Topical Cetrizine for Hair Loss instead of Finasteride (Propecia)

[Sparky4444]

This whole > 1 hair / follicle thing is ... remarkable.

Do you guys experience any cognitive sides from cet? I ran the numbers on *possible* systemic absorption through the skin from cet based on the rabbit pfizer study and concluded we would be getting minimal doses in our blood - like 3% of an oral dose. but at the same time I can't help but feel that I get a bit of mental cloudiness from cet. I can still work fine, etc, just something that is that right on the edge of a real effect and psychosomatic nonsense.

And please, if anyone is going to claim that cet through the skin "bypasses the liver" you need to explain that. It's not like the stomach empties into the liver. Stomach -> intestines -> blood -> liver -> blood

I'm not gonna argue with you --- I have experienced light-headedness, tired eyes...the tired eyes thing is a big one...I've started to put castor oil on my eyes and forehead and I feel pretty good lately....that stuff is great for your skin!

 

[cuprous]

I'm not gonna argue with you --- I have experienced light-headedness, tired eyes...the tired eyes thing is a big one...I've started to put castor oil on my eyes and forehead and I feel pretty good lately....that stuff is great for your skin!

yeah.. I think I'm going to cut my next cet mixture in half. If we're getting systemic effects like then then I have to believe the localized skin concentration is more than enough.

 

[sebastian]

Calling for any chemists/professionals in chemistry, pharmacists who read and/or are registered in this Forum to please offer expert advice for the preparation and administering of a cetirizine solution.

 

[BrightonBaldy]

ive been mixing the cet pills (lots of them) with de-ionized water and nizoral.

am i wasting my time with the nizoral?

i ask because i havent seen any decent results yet, ive been doing this longer than most of you.

ill go check the exact date...


May 12th last year. I've mixed it with a few things in that time, never just water, maybe thats where ive gone wrong.

 

[Chromeo]

ive been mixing the cet pills (lots of them) with de-ionized water and nizoral.

am i wasting my time with the nizoral?

i ask because i havent seen any decent results yet, ive been doing this longer than most of you.

ill go check the exact date...


May 12th last year. I've mixed it with a few things in that time, never just water, maybe thats where ive gone wrong.

Could be, seems Cet and water is your best bet. I've been getting results with this basic concoction, as have a few others. Give it a go for a while and see if you start to notice anything. Could be that you're just not a responder. I feel I may be one of the lucky ones, but it's difficult to get an idea of the bigger picture because so many people have been adding other stuff in to the mix, and others have been bailing after a mere few weeks.

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I'm not sure I have the right mix, it does not stay properly on the scalp, it sort of... runs down to my temples. This can't be good.

Zeroes is right. It's pretty much just like water, of course it's going to run. It's not supposed to stick on there like a creme or a gel. Apply small amounts at a time with the dropper and get it rubbed in to the scalp.

 

[mj9]

The reports of my death are greatly exaggerated! Mark Twain.

Not in prison either... lol.

Sorry guys I've been swamped at the office with lots of 12 hour days. I'm taking new pictures this weekend and I will post them here for all to see. You can draw your own conclusions from the pics. Feb 1st completes 5 months on Cet and that's the bare minimum to see any results for any regime.

I don't know if there is a cosmetic difference yet or not because I have not taken any normal pics in 2 months but I have two major things to report:

1. The small hairs vellus hairs that were in bald areas continue to grow and lengthen and turn terminal. Some are now 1/2" long and getting thicker. This is a SLOW process, not a magic overnight cure. These are hairs in a previously 20 year plus bald area.

2. Many of the existing thick terminal hairs are sprouting 2 and 3 hairs from each follicle. Prior to starting Cet it was rare to see more than one hair coming from a follicle on the top of my scalp. See the last picture, there are a large number that have sprouted new hairs from the same follicle. I count 17 in that one sq/cm picture. That's a HUGE change because the hairs are thickening up much faster!!!!

Everyone needs to understand this one point: You cannot see the changes without magnification but they are happening. Compare these pics with the first ones I took. It's obvious the vellus hairs are getting stronger and longer and more in number. And it's obvious it's having an effect on the healthy hair as well. Look back at pages 4 and 6 and compare them to the new pics.

I'm taking new normal pics this weekend and will post them so we can tell if there is any change that can be seen.

Is it the same area in each photo? If so, then yes we definitely have some growth....

 

[BrightonBaldy]

Yeah I think I'll drop adding nizoral to the mix.

I agree we need a definitive guide on putting together the best formula, with info on cet preperation and sources.

 

[franky69]

Cetrizine, even though some classify it as a second generation h1 antagonist, is really a first generation antagonist in the pharmacy world. It turns into the active metabolite hydroxyzine in the body. First generation antihistamine have alot of the side effects ( such as benedryl, which would explain some of your symptoms) compared to second generation antihistamines. True second generation antagonist would be fexofenedine and loratidine. Howevever, I'm not recommending anyone to take these, since long term use of anti-histamine are generally not good for the body or immune system( more prone to getting sick), and you could have a rebound effect once you get off it( specially if taken for a long time). Again, everything im talking about is taking these drugs orally, I haven't seen the effects of any long term use of these drugs topically.

