what the f*ck! somebody please refer me some better stuff!

[pleasehelpme]

okay i've been on minoxidil 2% generic walgreens brand for the past 2 months.
this sh*t has done NOTHING NOTHING to help my hairloss/thinning issue(s) yet but it does say to wait 3 months for signs of regrowth.

it irritates, flakes, burns, and itches my scalp LIKE A MOTHERFUCKER! sorry for the profanity but this is seriously pissing me off. every time that i scratch the itch, my scalp flakes in CHUNKS not flakes CHUNKS and my hair sometimes falls out when i scratch it due to the damn irritation!

i would be okay with it if things stayed the same or got better but sh*t has gotten worse! f*****g minoxidil 2%! it says the side effects (itching,reddening,burning,irritation) should all disappear after the first week of use! 2 months i've been on this sh*t!

during the 2 months that i was on minoxidil 2% i stopped using it for about a week around 1.5 months due to the severe irritation, flaking, buildup. during that week, my hair seemed healthier and i had NO irritation or flaking whatsoever.

i don't want to give up and quit using minoxidil since it is one of the few PROVEN medications to help combat hairloss but this is ridiculous!

is there any other minoxidil that contains less alcohol because i think alcohol is the main cause of my irritation,flaking problem. minoxidil 2% contains 60% alcohol! sorry about the pessimistic post but i seriously need your help! thanks!

also people have been telling me that i need to use a conditioner along with nizoral and t-gel.

what "conditioner" are you guys using to help this? because the conditioners i have (i.e: thermasilk, herbal essence) only conditions the hair not the scalp..

i also think that i might have sebhorric dermatitis (is that how it's spelled?) from minoxidil... when i mean chunks of flakes.. i mean CHUNKS. and it itches badly throughout the day.

just incase what are good medications against sebhorric dermatitis?

thanks a lot!

 

[Axon]

Get Dr. Lee's Minoxidil. You might very well be alergic to propene glycol, a chemical in Rogaine that allows it to absorb into the skin.

Dr. Lee produces a formulation with less Propene Glycol, and one totally without it that substitutes Glycerin as the delivery agent.

I had a similar reaction to Rogaine/Generic Minoxidil, though not as severe. Long dry times, a greasy feeling on the hair even after it was long dry, scalp irritation...then I got Dr. Lee's stuff, and all was well. It even dries in 20 minutes as opposed to 2 hours.

It's more expensive, but worthwhile, IMHO.

http://www.minoxidil.com

 

[pleasehelpme]

thanks i'll check out dr. lee's stuff...

oh and by the way i use generic minoxidil not rogaine but those are the same right? people tell me rogaine 5% has less alcohol and leaves a greasy feeling/look while minoxidil 2% contains more alcohol and not greasy look.

by the way have any recommendations on great scalp conditioners that i can use along with my regimen?

 

[wastingpenguins]

I had a very similar problem for nearly 5 months on minoxidil, and the solution for me was shockingly simple: Shower twice a day instead of once, and when I showered, let my head soak under the water the majority of the time.

I got so wrapped up in letting my special shampoos (nizoral, T/Gel) "sit" and do their thing while I was in the shower that I never let my scalp take up any real moisture.

That probably sounds silly to you, but it worked for me.

Oh, and I got on Dr. Lee's minoxidil shortly after. I'd say it's definitely the way to go. No more greasy scalp and hair, nor more itch, and it dries FAST.

 

[The Gardener]

I had similar side effects during my first few months of minoxidil use. I stuck with it, and used Nizoral 3-4 times a week, and the problem subsided.

Not sure if it was just an issue of time and/or scalp acclimatization to the new substance being poured on it on a daily basis, or perhaps the Nizoral, but by the third or fourth month the shedding I experienced, literally chunks of dead flaky scalp tissue, soon subsided.

Keep using the nizoral, perhaps add in T-Gel Anti-Itch with Menthol if the irritation is really getting to you. Dr Lee's minoxidil is a good call, but it is a bit more expensive per month and if you can tackle the problem without resorting to more expensive minoxidil it might save you some money in the long term.

