My 2 Year Report of Topical Finasteride

[hair2stay]

I'm 11 weeks in having transitioned from oral finasteride to topical finasteride. Sides continue to be 100% gone. My hair is better than ever.

I make my own with Proscar and Kirkland min. 0.025%

I'm 11 weeks in having transitioned from oral finasteride to topical finasteride. Sides continue to be 100% gone. My hair is better than ever.

I make my own with Proscar and Kirkland min. 0.025%

That's awesome!! Better part of three months.

0.025% ...can you explain how many MG of proscar you mix with how many ML of minoxidil?

Thank you

 

[debyne]

That's awesome!! Better part of three months.

0.025% ...can you explain how many MG of proscar you mix with how many ML of minoxidil?

Thank you

Thanks. I drop 15mg of Proscar in 60mL of Kirkland min.

 

[hair2stay]

Thanks. I drop 15mg of Proscar in 60mL of Kirkland min.

Excellent. So you use 1ml per day of minoxidil? In other words you're only using 7.5 MG's of finasteride per month compared to a recommended 30mgs per month....

Can you comment on what your sides were and how long you had them for?

Much appreciated!

 

[inmyhead]

This thread is funny. People using 0.1mg/ml and claiming sides...

 

[hair2stay]

This thread is funny. People using 0.1mg/ml and claiming sides...

I'm confused with the numbers people use. For example

0.25 is 25% so 7.5 MG's per 60 ml is 0.25 or 25%

But I'm likely missing something in my math

0.1/ml would be 10% so I would assume that's 6mgs per 60ml of minoxidil used 1x per day so equivalent of ONLY 3MGS per month applied topically...seems impossible to get sides from that..



But......How would one ever know what is a side versus what isn't....?

Let's say I start in my thirties...no sides by my 40's the quality of my erection has diminished....I assume it's just 'getting old'.

Or over ten years I very slowly and minimally experience cognitive issues. I assume it's just 'getting old'.

And it very well Is likely getting old but how do we know? Either way, I wouldn't care... It's like the Covid vaccine...we won't get Covid as bad of we take vaxx but how do we know how bad we'd have gotten Covid anyways....take your booster, take your finasteride and live your life I suppose....with hair and freedom!!!

My doctor prescribed 2.5 MG's per day instead of 0.25!!! I didn't figure it out for 4.5 weeks and now I've been at 1mg per day. For three weeks and 2mg total this week.
I have insomnia and anxiety....a tonne of it. Of course this may be in my mind but I have an autoimmune issue that makes me very sensitive to any hormonal change...I also have desensitization in my penis and Slightly less hard erection but my libido and enjoyable orgasm Is still great....

So I'm going to take a week off or more...to see if I feel better and try again.

Again, I'm an anomaly due to my immune issue and I experience severe depression at times so I'm not the typical person.

 

[PRIMEN]

@hair2stay 0.025% topical finasteride is 0.25mg of finasteride per ml. 60ml is 15mg of finasteride. So if you apply 2ml of 0.025% topical finasteride every day it's 15mg of finasteride per month.

 

[hair2stay]

@hair2stay 0.025% topical finasteride is 0.25mg of finasteride per ml. 60ml is 15mg of finasteride. So if you apply 2ml of 0.025% topical finasteride every day it's 15mg of finasteride per month.

Thank you, I'm clearly missing something in my math. 15mg of 60ml is expressed as 25% (equals 0.25) but 0.025% equals 0.00025 mg.

I'm not saying you are wrong. I'm missing something. I just want to make sure I am reading the data properly from the most recent study so I can keep my hair!

 

[hair2stay]

First of all, does it work... YES
Does it get systemic? Also YES

I've used such an array of different dosages anywhere from 20mg/ml to 0.05mg/ml. I had the same sides as oral finasteride at above 5mg/ml but lowering the dose did help initially but then my sides became more aggressive (finasteride sides just get more aggressive with time if you don't stop, it doesn't matter if oral or topical).

For the past 8 or so months I've been using below 1mg/ml, around 0.1mg/ml but sometimes lower. At 0.05mg/ml (4ml to cover the scalp) I still had moderate sides but they improved noticeably within 2-3 days of stopping and were significantly reduced by 2 weeks after stopping. However, at this does I found it to be less effective than oral finasteride for hairless, still effective but I definitely noticed that I was loosing ground faster.

At around 0.125-0.2mg/ml I would say it's as effective as oral finasteride with about 1/3 to 1/2 the potential for side effects.

