minoxidil Itch & Flakes - SOLUTIONS?

[misterium]

Hello guys,

I haven't been on here in awhile, but I'm back with some questions about minoxidil.

I've been using minoxidil to help thicken/regrow my diffuse thinning (mostly crown area) for about 4 months now.

I use Rogaine brand.

I find that I can use about 3/4 of a ml per application (once in the a.m. & once in the p.m.). I get a good overall thin coat of minoxidil coverage on my entire head.. I rub it all in with my fingertips. In other words, I get good coverage without using a full 1ml.

I wash my hair once daily. If I don't wash daily, the flake buildup gets out of control.

My Nizoral days are Monday & Friday. I leave the Nizoral on my scalp for 3 - 5 minutes. I use T/Sal once or twice a week, and leave it on for about 3 minutes.

I use Head & Shoulders 'Refresh' formula on other days.

My head is shaved with a #1 attachment. Looks pretty good. Harder to spot flakes on a shaved head it seems.

The first couple months of minoxidil was not fun.. the itching was BAD.. but at month 4 it has become TOLERABLE. .. which is a positive thing.

I THINK THE PPG IS THE CAUSE OF MY ITCH.. BUT I'M NOT SURE.

I find that the flaking is still persistant even with the use of the 'important' shampoos. The itching is tolerable, but sometimes it's just plain annoying.
Most of the daytime there is no itch.. but when it strikes, it's not nice. I try not to scratch, but I gently rub my hair anyway.

What can I do about this? I've been trying to get rid of the flakes and itch using all the 'good' shampoos, and I am not completely satisfied. Is there a middle ground? Am I supposed to just continue this regimine and 'deal with' the itch and flakes or is there a REAL SOLUTION?

I was thinking of a reduced PPG formula from Dr. Lee.. is this a good direction to take?

Any help would be appreciated.

 

[-cj-]

I would look into adding Copper Peptides into your treatment.

If you think it's the PPG you could try the reduced PPG formula, but from my understanding it's replaced with glycerine making it more greasy.

 

[The Gardener]

You could switch to a reduced PPG formula, which is Dr Lee's "standard" 5% minoxidil. It's not replaced by glycerin in this formulation, but merely the PPG/Alcohol balance is slightly tipped towards a higher alcohol content.

That would be a good first step.. but, you might want to wait it out a little bit. It could be just a matter of time and patience, and the itching and flaking might subside on their own.

 

[-cj-]

You could switch to a reduced PPG formula, which is Dr Lee's "standard" 5% minoxidil. It's not replaced by glycerin in this formulation, but merely the PPG/Alcohol balance is slightly tipped towards a higher alcohol content.

That would be a good first step.. but, you might want to wait it out a little bit. It could be just a matter of time and patience, and the itching and flaking might subside on their own.

Thanks for the correction .

 

[misterium]

Thanks for the replies

I may get Tricomin again, I've used it in the past (before I got on minoxidil).. so it might help with the irritation I'm experiencing.

I figure I have to wash daily, once or twice, otherwise the flakes are nasty.

Using Head & Shoulders seems to help with the itch.

In the end I suppose I'm doing EVERYTHING I can (minus the emu oil or CP's), and that there's nothing much more I can do except deal with the way my scalp feels.. use the shampoos, and try and not scratch.