My Rogaine Shedding Has Been Going on For Months!
Hi,
I understand that Rogaine may cause initial shedding, but I’m concerned that mine is going on longer than it should– 2.5 months. At first I had some minor thinning on the crown and minor receding at the temples (my friends think I’m crazy, but I saw a dermatologist who noticed thinning), but not really anywhere else. After following her advice to take Rogaine, my hairline (not just the temples) has receded some, and all of the hair on top of my head is thinner, to the point that I can see scalp, which I never could before. At this point, should I discontinue Rogaine, or try to stick it out for a few more months?
Thanks
I can’t tell you what you should do with medication, but I can tell you that shedding from Rogaine (minoxidil) may last up to 3 months. You have a dermatologist and I would ask her that question, as she has the advantage of being able to examine you.
I’ve been on generic minoxidil (5% topical) for more than seven months now. My initial shedding ended probably about 2 months into the treatment. By now scalp was showing, but over the next 2.5 months, some of the “lost” hair began to come back. Then there was another shed! This one lasted 1.5 months. Things are stable again over the past one month, but I’m sitting with fingers crossed. Hair is looking better, though volume-wise it hasn’t gotten back to the state it was in before I got started on minox. Frontal hair loss is under control (should be surpirsing, I think?) and there’s perceptible growth of _new_ hair on the vertex, where hair disappeared two years ago. But I don’t see a lot of improvement on the crown! Maybe I’ll need to survive another shed to see gains in that department. :-)
Narrating my story to you to let you know how nerve-racking the minoxidil experience can be.