I've used many different vehicles for it, liposomes, ethosomes, alcohol solutions, and so on and what I can tell you I that at this low of a dosage it really doesn't matter what vehicle you use as long as it's not water. Topical absorption becomes more challenging the more drug you are trying to deliver, which is why less potent drugs like AR blockers such as CB, OH-Flut, RU, etc. are not able to stop balding for most men when applied topically (they aren't able to reach the follicle in sufficient concentration to block the AR). BUT finasteride is hundreds of times more potent than these drugs so topical absorption is never a challenge for it. You can use whatever vehicle you prefer, I don't think it will make any difference.

Would I recommend the sinstead of oral finasteride? Yes, if you are concerned about side effects down the road. This will help delay the onset of side effects from finasteride while still being able to delay your hairless. Of course, it's much more inconvenient so it's really a personal decision.



Let me know you have any questions and if they are worthwhile I will try answer them

Can you explain your math:

At 5mg per ml, you would mix 300mg of finasteride pills with 60ml of solution!!

But at 0.05mg per ml, you would be mixing 3mg of tablets with 60ml of solution. But, in using 4ml per day you're getting 15 days out of 60ml containing 3mg so total would be 6mg per month applied topically....it seems unreasonable to have sides from 6mg of finasteride per month applied orally....it doesn't even seem like enough to be effective....

I appreciate your time and I'm sorry to be so dense about this ...

I've been told 2mg per week orally is minimum to be effective. Do we need less with topical application as we are targeting DHT at the place ( scalp) where it counts the most?

 

[PRIMEN]

Thank you, I'm clearly missing something in my math. 15mg of 60ml is expressed as 25% (equals 0.25) but 0.025% equals 0.00025 mg.

I'm not saying you are wrong. I'm missing something. I just want to make sure I am reading the data properly from the most recent study so I can keep my hair!

I don't know how to explain but
0.025% = 0.25mg per ml
0.1% = 1mg per ml
0.5% = 5mg per ml
1% = 10 mg per ml and so on
google "converting percent solutions to mg/ml"

 

[hair2stay]

I don't know how to explain but
0.025% = 0.25mg per ml
0.1% = 1mg per ml
0.5% = 5mg per ml
1% = 10 mg per ml and so on
google "converting percent solutions to mg/ml"

Thank you for this! Yes I googled and I don't understand the formula BUT I understand you are right!

 

[debyne]

Excellent. So you use 1ml per day of minoxidil? In other words you're only using 7.5 MG's of finasteride per month compared to a recommended 30mgs per month....

Can you comment on what your sides were and how long you had them for?

Much appreciated!

PRIMEN is spot on, so no need to reiterate what he said.

I started with 1mL in the morning and 1mL at night. So, that's 0.5mg applied topically each day. Recently, I'm only applying 0.5mL in the morning just on the biggest potential problem areas, and 1mL at night to get better coverage across the top of my scalp.

My hair has never been better. Zero sides. Morning wood almost every day and I'm 45 y/o. In fact, I noticed that I've now grown slightly more body hair, especially on my legs. I was never hairy, but I did notice that I became less so when on full-blown oral finasteride.

I really hope I don't get sides down the road, but it has been 11 weeks today since being on topical. I just can't believe it's more effective than oral for me, with zero sides. It's surreal, so I don't want to jinx it.

 

[hair2stay]

PRIMEN is spot on, so no need to reiterate what he said.

I started with 1mL in the morning and 1mL at night. So, that's 0.5mg applied topically each day. Recently, I'm only applying 0.5mL in the morning just on the biggest potential problem areas, and 1mL at night to get better coverage across the top of my scalp.

My hair has never been better. Zero sides. Morning wood almost every day and I'm 45 y/o. In fact, I noticed that I've now grown slightly more body hair, especially on my legs. I was never hairy, but I did notice that I became less so when on full-blown oral finasteride.

I really hope I don't get sides down the road, but it has been 11 weeks today since being on topical. I just can't believe it's more effective than oral for me, with zero sides. It's surreal, so I don't want to jinx it.

Awesome! Very happy for you. Yes Prime is correct as are you. I had to Google (like he) said to understand the formula for: percentage to Mg/ml.

As for your no sides, the hairloss show on you tube has two of the most informed doctors. They suggest if you get sides after - say - 5 months take a break and start again.

In Mazerrella's study they applied a 0.005% two times a day (1ml) so only 0.1mg total per day. Large sample size and 25% had moderate gains and 73% had significant gains after 16 months.

That's 3mg per month TOTAL and everyone maintained and some gained!!

 

[debyne]

In Mazerrella's study they applied a 0.005% two times a day (1ml) so only 0.1mg total per day. Large sample size and 25% had moderate gains and 73% had significant gains after 16 months.

