What Happens When You Stop Taking Propecia Or Rogaine
As of 2017, finasteride and minoxidil are the two FDA approved hair loss treatments. Money, side effects, and efficacy are all concerns for users. You also have to commit to using both options for the rest of your life if you want to keep reaping the rewards. If you stop using these medications, sooner rather than later your hair loss will return!
What is DHT and how does it impact hair loss? If youve experienced male or female pattern baldness then you likely know the answer to this question because DHT is the culprit behind your falling follicles. DHT is dihydrotestosterone, which is what you get when the male sex hormone testosterone is exposed to the enzyme Type II 5-alpha reductase. When this occurs in the scalps of people who have a genetic predisposition toward baldness, then hair loss is the inevitable outcome. If, like many, you thought, If only there was a way to get DHT out of your hair, then congratulations: thats the idea behind finasteride!
Doses Of Oral Minoxidil
Minoxidil is available in 2.5mg, 5mg and 10mg tablets. We use the Loniten brand . A common starting dose is 0.625mg per day for women and 1.25mg per day for men. You should get a tablet cutter from your pharmacy and cut a 2.5mg tablet into quarters or halves to get this dose.
The optimum dose for hair loss is not entirely clear. It may be in the region of 0.625mg to 2.5 mg per day. For men, a slightly higher dose may sometimes be required. You may be asked to take the medication daily or every other day.
Doses of minoxidil for hair loss are considered low dose. This is because the doses uses for hair loss are a lot lower than the doses which are used for conditions such as hypertension. The doses used for hypertension are 10-40mg per day.
How Long Does It Take For Rogaine To Work
Seeing results from Rogaine® is a different experience for everyone and depends on the stage of hair loss youre experiencing. The general perception is that Rogaine® takes only a few months to take effect, but the evidence in clinical studies says otherwise.
In the original FDA study, it took 6-9 months to see results. Why invest 6-9 grueling months of waiting on the chance that the product might work?
Gender also influences results, as it can take longer for women to see regrowth than men.
What does the latest science show?
Our clinical research shows that androgenetic alopecia patients respond to 5% topical minoxidil after about 3-6 months of daily application. Again, you have to know that you have genetic hair loss and the enzyme to see results.
Why gamble? You can know for sure if Rogaine® will work for you by taking our quick and effective Minoxidil Response Test.
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What Is Propecia And How Does It Work
Propecia, or Finasteride, is a once-daily pill proven to help reduce DHT, dihydrotestosterone. DHT is a substance in the body that has been strongly linked to thinning hair and is one of the main causes of male pattern hair loss. This chemical shrinks hair follicles until they are no longer visible on the scalp. Propecia successfully blocks DHT, reducing further hair loss and regrowing hair. It has only been approved to treat hair on the vertextop of the headand the anterior mid-scalp areamiddle front of the head. After a five-year clinical study, nine out of ten men who took Propecia had visible results of either hair regrowth or no further hair loss .
Propecia should be taken for at least 3 months before results start to show. Men who took the hair loss pill reported a reduction in the size of their bald spots, a slowdown in hair loss and an overall improvement in their hair appearance.
Do You Have To Use Rogaine Forever
Yes. If youre having success using Rogaine® treatments for hair loss, youll need to continue with topical application indefinitely. Otherwise, ceasing treatment will send your hair back to the original condition it was in when you began treatments. Without Rogaine®, the scalp remains untreated, and the progression of hair loss will resume.
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The Negatives Of Rogaine
Since Rogaine is a topical solution, it must be applied directly to the problem area, and it has to be done twice a day. For many people this can be a hassle, but usually it does not take long to apply. Rogaine does not work on forehead hairlines or on scalps that are entirely bald. This is due to the fact that these follicles are probably long dead, and Rogaine cannot help if there is no active hair cycle.
Rogaine, while generally safe, has been known to cause a few concerning side effects. It may cause irritation, itchiness, redness and dryness in skin as well as certain allergic reactions like hives and facial swelling. These symptoms will usually clear up quickly. There are more serious risks with Rogaine use, including irregular heartbeat, chest pain, dizziness and fainting. If patients experience any of these symptoms, they need to contact a doctor immediately to seek medical treatment.
