Switching from Oral Minoxidil to Topical? Is it okay?

[aykay7]

Hi all,

I've been on oral minoxidil pills for almost 3 months now, at 5mg daily. I feel it's not that effective (I know it's still early) and it's causing me some weight gain which I'm unhappy with. So I'm considering switching to topical since I hear it yields better results with less sides. I was recommended Rogaine foam 5%, to be applied twice daily. I just have a few questions.

Is it okay to just stop the pills and switch to topical?

Any sides I should expect from the foam?

Is Rogaine the best of the best?

Is there a big risk if I eventually stop it?

Thanks to anyone willing to share their input or experience if made the switch.

Edited March 9 by aykay7

[TheManeMan]

How do you know it's causing you weight gain? Do you track your calories and macros every day?

[Westview]

Should be fine swtching.  I did it and had no issues.

Topical has very little side-effects for most people.

You can buy cheap Kirkland generic on Ebay, works just as good as Rogaine.

No risk when you stop

[aykay7]

On 3/10/2024 at 6:45 AM, TheManeMan said:

How do you know it's causing you weight gain? Do you track your calories and macros every day?

I'm just suspecting atm, since I've always had a fairly stable weight and only started the gain since starting the pills. 

[aykay7]

On 3/10/2024 at 11:56 AM, Westview said:

Should be fine swtching.  I did it and had no issues.

Topical has very little side-effects for most people.

You can buy cheap Kirkland generic on Ebay, works just as good as Rogaine.

No risk when you stop

Okay great, thank you for the info. Have you noticed a better result from oral vs topical?

[Westview]

10 hours ago, aykay7 said:

Okay great, thank you for the info. Have you noticed a better result from oral vs topical?

I wasnt on oral MX long enough to see any results, so I cannot compare.

Topical MX works great for me, I actually grew some hair and I want to keep it

[GoliGoliGoli]

My personal experience with topical: It works pretty darn well to grow hair. However I did notice that it made my face more bloated and also seemed to have increased the dark circles under my eyes. I've always had dark circles but minoxidil did seem to make them worse. The face bloat seems to go away pretty quickly, and the dark circles do improve after being off for about a week but only slightly. 

Most concerning: I'm 95% sure it started making my eye/eye area twitch pretty excessively. This only started about 1.5 years into using it. And yes I'm fairly certain it was the minoxidil and not lack of sleep or magnesium deficiency or something. Full disclosure, I was only using once a day 5/6 times per week, but was using at least double or triple the recommended amount simply because it's hard to cover much area at all with the "half a cap full" recommended dose. I've now been off a week but plan on re-starting again maybe 3-4 times a week with a dosage closer to the recommended amount. 

Edited March 12 by GoliGoliGoli

[Westview]

1 hour ago, GoliGoliGoli said:

My personal experience with topical: It works pretty darn well to grow hair. However I did notice that it made my face more bloated and also seemed to have increased the dark circles under my eyes. I've always had dark circles but minoxidil did seem to make them worse. The face bloat seems to go away pretty quickly, and the dark circles do improve after being off for about a week but only slightly. 

Most concerning: I'm 95% sure it started making my eye/eye area twitch pretty excessively. This only started about 1.5 years into using it. And yes I'm fairly certain it was the minoxidil and not lack of sleep or magnesium deficiency or something

I read somewhere its the propylene glycol that can cause dark circles under some peoples eyes, not so much the MX.

Not sure if thats true though

[GoliGoliGoli]

8 minutes ago, Westview said:

I read somewhere its the propylene glycol that can cause dark circles under some peoples eyes, not so much the MX.

Not sure if thats true though

Could be, but I'm not sure why that would be the case. Seems more likely that both the bloating and dark circles are caused by increased fluid/bloodflow to the head due to Min's vasodilation effect. 

Edited March 12 by GoliGoliGoli

[aykay7]

On 3/12/2024 at 10:41 AM, GoliGoliGoli said:

My personal experience with topical: It works pretty darn well to grow hair. However I did notice that it made my face more bloated and also seemed to have increased the dark circles under my eyes. I've always had dark circles but minoxidil did seem to make them worse. The face bloat seems to go away pretty quickly, and the dark circles do improve after being off for about a week but only slightly. 

Most concerning: I'm 95% sure it started making my eye/eye area twitch pretty excessively. This only started about 1.5 years into using it. And yes I'm fairly certain it was the minoxidil and not lack of sleep or magnesium deficiency or something. Full disclosure, I was only using once a day 5/6 times per week, but was using at least double or triple the recommended amount simply because it's hard to cover much area at all with the "half a cap full" recommended dose. I've now been off a week but plan on re-starting again maybe 3-4 times a week with a dosage closer to the recommended amount. 

