Should Corvettester Start Rogain?

[corvettester]

Gentlemen,

 

I really appreciate all the sound advice on whether or not to start Saw Palmetto and Nizoral. At the recommendation of the community, I have decided against both products.

 

The next fish to fry is Rogain. I'm still researching Propecia so I don't want to debate it until I have a better understanding of it. However, I am actively looking into it and I will bring it to the community soon enough.

 

 

For those of you don't know my case, I'm a 30 year-old, NW3 who has just underwent my second HT in the hairline and temples for a total of 3,000 grafts FUT. My hair is fine and straight. I have a solid midsection and crown. Genetic balding on my paternal side only. Paternal grandfather a NW7 by his mid twenties, however, my father and my uncles held on to their hair until the late fifties/early sixties. They were mostly NW2/3s. Now in their advanced years, their mostly NW4/5s.

 

So my question is, with my current situation, should I expect any noticeable improvement from Rogain? Do you think it'd be worth it for me?

 

If so, should I apply it only to the affected area only, i.e. my frontal third, or my whole head?

 

I hear that the foam version is best. What percentage should I start with? How often should I apply it?

 

Also, how bad is the shedding and for how long should I expect it? Does it happen only once, or in cycles?

 

 

Any suggestions or experiences you'd like to share with me would be greatly appreciated.

 

 

Corvettester

[JayWalker]

Well, I started this 6 weeks ago, foam, twice per day, just on the hairline.

I've got some regrowth on one side so far, very minor but I can tell its there.

 

I didnt get any shedding at all.

 

No harm in trying it, I figure.

[Superfinehair]

This is something i'm also pondering. I'm having my transplant with Dr.Rahal in January and the post op guide reccomends the use of Rogaine for 12 months after the HT.

 

I'm mostly worried about reported side effects such as bloating and aging of skin/wrinkles. I'll have to discuss this issue with Dr.Rahal in depth when I go in for surgery.

 

I hate the thought of having to use it everyday for a year, I really try to stay away from medication unless absolutely necessary. Do all HT docs strongly urge their patients to use rogaine in the transplanted areas?

[Capelli11]

My opinion regarding Rogaine:

 

You have to apply this twice (once in the morning and once in the evening) per the foam instructions. Now...I never used Rogaine per se but I used to use Revivogen. Forget whether this is better or worse than Rogaine...I'm simply stating that it was annoying and also at times difficult to apply consistently every night. Also, when applied, it made my hair look greasy and wet and was very difficult to style. The good thing about this is that you only had to apply it at night so thankfully I didn't have to go anywhere. Bottom line is I pretty much stopped it bc it was a burden to apply and messy and I just hated having to bring it with me if i stayed over someone's house or vacation. I would say try it if you are ok with putting it in your hair twice a day and will do it consistently...it never hurts to try. The other obvious road is Propecia. Believe me before I took it I researched the heck out of it but decided if I was serious about helping my hairloss and especially if I was serious about getting a HT...I needed to at least give it a shot...and I have. So far so good...no noticeable sides thankfully (been like 5 months). It is easy as you take it in the morning and your done...to me that is the best approach. Corv, you don't want to wake up one day and see that say your mid scalp or crown is beginning to thin...because at that point you are fighting a losing battle...if I were you I would get on Fin to keep all your hair now so you can avoid having to try to come from behind as so many people do.

[NEWHAIRPLEASE]

Corvett

I would certainly start! I would use it all over my head..Ive hardly noticed any shedding but I've noticed a very big difference in the healthiness of each shaft..i think my hair just looks healthier..not neccessarily thicker, but healthier.

[hairthere]

newhair/capelli, I had the opposite experience of both of you with Rogaine foam. It dried my scalp out. I also did not like having to apply it every day (but I'm a get-up-and-go, no-fuss type). Also, once I had the HT done, I was fearful of experiencing any type of shed so I just avoided it all together.

[closer23]

I have been on rogaine foam for 6 months or so and can see a very noticeable difference in shaft diameter.. My native hairs that were thin and minituarized in my hairline have thickened up as well. I only use once a day, as it made my scalp itchy.

[hairthere]

closer, thanks for reminding me: itchiness was the other issue I had with the foam. Glad to hear it has worked for you though...

[JayWalker]

I've not noticed any wrinkles or deepening of any 'laughter lines'.

