multiple questions, answers.

[Blaze]

Hello,

 

Below is a series of detailed questions. I hope you can find the time to review them and respond. I am a researcher by nature and I think you will appreciate the "quality" of my questions. If there are areas I brought up that you are not familiar with, please let me know and I will send you as much information as I have on the subject so we can both learn.

 

1. What is the difference between oral Finasteride and topical? In other words, could I make a topical formula with the pills? Can I do that with Spironolactone as well? I can only get both in pill form and do not want to ingest either systemically because of the side effects.

 

2. Below is a "homemade formula" for Spironolactone. Do you know enough about Spironolactone topical lotion to better explain how to make this? I don't fully understand how to make this formula. For instance, I looked up Dermovan cream, Dermovan being a topical skin emollient, could propylene glycol be used for this purpose?

 

2a. The last paragraph on making the cream is a response to the recipe post saying any ph neutral cream will work as well as Dermovan, I've not seen any skin care product that is not loaded with tons of "other" stuff that might be a problem with spironolactone, is there a pure, simple neutral cream base I can get if Propylene glycol will not work?

 

2b. Also; what does the writer mean when he says, "soluble in ethanol"? The reason I'm asking this is because of the Minoxidil formula I've been making. I'm trying to find a alcohol transit solution, It is hard to find grain alcohol and easy to find isopropyl alcohol. Chemically they look almost identical. I do not plan to ingest it, only use it as a transit medium. Can isopropyl alcohol be used instead of grain alcohol as a carrier for Minoxidil? It appears to be similar chemically.

 

Ref. 2c. Homemade Spironolactone:

 

Here's how I make Dermovan-based 3% spironolactone cream:

 

I only make 20 grams at a time, because of potential odor problems from larger amounts sitting around unused. (I personally have never had any problems with this, but why take a chance?)

 

I use a 50 ml glass beaker for mixing, which is ideal for this purpose. I've previously marked the beaker at the 20 ml point, so I just fill it to this point with an even level of Dermovan (we're not mixing rocket fuel for the Space Shuttle; it doesn't have to be exact). Next I take six 100 mg spironolactone tablets and finely powder them with a mortar and pestle, then add the powder to the beaker. I thoroughly mix it by stirring with a small kitchen knife. It's amazing how well the powder is "dissolved" into the Dermovan. The resulting mixture is absolutely smooth and homogeneous, with no detectable traces of tablet excipients.

Afterwards, I scoop the contents out of the beaker using the kitchen knife and deposit it into my storage container, which is an empty 25 ml Proxiphen vial (also perfect for this purpose). I keep it in the refrigerator.

 

Ref. 2d. Save tradition I personally can not find an argument in favor for Dermovan as the vehicle, rather than almost any neutral o/w emulsion. Even better: drugstores in most countries carry neutral skin creams with a pH around 5,5 likely also to be much cheaper than Dermovan. soluble in ethanol".

 

Ref. 2e. The reason why Spironolactone smells so unpleasant in our current solution is because it is in an alcohol base, so that it is quite volatile. Consequently, the smell was sometimes sour. In the new product, it is not volatile at all. The old product seemed to increase in smell as time went on (sometimes only a few days), however this new product has a shelf life of over a year. (written interview with Dr. Richard Lee on his new formula).

 

3. Any research done on using DMSO to help absorb and carry in topical applications into the scalp such as either Propecia, azelaic acid in Xandrox, and topical spironolactone?

 

3a. What about Niacin to help absorb?

 

4. To get a "jump-start" on reducing DHT levels in the scalp, would it be wise to use both oral and topical Finasteride, and then when you see results drop one or the other?

 

5. Spironlactone finasteride (propeca), and azelaic Acid appear to do the same thing as DHT blocker. Does that mean I don't need to use all three? I should use only one, if so which one do you recommend to be the most affective? I'm not worried about the smell of using Minoxidil and spironolactone, I can use them at separate times

 

6. I've also been told that after a certain period of time, the hair shaft will close up and "seal" preventing any further hair growth regardless of what products you use. Is this true? If so what is the time frame? In other words, the areas where there is no hair growth (disregarding the 10% of non-hair growth in the overlap hair cycle) does that mean if it's just scalp, that the hair shaft has closed off for good?

 

6a. How will I know if it's "too late"? I have a blown up picture of my scale from the "Men's Hair Club"

is there something I could look for that would tell me that hair shaft is not completely dead?

 

 

Thank you for your time in reading and answering my questions and concerns.

Kevin Pardi blazeschi-ext4@yahoo.com

[Blaze]

Hello,

 

Below is a series of detailed questions. I hope you can find the time to review them and respond. I am a researcher by nature and I think you will appreciate the "quality" of my questions. If there are areas I brought up that you are not familiar with, please let me know and I will send you as much information as I have on the subject so we can both learn.

 

1. What is the difference between oral Finasteride and topical? In other words, could I make a topical formula with the pills? Can I do that with Spironolactone as well? I can only get both in pill form and do not want to ingest either systemically because of the side effects.

