Can coming off minoxidil cause a shed?
- Thread starter shh5455
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beaner
Senior Member
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No it's not unusual. I believe it tells you on the box that if you quit using minoxdil you will lose any hair that you've grown using it....this will include any hair that you've simply maintained using minoxidil. You will probably end up where you were before you began using it....I've actually heard you will also lose the hair that you would have lost anyway had you not started minoxidil. Why did you quit? Not a wise move in my opinion.
Are you serious?
If you were on minoxidil for any lengthy period of time, your hair is going to keep shedding until it catches up to the point where it would have been without minoxidil.
For example; let's say you started at NW2 and maintained a NW2 on minoxidil. If you had not used minoxidil, let's say you would have lost hair to a NW4. Now, if you stop minoxidil (in this scenario), your hair is going to fall out until you're a NW4 -- the place you would have been without minoxidil.
Unless you had severe and continous side effects from minoxidil, I'm thinking you made a giant mistake in stopping it.
If you were on minoxidil for any lengthy period of time, your hair is going to keep shedding until it catches up to the point where it would have been without minoxidil.
For example; let's say you started at NW2 and maintained a NW2 on minoxidil. If you had not used minoxidil, let's say you would have lost hair to a NW4. Now, if you stop minoxidil (in this scenario), your hair is going to fall out until you're a NW4 -- the place you would have been without minoxidil.
Unless you had severe and continous side effects from minoxidil, I'm thinking you made a giant mistake in stopping it.
Ok... just to clarify, I stopped minoxidil because I think it was making my hair worse. I was an NW2 with very slight thinning when I started. About a year later my temples have receded and I have lost A LOT of density. So I stopped using it. The shedding on minoxidil never really stopped. It paused briefly for a couple of months. There was NO REGROW whatsoever so I didn't see the point.
I think it's impossible that I'd have gotten this thin naturally in a year. The rate of shedding while on minoxidil is the same as being off so I don't see the difference. Just wondering when it will stop.
I think it's impossible that I'd have gotten this thin naturally in a year. The rate of shedding while on minoxidil is the same as being off so I don't see the difference. Just wondering when it will stop.
If it's aggressive male pattern baldness which didn't respond to minoxidil (most likely scenario, and extremely unlikely that minoxidil accelerated the loss), then it's probably not going to stop until your hair is gone or you find a treatment that works for you.
The Gardener
Senior Member
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- 25
It's common to get a "shock" shed after quitting minoxidil.
You should return to your non-minoxidil "baseline" in time. It sounds like your follicles went through an aggressive stage of increased sensitivity to DHT at the same time you started minoxidil, so the minoxidil wasn't able to help turn the tide as fast as the tide was turning against you.
One thing I can say is that the minoxidil was not to blame for your recession. minoxidil is stastically proven to improve hair, it doesn't improve hair for some people, but it definitely has NOT been proven to hurt hair.
You should return to your non-minoxidil "baseline" in time. It sounds like your follicles went through an aggressive stage of increased sensitivity to DHT at the same time you started minoxidil, so the minoxidil wasn't able to help turn the tide as fast as the tide was turning against you.
One thing I can say is that the minoxidil was not to blame for your recession. minoxidil is stastically proven to improve hair, it doesn't improve hair for some people, but it definitely has NOT been proven to hurt hair.
OK thanks for the replies guys. I'm not sure whether I feel better or worse! I will say that my brother lost his hair pretty quickly, but he wasn't exactly living a very healthy lifestyle either. My dad's hairloss was pretty normal.
I'm 28 and probably a NW2 with diffuse thinning. I've decided to give it one more chance. This time I'm going to do the big 3. I figure things can't get degrade much quicker than they are now. I'll try to be more patient and consistent.
Anyone disagree with getting back on stuff? I was just on minoxidil/nizoral before, but I will add finasteride b/c it sounds like adding finasteride helps a lot of people.
I'm 28 and probably a NW2 with diffuse thinning. I've decided to give it one more chance. This time I'm going to do the big 3. I figure things can't get degrade much quicker than they are now. I'll try to be more patient and consistent.
Anyone disagree with getting back on stuff? I was just on minoxidil/nizoral before, but I will add finasteride b/c it sounds like adding finasteride helps a lot of people.
I have been on minoxidil for 10 months and my hair went to sh*t, I read on the page that talks about minoxidil, on HairLossTalk.com, and how minoxidil does more harm then good. I decided recently that I must of been one of those people, and took it out of my regimen. It already seems that my hair is getting thicker(knock on wood) Read the page on minoxidil, for some people a small %, minoxidil seems to effect the hair cycle for the bad. We are all different genetically. I would get on some form of finasteride though(finpecia is cheap), because it stops hairloss at the root of the problem. minoxidil is more of a growth stimulant. So if you feel that minoxidil is doing more harm then good get off of it, you should get on finasteride
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