[Jotronic]

Ask yourself this question. Do you really want to be a slave to yet another product? One that, if you miss a dosage, one that of course needs to be taken twice a day, you will most likely become paranoid about losing more hair because of it? One that has more side effects that are visible faster than any other hair remedy? If the answer is no, then there you go. Move on. If the answer is "I don't mind" then pull the trigger and don't look back but keep in mind it is one more thing that if you stop using it you will begin to lose what you kept and then some.

[orlhair1]

I have been using Rogaine for over 10 years. When I first started to use it, I had some minor thinning in the crown. Using the Rogaine resulted in that thin area completely recovering for a good period of time. Over the years, the thinning did return. I am convinced that using Rogaine kept a lot of hair that I otherwise would have lost over the years. When I had my HT I still had a fair amount of native hair in the crown area and the mid area of my scalp for someone my age who had MPB for a long period of time. It is hard to say what would have happened without the Rogaine, but I know it made a big difference for me in the first few years and I believe it has continued to make a big difference for me over the long term. When I first started using it only 2% was available, but I switched to 5% as soon as it was available and saw a noticeable difference after a few months. When the foam came out I started using it. I personally like the foam better. I should add that I had no side effects from any of the Rogaine products. I just like the foam for ease of use.

[corvettester]

Thanks for the input so far guys. Please keep it coming...

 

One thing I didn't realize is that Rogain must be applied twice daily. That is a pretty much a deal breaker because I usually only take one shower per day. I certainly don't wash my hair twice a day, or even once a day. I wash my hair about 5 times per week.

 

As far as wrinkles and premature aging, this is the first I have heard of such side effects. Up until now, I thought that the only side effects were shedding, dry scalp, itchiness or difficulty styling hair.

 

What Joetronic said really hit home with me: do I really want to be a slave to yet another product? Also, I have to be super diligent in taking it, lest any progress be lost. Plus, I don't want to go through a shed. Considering all this, I really don't see the point.

 

However, I'd still like to hear more opinions and experiences if anyone else wants to chime in. Thanks a lot everyone...

 

 

Corvettester

[NEWHAIRPLEASE]

You DONT have to take it twice a day, a lot of people only take it once a day. Taking the foam in the evening an hour or so before you go to bed will give it plenty of time to dry. Next morning, with the foam, your hair will not even feel greasy if you don't wash it. At least mine don't. Also, you still have a pretty good head of hear, I would do everything to keep it..BUT, I understand Rogaine isn't for everyone!

[aaron1234]

I tried Rogaine Foam for about a month when I was shaving my head. So it had direct contact with my scalp. Within a couple of weeks my scalp was very red/inflamed and even the top of my ears became chapped. It was very itchy, dry, etc. and so I discontinued the product.

 

It's funny. You read so much about all of the nasty things with Fin, but it was really Minox that gave me nasty sides. Granted, they weren't sexual sides and my skin is very sensitive to begin with. I didn't have a problem with applying it twice a day - but taking a pill in the morning is a much easier task to sustain for a long period of time.

[fakeplstctrees]

Corvettester,

You want to think about this carefully, perhaps my personal experience will be all the information you need. I was 19 when I noticed my hairline receding, and it wasn't until I was 22 that I did anything about it. I started using Rogaine when i was 22 in 2004. I began shedding after a month or so, and I read up on it, and determined that the shedding was an indication that it was beginning to work, and I was going to get results from the Rogaine. I was right, 6 months later I had a ful THICK head of hair, just slight receding in the hairline. I can't begin to tell you how happy I was with the results, or even less explainable; why I stopped using it. I was a dumb kid, and the monthly cost of $50 was too much for me to swing back then. God, I was a complete fool. Had I kept using the Rogaine, I would NOT be in the situation I am in now. After I stopped use for a year or so, all the fullness I had obtained, had fallen out, plus some. I unknowingly through my hair loss into overdrive. If I kept using the Rogaine from back then, I would only have minor loss in the hairline. Rogaine, for some, is a wonder drug. I experienced no adverse side effects while initially using it. I now use it to maintain what I have now, I also take Finasteride.

 

Crorvettester, you need to decide if you are willing to commit to the daily use of a topical solution or foam on your scalp. And be prepared to shed a little at first, but real thickness should be soon to follow. But mark my words, if you stop using it a year from now, you are welcoming a level of hairloss at a rate you can't even imagine. I wish I never stopped using it, I wouldn't need restoration in that case. I do think you will benefit from using Rogaine though, that is my honest opinion. It's a commitment though, there is no half assing this. You are either going to do it, or you won't. I say go for it.

