 

I would also try to back off gradually if you think you want to quit. I would probably not stop it cold if you didn't have to. Maybe go down to once a day for a month (maybe see how you tolerate it at this level, and re-evaluate). Then if you want to discontinue, maybe use it once every other day for a few weeks. Then every third day for a few weeks, and so on.

 

If you cut Minoxidil off cold, you may be risking a worse shed. However I'm not a doctor, so take that advice however you like. It's just my opinion.

 

As far as Zinc, did you take that as a vitamin (or put it on your scalp).

 

The most effective treatments, in this order:

 

Propecia (possible tie with Avodart, results pending)

Minoxidil 5%

Minoxidil 2%

 

Propecia is the most effective by far. Minoxidil is less effective but helps (and works best together with Propecia).

 

Anything else is going to be marginal (MSM Zinc etc) at best. If you want to simplify, get rid of the stuff that doesn't do anything.

[Robert_]

If you discontinue minoxidil, you will lose any benefit that it gave you. There will be no difference if you stop abruptly or step down gradually other than that if you discontinue gradually it may slow the loss some.

 

Propecia and minoxidil work in completely different ways. There is no comparing the two. Minoxidil is a growth stimulator for hair follicles. Think of it "bypassing" the DHT that kills your hair.

 

Propecia, on the other hand, inhibits the Type II 5alpha-reductase, thus inhibiting hair loss. Essentially, Propecia attacks the "root" of the problem (bad pun intended ) while minoxidil is a kind of jumpstarter. They can compliment each other well, but if you had to choose which to keep it would definitely be Propecia.

 

I utilize generic 5% minoxidil twice a day. I apply both applications in the afternoon, after I am home for the day. I just make sure the applications are 4+ hours apart. While it probably is not quite as good as applying them exactly 12 hours apart, it is certainly better than once a day or giving it up completely. Perhaps you could give this method a shot?

 

-Robert

[Anonymous]

thanks for all the replies

 

Damo, I'll send you pictures as soon as I take some.

Tying this post into another topic that I made..

http://www.hairrestorationnetwork.com/eve/showthread.php?t=145926

 

I've only been using rogaine on my front hairline and I've only seen regrowth in my temple area but NEVER on my front hairline (directly above eyebrow region). This is after 2 years of daily use, twice a day. So I realize if I stop, that I'll lose the hair regrowth on the temples, but I probably won't lose any hair on my front hairline, right? I'm guessing that if I never gained hair there.. I won't lose any as well. Is this safe to assume?

[Guest]

That's what I'm counting on - I haven't noticed any benefit from Rogaine whatsoever, so I'm hoping that I won't suffer any sudden loss now that I've stopped using it. I suppose, in theory, Rogaine could have prevented some hair loss (it didn't in my case), so you could quickly shed the hair Rogaine prevented you from losing during the time you were using it. I do know one person whose hair had been gradually thinning for 10 years and he used Rogaine for one year with no results and stopped using it. During the next year he lost all his hair on top (in the MPB area). He is convinced that Rogaine accelerated his hair loss but that's impossible to prove. Unfortunately I didn't hear about that until after I started using it. Anyway, I've stopped using Rogaine now and I'm not going to waste any more money on the stuff.

[JetFlyBoy]

My experience is: stop using minoxidil and watch how fast the follicles fall out!

 

Just get ready. You think it's not doing anything til you get off.

 

I'm back on for good.

[Guest]

How soon did follicles start to fall out after you stopped using minoxidil, JetFlyBoy? I have been losing hair very slowly for the last 26 years, so if all my hair suddenly drops out after stopping minoxidil after one year's usage, I can be pretty certain that minoxidil actually causes hair loss. So far one week without minoxidil and no sudden hair loss, but I am worried and wish I had never started using the stuff.

 

PB

[SorleyBoy]

PB . . .

Jetfly - and the majority of other Minox defaulters are unfortunately dead right about 'time catching up' once you stop the regular application. I used it from 2000 to 2003 and successfully slowed down or even halted hairloss at a diffuse NW4 stage.

 

I got lazy and thought maybe it was my extreme age (52) that had stabilised things - and stopped using it . . . how wrong can you be! - In just 3-4 months I was a NW5 and an avid reader of the Hair Transplant Network!

 

Rogaine, concealers, hair colourants, mega thickening styling gels etc. are the perpetual 'monkey on your back' . . . you can't do jack in life for being concerned about wind and weather and being 'presentable' to people - for whatever reason.

