What did rogaine do to my hair?

[chrism]

To make a long story short, I used Rogaine on my hairline for about a month or two around 2 years ago. Here's the thing: at the time I did not have a receeding hairline. My hair is identical to my fathers who has never had any hairloss.

Rogaine really f'd up my hairline. Currently I believe most if not all of my original hair is still there HOWEVER where I applyed Rogaine, most hairs are really thin and short.

Basically I am wondering what Rogaine did to my hair and how this happened. I believe I have read (correct me if I'm wrong) that you need a certain level of DHT on your scalp to grow hair? My theory is that my DHT level was already low and thus by applying Rogaine it got to a level too low for hair to grow normally. I can not think of anything else since I do not have a hair loss gene.

I am also wondering if there is any possible way to reverse what Rogaine did to my hair. I also have any EXTREMELY oily hairline. Whether or not this is due to Rogaine I am not sure, however, I do not recall it being this bad 2 years ago.

I sincerely appreciate any input.

 

[Guest]

To make a long story short, I used Rogaine on my hairline for about a month or two around 2 years ago.

Rogaine should only be used long term.

Here's the thing: at the time I did not have a receeding hairline. My hair is identical to my fathers who has never had any hairloss.

Here I become curious, why then were you using a medication that is usually kept as a last resort for those experiencing male pattern baldness ?

Rogaine really f'd up my hairline. Currently I believe most if not all of my original hair is still there HOWEVER where I applyed Rogaine, most hairs are really thin and short.

Basically I am wondering what Rogaine did to my hair and how this happened.

After 2 years (since you last used Rogaine) I would think your hair will be where it would have been had you not used Rogaine (see yellow plot in graph below)

I believe I have read (correct me if I'm wrong) that you need a certain level of DHT on your scalp to grow hair?

This is not correct, very simply put, DHT causes your follicles to shrink and die.

My theory is that my DHT level was already low and thus by applying Rogaine it got to a level too low for hair to grow normally.

You're losing me here? Your original theory (the incorrect one) was that "that you need a certain level of DHT on your scalp to grow hair" and now you are saying that you think Rogaine reduces DHT, so why would they promote it for hair growth if it reduces the stuff (DHT) needed for hair growth

I can not think of anything else since I do not have a hair loss gene.

Where did you have your genetic sequencing done and how much did it cost?

I am also wondering if there is any possible way to reverse what Rogaine did to my hair. I also have any EXTREMELY oily hairline. Whether or not this is due to Rogaine I am not sure, however, I do not recall it being this bad 2 years ago.

I sincerely appreciate any input.

OK, bottom line.

DHT causes hair follicles (that are genetically predisposed) to shrink and produce only very fine, almost invisible to the naked eye, velus' un-pigmented hair, this proccess is otherwise know as hair loss.

Rogaine stimulates hair growth, it has little or no effect on scalp DHT levels, if you manage to grow some hair with Rogaine and then stop using it, the hair that it grew will be lost.

Propecia (finasteride) reduces scalp DHT levels, so simply put stops or slows hair loss (to a certain degree)

Nizoral is a shampoo that will intefere with DHTs negative action on your hair follicle (it has anti-androgen properties) this will also help.

Your hairline does not always follow your fathers hairline.

good luck

 

[chrism]

First of all, thank you for your detailed response.

The reason I started using Rogaine was the following:

About 3 years ago I used to wash my hair maybe once a week while using a ton of gel in my hair once or twice a day. I saw no reason to wash it since I could just wet it and apply more gel.

One summer I went over 1 month without washing my hair, still using gel every day. The day when I finally washed my hair, I noticed quite a bit of hair in the drain (type of drain that collects your hair). Being young and uniformed, I flipped out. Even though my hair looked no different than it ever had, I thought I was loosing my hair so I wanted to take action.

I actually went on propecia for about a year before I started Rogaine. (That dermatologist actually also gave me a womens Rogaine sample and said to use that as it was identical to the mens... After using that a couple of times I stopped because, well it was women's Rogaine...)

At this point (a year after starting Propecia) I was still not washing my hair more than once a week if that. So one day, at least a week since my last wash, I used a shower with the type of drain that collects your hair. To me it looked like a lot so I figured propecia was not working so I decided to stop. Even though my hair looked exactly the same as it always had, i decided to start Rogaine because I had it set in my mind that I was losing my hair...

I started spraying Rogaine carelessly on the sides of my hairline once or twice a day. I started getting huge thich pieces of peel with hairs attached to them around where I applied Rogaine. It probably had to do with the combination of seborrheic dermatitis, dried Rogaine, and me not washing my hair. After a month or two (maybe 3 I don't remember but can find out if it matters) my hairline got messed up so I had to stop Rogaine. Since stopping my hair has not changed.

The fact that I had never had any hairloss at all until I started Rogaine, and that since I stopped Rogaine, I have never had any, in my opinion can only mean that Rogaine caused my hair loss.

Now you have the full story..

To answer your questions, I was obviously misinformed about DHT on the scalp. I just thought that very high levels of DHT caused hairloss but that you did need a certain low level to have hair growth. Thus treatment would benefit people with high DHT levels by lowering it to more normal levels.

