Alopecia's taken a turn for the worse. Anyone used minoxidil?

[monsterastuckiosa]

I started losing my hair in my early 20s – diffuse loss with big patches on one side and very thin at the crown. Got a diagnosis of a mix of androgenetic alopecia and stress, and was recommended minoxidil but chose not to use it as I couldn't imagine having to do it every day.

In my late 20s it seemed to be improving, but recently I've got clumps coming out again and I'm thinking of revisiting the minoxidil conversation.

Has anyone here used it? Which percentage did you use? Is it worth trying, or hit-and-miss snake oil?

I've used it for about 6 years for androgenic alopecia. It worked really well at first, and I regrew lots of hair. It has worked less well recently and I've noticed thin patches again. Partly my fault as I'm crap at remembering to do it so probably don't do it twice most days. I don't know why I'm so crap given I find the actual hair loss quite upsetting. I also haven't been for a consultation in forever and ought to.

Hi Op. I’ve had two bald patches on my crown from when I was a child. I was always able to cover these up with the rest of my hair. Anyway I go through phases of losing lots of hair when washing and peri menopause has not helped.

I’ve tried lots of things over the years but the facts are that my hair is thinning and I can’t make it grow back. I got really upset when my scalp became visible and I tried a sewn in hair piece, where your own hair is pulled through a mesh but I hated it and I particularly hated the frequent maintenance appointments.

In the end I bought a hair topper. It’s not ideal but it covers up what I need to cover up. It looks fine and no one seems to have noticed, or if they have no one has said anything. I got mine from here

beautifulbetsy.co.uk/

@ecuse the twice a day thing is part of what gets me – I just don't know if I can commit myself to that! Don't know why, since I brush my teeth and wash my face twice a day, but this feels like more of a 'thing'. Did you find it relatively easy to apply?

@StPaulandTheBrokenBones (great username, by the way – I LOVE that band! What a voice...) I've considered toppers and hairpieces but my hair is curly and I can't imagine finding one that matches and 'behaves' the same way as the rest of my hair. I need to wash and style mine regularly and in specific ways, so a topper just feels like another big task.

I came across Nioxin last night while going down an alopecia rabbit-hole – maybe that's worth trying before Minoxidil...

I love his voice too!

My hair is also curly. Because you can curl the topper, I just straighten my own hair as best I can and then curl it with the straighteners. I then plop the topper on (which can also be curled) and then curl that with the straighteners. It sounds really complicated but actually doesn't take much time. It takes less time than trying to cover my horrible scalp up!

I think the topper "blends" better with curly hair anyway as the join is much harder to see. If I can upload a photo with my face not showing then I will try to do this later on (when I am not at work...).

Try this

I am white so use all the ingredients except for henna as my hair is fair

I've had huge problems with my hair for years but doing this made a massive difference, in fact all her tips are great. I also take MSM, JS Hair and beauty vitamins , high dose biotin, Vit D and Iron orally. Also marine collegan

I don't know if all or just one of the tings makes a difference but my hair has never been better. Even my hair dresser has commented and it also has worked on the crown which was getting v v bald. I also use a scalp massager.

I read an article that says it has been discovered that it is most effective in tablet form.
Minoxidil — sold under the brand name Rogaine — has been on pharmacy shelves since the 1980s as a lotion to be rubbed into the scalp to restore lost hairs. But more and more doctors are now prescribing it off-label as a low dose pill reports the New York Times, saying this makes it much more effective.

I am in my 40s and suffering androgenetic alopecia, so an all over thinning - probably have about a quarter of the hair I used to have I would guess. I was recommended minoxidil by the dermatologist a couple of years ago, as the only thing that ‘might’ work. Like you I couldn’t imagine doing it forever so didn’t start. Fast forward to this year and I was starting to think a wig was my only option, so in desperation started the minoxidil. It has made a significant difference! I’m not sure how, because I can’t see new hairs on the top, but the scalp is definitely less obvious and shiny under bright light, and I can see baby hairs around my hairline (albeit grey for the first time - but who cares, it’s hair). So I would recommend trying it - I wish I had started 2 years ago when I had a lot more hair! I use Regaine for women 5%, which I have bought from Boots and Amazon, and it’s a once a day foam. It is a pain doing it every night but I am fairly slap-dash and some nights I don’t bother. I used to get a 50p sized bundle of hairs every time I washed it, now it’s just one or two strands.

Minoxidil has worked pretty well for me (combination of TE and AGA). I really didn't expect it to but I saw a big difference with four months. Worth a go