Reason #: Minoxidil Use Is Somewhat Impractical
As youll quickly find out or as youve already discovered you have to plan your life AROUND Minoxidil use, rather than have the drug fit into your busy lifestyle.
There are a number of conditions you have to watch out for when applying Minoxidil to your scalp, both before and after:
Make sure your hair and scalp are completely dry before applying this medicine .
Do not shampoo your hair for 4 hours after applying minoxidil.
Immediately after using this medicine, wash your hands to remove any medicine that may be on them.
Allow the minoxidil to completely dry for 2 to 4 hours after applying it, including before going to bed. Minoxidil can stain clothing, hats, or bed linen if your hair or scalp is not fully dry after using the medicine.
And good luck if you want to go swimming soon after taking Minoxidil. To avoid getting your hair wet, youll likely have to wear a swim cap in order to take full advantage of Minoxidils effect on your scalp.
So far the trade-off doesnt appear to be worth it!
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Is There A Difference Between Minoxidil Foam And Minoxidil Solutions
Minoxidil pretty much comes in two forms: a foam and a viscous liquid solution. Green told SPY theyre both equally effective and choosing one or the other comes down to personal preference. However, she noted that the liquid minoxidil contains something the foam does not, propylene glycol, which can cause some skin irritation.
How Does Rogaine Testing Work
Rogaine® testing uses hair samples from your scalp to evaluate the condition of the follicles, enzymes, and scalp environment. With this information, we can determine whether or not your scalp will positively respond to Rogaine®. All you have to do is send in six hair samples from your scalp, and youll receive results within a week. Because the test is 95.9% accurate, you can trust that the results will give you the most precise analysis.
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The Verdict On Minoxidil
Rogaine and similar treatments give you extra growth that can last many years even without other treatments. But they dont fundamentally do anything against the balding process itself. How long that extra growth will keep you above baseline will vary between individuals. Five years is probably a little too optimistic if you are experiencing aggressive hair loss, and if you stop treatment, any gains will be lost. But intelligently combining a growth stimulant with an antiandrogen or DHT inhibitor could easily keep that sexy mane front and center for a decade or longer.
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How To Use Minoxidil For Hair
Unless you are pregnant or trying to become pregnant, minoxidil should be safe for you to use. The OG minoxidil product is Rogaine, and there are versions oriented toward women formulated with two percent and five percent of the ingredient, in both liquid and foam. Hers offers hair regrowth drops with two percent minoxidil. While both products are very similar, Hers is a tiny bit cheaper and has an overall more pleasant look. Rogaine is more widely available at pharmacies and on Amazon, while Hers must be ordered directly from the brand online.
Directions will vary depending on the product most serums are topically applied. For a product like Hers, follow these steps:
- Apply about 1 ml of product to the scalp on damp or dry hair
- Do not wash out for at least four hours
- Repeat twice a day
Since hair loss is complex and can be triggered by a number of factorsstress, changes in your hormones, recent illness, vegetarian or low protein diets, and rapid weight lossBrenda Dintiman, a Virginia-based dermatologist, advises that if youre experiencing serious hair loss, youd be wise to consult a professional. A board-certified dermatologist can sort out whats causing your hair loss and combine topical minoxidil with supplements like vitamin D and dietary recommendations to get your hair glossy, growing, and full again,” she says.
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How Can Hair Loss In Women Be Prevented
Preventing hair loss is not possible when it is due to disease, aging, heredity or physical stressors like injuries. You can prevent hair loss caused by caustic chemicals or tight hairstyles by avoiding them. You might be able to prevent some hair loss by eating a healthy diet that provides necessary nutrients in terms of vitamins, minerals and protein. You can stop smoking.
Long Term Effectiveness Of Minoxidil
A study was done that took an interesting approach1. They took a group of people who had Androgenetic Alopecia and tested the basic Minoxidil, which has a 2% strength. They compared it to the 5% Minoxidil. But they also included a Placebo group that thought they might be taking Minoxidil, but werent. To make it even more interesting, they monitored hair counts on people who took nothing at all.