I knew someone was going to ask me about my gene statment and of course I do not know. However it is pretty cut and dry in my family who has my dad's hair and who has my mom's dad's hair. I would bet a pretty big sum of money that I have my dad's hair.

Thanks for any further input.

 

[Guest]

First of all, thank you for your detailed response.

The reason I started using Rogaine was the following:

About 3 years ago I used to wash my hair maybe once a week while using a ton of gel in my hair once or twice a day. I saw no reason to wash it since I could just wet it and apply more gel.

One summer I went over 1 month without washing my hair, still using gel every day. The day when I finally washed my hair, I noticed quite a bit of hair in the drain (type of drain that collects your hair). Being young and uniformed, I flipped out. Even though my hair looked no different than it ever had, I thought I was loosing my hair so I wanted to take action.

:freaked: If you don't wash your hair and just re-gel, locking in the naturally shedding hairs, after a month you should have around 4500 hairs (30 days at 150 hairs a day on average) glued into your hair, I am not suprised there was a load in the drain!

I actually went on propecia for about a year before I started Rogaine. (That dermatologist actually also gave me a womens Rogaine sample and said to use that as it was identical to the mens... After using that a couple of times I stopped because, well it was women's Rogaine...)

?, did you not believe the dermatologist, did you read the information supplied with the bottle?

At this point (a year after starting Propecia) I was still not washing my hair more than once a week if that. So one day, at least a week since my last wash, I used a shower with the type of drain that collects your hair. To me it looked like a lot so I figured propecia was not working so I decided to stop. Even though my hair looked exactly the same as it always had, i decided to start Rogaine because I had it set in my mind that I was losing my hair...

I started spraying Rogaine carelessly on the sides of my hairline once or twice a day. I started getting huge thich pieces of peel with hairs attached to them around where I applied Rogaine. It probably had to do with the combination of seborrheic dermatitis, dried Rogaine, and me not washing my hair. After a month or two (maybe 3 I don't remember but can find out if it matters) my hairline got messed up so I had to stop Rogaine. Since stopping my hair has not changed.

The fact that I had never had any hairloss at all until I started Rogaine, and that since I stopped Rogaine, I have never had any, in my opinion can only mean that Rogaine caused my hair loss.

Now you have the full story..

To answer your questions, I was obviously misinformed about DHT on the scalp. I just thought that very high levels of DHT caused hairloss but that you did need a certain low level to have hair growth. Thus treatment would benefit people with high DHT levels by lowering it to more normal levels.

I knew someone was going to ask me about my gene statment and of course I do not know. However it is pretty cut and dry in my family who has my dad's hair and who has my mom's dad's hair. I would bet a pretty big sum of money that I have my dad's hair.

well you have nothing to worry about then.

 

[HairlossTalk]

About 3 years ago I used to wash my hair maybe once a week while using a ton of gel in my hair once or twice a day. I saw no reason to wash it since I could just wet it and apply more gel.

I have a little cousin like this. He see's no need to take a bath when he can just go out and apply more mud to his body.

One summer I went over 1 month without washing my hair, still using gel every day. The day when I finally washed my hair, I noticed quite a bit of hair in the drain (type of drain that collects your hair). Being young and uniformed, I flipped out. Even though my hair looked no different than it ever had, I thought I was loosing my hair so I wanted to take action.

Yeah, you weren't losing hair. Anytime you dont wash hair for awhile then wash it, more seems to come out.

However it is pretty cut and dry in my family who has my dad's hair and who has my mom's dad's hair. I would bet a pretty big sum of money that I have my dad's hair.

Everyone goes through a bit of a thinning as they get older, into their 20's. Thats usually when we freak out and start using hair loss treatments. But a good percent of guys never get any worse. Its called a "mature hairline". and guys who never lose hair still go through this change. I bet even your dads family and moms family ... the guys have "mature" hairlines. They don't look like 15 yr old hairlines. I would just give it time to see if it continues on its own. If it doesn't then everything should be fine.

Honestly, pictures are needed to give you advice in this situation. I've seen so many guys say their hair was destroyed by such and such and when i saw the pictures, they looked no different. Sometimes the minds eye .... especially in a young guy who is already doing several things that he admits are extreme and a little bit illogical ... can mess up your view of your own hair.

HairLossTalk.com

 

[chrism]

Thanks for your replies.

I will try to get some pics up within a few days.

Basically I am trying to find out the science behind Rogaine. With this understanding, maybe I could figure out what Rogaine did to my hair and thus be able to do something about it.

Actually I do worry about this. Even though my hair is not getting any worse, every damn day I think to myself... What if I never started Rogaine? What if I listened to hair stylists and washed my hair like they recommended? I would never have had this problem.

Do you guys think if I contacted Rogaine directly that they would be able to give me any advice? I'm sure I can't be the only one who thought they were losing their hair, started treatment, and then got screwed.

Any ideas?

 

[Old Baldy]

It should make your hair healthier in the long run. Especially the 5%. I went off it for a year and have been taking it since getting an hair transplant 10 weeks ago and it is making the follicles "swell" when I look closely at my scalp.

 

[Guest]

STOP!!!!!!!!


NO ROGAINE



STOP, CALM DOWN