Got the minoxidil, been running it a couple of days now, I thought it was 2%, turns out it was 5%.
I decided just for experimentation sake to apply the full 5% to my scalp the first two days and then apply the dilute solution thereafter.
One crazy side effect I noticed is the mitigation of a condition I've had for a very long time, a problem of vasoconstriction specifically, meaning
- cold hands
- headaches
- dizziness
All of a sudden even after merely using the topical non-PG formula minoxidil, my hands now have a flush of warmth that they did not previously have (even indoors) and I am no longer fighting monstrous headaches and eye pain and dizziness. Dealing with the cold prior to the effects of minoxidil were hell because of the vasoconstriction, and I've found even now after only two doses that I manage in cold temperatures far better than what coincidence could account for.
Also, after two applications, there has been absolutely ZERO adverse reactions from the non-PG minoxidil solution, so combined with the known vasodilatory inducing effects of minoxidil, combined with the complete and total absence of adverse skin reaction, I'd say my sh*t's legit and I have a winner.
I'm going to be very patient and now use a dilute formula because I'm concerned about the minoxidil building up in my system (topically applied IIRC it has a half life of 22 hours on the skin as opposed to a 2.8 - 4.2 hr half life when administered orally, google: "minoxidil half life topical", if interested)
If I feel like I can tolerate the 2.5-ish percent solution well enough I may just titrate back up to the full strength 5% solution, which because of the 22 hour half life, I am only applying once daily after a shower in the morning.
I'm now quite convinced that PG may have a way of amplifying and exacerbating negative effects of minoxidil in some users, I will have to give it a couple months of use to prove this, but I feel like combined with proper nutrition and the fact that I'm going to be using copper peptides and dermarolling to hopefully offset any possible adverse effects of minoxidil on the skin and collagen of my face, I will have a tradeoff-free recovery of hair growth.
Overall, the thing that has immediately blown me away by this product which I highly suspected, was that it was going to have markedly helpful vasodilation properties that have helped things other than my hair directly (good circulation is a prerequisite for good hair as we know). In this case it most certainly has which is a bonus effect on top of any potential hair growth for myself.
It may well have been that my body had such a PGE2 deficient environment and higher in PGD2 that both the vasoconstrictive symptoms and the hair loss go hand in hand, it would explain why aggressive use of androgen inhibitors did not solve my problem.
Hope you all find this information useful, I'll report back later once I have something to report.