I Need Minoxidil Without Propylene Glycol
Doctor,
Took Dr. Lees 5% non PG formula for years. After FDA shutdown switched to Minoxidilmax non PG form. After ran out of that tried Rogaine Foam and had a terrible shed in within 10 days. I know you don’t see much shedding in your practice, but why would I have such a dramatic shed switching from one 5% formula to another? Could it be the other formulas weren’t the real formulas? People swore by Dr. Lee so its possible Minoxidilmax wasn’t the proper formula. i just can’t handle PG. Even the women’s 2% form have PG.I’ve read doctors who say stay the course during a shed, but if minoxidil is causing dramatic frontal shedding and the general wisdom is it doesn’t regrow hair in front, Seems like a losing prop to keep going. Would it shed hair that it doesn’t regrow?
Have to try something soon before I’m off minox too long.. Already on Propecia..
Thanks..
I would not know what is going on with your hair loss. It could be a problem with the formula, or maybe there’s another ingredient in there that you’re having an allergic reaction to, or it could be that the Dr. Lee product you used was stronger than 5%. Without an examination and follow up it is just a guessing game.
Typically it is my understanding Rogaine Foam is better absorbed than other formulations and does not contain the propylene glycol, so to have an opposite reaction is strange.
Is there any valid reason why you do not want to use formulas that contain propylene glycol?
Reading your post, it seem obvious to me what’s going on. You see, propylene glycol is used in Rogaine and other reputable brands of minoxidil (such as Kirkland) because it functions as an effective delivery vehicle for the minoxidil. Without propylene glycol in the formula, the minoxidil simply will not penetrate the skin tissue very efficiently, if at all, and the product will not be effective.
Some people, a very small number, do experience shedding from minoxidil. If you did not experience shedding from the other brands that you used, such as Dr. lee’s, it’s simply because without the propylene glycol in it, the minoxidil wasn’t penetrating into your scalp, so you never experienced the shedding before. But that also means you weren’t getting the benefits from the minoxidil either, like you thought.
Unless you have a genuine allergy to propylene glycol, or another valid reason for not using it, I would definitely recommend that you stick with a minoxidil product that contains it. The other ones simply are not as effective, if at all. And don’t worry about the shedding. Stay the course and push through. You will, eventually, be very glad that you did.
And one last thing: It’s a misunderstanding that minoxidil does not grow hair in the front. It does, but just not as effectively as it does on the vertex.
I have had a remarkably similar experience. I have been using the 5% Kirkland minoxidil but the PG irritates my scalp and causes incessant itching. I decided to try the foam formulation (actually alternate it with the regular version) and within a few weeks I began shedding profusely. I hadn’t seen that sort of shedding in years. It was diffuse loss. The foam does not cause the irritation of the scalp and that is good. I am hoping this is because the foam is working (ie shedding=response). Unfortunately I don’t prefer to use the foam during the day because of my hairstyle and it becomes quite a mess. I can better control the liquid formulation near the scalp.
I have experienced the same problems…..intense irritation and itching from the propylene glycol so I switched to the foam. Have been shedding more and hair has gotten much thinner. I hate the foam as it makes my hair very yucky. With the liquid it was easier to get it just on the scalp and not make a mess in the hair! Any other options?! So frustrated!!!