Is it time to give up on minox?

[Orlando]

This is my crown after around 13 months on minoxidil and finasteride.

It doesn’t seem to have made much of a difference and I’m planning on quitting minoxidil and staying on fin to maintain what’s left with the possibility of a HT later on.

Should I give up minox?

 

March 2021

 

May 2022

Edited May 11, 2022 by Orlando

[mafpe]

most notable use of minoxidil and finasteride is to slow and prevent further hair loss. there are cases where it regrows, but those are rare.

if you plan to get a HT later on, i think it's a good idea to keep at it. i once stopped the meds for around half a year to a year too, where i notice a slight thinning (in just 6 months!), i got back on it and never stopped since. i do not know how i look today without the meds, but i might have saved myself from looking like probably 8 years older.

nothing wrong with looking older or mature, but i'm not even 30 and i don't think i'd enjoy looking like im almost 40 at my age.

[Eugenix Hair Sciences]

2 hours ago, Orlando said:

This is my crown after around 13 months on minoxidil and finasteride.

It doesn’t seem to have made much of a difference and I’m planning on quitting minoxidil and staying on fin to maintain what’s left with the possibility of a HT later on.

Should I give up minox?

 

March 2021

 

May 2022

Don't stop Minoxidil. Keep using it. It has a lot of benefits for your hair.

[Melvin- Admin]

DO NOT STOP! Trust me it’s working, of course it wont regrow all of your hair. But definitely it’s improved the overall density, very clearly. 

[Future Hair Doc]

Are you on oral or topical minoxidil? I suggest you keep using it. 

[BaldDude]

Keep using it.  Don't make the mistake I did and lose more hair (and not get it back).

[Adier]

Minoxidil won't regrow hair on completely bald areas. No medication can. Your crown had very less hair to begin with hence it didn't improve much. But rest of your hair has surely gained thickness and density. Don't stop using it at any cost.

[THE TRUTH]

Topical minoxidil is crap. Forget about it.

Even when combined with dermarolling and tretinoin to increase sulfotransferase expression blah blah blah.....

If you want to get serious you need to consult a very good HT surgeon or a trichologist and discuss oral minoxidil. If you have no history of cardiovascular disease then it is definitely a good option. 2.5mg to 5mg daily depending on your bodyweight will be prescribed. 

That said, don't expect miracles because I can tell you your crown is already too far gone for medication to regrow it completely.

An extremely agressive male to female transgender HRT protocol may reverse it to some degree but since this is not a viable option, you will most likely need  2 surgeries for the crown. 

Also oral minoxidil will not stop hairloss long term since it only prolongs the anagen phase by stimulating the dermal papilla cells proliferation via K+ potassium channel but without tackling the undelying rootcause of the problem which is DHT. Therefore, getting on Finasteride/Dutasteride immediately is an absolute necessity. 

You don't want your crown baldness to expand otherwise no matter how many grafts you transplant on it, it will always look thin. 

Don't rush into surgery. Take your time. Do your due diligence. 

Edited June 10, 2022 by Hairmills and homeruns

[Stewie]

I take 1mg Fin a day for the last few months after my 2nd HT, mainly trying to get the small dying hairs on top to come back to life, would minoxidil help with this too? the only thing that puts me off the topical is I am rubbish with routines like that and I believe that missing days can make more hair fall out? also I don't think I can buy oral minoxidil in the UK unless I am mistaken?

I have also wondered about HRT and whether or not that's possible to help regrow hair? This is maybe an option for me (long story)

Currently though I am trying to sort out a trip to Euginex later this year to help with the overall density of my two HTs I have had currently, whilst its only been 5 months since my second one, they were both from a hair mill in the UK (I know I should of done more research in the first place), they haven't done a bad job, but they have hit the same donor area twice hard so that'll probably need SMP now (not the end of the world) but in general it all needs evening out to not have the thinner looking donor next to natural thickness next to thinner transplanted area