Minoxidil And Dry/irritated Scalp - Advice Please

doubleindemnity

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I use minoxidil once a day every day. It's Kirkland liquid around 1.5-2ml per day. I've been doing it for around 6 months and my scalp is becoming very dry, itchy and there might be some flakes too. I have to shampoo every day to wash out the minoxidil. If I shampoo with Nizoral, the scalp seems to get worse. But, even if I use a fancy sulfate free shampoo, the scalp is not so great.

What can I do to help it? Should I apply olive oil or coconut oil or something similar? Thanks.
 

yetti

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"Minoxidil is a potassium channel opener, causing hyperpolarization of cell membranes. Hypothetically, by widening blood vessels and opening potassium channels, it allows more oxygen, blood, and nutrients to the follicles."

In short this causes scalp to dry.

There are many ways to dry the scalp and none grow hair other than minoxidil. There are also tons of people with very dry scalps and hair does not magically start growing on any of them without minoxidil or finasteride. It's a side effect, not the cause.
 

doubleindemnity

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Is there any other thing that I can use in addition to the liquid rather than switching over to foam? I'm worried about losing ground with foam. Would the things that I mentioned - coconut oil etc. - be effective?
 

yetti

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Is there any other thing that I can use in addition to the liquid rather than switching over to foam? I'm worried about losing ground with foam. Would the things that I mentioned - coconut oil etc. - be effective?

Why not just try it and see? Everyone has a different reaction to everything.
If I were you I’d first stop using Nizoral completely, and stop shampooing every day.
 

doubleindemnity

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Why not just try it and see? Everyone has a different reaction to everything.
If I were you I’d first stop using Nizoral completely, and stop shampooing every day.

From what I've read about minoxidil, if you stop using it for a few weeks, you could go backwards a lot. Meaning, you will lose ground and it will not work as well when you restart it after 3 weeks. I'm worried that I might get into a situation like that if I use the foam for 3 weeks and don't respond well.

Also, I have to shampoo every day to get rid of the white minoxidil liquid residue. Right?
 

yetti

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From what I've read about minoxidil, if you stop using it for a few weeks, you could go backwards a lot. Meaning, you will lose ground and it will not work as well when you restart it after 3 weeks. I'm worried that I might get into a situation like that if I use the foam for 3 weeks and don't respond well.

Also, I have to shampoo every day to get rid of the white minoxidil liquid residue. Right?

I don't have any white residue. That said if you have some, you can just wash it out with water, without shampoo. I take a shower almost every day but use shampoo every 3-4 days.

I agree about stopping minoxidil, I'd avoid it unless it's a plan to stop permanently.

You could try another brand of liquid minoxidil. They are are virtually the same but supposedly with slight differences, who knows maybe you'll have a better reaction to name brand Rogaine for example.
 

Kidbako

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I use minoxidil once a day every day. It's Kirkland liquid around 1.5-2ml per day. I've been doing it for around 6 months and my scalp is becoming very dry, itchy and there might be some flakes too. I have to shampoo every day to wash out the minoxidil. If I shampoo with Nizoral, the scalp seems to get worse. But, even if I use a fancy sulfate free shampoo, the scalp is not so great.

What can I do to help it? Should I apply olive oil or coconut oil or something similar? Thanks.
I had the dry scalp problem as well. I no longer have the problem and I shampoos daily with 1% nizoral.
I take fish oil, astaxanthin, and coconut oil supplements..don’t put on your scalp will only clog things up. Keep a stiff bristled brush in shower after nizoral is on for like 5minutes use brush and scrub your scalp then rinse..then after your hair is towel dried apply minoxidil..do this daily .
 

Fredie2

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Is there any other thing that I can use in addition to the liquid rather than switching over to foam? I'm worried about losing ground with foam. Would the things that I mentioned - coconut oil etc. - be effective?

I am trying Progaine Sensitive which has no propylene glycol like liquid. I have been using minoxidil for 35 years. The crusting and scabbing was getting too much. I also bought the foam. Going off 5% Kirkland/or other liquid generic eased up the itching and scabbing. The Progaine less and foam even less but it is not perfect.