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Applying drugs topically requires several things, such as a good carrier, but its not only that. The pH of the mixture needs to be at the right in order for it to penetrate better, and not cause irritation to the skin. Just because propylene glycol or ethyl alcohol is a good carrier, doesn't mean it will work at a high ph( ehtanol has a ph of 7, which is about neutral, the ph of the skin is lightly more acidic). Its hard to determine the best carrier combo on these drugs since there isn't even a IN VITRO study to determine the best method of delivery. I suggest you calling a compounding pharmacy to see if they're are willing to help. Or you can talk to a Doctor, get a script( docs can prescribe anything off label), and have it done professionally. Adding antihistamine's or corticosteriods to hair loss medication is nothing new, and it has been shown to increase hair growth. I know you are all trying to save money, but you could also be just wasting your time with this. Hope it helps

Again, Im not recommending anyone to do this, just mentioning how things work FYI only

 

[Chromeo]

Thanks for that, Franky. It definitely isn't a waste of time for myself and some of the others, in fact it's quite obviously effective. I'm willing to bet this could have seriously good results for many of us, if more were willing to give it a go. The fact that it is already out there on the market and is available for peanuts is just pure luck. I love the fact that we can all get our hands on Cetirizine so cheaply and it may well be the answer to our prayers. The pharmaceutical companies must be kicking themselves over this. I'm surprised more people aren't giving it a go considering it costs next to nothing.

 

[Benjamin36]

I'm surprised more people aren't giving it a go considering it costs next to nothing.

I think a major reason for this is because many guys who tried it said they went through a nasty shed and didn't recover. It is for me anyway, after the finasteride shed I don't want to risk shedding anymore.

 

[michael.douglas18]

minoxidil twice a day and regenpure 3x per week is gonna have to save me enough time to get out of high school.

brb buzz cut everyday and wear hat

 

[Sparky4444]

I think a major reason for this is because many guys who tried it said they went through a nasty shed and didn't recover. It is for me anyway, after the finasteride shed I don't want to risk shedding anymore.

A-C-C-E-P-T-A-N-C-E

I know sheds are scary...BUT...those hairs were coming out anyways, end of story, period, the end...

So you hold on to those weak strands of hair for a few more months, doesn't matter....

 

[psyhotria]

A-C-C-E-P-T-A-N-C-EI know sheds are scary...BUT...those hairs were coming out anyways, end of story, period, the end...

It's not so simple. For example, there are such things called anagen effluvium and telogen effluvium. Drugs (many anti-inflammatories) can cause these conditions and list hair-loss as side effect. See section "Adverse Effects of Drugs on Hair" here: http://dermatology.cdlib.org/DOJvol4num1/original/jankovi.html

 

[Benjamin36]

A-C-C-E-P-T-A-N-C-E

I know sheds are scary...BUT...those hairs were coming out anyways, end of story, period, the end...

So you hold on to those weak strands of hair for a few more months, doesn't matter....

That may be easy for you, but I can tell you that I probably wouldn't have started taking finasteride had I known my hair would have reacted the way it did. Within months of taking it my hair overall dramatically thinned out, and that was back in March/April. I know it can be a coincidence, but I find it hard to believe that my snail slow recession of almost twenty years all of a sudden kicked into overdrive.

 

[Sparky4444]

That may be easy for you, but I can tell you that I probably wouldn't have started taking finasteride had I known my hair would have reacted the way it did. Within months of taking it my hair overall dramatically thinned out, and that was back in March/April. I know it can be a coincidence, but I find it hard to believe that my snail slow recession of almost twenty years all of a sudden kicked into overdrive.

slow, snail recession of 20 years??? So why are messing around taking finasteride then???

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It's not so simple. For example, there are such things called anagen effluvium and telogen effluvium. Drugs (many anti-inflammatories) can cause these conditions and list hair-loss as side effect. See section "Adverse Effects of Drugs on Hair" here: http://dermatology.cdlib.org/DOJvol4num1/original/jankovi.html

..sure...but I doubt it....

listen, you can have chemo-therapy and have your hair fall out only to have it grow back..

...listen guys -- if your hair is destined to fall out, it is going to fall out...

I have 4 or 5 hairs that keep cropping back on my temples, even after plucking them out...then I've put CET on my temples, I they keep finding a way to come back...little bastards!

...if your hair falls out while being a finasteride, then you have a major reaction ...stop taking it and then it should grow back...if it doesn't grow back, then they WERE GOING TO FALL OUT ANYWAYS -- eventually...

 

[Harry S Truman]

i tried cet but the sides were to much.... it made me almost zombie like... i cant catch a break with these fu cking sides...


i switched over to iron dragon pgd2 blocker , i saw someone had decent success with it on the other hairloss forum...


i figured it does the same exact thing, which is block pgd2, but isn't notorious for making you zombie like....... Ive been on it for a little bit and id say on the scale of 1 to 10 sides have dropped to a 2 compared to cet at an 7 and Propecia at a 11.....


Hairloss seems to have halted...


One of the chemicals does pose to be a problem for people with heart issues tho..

 

[zeroes]

Where you taking it orally or topically?

 

[Benjamin36]

Hey Zeroes, weren't you taking Cetrizine at one point? How has it worked out for you?

 

[zeroes]

Hey, I'm still applying to temples twice a day haven't noticed anything yet.

 

[curiosity_cat]

Just gonna chime in with some thoughts. I started this CET experiment around the second week of December and I've decided to call it quits this week (flushed all remaining allertec down the drain). The shed was very severe. It lasted about 4 weeks and I think it only laid off when I cut application down to once/day. However, I *did* at the same time renew my applications of minoxidil as well, so the sheds may have been because of that as well. I was using minoxidil for a bit before (about 7 months) but stopped because I didn't seen any reasonably noticeable improvements from dedicated twice/day application and didn't like the 1-2 hour period of greasy hair that comes with it (before I could shower). I never did see a strong shed with minoxidil before though.

I'll continue to follow this forum in hopes of those braver than I seeing things through and getting promising results. I wish I could continue, but I suppose fear (vanity?) is going to win this time. Hairloss is... a cruel fate to suffer... I sincerely hope a viable PGD2 inhibitor comes through soon (perhaps you guys will be the proof that it was there all along and someone just had to go out there and prove it).

Cheers.