 

2. Below is a "homemade formula" for Spironolactone. Do you know enough about Spironolactone topical lotion to better explain how to make this? I don't fully understand how to make this formula. For instance, I looked up Dermovan cream, Dermovan being a topical skin emollient, could propylene glycol be used for this purpose?

 

2a. The last paragraph on making the cream is a response to the recipe post saying any ph neutral cream will work as well as Dermovan, I've not seen any skin care product that is not loaded with tons of "other" stuff that might be a problem with spironolactone, is there a pure, simple neutral cream base I can get if Propylene glycol will not work?

 

2b. Also; what does the writer mean when he says, "soluble in ethanol"? The reason I'm asking this is because of the Minoxidil formula I've been making. I'm trying to find a alcohol transit solution, It is hard to find grain alcohol and easy to find isopropyl alcohol. Chemically they look almost identical. I do not plan to ingest it, only use it as a transit medium. Can isopropyl alcohol be used instead of grain alcohol as a carrier for Minoxidil? It appears to be similar chemically.

 

Ref. 2c. Homemade Spironolactone:

 

Here's how I make Dermovan-based 3% spironolactone cream:

 

I only make 20 grams at a time, because of potential odor problems from larger amounts sitting around unused. (I personally have never had any problems with this, but why take a chance?)

 

I use a 50 ml glass beaker for mixing, which is ideal for this purpose. I've previously marked the beaker at the 20 ml point, so I just fill it to this point with an even level of Dermovan (we're not mixing rocket fuel for the Space Shuttle; it doesn't have to be exact). Next I take six 100 mg spironolactone tablets and finely powder them with a mortar and pestle, then add the powder to the beaker. I thoroughly mix it by stirring with a small kitchen knife. It's amazing how well the powder is "dissolved" into the Dermovan. The resulting mixture is absolutely smooth and homogeneous, with no detectable traces of tablet excipients.

Afterwards, I scoop the contents out of the beaker using the kitchen knife and deposit it into my storage container, which is an empty 25 ml Proxiphen vial (also perfect for this purpose). I keep it in the refrigerator.

 

Ref. 2d. Save tradition I personally can not find an argument in favor for Dermovan as the vehicle, rather than almost any neutral o/w emulsion. Even better: drugstores in most countries carry neutral skin creams with a pH around 5,5 likely also to be much cheaper than Dermovan. soluble in ethanol".

 

Ref. 2e. The reason why Spironolactone smells so unpleasant in our current solution is because it is in an alcohol base, so that it is quite volatile. Consequently, the smell was sometimes sour. In the new product, it is not volatile at all. The old product seemed to increase in smell as time went on (sometimes only a few days), however this new product has a shelf life of over a year. (written interview with Dr. Richard Lee on his new formula).

 

3. Any research done on using DMSO to help absorb and carry in topical applications into the scalp such as either Propecia, azelaic acid in Xandrox, and topical spironolactone?

 

3a. What about Niacin to help absorb?

 

4. To get a "jump-start" on reducing DHT levels in the scalp, would it be wise to use both oral and topical Finasteride, and then when you see results drop one or the other?

 

5. Spironlactone finasteride (propeca), and azelaic Acid appear to do the same thing as DHT blocker. Does that mean I don't need to use all three? I should use only one, if so which one do you recommend to be the most affective? I'm not worried about the smell of using Minoxidil and spironolactone, I can use them at separate times

 

6. I've also been told that after a certain period of time, the hair shaft will close up and "seal" preventing any further hair growth regardless of what products you use. Is this true? If so what is the time frame? In other words, the areas where there is no hair growth (disregarding the 10% of non-hair growth in the overlap hair cycle) does that mean if it's just scalp, that the hair shaft has closed off for good?

 

6a. How will I know if it's "too late"? I have a blown up picture of my scale from the "Men's Hair Club"

is there something I could look for that would tell me that hair shaft is not completely dead?

 

 

Thank you for your time in reading and answering my questions and concerns.

Kevin Pardi blazeschi-ext4@yahoo.com

[Mark H]

Holy crap, dude! You sound like a scientist, and most of us here can barely draw our names in the dirt with a stick!

 

I will certainly be watching to see if you get a technical contributor.

 

Good luck!

 

mark h

[MrJobi]

Is this a twisted advertisment?

[kamin]

Regarding the Spironolactone, it sounds like a pain-in-the-a$$. Probably be better to stick with the "regular" meds used for hair loss.

 

I did some research and found the following:

 

"Some pharmacists have compounded topical Spironolactone for men who are wary of the side effects associated with oral Spironolactone. At this point, there is no clinical studies, at least not to our knowledge, that substantiates the effectiveness of topical Spironolactone as a hair loss treatment for men and women. Many people are simply leveraging on the premise that topical Spironolactone will carry the same weight as an antiandrogen when used directly on the hair follicles. Although some people have reported good results from topical Spironolactone, for some reasons it has never taken off as the mainstream treatment for hair loss for men and women. There never seems to be a lot of enthusiasm for this treatment."