They followed this group of people for a period of 2 years, and found that both Minoxidil groups had an initial period of hair-growth. However following this, the rate of hair loss was comparable to the people who were not even taking Minoxidil at all.
This is illustrated in the graph to the left. The blue line indicates the hair growth period when the topical Minoxidil was applied. This happened in the first 3 1/2 months. As you can see, during this same time period, the people who used no Minoxidil continued to lose hair, and of course saw no increase in hair counts. However after the initial hair growth period, the rate of hair loss is about the same as the control groups. These findings are further strengthened by a study of Olsen et al2:
Again we can see below that after the initial growth period , the rate of decline between the control group and treated group, is similar.
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What Happens If You Stop Using Minoxidil For Hair Loss
Trying out Minoxidil for hair loss is easy enough to start. After all, it is the active ingredient inside one of the most well-known medications for hair loss — Rogaine.
Minoxidil, and its brand name medication Rogaine, are also available over-the-counter, making getting started on the medication as easy as tossing a bottle of the stuff into your cart while browsing through your local drug store.
However, once you have used Minoxidil for a decent amount of time and you reap some of its hair thickening and growth-promoting benefits, what is the next step? Can you just stop the medication and go about your life with your freshly boosted locks? Not exactly.
Minoxidil should be considered a long-term medication in that if you stop using it altogether, any benefits it has had on your hair will likely regress over time.
Below, we will explain just how Minoxidil helps with hair loss and thinning, what can happen if you stop using Minoxidil, why Minoxidil benefits are not permanent, and what to do if you miss a dose or two during your treatment.
How Effective Is Oral Minoxidil
The studies are very small but indicate that about one third of patients will notice a reduction in shedding, and a third will notice improved growth in 6 months or more. This means that up to 2 in 3 people may notice benefits from oral Minoxidil. It is best to take treatment for 6 to 12 months to give it enough time to work.
The only head to head study comparing oral minoxidil to topical minoxidil in women with Female Pattern Hair Loss showed that 1mg of minoxidil gave comparable effects to 5% solution once a day . In this study 26 women received oral minoxidil and 26 women received topical minoxidil. After 24 weeks of treatment, there was a 12% increase in hair density for women on oral minoxidil and 7.2% increase for women applying topical minoxidil. The difference was not statistically significant but the oral minoxidil group also had less hair shedding.
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Minoxidil Vs Finasteride Dosage
Minoxidil and finasteride come in very different dosage forms. To get the best results from either medication , its important to use it at the recommended dosage.
A normal dosage of minoxidil is 1ml of liquid solution applied directly to the scalp two times per day, typically morning and night. Our guide to applying minoxidil explains how you should use this medication for optimal results.
A normal dosage of finasteride for male pattern baldness is 1mg per day, either with or without food.
How To Prevent Hair Loss
Every guy wants to know how to prevent hair loss. Or, every guy wants to cling to the idea that it might be possibleeven if he isn’t particularly worried about losing his hair. It’s reassuring to know that there’s some recourse out there if it ever gets bad up there.
But while there are a lot of gimmicky devices and procedures and supplements out thereeach of them promising to be the revolutionthere are really only a few things that actually work.
So, we’re going to lay that all out for you in the clearest possible terms. We sought expertise from Dr. Michele Green, one of NYCs most in-demand dermatologists. Heres what Dr. Green tells her patients to do, if they want to keep and strengthen the hair they already have . Follow her plan at any age, with the help of your own board-certified dermatologist, and you should see long-lasting results within a few months.
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Dr. Green says that, if you want to fight hair loss, you need to visit your board-certified dermatologist at the first sign of thinning or shedding. Getting treatment for hair loss in its early stages can help minimize overall hair loss and increase the odds of a treatments efficacy, she says. Hair loss can seem overwhelming which is why it is necessary to consult with a dermatologist who will assess your condition and explain all of your treatment options.
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