Minoxidil is an antihypertensive medication and can cause flushing in the face. The flushing can also be an allergic reaction. See your doctor, or reduce the dose back to the 2% and see what happens.
Most were happy that they were on the medication and few had complaints of side effects. Not everyone saw benefits.
Body Dysmorphic Syndrome reflects people who have Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD). These people think about their real or perceived flaws for hours each day. They can’t control their negative thoughts, and don’t believe people who say they look fine since they think of themselves as deformed. Their thoughts often cause severe emotional distress and interfere with their daily functioning. They may miss work or school, avoid social situations, and isolate themselves. They even hide from family and friends, because they fear others will notice their flaws. We see this all of the time in young men with hair loss, and internet forums are replete with these men who are reaching out for help from peers, often without much benefit. Suicide is a common consideration, and when I see this from young men on hair loss forums (which I actively participate in), I often reach out to them. Here are two courageous young men who came forward to speak about it on Reddit:
Balding is the only thing I truly hate about myself from tressless
Being Ugly from tressless
I don’t believe for one minute that this man became gay because he took Finasteride. This man almost certainly was in denial over his sexuality. I have seen men of many ages who have realized that their sexual preferences changed over time. Many have left their wives and entered the gay world. We are living in a fortunate time where judgments on such behavior is now acceptable.
Hello, I am not sure what to do now.
I am a 20-year-old male currently suffering with AGA. I have frontal and crown diffuse thinning. I was on (brand name) Finasteride for about a year, but my hair loss continued. I then switched to (brand name) Dutasteride. No sides and am currently on 1 gram a day rather than 0.5mg. Been on it for nearly 10 months.
All this, yet my hair continues to fall. I can’t use Minoxidil because I am required to look very tidy every day for work related matters. Minox causes a lot of dandruff and makes what’s left of my hair feel coarse and dry.
What can I do? I have been reading up on a famous hair transplant doctor and he mentions how he prescribed a very low dose of around 2.5 – 5mg of Loniten to his patients, and it apparently was very successful. I know of the dangers that come with this drug, though I am prepared to test the waters for a trial with a low dose of around 2mg. This is all I know of that can help. If you know anything else to help I would appreciate it!
You could use topical Minoxidil at night only after a shower, and then shower it off during the daytime. That is as effective as twice a day use. Oral Minoxidil as you suggest might also work, and in many countries it is the drug of choice.
To avoid this, I always trim off the skin of the grafts prior to the placing of the grafts into the recipient area, but some very small skin edge may still remain despite this. There are creams that dermatologists use to treat melasma that might address this problem. These could be removed with FUE along with the hair associated with it, undoing the beard transplant.
You really can’t predict your hair loss, especially if you treat it with a drug like Finasteride, which can, in some men, stop the process. A NW Class 2 should not be transplanted, and I would recommend that you don’t rush to do a hair transplant unless you see real balding. Build a good Master Plan with a great doctor, and then follow it.
Can you guys rate my 20-year plan on saving my hair? from tressless
Hair loss in women is not uncommon after any hair or facial surgery. When hair loss occurs after a hairline advancement surgery, the scar which usually abuts the hairline is separated from the hairline so that it stands out. A hair transplant is a way to fix this.
I would like to report my findings after discontinuing 5% Minoxidil. I assumed Finastride gave me brain fog after months of combining it with Minoxidil. After discontinuing Minoxidil, my “brain fog” went away within weeks. I have not taken Minoxidil in 6 months, and I feel more mentally sharp. I also noticed a lot of hair shedding these past few months. It seems to happen year after year in the fall and spring. I originally blamed it on a shed from Minoxidil, but since I stopped taking it 6 months ago, it is probably natural hair loss. I still experience dizziness from time to time, but this is highly dependent on my sleep schedule. I hope this could possibly help someone if you choose to post it. I blamed medication for my problems sometimes, but this isn’t always true. I plan to continue taking Finastride for a year or so. Then, I will re-introduce 5% Minoxidil every evening / once daily (due to dizziness). After 1-2 years of stable hair growth, I will opt for a hair transplant in the frontal area to have a better hairline.
Dizziness is a known complication of Minoxidil absorption, as it probably comes about because of a slight drop in blood pressure. You might check your blood pressure with and without Minoxidil. I can’t address your brain fog other than through your blood pressure issues that may be present with the drug. Ask your doctor the question about the brain fog.
Good for you. It is worth trying almost anything to keep your hair treatment going forward. I hope, now that you managed the worst of the side effects, that your hair responds as you hope with the drug Finasteride.
If you presently have gynecomastia, taking Finasteride will not raise your risk of making it worse more than others your age who do not have gynecomastia. You should see your doctor to find out what you can do about your problem.
I lowered my Finasteride dosage from every other day to Monday, Wednesday, and Friday because I have impotence. I started this schedule only a few weeks ago, and my libido is still very low. I don’t know if Finasteride is the cause, but I know that the only way to find out for sure is to stop taking it, which I’m not prepared to do. Last year, I reduced my Finasteride dose from 1.25 mg daily to only Monday and Thursday due to low libido. It took 6-7 months for my negative sexual side effects to go away. My side effects returned after I increased my dose to every other day. Is my expectation correct — Will it take several months for my libido to return to normal (as long as Finasteride is the cause)?
Reducing the dose to as low as two pills a week is a reasonable approach, and as that seemed to address your libido, you should consider that to be the dose that is best for you. It will still be valuable in the treatment of your hair loss, maybe just 50% as effective.
If the hair received immediate benefits, it still takes time to grow out at 1/2 inch per month. It just takes time to see the impact on the growth of the hair follicle. We see that its greatest benefit appears in a year, with more in the second year on Finasteride. That is an observation that doctors have made over many years of experience.
Anyone know why Finasteride would take months to halt hairloss if it lowers DHT at its maximum in a week? from tressless
There are a significant number of men who report an increased sexual drive on Finasteride, possibly as many as who report the opposite. Dutasteride causes more sexual side effects, but it is not well documented because it has not undergone the scrutiny of rigorous FDA studies. I don’t recommend Dustasteride for my patients for these very reasons.
Your donor area was over-harvested, something that unfortunately we are seeing more of. This happens because the doctor wants to get more and more of your money, so they push the FUE beyond what the donor area can support. Your doctor should have measured the donor density PRIOR to performing your FUE procedure. The single best treatment for this is Scalp Micropigmentation (https://scalpmicropigmentation.com/scar-covering/). Also see here: https://newhair.com/donor-area/
