Microneedling *May 2019* Progress

[CosmoKramer]

9 hours ago, js1283 said:

 Is it okay to dye your hair while microneedling?

I haven’t done so, because of all the harsh chemicals in hair dyes but if you are going to dye your hair be sure to not microneedle a few days before and a few days after microneedling so the chemicals from the hair dye don’t give you any systemic bad side effects.

[js1283]

@CosmoKramer have you considered using 10% minoxidil? 5% has been clinically proven to be superior to 2% so it would make sense that 10% is even more effective. 

[CosmoKramer]

11 hours ago, js1283 said:

@CosmoKramer have you considered using 10% minoxidil? 5% has been clinically proven to be superior to 2% so it would make sense that 10% is even more effective. 

I have...but I think it would be overkill, and I wouldn’t want to take a chance with any heart issues or side effects...especially since I am applying Minoxidil foam about an hour after my microneedling session which already increases absorption, so I wouldn’t advise higher than the standard 5% with microneedling.

[CosmoKramer]

Just as short update on my microneedling routine, I’ve just added and started the home brew “Zix” topical mix to help inhibit scalp DHT, as some studies had said it inhibits 5-AR & DHT.

It’s a mixture of Zinc Sulfate + Vitamin B6 (p5p) + distilled water. I apply a little on a clean scalp about 20 minutes prior to my 2mm firm microneedling session then apply a little more after, then I still wait 1-2 hours to apply Minox Foam. 

Zix is yellowish in color when mixed and it stains the scalp and hands a little bit washes out with soap and shampoo.

[js1283]

I'm about one month into microneedling and have experienced a lot of shedding. On my comb alone I counted 150 hairs after three combings this morning. I guess this is normal and expected. 

Edited November 2, 2019 by js1283

[CosmoKramer]

On 11/2/2019 at 3:26 PM, js1283 said:

I'm about one month into microneedling and have experienced a lot of shedding. On my comb alone I counted 150 hairs after three combings this morning. I guess this is normal and expected. 

It’s likely normal, a possible sign that miniaturizing hairs are being bumped out to make way for new hairs due to the better circulation from your microneedling, I had lots of shedding the first several weeks and session that got less and less with each session, then new growth.

[Edsarn2017]

Hi @CosmoKramer how are things going with the micro-needling? Has your hair continued to get better? I'm now 3.5 months post HT, so am keen to give it a go, but will give it another few months before trying.

[CosmoKramer]

6 hours ago, Edsarn2017 said:

Hi @CosmoKramer how are things going with the micro-needling? Has your hair continued to get better? I'm now 3.5 months post HT, so am keen to give it a go, but will give it another few months before trying.

Hiya @Edsarn2017, I’m still keeping consistent with my microneedling sessions (3-4 per week), my hair does continue to get better with the progress...that said,  I have shaken up what I apply topically after each microneedling session. About a month now I decided to stop all Minoxidil use as I hated the scalp flakes & dandruff I was getting from it and replace it with the “Zix”, but after a few weeks of using that I decided to put that on pause as the liquids color stains a bit with a yellowish color, but to Zix’s benefit it really helped keep any hair shed to a minimum.

My progress gains in my crown and hair density all over have held up well though still but I did experience a slight hair shed a week or two ago, im not sure if it’s from having stopped using Minoxidil or just a seasonal shed, so I’m currently using and testing peppermint oil (which is good for blood circulation in the scalp like Minox) mixed in with coconut & castor oil and applying that after each microneedling session and only shed about 10-15 with each shampoo which is not bad.

Currently my hair is short after a buzz haircut recently (about 1.75-inches long) so I plan to take updated progress photos soon but I’m still very pleased with my crown progress, I plan to stick with this latest routine for 1-2 months but if I feel it’s not helping and if I see any loss of hair gains after two months then I’m going to go back to using Minoxidil, hopefully I won’t have to.

At your 3.5 months post HT I think it’s reasonably safe in giving microneedling a go if you like....no more than once a week with a 0.5mm roller/stamp/pen done with gentle pressure is what I would recommend to start with...but if you’re set on waiting a little longer than that’s fine too. 👍🏻

[js1283]

@CosmoKramer the flaking occurs because minoxidil dries out your scalp.  If you apply a moisturizer like castor oil once a week this should help alleviate the dryness.  I soak rosemary leaves in my castor oil. 