 

I binned the lot and went for a 'strip' in Arizona. Ahhh! - what a relief.

 

Regards

[Robert_]

Originally posted by PB:

That's what I'm counting on - I haven't noticed any benefit from Rogaine whatsoever, so I'm hoping that I won't suffer any sudden loss now that I've stopped using it. I suppose, in theory, Rogaine could have prevented some hair loss (it didn't in my case), so you could quickly shed the hair Rogaine prevented you from losing during the time you were using it. I do know one person whose hair had been gradually thinning for 10 years and he used Rogaine for one year with no results and stopped using it. During the next year he lost all his hair on top (in the MPB area). He is convinced that Rogaine accelerated his hair loss but that's impossible to prove. Unfortunately I didn't hear about that until after I started using it. Anyway, I've stopped using Rogaine now and I'm not going to waste any more money on the stuff.

 

Best of luck to you, PB, but you should know that minoxidil does help hang on to hair that would otherwise be lost so while you may not be seeing regrowth, it is very possibly helping you maintain.

 

As per your question, I saw the shedding begin after I discontinued minoxidil around 2 months after.

 

-Robert

[Guest]

Hmmm... 2 months until the shedding begins . My first HT is scheduled for just over 2 months from now. My hair loss has been very slow, even after 26 years of hair loss I still have some left, so one year's worth of hair loss shouldn't be much. I don't mind if I only lose what I would have lost during the year on Rogaine (as that is what Pfizer mention in the documentation) but if Rogaine causes more loss than I would have experienced without ever using it, I will be pretty upset.

 

PB

[Guest]

Originally posted by SorleyBoy:

PB . . .

 

I binned the lot and went for a 'strip' in Arizona. Ahhh! - what a relief.

 

Regards

 

You sound pleased with your strip, SorleyBoy - I'm glad. I hope I become as relieved after my strip. I have already binned all my pills and potions and am just waiting for the strip now. Of course I'll still have some waiting to do after the strip but at least I'll be one step closer.

[SorleyBoy]

PB

. . . I think we've all mentioned it before at some time, the psychological exhillaration of stepping out of the top flight surgery that you've just chosen - and being able to 'throw your crutches away' is priceless -(well . . . a price of $10,000 at least!).

 

You'll be on a daily 'high' knowing that in just a few months you can deliver that lecture - without the podium lights blinding everyone as they reflect off your gleaming dome!

 

As you say - it's one step closer - but a giant step nonetheless. When you consider the time, trouble and expense you went to in avoiding any situation that might compromise your confidence - I would estimate that 'after the scars have healed' you won't give a damn about public opinion - you'll be so full of yourself knowing that you've had some of that 'warrior beauty' restored.

 

Good Luck . . . Sorleyboy

[Guest]

Thanks Sorleyboy! I just hope there aren't any problems such as massive shock loss or nothing happening after 4?? months. This is the first time in decades that I've been so excited about something.

 

PB

[Anonymous]

For those of you saying that people will lose hair once they stop using minoxidil, are you talking about in areas that you have never seen any hair regrowth in? I haven't even seen baby hairs forming on my front hairline where I've applied it. So is my safest bet to just stay on minoxidil even if I want to keep my natural existing hair?

 

PB- hope your HT turns out great with Dr. Feller. I too plan on going to him in the near future depending on how my hair loss progresses.

[Robert_]

I can't say exactly what will happen in your case, Anonymous, but this is what happened to me 6 years ago:

 

I used minoxidil religiously for approximately 10 months. My hair looked better in that time, but there was no *major* regrowth. Uninformed and cocky, I became lax on application and eventually stopped. The shedding that occurred after that was nothing short of shocking.

 

I believe that the minoxidil not only helped me regrow some hair that was lost, but also stimulated follicles of otherwise doomed hair. Once treatment was discontinued, the "double wammy" of losing both the regrowth and the hairs that would have jumped ship had I never started was shocking, to say the least. What made it exceptionally disturbing was the sheer rate at which the loss occurred.

 

I don't mean to paint a "gloom and doom" picture for you. I just want you to know that the possibility is there. Of course, there are many variables between my situation and yours, so your mileage may vary; hopefully in a good way.

 

I hope this helps to clear up some confusion.

 

-Robert

[Anonymous]

Hi robert, thanks for posting your experience with rogaine. One question, were you applying rogaine in your crown or front hairline? when you saw the hair loss after discontinuing on the minoxidil.

[Robert_]

I was using it on just the crown at that time. I now apply it twice a day to the crown and once a day to the hairline.

 

-Robert