5% minoxidil VS 5% minoxidil/Retin A

[Bryan]

Using minoxidil and retin A allows for better absorbsion all over the head. Should you want to apply seperately you need to apply the retin A lotion wait just a few minutes at most and apply the minoxidil...

It's not necessary at all to apply one right after the other. You can apply them 12 hours apart, and still get improved absorption of minoxidil from the Retin-A.

Bryan

 

[JWM]

Bryan, how many times would you say you've written that statement over the years? :lol:

I swear you need to develop a signature of various statements that people can refer to at any time :wink:

 

[Bryan]

Bryan, how many times would you say you've written that statement over the years? :lol:

I estimate that the number is around 200 to 300, over my 11-year carrer!

I swear you need to develop a signature of various statements that people can refer to at any time :wink:

Excellent idea! Something like the one I just designed, starting with this post!

Bryan

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1) No, damnit, finasteride for hairloss was NOT an "accidental discovery".
2) No, you do NOT have to use minoxidil and Retin-A at the same time.
3) No, washing your skin does NOT make it produce more sebum.

 

[CCS]

Since you mentioned that that retinol helps the absorption of minoxidil, I wonder how other chemicals affect the absorption of various drugs. Oldbaldy gave a post about chemicals that are penetration enhancers. Does that mean they also aid the penetration of alcohol and other inactive ingredients? Do all our drugs have something in common that makes them all aided by the enhansers, while alcohol is not?

 

[Bryan]

Ok, this is just a test. I wanna see if the "signature" thingy is working correctly. Unfortunately, the 255 character-limit doesn't allow for very much, so I'll have to leave it to just these three main Pet Peeves.

Bryan

EDIT: Crap, the "signature" thingy didn't work!!

 

[Bryan]

Ok, trying one more time (I didn't click the button to "always add signature", or whatever).

Bryan

 

[joseph49853]

I had already been on minoxidil for around 1.5 years, and decided to give Retin-A a try. At least in my case, the combination of minoxidil (once daily) and Retin-A has been tremendously successful.

I actually read that Retin-A had the potential to increase absorption by as much as 3 times. So... for the last two months, I've been applying Retin-A to my scalp, and then applying minoxidil a few hours later. And the result have been absolutely dramatic. I was always a terrific responder to minoxidil, but my hair still wasn't completely thick in a few places. But now, even with a completely wet head, you no longer can see very much of my scalp. I immediately started to feel new vellus hairs developing all over my scalp within the first few days.

I definitely give the Retin-A/minoxidil combo a huge thumbs up.

 

[JWM]

joseph

What brand of Retin-a are you using?

 

[joseph49853]

joseph

What brand of Retin-a are you using?

I'm using the Ortho-McNeil brand of Retin-A .04% (Tretinoin.) Although, I hear that .01% is just as effective as .04% & .05% & 1.0% to treat hairloss, except for people with overly oily scalps.

I actually tried Retin-A on a whim. My sister was about to throw out her remaining prescription; she was using it to treat acne. However, I do plan on eventually getting a refill with the generic version.

 

[JWM]

Is it a cream version?

 

[joseph49853]

Yes, it's the cream version: (Tretinoin, stearic acid, isopropyl myristate, polyoxyl 30 stearate, stearyl alcohol, xanthan gum, sorbic acid, butyated hydroxytoluene, and purified water.)

I had been applying 5% minoxidil to a slightly wet head, after rinsing with mildly hot water to open the pores. This probably increased absorption by a few percentage points... perhaps to 7.5% minoxodil. I also found that there was absolutely no scalp irritation using this method vs. applying to a dry scalp.

I now try to alternate between days with applying minoxidil a while after Retin-A, and other days using just plain water. Too much Retin-A can actually pose problems after a very short time. For me, I have found that Retin-A probably increases absorption a great deal... perhaps to 13-15% minoxidil.

I can now feel vellus hairs even growing in areas where my hair was already fairly thick. My mom recently commented that she can now no longer see my crown. And that she has never seen my hair look all over this thick or healthy in around five years. I have been suffering from diffuse thinning or alopecia for around 9-10 years.

 

[Felk]

Perhaps the increased minoxidil absorbtion is simply from applying it to a wet scalp. This isn't recommended, but if you're not getting any side effects, and it's working... well...

I hope the liquid version of retin-a is effective enough, as I hate applying creams to my head, unless my scalp is wet (i have 4 inch curly hair)

 

[joseph49853]

Once you increase absorption, you also increase the chance for any side effects. And both applying to a wet head and applying after Retin-A definitely increases absorption. Although, while in the past I had experienced side effects (slightly rapid heartbeat, chest pain, nervous tics,) they haven't posed a problem in a long time. But there was a definite and marked improvement between applying minoxidil to a dry head vs. a wet warm head and Retin-A. So for me, it was worth the minimal risks.

Yet, I have only ever applied minoxidil once a day, which also decreases the risk for sides. But for all the people who believe strongly that once-a-day minoxidil application doesn't give great results, at least for me, this hasn't been the case.

In fact, I've been experiencing such great results on the minoxidil/Retin-A combo that it has enabled me to discontinue finasteride entirely. I also find myself thinking a lot less about my hair this past year. I hope you experience an equal amount of success.

 

[beaner]

Once you increase absorption, you also increase the chance for any side effects. And both applying to a wet head and applying after Retin-A definitely increases absorption. Although, while in the past I had experienced side effects (slightly rapid heartbeat, chest pain, nervous tics,) they haven't posed a problem in a long time. But there was a definite and marked improvement between applying minoxidil to a dry head vs. a wet warm head and Retin-A. So for me, it was worth the minimal risks.

Yet, I have only ever applied minoxidil once a day, which also decreases the risk for sides. But for all the people who believe strongly that once-a-day minoxidil application doesn't give great results, at least for me, this hasn't been the case.

In fact, I've been experiencing such great results on the minoxidil/Retin-A combo that it has enabled me to discontinue finasteride entirely. I also find myself thinking a lot less about my hair this past year. I hope you experience an equal amount of success.

Do you really think stopping finasteride was a good idea? Sure, you may have experienced great results with minoxidil/retina A, but how long do you suppoose that will last with your follicles under attack from DHT again?

 

[joseph49853]

Do you really think stopping finasteride was a good idea? Sure, you may have experienced great results with minoxidil/retina A, but how long do you suppoose that will last with your follicles under attack from DHT again?

Nothing is a given; everyone's situation is different; and everyone happens to respond differently to specific medications. I guess each individual needs to weigh the benefits against other factors, in order to figure out what medication is right for them. For me, I believe 4x a week of daily Retin-A/minoxidil, and minoxidil alone daily during the remaining days is the perfect combination.

I was actually a fairly good responder to finasteride, but got tired of the persistent side effects. If I were to rate my response to each medication, it would be finasteride: 5.5, minoxidil: 7.5, minoxidil/Retin-A: 10+. However, the most bothersome side effect of finasteride was a loss of sensation or dulling, and the softening, of my penis during sex. Of course, this lessened with a decreased dosage of .25mg daily, but not enough to satisfy me.

I had actually stopped finasteride completely for around eight months, and had only recently started using it sparingly, to finish my remaining pills. In that time, I haven't shed, except for a normal healthy amount. In fact, I haven't shed in years on either finasteride and minoxdil alone, or both of them in combination.

 

[JWM]

Thanks Joseph