On a side note, rosemary oil can be as effective as 2% minoxidil:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25842469

[CosmoKramer]

1 hour ago, js1283 said:

@CosmoKramer the flaking occurs because minoxidil dries out your scalp.  If you apply a moisturizer like castor oil once a week this should help alleviate the dryness.  I soak rosemary leaves in my castor oil. 

On a side note, rosemary oil can be as effective as 2% minoxidil:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25842469

Thanks for the info. 👍🏻

Yeah, I’m aware that Rosemary essential oil is also reportedly good for hair growth and may incorporate that into the mix as well.

As for the Minox dandruff flakes, I do think Castor oil drops in a shampoo would help ease them as I’ve noticed my hair feels and looks healthier and not as frizzy and dried out since having started using castor oil, but I also wasn’t fond of other Minox side effects like forehead wrinkles, dark circles around eyes, occasionally a head ache so I’d like to not have to rely on it but I’m glad I tested in combination with microneedling as it did produce very good results, but for now I’d like to test the natural routine to see if the progress and gains are similar or hopefully better.

Edited December 1, 2019 by CosmoKramer

[CosmoKramer]

Progress update:

The Bad news...having stopped using Minoxidil foam completely my crown does seem slightly thinner than a months or two ago, as I’ve had a shed of 30-40 hairs/day the past week. I tried the home brew topical Zix that I mixed and it worked very well at stopping the shedding and possibly inhibiting 5-AR & DHT in my scalp but after 3-4 weeks of using it I had to stop because it’s yellow-ish color stains and satained my scalp and having salt and pepper hair it stained the grey hairs yellowish too.

The Good News...I still have a good amount of coverage in my crown from new hairs likely created and growing due to the microneedling itself and not the Minoxidil, I feel. I’ve started using castor oil mixed with coconut/peppermint this past week and feel it’s helping with hair thickening so I will be continuing with that. 

Since ive dropped Minoxidil & Zix...I’ve decided to make my Finasteride topical, apply it directly after microneedling session (as I did last night) and daily, wait an hour or so for it to be absorbed into the scalp then apply the castor oil mix before bed, hence, inhibiting scalp DHT and Increasing the good hair-growing Prostaglandin PGE2.

 

 

 

[duchaine]

On 12/4/2019 at 3:39 PM, CosmoKramer said:

Progress update:

I’ve decided to make my Finasteride topical, apply it directly after microneedling session (as I did last night) and daily, wait an hour or so for it to be absorbed into the scalp then apply the castor oil mix before bed, hence, inhibiting scalp DHT and Increasing the good hair-growing Prostaglandin PGE2.

 

 

 

how do you prepare your topical fina?

[CosmoKramer]

4 hours ago, duchaine said:

how do you prepare your topical fina?

I bought some Everclear grain alcohol for its high alcohol content to help better dissolve the crushed Finasteride and bought on amazon propylene glycol for absorption. I crush up to a powder 30 1mg Finasteride pills and in a clean dropper bottle combine 40ml everclear alchohol + 40ml PG + 20ml distilled water, essentially 100ml mix, shake it up and leave overnight to better dissolve. 

[CosmoKramer]

Short update on microneedling progress on my temple triangles/peaks. I can definitely see new growth/re-growth and the new hairs are distinctly dark like my hair was years ago naturally. It takes time but great to see actual results.

Photos 1 & 2 are from my right temple side.

Photo 3 (last photo) is from my left temple side.

[watterot]

You results are impressive indeed. Could you tell me how many months after the procedure is it safe to start microneedling?

[CosmoKramer]

11 hours ago, watterot said:

You results are impressive indeed. Could you tell me how many months after the procedure is it safe to start microneedling?

Thanks!

I would say possibly 3-4 months after a HT should be safe to gently start microneedling but no more than once a week initially and with 0.5mm derma roller/stamp or pen.

[watterot]

On 12/21/2019 at 4:26 AM, CosmoKramer said:

Thanks!

I would say possibly 3-4 months after a HT should be safe to gently start microneedling but no more than once a week initially and with 0.5mm derma roller/stamp or pen.

Thank you! I just got my HT done 2 weeks ago. So still some time to go! 

[CosmoKramer]

8 hours ago, watterot said:

Thank you! I just got my HT done 2 weeks ago. So still some time to go! 

Yes, very early for you to start, good luck with your progress!

[CosmoKramer]

New microneedling progress update:

Its been around 7 months of my microneedling routine and there’s been some very good progress and some not so good.

