Hesitant to start minoxidil foam because of shed(s)?

Question

Hello, 22 years old male with diffuse hair loss and male pattern baldness. I have minoxidil and am hesitant to use it because of the initial shedding. My hair loss isnt too bad currently (you can judge from the pics) but soon I think it will become bad. What do you say? Should I start with a test patch on the vertex of my scalp? I'm afraid it'll make my condition worse. Also if I start with once a day then increase it to twice a day, will that cause another shedding phase?

Anil R. Shah, MD · Answer

Hello, please see below.Minoxidil is effective in protecting the non-transplanted hairs by keeping them in anagen phase for longer.  Patients often times need a blueprint for maintaining native hairs so that future procedures are not necessary.  Transplanted hairs have been reported to grow faster with minoxidil.  Evidence has been reported by several studies with limited numbers including at a Consensus Report at the 9th Annual Meeting in 2002.  The main drawback of minoxidil is irritation which is often mitigated by the use of foam.
Best,
 Dr. Anil Shah

Jason Emer, MD · Answer

I suggest seeing a hair loss expert to evaluate and go over your condition and provide you information about your best treatment options. There are great non-invasive options like prp/progesterone and/or hair transplantation. See an expert. Best, Dr. Emer

William Yates, MD · Answer

Hello, Hairboy.

In some cases hair will shed a bit more at the beginning of the treatment, and this applies to many treatments (not only minoxidil). This stops once the treatment is working (approximately 3 months from starting). I personally recommend to compliment one non-surgical treatment with another. In your case I can tell you that you could potentially benefit from PRP in combination with your Minoxidil. The more you do to stop hair loss the better. Please feel free to ask any questions about other treatments to add to minoxidil.

Best of lucks!

Sahar Nadimi, MD · Answer

Minoxidil (Rogaine) is indicated for promoting hair growth in men and women with hereditary hair thinning (or androgenetic alopecia), resulting in increase hair counts and total hair weight (i.e. re-enlarge the fine hairs). Some people do experience an initial shed but this is not a permanent phenomenon. Minoxidil and Finasteride (Propecia) are safe and effective medical options for androgenetic alopecia, and are particularly important for younger patients with hair loss. These medications have been shown to help slow down/stabilize hair loss. In order to determine what treatment options (medical and/or surgical) are best for you, a consultation with a hair transplant surgeon is necessary.

Aaron Shiloh, MD · Answer

Its certainly normal to worry about shedding or additional hair loss. That being said, what's happening is that the minoxidil is stimulating the follicle to enter a growth phase and it is ejecting the dying hair as it grown in.

Baubac Hayatdavoudi, MD · Answer

Shedding from minoxidil is normal.If you start a new treatment like minoxidil or Propecia, you probably will shed, but the amount of hair shed varies from person to person. It has long been suspected that there is an increase in shedding in the first 3 months or so.Shedding is temporary. If the individual continues their treatment consistently, despite the feelings of despair or hopelessness, shedding will end and the lost hair should be replaced.

William Rassman, MD (retired) · Answer

Your biggest enemy is the progressive thinning leading to a
balding pattern that is not evident at this point in time. The degree of
thinning that you are experiencing would suggest that you should see a
doctor who most likely will get Bulk Measurements of your hair to determine the
degree of the thinning that you are presently having. If the diagnosis
is early genetic hair loss (the most common cause of hair loss in young
men), then the best treatment would be the drug finasteride which is
highly effective in men of your age and may not only stop the hair loss
but possibly reverse it. If you are developing a more advanced balding
pattern the best test to get will determine the Bulk Measurements of your
hair and this will show, over a one-year time frame, how effective the treatment
will be. Once you know this information, then you and your doctor need to
develop a MASTER PLAN which will define what you need to do over the years
to come.

Hesitant to start minoxidil foam because of shed(s)?

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