Can you test Rogaine in only a small part of your head before committing to use?

Question

Question stated as above. Im 21, a male, abd have chronic telogen effluvium (diagnosed by my derm). I'm worried that rogaine could make it worse. Can I test it on a small part of my scalp that's thinning (part of one side of my head maybe) in order to see how I will react and what results to expect?

Parsa Mohebi, MD, FISHRS · Answer

Topical Rogaine works best for androgenetic alopecia. If you wanted to test a small area for this diagnosis you certainly can but you need to give it a few months to see the results. I am not sure you will see the desired results if you are using it to treat chronic telogen effluvium, but you can certainly try. The best treatment is to remove the trigger/stressor.

Jeff Donovan, MD, PhD · Answer

No, if you have CTE you can't use Rogaine in a small area to evaluate shedding patterns. You won't be able to keep tract of changes in shedding. However, if you have androgenetic alopecia or some other form of hair loss, then yes you can use Rogaine in the test area.

William Rassman, MD (retired) · Answer

Yes, you can test minoxidil (Rogaine) in a small patch of your scalp to see the value of it. It will take months to find out

Can you test Rogaine in only a small part of your head before committing to use?

Answers (3)