The very good:

Im seeing great improvement in my temple peaks/triangles as the newly grown hairs are getting longer and thicker (not thrilled with the Minoxidil flaking as it gets itchy and annoyingly but funny enough in the last 2 photos I itched a bit too much above the peak and it looks like the hairs got stronger), you can see the new hairs thick and dark in comparison to my native grey/white hairs.

And even better...I’m seeing new black follicle dots and fine hairs in the center of my hairline growing just below my transplanted hair...an area that has been bald of any hair since around 15 plus years and the most stubborn... I don’t know if is newly created hairs or miniaturized hairs now reawakening but glad it’s happening.

The not so good news:

The progress in my crown is that over the past 2 months due to some harsh shedding most of my gains shed...but that may be a good sign as I hope the hairs are going through a new cycle to grow thicker new hairs...and I am starting to feel some stubble in my crown so hoping they all grow strong too.

 

 

[Melvin- Admin]

This thread is gold, I’ve been consistent around 3x per week for the past two weeks. I swear my hair is looking thicker, I’m taking pics and I’ll create a video around 6 months to track it, do you recommend I ditch the roller and buy a pen?

[CosmoKramer]

3 minutes ago, Melvin-Moderator said:

This thread is gold, I’ve been consistent around 3x per week for the past two weeks. I swear my hair is looking thicker, I’m taking pics and I’ll create a video around 6 months to track it, do you recommend I ditch the roller and buy a pen?

Thanks Melvin!

Oh cool, definitely interesting in seeing your progress too, post it! 🙂

Yes, I definitely recommend using a derma pen over a derma roller, it’s just more efficient and in my opinion effective as it stamps the skin rather than using a roller that may create longer grooves as it rolls. Follica’s method is using their own type proprietary “pen”.

[CosmoKramer]

Here is a great info wiki on microneedling for all interested to check out:

https://www.reddit.com/r/tressless/wiki/microneedling

[CosmoKramer]

Update on my temple peak/corners/triangles

So since my last update wth photos 2 weeks ago I’ve gotten a haircut and took some clear bright close up photos of the hair growth/regrowth progress on my temple corners that had receded years ago...and as it’s much easier to see visible progress than in other areas (I microneedle my whole scalp).

In the photos you’ll see my microneedling progress results getting better as the new hairs are starting to better mature grow darken and get longer, with my hair cut on my sides almost down to a No 1 I can see a very distinct separation from my native grey/white hairs and the new dark growing hairs where there were none a year ago, the progress is better on my right temple peak than my left not sure why but I’m right handed so maybe I’m pressing more firmly on my right with the derma pen. Also, don’t mind the Minoxidil flaking in the photos it’s annoying but progress is progress. Also, do occasionally stamp microneedle even my donor here and there to see if it helps bring back my native hair color or create new dark hairs there as well.

First 2 photos are my Right temple peaks.

Last photo is of my Left temple peak.

[CosmoKramer]

 

So, recently my dr pen A6 was having issues and not functioning properly after almost a year of heavy use....I haven’t yet decided if I should buy another because I also recently purchased an electric scalp massager to see if that helps and gets me results as well as scalp massages seem to also aid in scalp blood circulation as well as decalcifies which in theory may help grow or re-grow hair/reverse miniaturization.

I have already done 3 daily sessions with either wet hair or with my oil mix.

 The first session was with wet hair, about 20 minutes of use all over my scalp, it felt good and actually relaxing, I did notice some fine hairs shed that looked like weak hairs in the process of miniaturization, my scalp was pinkish after and for a few hours post as it seemed lots of blood flow was returning to my scalp, which should be a positive thing.

The 2nd & 3rd sessions, I applied some of my oil mix to my scalp then used the scalp massager to make it easier to use and not tug at my HT or native hairs, this time less fine native hairs shed and scalp was pink from again the better blood flow and felt pretty good.

I plan to do this daily for some time before I buy another derma pen...and see how it compares to my microneedling progress/results. 

Edit: I forgot to add...the scalp massager was great at loosening up and removing my dry dandruff flakes which is a positive in that will help keep hair follicles unclogged and free to grow without having to use harsh chemical shampoos.

Edited April 5, 2020 by CosmoKramer

[Al - Moderator]

This thread has been very interesting. Thanks for the continued updates. I think I will start trying micro needling in certain areas.