I have done all sorts of shampoos including tea tree & peppermint (GDX) it eases a bit, baking soda and even 20 mule team borax. Both of those are good.

I have tried the Stephen youtube garlic, onions and ACV with a small amount of olive oil. He has a lot of videos and is not selling anything. He also likes Nizoral. He is 51 at the time the videos were made and they are a few years old. It seems to have worked for him. I used a spray bottle of apple cider vinegar (ACV) 50/50 with water after rinsing. It stinks.
The ACV helps kill some of the smell.

The garlic, ACV, Onion, oil concoction sure as hell soaks into your pores too. Go to the gym and sweat hard and it comes out.
I buy some cologne from Dollar Tree that is copy of Calvin Klein or the Blue stuff Coll Water or something and spray it a lot. they are good copies.

Stephen's mix also beats up dandruff and the flakes and sores. It kills any bacteria. I may stick with it as it may also weirdly bring back my natural hair color. Stephen appears to also have no gray hair, not sure if he dies it.

I find liquid minoxidil more tolerable in higher altitude lower humidity places like NM (5k altitude) and Colorado 7600k alt. I am not sure why.
 
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doubleindemnity

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I shaved the head and tried coconut oil on the scalp but the flaking is still there after my daily liquid minoxidil application. I'm already taking fish oil and coconut oil as food, but not the astaxanthin.

Should I use the garlic, ACV and onion mix or try a different oil on my head?
 

INT

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"Minoxidil is a potassium channel opener, causing hyperpolarization of cell membranes. Hypothetically, by widening blood vessels and opening potassium channels, it allows more oxygen, blood, and nutrients to the follicles."

In short this causes scalp to dry.

That is how minoxidil works - the point is to dry out the scalp.



This does does not make any sense at all.

Your logic:

- Repairing a flat tire helps to ride your bike again by making sure that the air stays in the tire again making it able to roll and thus move the bike forward
- Repairing a flat tire causes your hands to get black
- That is how repairing a bike works - the point is to make your hands black
 

Marko Stojanovic

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In short dry scalp is side effect.

One question? Did you all had a greasy scalp before?

Sebaceous glands are the one that "destroy" hair.
 

Fredie2

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This funny and weird Canadian guy has a mix of rosemary, skullcap and yarrow flowers. He also said he was going bald and went to a juice diet and less things like dairy, grains, meat, etc.
He is not the only person who has talked about using rosemary.


 

rachid

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I shaved the head and tried coconut oil on the scalp but the flaking is still there after my daily liquid minoxidil application. I'm already taking fish oil and coconut oil as food, but not the astaxanthin.

Should I use the garlic, ACV and onion mix or try a different oil on my head?

Hi @doubleindemnity

My advice for you is really to stop immediately the Minoxidil, I just started using Minoxidil for just 8 days, I used a product called in France "ALOSTIL 5%" it's a foam equivalent to the Rogaine. After first use the next day my scalp was very itchy, its took 3 days of itchiness then it reduces and my ears starts to be very itchy and hot. I was thinking that is normal reaction and it will disappear with time like my scalp, but sadly the 8th day of use I woke up discovering my eyes were puffy and the skin of my ears starts to dry up it went flaky horrible. Then I decided to stop immediately Minoxidil, unfortunately the 9th day I woke up with a puffy face very puffy eyes and wrinkly skin around the eyes it was horrible. Now it is 15 days since I stopped the Minoxidil, my eyes are returning back to normal but still wrinkles under the eyes and my scalp is still itchy with full of flakes. Following what I read, the effect of Minoxidil should disappear in 6 months after stopping it... for me I am quiting it for ever, I am using sweet almond oil for my face skin as well as for my scalp. I hate Minoxidil for me it's a poison no one knows what kind of cancer it might cause in the next 10 or 20 years of use, no studies have been done so its at your own risk.
 
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