Help! Major shed 3 weeks into minoxidil 5

[Hairworry]

I'm a NW2 and am 3 weeks into minoxidil 5.

Do not know if you guys have experienced this, but the shedding is obscene!

When I run my fingers thru my hair, I get 3-4 strands everytime. When I shower, clumps of hair come out.

I'm getting pretty worried.....should I stop or is this normal?

 

[lovemyhair]

Don't stop its the shed everyone dreads.

 

[treeshrew]

means its working!

 

[Hairworry]

means its working!

I have just resumed using minoxidil recently. I actually stopped for quite a while but back when I first started using it about 5 years ago, I didn't get this sides.

Now the shedding is insane. I'm just afraid my hair will not grow back to what it was before the shed........

 

[harold]

means its working!

I have just resumed using minoxidil recently. I actually stopped for quite a while but back when I first started using it about 5 years ago, I didn't get this sides.

Now the shedding is insane. I'm just afraid my hair will not grow back to what it was before the shed........

Did you get a shed upon quitting? If not then a lot of hair on your head may have quietly gone into telogen without falling out.
Now that you are back on the minoxidil it has jumped into anagen again and the non-growing hairs that were just sitting around are being kicked out.
Either way a big shed 3 weeks into minoxidil is the norm. In your case you will probably come out looking much the same as before.
hh

 

[Hairworry]

After I stopped the minoxidil, my hair did shed a little bit more. So I thought I'd better get back to using it. But to my surprise, more hair started falling off into the 3rd week and what's worse, even healthy looking hairs fell off just by running my hands thru' my hair.

Scalp is also itchy and the minoxidil is making my hair look oily and limp.

I'm worried that if I stop now, I will not be able to get back the hair that I have lost.

 

[treeshrew]

it is hard for me to accept that minoxidil can have a negative effect on hair. Are you taking finasteride too?

if you're consistent and willing to use it long term can't it only be beneficial or neutral?

 

[Hairworry]

I'm still hesitating taking finasteride for fear of more shedding and also the sides.

I used to respond quite well to minoxidil but stopping and then resuming it 6 months later seemed to have made my hair gone out of whack. Previously when I used minoxidil, I did not experience such a major shed and my scalp didn't itch that badly.

But now my scalp itches and each time I scratch, I get 5 to 6 hairs falling out especially in my crown area. I'm now into the 4th week of Minoxi 5% but I'm not sure if I should stop. There is a risk that I now don't respond that well to minoxidil and may eventually cause more harm than good.