That's 3mg per month TOTAL and everyone maintained and some gained!!

Yep. I may drop my dosage to 1mL per day or lower the concentration of finasteride at some point, but my results are excellent and I feel great so I'm in no hurry to change things up too much.

 

[hair2stay]

Yep. I may drop my dosage to 1mL per day or lower the concentration of finasteride at some point, but my results are excellent and I feel great so I'm in no hurry to change things up too much.

That's so awesome. What sides did you have and how / at what oral dose did you get them?

 

[debyne]

That's so awesome. What sides did you have and how / at what oral dose did you get them?

1mg oral ED gave me the following:
- brain fog that came and went
- no morning wood, but I could get hard when I needed to
- somewhat less libido
- less body hair
- somewhat increased anxiety; more nervous about taking risks

At 0.5mg ED, most of those symptoms disappeared and I felt great, but I started shedding hair significantly after 3 months of the change. 1mg EOD seemed to be the best balance of sides and effectiveness.

 

[hair2stay]

1mg oral ED gave me the following:
- brain fog that came and went
- no morning wood, but I could get hard when I needed to
- somewhat less libido
- less body hair
- somewhat increased anxiety; more nervous about taking risks

At 0.5mg ED, most of those symptoms disappeared and I felt great, but I started shedding hair significantly after 3 months of the change. 1mg EOD seemed to be the best balance of sides and effectiveness.

Thank you for your thorough response. Anxiety is my issue with it.....I'm prone to anxiety and medicated for it so I'm not the typical responder. So I'm excited to go to topical low dose. Minoxidil grew my thinning crown back - very very thankful - now I just gotta maintain or slow down the inevitable....

 

[hair2stay]

Yep. I may drop my dosage to 1mL per day or lower the concentration of finasteride at some point, but my results are excellent and I feel great so I'm in no hurry to change things up too much.

Any concerns that the finasteride powder is not mixing completely in the carrier solution? I suppose I'll use a glass dropper and glass bottle and shake well.. maybe little ethanol....such a small amount of powder crushed up..

You think the finasteride powder may clump up / harden on the 1ml. Dropper and not get proper doses?

When I review recent studies 2021: they use 2.27mgs per ml 2x daily in a spray application!!! And sides are still half that of 1mg oral!

I think everyone can tolerate at least some finasteride topically and unless dutasteride is an option even at 0.05mg per ml 2x daily is beneficial (mazzerella, 1997) AND no systemic issues.

I'm going to use Garnier stemoxydine as a carrier solution. Some benefits, no sides, and about $12 a month!

 

[debyne]

Any concerns that the finasteride powder is not mixing completely in the carrier solution? I suppose I'll use a glass dropper and glass bottle and shake well.. maybe little ethanol....such a small amount of powder crushed up..

You think the finasteride powder may clump up / harden on the 1ml. Dropper and not get proper doses?

Not if you get 5mg Proscar. I drop 3 of those pills in 60mL of Kirkland min, and I have zero issues. If you tried 1mg pills, that may be a problem.

When I review recent studies 2021: they use 2.27mgs per ml 2x daily in a spray application!!! And sides are still half that of 1mg oral!

No doubt for me that topical absorbs FAR less than oral.

 

[hair2stay]

Not if you get 5mg Proscar. I drop 3 of those pills in 60mL of Kirkland min, and I have zero issues. If you tried 1mg pills, that may be a problem.


No doubt for me that topical absorbs FAR less than oral.

Ok excellent, thank you!

 

[debyne]

One thing I'll add, which I've shared in my past stories but sounds a bit like voodoo, is that I swear I noticed significant regrowth when I started brushing my scalp (somewhat aggressively) with a Conair bristle paddle brush:

https://www.meijer.com/shopping/product/conair-velvet-touch-paddle-brush--1-ct/7410877205.html?cmpid=SEM_LIA_All_Meijer_Products:General:all%5Cother:BING

You can get them at CVS and they stimulate your scalp; think of it as super lightweight microneedling. I use it every 3 days in the shower with Lipogaine Big 5 shampoo and brush the shampoo into my scalp in all directions, rinse, reapply, and do it a second time. Whenever I apply my topical finasteride/min, I brush it in with this brush to stimulate the scalp and help with absorption. Since the bristles are far apart, I don't worry about brushing the topical solution off my head. This not only increased my regrowth, but it eliminated any flakes in my hair from the topical min since I'm basically scraping all the crap off regularly.

I have a brush in the shower, and two brushes in my bathroom drawer that I rotate through. When one is dirty, I clean it and use the other one for a while.