Can you use minoxidil as a 'temporary' solution until you get a hair transplant, and then quit the minoxidil? More generally, how would you get a HT after using minoxidil?

[MM10]

I am wondering how that would work. Would you have to stop using minoxodil and wait until you start shedding heavily before getting the transplant? 

[HappyMan2021]

Are you even having success with Minoxidil/Rogaine in the first place? A large percentage of people are non-responders. Rogaine has really really effective marketing and a good brand name, and its expectations can be much higher than reality. 

I stopped using Rogaine 3 years ago when I had my first hair transplant. I have been taking Dut daily. I have not noticed any further loss and attribute this to the Dut. 

At least for me, Rogaine was pointless both in hair regrowth and preventing further loss. 

[MM10]

@SadMan2021 I haven't started minoxidil yet (haven't decided on Rogaine or Kirkland yet). I'm wondering if I did respond to it though, would I be able to get a hair transplant eventually. Obviously I should try it first but the question I asked is what I'm worried about, because I do want a hair transplant eventually. 

[HappyMan2021]

Yes a history of using Rogaine should not prevent you getting a HT at all. Even though many (most?) guys don't respond to Rogaine, I wager the vast majority of guys at least have used Rogaine (in a failed attempt) before going down the hair transplant route. 

Edited December 14, 2021 by SadMan2021

[LaserCaps]

Why consider any type of medical therapy to help with retention? To conserve native hair. Why?

It is a fact, if you've shown the propensity to lose, you will continue losing.

The donor is finite and limited. And, if you have an advanced pattern, no one has enough donor available to allow for a full set of hair in the front, top and back.  

If you do get started on any type of medical regimen, it is important you continue.  Once you confirm it works, (you experience retention), why would you get off of it? To return to where you started it - and resume losing hair? That makes no sense.  

This subject is well documented.  Most feel meds tend to be far more effective towards the crown. So, for those who wish not to do any type of medical therapy, go ahead and concentrate the grafts towards the front and top - but forget about the crown.  If you do put grafts there, (think of the area as a circle) and then go on to lose all the native hair around it, you'll end up with an island worth of hair - and an unnatural pattern.  

[Fabulous]

Even if you do a hair transplant your already existent hair will keep falling if you are not on medication (minoxidil/finasteride/dutasteride).

6 years ago, when I started the combat against hair loss I only used minoxidil (until this year when I added Finasteride) and it helped me A LOT. In the beggining I even experienced some regrowth and my hair was much denser and thicker. Probably I would be a NW5-6 now if I hadn't used it.

[ciaus]

Because minoxidil dilates your blood vessels it can cause excessive bleeding during the hair transplant surgery. So reputable clinics will ask you to stop 7 to 14 days before the surgery because of that, and restart it 7 to 14 days after. Be wary of anyone asking you to stop it for longer than that, because there's no medical basis for it, doesn't give the doctor an accurate representation of your current hair situation if you are in the midst of a temporary shed on the day of the surgery. And its a potential conflict of interest for unethical doctors to transplant more hair on the day of the surgery because of shedding and use it as a justification to charge you more.