 

[mvpsoft]

Two months is way too early to tell if minoxidil is working. That said, I'd go to the 5% minoxidil, whether you use Dr. Lee's or the generic brand. The Kirkland generic brand is made by Pfizer and is the exact same stuff as Rogaine.

 

[pleasehelpme]

alrighty! thanks for the great advice guys!

the only reason i stuck to minoxidil 2% is because i heard 5% gives you unwanted body and facial hair. is this true?

also i don't think the flaking is from the nizoral... since it happens whenever i apply minoxidil 2%. also i already use t-gel with coal tar.. where can i find the anti itch T-gel?

and finally any recommendations on great scalp conditioning conditioners? thanks once again.. all of your replys are greatly appreciated!

 

[mvpsoft]

the only reason i stuck to minoxidil 2% is because i heard 5% gives you unwanted body and facial hair. is this true?

It hasn't done that to me.

 

[pleasehelpme]

thanks mvpsoft! yeah as soon as my minoxidil 2% is finished have a round 1.5 bottles left, i'm definitely moving onto minoxidil 5% preferably dr. lee's sh*t.

by the way... who the hell is this doctor lee guy? and what's so special about his medications?

 

[The Gardener]

MVPsoft is right... I didn't catch that you were using Min 2%. Waste! Bump up to 5% immediately.

minoxidil has not given me any additional body hair, but yes, it does make my beard grow in a little thicker, but it has been unnoticeable to anyone else but me.

Dr Lee is a normal guy who sells minoxidil. His minoxidil is slightly differently mixed, it has more alcohol and less PPG which means it runs a bit more, dries a LOT more quickly (great in the mornings for that am application) and tends to create less irritation as a result. It's also slightly more expensive on a daily basis.

As for medicated shampoos, here once again is my synopsis pasted in from a previous posting:

Theraputic ('Normal') T-Gel contains .5% Coal Tar, the active ingredient. Coal Tar is an antifungal. Then there is T-Gel Intensive Anti-Flake which contains, I believe, 1% Coal Tar. Same strategy, more chemical. There is also another variety of T-Gel the specific name I forget but it is something to the effect of 'anti-itch'. It contains .5% Coal Tar, and also contains Menthol which is a mild topical anesthetic and feels good on the scalp. Then, there is T-Sal, which does not have Coal Tar, but has Salycilic Acid as its active ingredient. T-Sal also comes in normal and enhanced strength.

Coal Tar is an antifungal, which helps keep in check naturally occurring fungi on the scalp that can cause itching and flaking. This is IMPORTANT because the itching and flaking from the fungi act synergistically with the natural immune response occurring in male pattern baldness-affected follicles to accelerate the male pattern baldness process.

Salycilic Acid is an exfoliant, a 'fruit acid', that helps break down dead scalp tissue and makes it much more easier for the soap ingredient in the shampoo to wash away. Both are two methods of attack against the same basic problem. I would start with T-Gel Theraputic and see how it works, then you can meander to any of the other products depending on the results you get from it.

Nizoral contains Ketoanalconahole, which is also an antifungal that attacks the irritation cycle in the same fashion as Coal Tar. However, Ketoanalconahole has also been found to contain some anti-androgenetic properties that facilitate hair maintenance over and above the anti-fungal properties. In this fashion, one would think that Nizoral would be better, but I have heard it suggested that even a regular Nizoral user should rotate a little T-Gel in to keep those fungi buggers off balance and to not let them get accostumed to one form of barrage. T-Sal is NOT an antifungal, but as the antifungals do, it does help with flaking, and has the added benefit of, anecdotally speaking, improving the absorbtion of topicals by clearing the scalp of excess dead skin.

There you have it. I say find what works for you, pick and choose, mix and match, and concoct the ultimate chemical soup that keeps your scalp happy and singing!

All the best! Gard

 

[pleasehelpme]

thank you very much Gard.. man hairlosstalk.com is the most helpful site i have ever found and that i'll probably ever find!

 

[pleasehelpme]

so any good scalp conditioners up for recommendations anyone?