I have been using women's Rogaine 5% for 6 weeks and I am losing hair. A lot! What to do?

Hello,You  should have a thorough workup including the following:
Trichoscopy- identify type of hair loss Extensive history and labs- rule out other forms of hair lossWe use ARTAS with regenerative techniques with women such as Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) and growth factors to help improve overall results.  Although ARTAS is not FDA approved, it can be used off label for this purpose.  
Best,
Anil Shah

Yes, there will be an initial hair shed with Rogaine. It can take up to 6 months to see results with hair growth with Rogaine. I suggest seeing a hair loss expert now 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

In my opinion, it's important for you to see a hair expert. One needs to differentiate between the hair loss that can accompany Rogaine with another  hair loss process.You need a good evaluation, history, and possibly biopsies. Low level laser and PRP can also be helpful.PRPHAIRMD.COM 

It sounds like you’ve done the necessary medical tests to rule out any underlying medical conditions. Your goal from here on out needs to be to maintain the healthy hair you still have, preventing any future hair loss. Rogaine 5% is a great tool to maintain and keep your current hair follicles healthy and active. It is effective in about 40-60% of the individuals who use it. While it is rare, some individuals have had side effects that include worsening of hair loss. If you think this may be the case for you, you should discontinue using Rogaine immediately. Additionally, there is no evidence that the women’s version of Rogaine is more effective for women than the men’s version. Switching to the men’s version may save you some money. 
While maintaining a healthy diet promotes overall wellness, it unfortunately isn’t usually enough to stop or reverse hair loss. In order to do this, you’ll need to take a more aggressive course of action. You should meet with a certified and experienced hair transplant surgeon who specializes in the medical management of hair loss. The good news is you do have options such as PRP treatment and laser therapy. While PRP can be pricey, it is one of the best proven methods to stop hair loss and even reverse it in those whose hair loss is recent. Laser therapy is also a great tool to help women keep and grow their hair. If this is something that is very important to you and that you really want to do, you may want to consider financing. Many offices offer payment options through CareCredit and LendingClub.

Thank you for your question. It is not unusual to see an initial increase in hair loss with any hair preservation therapy. These are mature follicles that are nearing their shedding phase. It takes 3 months to see stabilization and 6 to 12 months to assess the benefits of the Rogaine. I suggest scheduling a consultation with a hair restoration specialist if you have ongoing concerns. I hope this was helpful - Dr. Moore.

If your hair shedding is indeed from Rogaine it can last a few more weeks. If it is from another cause, then I can not say.Cost effective considerations, other than Rogaine include finasteride and antiandrogens. Not all women are candidates for anti-androgens nor do all dermatologists prescribe. It is only a treatment for androgenetic type hair loss. Laser and PRP are less effective, albeit safer in some regards. Please see your dermatologist if shedding persists. I advise my own patients to be as patient as they can be.

if you are suffering from female pattern hair loss, and there is no apparent underlying diseases contributing to your hair loss, there is a few options for you.  Using rogaine is one option, but with any other medical treatment options it has to be used under physician supervision. Also it takes a while for it to show any effectiveness, so for now be patient. If it still doesn't work, you need to consult with a hair loss specialist.

I have discussed the female work-up for hair loss in the post below. If you have thinning that will not respond to treatment, then the use of scalp micropigmentation works well to make the hair appear thicker.