Thanks for sharing. I'm still debating myself whether I should switch from oral to topical, as I've only been on oral 3 months and see no result. I understand it's still early so thinking if I should give it another 3 months to see if there's any growth or just switch to topical now. Not sure what to do...

[A_4_Archan]

The full potential of medication (finasteride and minoxidil) for hair loss typically becomes apparent after 12 to 18 months of consistent use. If you're not experiencing any side effects, it's advisable to continue using it for a longer period before reassessing.

Additionally, consulting with a reputable hair transplant surgeon is recommended to create a personalized medication regimen rather than making adjustments like cutting down, stopping, increasing the dosage, or changing medication on your own.

 

 

[Eli_Avdikian]

In no world is topical minoxidil more effective than oral minoxidil. If you're experiencing sides, try to lower the dose instead of quitting completely

[LeveledUp]

On 3/13/2024 at 11:02 PM, Eli_Avdikian said:

In no world is topical minoxidil more effective than oral minoxidil. If you're experiencing sides, try to lower the dose instead of quitting completely

For me it was.

So yes in this world it can be more effective.

[Eli_Avdikian]

On 3/16/2024 at 10:29 PM, LeveledUp said:

For me it was.

So yes in this world it can be more effective.

good for you

[Dr. Wipawan Vathananai]

On 3/10/2024 at 1:12 AM, aykay7 said:

Hi all,

I've been on oral minoxidil pills for almost 3 months now, at 5mg daily. I feel it's not that effective (I know it's still early) and it's causing me some weight gain which I'm unhappy with. So I'm considering switching to topical since I hear it yields better results with less sides. I was recommended Rogaine foam 5%, to be applied twice daily. I just have a few questions.

Is it okay to just stop the pills and switch to topical?

Any sides I should expect from the foam?

Is Rogaine the best of the best?

Is there a big risk if I eventually stop it?

Thanks to anyone willing to share their input or experience if made the switch.

Hello Aykay7,

Regarding your concern,

1. Three months are usually not enough to see the full effect of oral minoxidil. However, since you are not taking a low dose, I recommend seeing a doctor so they can help you adjust the dosage and identify the causes of weight gain. You might also need some blood tests to check electrolyte levels.

2. Topical minoxidil is a lot less effective compared to oral minoxidil, from my experience. However, if you really cannot tolerate the side effects of oral minoxidil, even with a low-dose regimen, you could switch to topical minoxidil.

3. The foam is quite sticky, and most of my patients don't like it because it makes their hair look greasy.

4. There are many brands of topical minoxidil with different solvents. You might have to try different brands to see what you like.

5. If you stop using minoxidil, either topical or oral, the hair will simply revert back to its natural state without the medication, which means it may become thinner and less dense. Please keep in mind that hair loss from AGA is not a life-threatening condition, and your overall health is more important.

Best,

Dr. Wunny

Hair transplant surgeon and Dermatologist

BHI Clinic, Bangkok, Thailand

 

[aykay7]

On 3/25/2024 at 11:49 PM, Dr. Wipawan Vathananai said:

Hello Aykay7,

Regarding your concern,

1. Three months are usually not enough to see the full effect of oral minoxidil. However, since you are not taking a low dose, I recommend seeing a doctor so they can help you adjust the dosage and identify the causes of weight gain. You might also need some blood tests to check electrolyte levels.

2. Topical minoxidil is a lot less effective compared to oral minoxidil, from my experience. However, if you really cannot tolerate the side effects of oral minoxidil, even with a low-dose regimen, you could switch to topical minoxidil.

3. The foam is quite sticky, and most of my patients don't like it because it makes their hair look greasy.

4. There are many brands of topical minoxidil with different solvents. You might have to try different brands to see what you like.

5. If you stop using minoxidil, either topical or oral, the hair will simply revert back to its natural state without the medication, which means it may become thinner and less dense. Please keep in mind that hair loss from AGA is not a life-threatening condition, and your overall health is more important.

Best,

Dr. Wunny

Hair transplant surgeon and Dermatologist

BHI Clinic, Bangkok, Thailand

 

Hello Dr. Wunny.

Thank you very much for the detailed reply and your feedback. Apologies for the late reply but I really do appreciate your comments!

Edited April 21 by aykay7