 

Oh, there might be slight acne at first, but that will clear up in no time, and you can use some salicylic acid to clean your forehead in the mean time.

 

All the best,

-Trees.

[orlhair1]

I agree. I do understand not wanting to be involved with another product. Rogaine foam is easy to apply and it just takes a few seconds. It worked extremely well for me. I think the thought process should be more around whether that is worth the potential of preserving the native hair that you have in the long run......once it is gone you can't get it back. A tough call for you and I understand both view points......just really think about this before deciding not to use it.

[Spanker]

I have been fighting the Rogain delimma as well.

[GreaseDJ]

Thanks for the input so far guys. Please keep it coming...

 

One thing I didn't realize is that Rogain must be applied twice daily. That is a pretty much a deal breaker because I usually only take one shower per day.

 

My HT doc, Dr. Cooley, recommended only once a day as being effective. It is so easy to apply and cheap (I use the liquid not the foam) so I actually do apply twice daily. I usually only shower once a day in the morning. It takes 10 seconds to apply and is just part of my routine, just like brushing teeth. I also apply before bed without showering first. No problems at all. I buy 6 month supplies at Sam's Club for $20-$30 and apply just in the frontal third. I started that plus 1/4 proscar daily the day after my initial consult for the HT. By the time my surgery rolled around (two months later) I had very noticeable growth in my hairline and temples. It actually made me think about reconsidering the surgery. No side effects whatsoever.

[mattj]

I'm not sure how common the bloating/wrinkling side effects are, but as they aren't mentioned nearly as often as Propecia side effects, I'm inclined to think that they aren't very common. I say this taking into consideration the large number of Rogaine users out there who would surely report such effects if they experienced them, but I do understand that Rogaine effects might not be as intolerable and serious as the side effects Propecia can cause, and therefore might often go unmentioned.

 

 

Perhaps ironically, during my early hairloss research I found the potential Rogaine side effects to be much more off-putting than those related to Propecia. That and the thought of daily applications of a greasy substance to my hair put me right off. Plus my skin tends to be sensitive.

 

That was my own personal decision, and it's partly based on having great success with Propecia which meant I didn't have any great motivation to begin any other treatments. However, I think I would probably reconsider things if Propecia started to lose effectiveness, and I would offer the same advice as I do regarding Propecia: if you feel you need it then at least give it a trial run. See how you get on with it.

[teach77]

Hey Corv,

 

To be totally honest, my thoughts went the way of mattj's with regard to sides. Somehow, Rogaine felt like a lot more work than the finasteride, and I really wasn't that into having outward appearing side effects after spending all that money on the hair transplants to look better. I also know, like you said, that the twice a day would have been a deal breaker for me. Not only would I have forgotten the night application, but I'm always rushing around in the morning so I'd never have time for it to dry.

 

I know you didn't want to make the post about Fin, but relating it to the side effect issue, I only had a minimum of sides between months 2 and 4 of being on the Fin, as my body adjusted to the chemical changes. Then things went back to normal. I have a feeling some people get hung up on the problems when their bodies are adjusting and then it becomes a psychological thing. The only times I've ever had any "sides" since then is if I've had a few drinks and then get intimate...but that happened before Fin on occassion, so I definitely wouldn't correlate the two.

At the end of the day, I think any medication with potential for sides boils down to whether you can relax your thinking about the sides or if you're going to obsess over them. When you obsess, you're far more likely to have them, whether they're real or brought upon psychologically.

 

Anyway, that's just my 2 cents on the issue. I'll probably never do the Rogaine because I think it's a pain to apply.

 

teach77

[Capelli11]

Teach...how are you doing? Any updated pics? Hope all is well and healing well!

[Cant decide]

IMO, the relatively minor inconvenience of applying Rogain foam is dwarfed by the potential upside even if it just means keeping just a little bit more hair. One dilemma that I do have and something to think about is for those of us that apply it just about all over, there is no way to keep it to 1/2 a cap full per application. This makes no sense to me and the instructions do not address how to go about applying the recommended dose throughout. In fact, I apply more than twice the dose per application since I apply it on the grafted and all native non donor areas.

 

If anyone knows a way around this, please share.