Switched from 8% minoxidil to 15% and shedding now.

[aussiedavid]

I have been using minoxidil and Finasteride for 10 years. I started out at 5% minoxidil and have gradually worked my way up to 8%. Recently I started using 15% minoxidil on the hairline because I have been receeding badly over the past 12 months. I've now been on the 15% minoxidil for 2 months and the receeding of my hairline has gotten a lot worse. It's not old hairs that are falling out, but rather new hairs that had been growing just nicely. I've also added spironolactone Cream and a topical solution of lavendar and clove oil. A few nights a week I spray on Tricomin and I also use Nizoral 2% twice a week. Am I doing too much? Is the higher strength minoxidil causing the shed, even though I've been on 8% for the past 4 years? Could one of the other topicals be causing the shed? I'm not sure whether to continue on my current program in the hope that the shed is a precursor to regrowth, or just go back to my old routine.

 

[tml86]

Aussiedave i was reading your comment about switching from 5% mino-has anyone responded?

 

[KielMcK]

I would think the shed is a good thing. When I switched over to foam and spironolactone my hair shed and shed but 4 months later grew back quite a bit. I am still shedding at 6 months but when I look at before and after pics my hairline keeps getting hairs that had not been there before. I would stick with it.

 

[RaginDemon]

I agree with Kiel, my hair gets a bit thicker after each shed, but shedding was quite scary from time to time.

 

[pproctor]

I have been using minoxidil and Finasteride for 10 years. I started out at 5% minoxidil and have gradually worked my way up to 8%. Recently I started using 15% minoxidil on the hairline because I have been receeding badly over the past 12 months. I've now been on the 15% minoxidil for 2 months and the receeding of my hairline has gotten a lot worse. It's not old hairs that are falling out, but rather new hairs that had been growing just nicely.

You are likely developing a bit of tolerance to minoxidil and finasteride. Sometimes this can be overcome (at least for a while) by increasing the concentration of minoxidil. Finasteride has such a flat dose/response curve that it is doubtful increasing the amount of this drug helps.

As for whether the shedding is caused by the increased amount of minoxidil. Hard to say. It could simply be secondary to development of tolerance. Remember, when hair sheds is set by when it goes into the loss-phase, 2-4 months before it sheds. It is possible that the extra minoxidil is working well enough that it is bringing some follicles out of dormancy early and thus is causing the extra loss-phase hair to shed. In any case, remind youself that any hair that sheds within 2-4 months after starting a treatment was already in the loss phase when you started.

Peter H Proctor, PhD,MD
http://www.doctorproctor.com

 

[RaginDemon]

I have been using minoxidil and Finasteride for 10 years. I started out at 5% minoxidil and have gradually worked my way up to 8%. Recently I started using 15% minoxidil on the hairline because I have been receeding badly over the past 12 months. I've now been on the 15% minoxidil for 2 months and the receeding of my hairline has gotten a lot worse. It's not old hairs that are falling out, but rather new hairs that had been growing just nicely.

You are likely developing a bit of tolerance to minoxidil and finasteride. Sometimes this can be overcome (at least for a while) by increasing the concentration of minoxidil. Finasteride has such a flat dose/response curve that it is doubtful increasing the amount of this drug helps.

As for whether the shedding is caused by the increased amount of minoxidil. Hard to say. It could simply be secondary to development of tolerance. Remember, when hair sheds is set by when it goes into the loss-phase, 2-4 months before it sheds. It is possible that the extra minoxidil is working well enough that it is bringing some follicles out of dormancy early and thus is causing the extra loss-phase hair to shed. In any case, remind youself that any hair that sheds within 2-4 months after starting a treatment was already in the loss phase when you started.

Peter H Proctor, PhD,MD
http://www.doctorproctor.com

Tolerence to finasteride is not very common.

 

[pproctor]

Tolerence to finasteride is not very common.

I don't wish to argue this issue at the moment, but will point out that the poster reports using finasteride and minoxidil for 10 years.

Dr Proctor
doctorproctor.com

 

[aussiedavid]

I probably should have pointed out that the shedding is primarily occuring on my hairline, which is the area where I have been applying the 15% Minoxidil solution. I'm thinking about stopping the lavendar/clove oil topical and see if that makes a difference. Prior to the lavendar/clove oil topical I had been using a peppermint/clove oil topical for about a month. One thing that concerns me is that some of the hair that has fallen out was new growth. This might sound a bit weird, but I have had one persistent hair that grows in my temporal region all by its lonesome. It appears for a few months, then falls out, then about a month later grows again. It's been doing this for several years even though the area around it is bald. This solo hair fell out recently as well and I would normally expect to see it growing again by now, but no sign of it at all.

My current regime:

1/2 Proscar/day
8% minoxidil & .025% Retinoic Acid topical in the mornings.
15% minoxidil to hairline at night. 8% to rest of scalp.
5% spironolactone cream to hairline morning and night.
Tricomin ever other night
Nizoral 2% once or twice a week (was using it more frequently). Normal shampoo other nights.
Topical solution of lavendar and Clove Oil applied after showering and prior to minoxidil in the mornings.