Minoxidil and swollen face - help!!

[SugarHighs]

Most of these minoxidil based products vary in their active ingredient which is the minoxidil itself. Hard to say how much variance there are with the differences in their inactive ingredients. Many contain various types of alchohol based/related additives.

 

Possibly they list them online at their websites. If you get a chance to read the inactive ingredients in Rogaine foam, it's a real eye opener. :rolleyes:

 

Hey Gille,

 

On one of the other forums you wrote that you believe minoxidil use can impact transplanted hairs, upon discontinuation. I have a question about that.

 

I was using 1ml twice per day on the recipient area, from 3 weeks post op until about 2.5 months post op. I then gradually scaled back to .75ml 2X per day, then to .5ml 2X per day, and finally to .5ml 1X per day over the months.

 

Would you speculate that the transplanted hairs became reliant on the initial higher dose of minoxidil, and that reducing the dose over the following months could have impacted the overall density?

 

I really wouldn't expect that to be the case, because of the hairs coming from the back, but maybe it is?

 

I guess the more succinct question is - is minoxidil really dose dependent, and if so, *how* dose dependent? Should the user see a noticeable difference in growth between 2ml vs 1ml/day?

[gillenator]

Sugarhighs,

 

I wish I could provide you a more specific forecast or remedy in how transplanted hair follicles respond to minoxidil post-op.

 

Many HT doctors suggest/recommend the use of minoxidil within the recipient area post-op in order to "jump start the regrowth". In many cases, it does seem to make a difference, but in my overall observations, it's hit and miss.

 

I always advocate the practice of gradually pulling off minoxidil the same way that you have done. And really, minoxidil IMHO is not necessary within the recipient area once the regrowth kicks in. I don't believe it is necessary for continued use in order for the transplants to continue to grow. Once the rested follicles have re-entered their growth phase, they will fulfill their growth cycle until they are ready once again to rest.

 

And it's when patients suddenly quit using minoxidil without weening off the drug that they can experience a temporary shed. IMHO, it is by systematically reducing the strength and/or frequency of applying it that we can help reduce the possibility of a "sudden reaction" of the follicles to once again retreat into the resting phase.

 

IMHO, it's the sudden use and/or sudden discontinuation of some of these hairloss drugs that triggers the follicles behavior to shed.

 

Some guys resond better to Rogaine foam at 5% then the liquid topical form at less strength. I don't believe that the transplanted follicles are as "dose dependent" because transplanted hair is considered "terminal hair" not needing minoxidil or finasteride.

 

It's the exisitng natural hair in the thinning areas that can potentially become minoxidil dependent in order to keep them in hair production. Those natural hair follicles are DHT receptive so IMHO, they are also finasteride dependent.

 

Stopping either drug and the DHT receptive hair will again fall out.

[aim4hair]

Some ppl mention that when you put minox at night even if you don't go to bed directly, there is s possibility minox will drop on pillow and cause issues.

What about ppl who apply minox in the morning and then go to gym after sometime without washing it off ? As you know in the gym you sweat and the sweat goes all over your head ?

Im just asking cause i never saw this issue brought up...

[SugarHighs]

Thanks, Gille.

 

I'm discouraged to learn that the transplanted follicles shouldn't need minox after maturity, because that still leaves me without an explanation why my recipient area seems to have lost some density.

 

I'm going to switch from kirkland to Equate Minoxidil 5%, as I've read some reviews where users are claiming Equate is more "liquidy" and less prone to flaking up than kirkland.

[SugarHighs]

If Equate doesn't help, I'm going to try the brand name.

[gillenator]

Thanks, Gille.

 

I'm discouraged to learn that the transplanted follicles shouldn't need minox after maturity, because that still leaves me without an explanation why my recipient area seems to have lost some density.

 

I'm going to switch from kirkland to Equate Minoxidil 5%, as I've read some reviews where users are claiming Equate is more "liquidy" and less prone to flaking up than kirkland.

 

You may just find that if you do not use any minoxidil in the recipient area that those follicles will eventually behave normally and enter their respective growth phases on thier own. This can take 4-6 months and that's the downside. But eventually, the terminal hair that was transplanted before should come back.

[SugarHighs]

Minoxidil is a growth stimulant though, and I would think my scalp would be used to it now after 11 months?

 

I'm willing to try to experiment, but the list of minoxidil users who quit and later regretted it is a mile long...

 

Under what circumstances could minox act as the opposite of a growth stimulant?

[gillenator]

You are correct that those who quit using the drug regret it mainly because they experience a temporary shed from stopping. But it is temporary in most cases and like I stated, the follicles will eventually behave in their normal growth cycles.

 

As you probably already know, minoxidil does nothing to inhibit the culprit DHT so IMHO, stopping the drug does not hurt the hair follicles in any way.

[SugarHighs]

In a stroke of genius (said tongue-in-cheek) I began using minoxidil only once per day, and only for the minimum amount of time recommended - 4-6 hours.

 

I apply it around 6 at night, then I either work out, or go out on the town, and then I shower it off before I go to bed.

 

So far this has reduced the itchy feeling significantly, and it has minimized shedding a lot. I was shedding hair from the crown area which was irritated from minox, when in fact I have never had crown issues. I am hoping I'm on to something and this trend continues.