Oral Minoxidil- Experience and Results

[Gatsby]

Your hair looks improved for sure. But if you are taking dutasteride successfully (with no side effects) then I would not stop taking it. 

[Petroholic]

On 7/8/2024 at 5:21 AM, jakos said:

Nice! Looks like you made a really visible progress. Your like looks unaffected from hair loss. Happy for you!

Oral minoxidil is really effective, and you may even consider dropping dht blockers for some time to see if that helps your overall wellbeing as I think oral min could be enough for maintaining your hair condition.

Hi @jakos Good to see that you were able to see a difference in the pics. I wasn't sure whether the pictures would give a clear idea that's why I had posted the before after videos of me combing my hair. 

I have been taking Fin 1 mg daily and Dut 0.5 mg once weekly for years now and I intend to continue the same.

[Petroholic]

On 7/8/2024 at 5:31 AM, Gatsby said:

Your hair looks improved for sure. But if you are taking dutasteride successfully (with no side effects) then I would not stop taking it. 

Thank you @Gatsby Good to see that you were able to see a difference in the pics. I wasn't sure whether the pictures would give a clear idea that's why I had posted the before after videos of me combing my hair. Yeah i have been taking fin 1 mg daily for past 11 years and Dut 0.5 mg weekly once for past 4-5 years. I intend to continue on the same.

[Petroholic]

@Melvin- Admin @Gatsby Guys I had a question about oral minoxidil and wanted to know your thoughts on the same since you guys have been taking it for a substantially long time. I have heard at many trusted places that Minoxidil's effects are temporary. I remember Spencer Kobren calling it a Band-Aid etc. 

I have been on the drug for just 4 months and I feel it is the most effective drug I have ever started for hair loss. I wrote about this in my previous post. But will these results last ?

What do people mean by the above statements ? 

I am taking it with finasteride 1mg daily and dutasteride 0.5mg weekly. I have been taking these drugs for almost a decade and looking back, If you ask my opinion, there effects have lasted a long time. The effects have decreased a little bit through the years but that is expected with the progressive nature of MPB.

Is Oral Minoxidil not the same ?

[Viney]

On 8/4/2024 at 7:10 AM, Petroholic said:

@Melvin- Admin @Gatsby Guys I had a question about oral minoxidil and wanted to know your thoughts on the same since you guys have been taking it for a substantially long time. I have heard at many trusted places that Minoxidil's effects are temporary. I remember Spencer Kobren calling it a Band-Aid etc. 

I have been on the drug for just 4 months and I feel it is the most effective drug I have ever started for hair loss. I wrote about this in my previous post. But will these results last ?

What do people mean by the above statements ? 

I am taking it with finasteride 1mg daily and dutasteride 0.5mg weekly. I have been taking these drugs for almost a decade and looking back, If you ask my opinion, there effects have lasted a long time. The effects have decreased a little bit through the years but that is expected with the progressive nature of MPB.

Is Oral Minoxidil not the same ?

If you are getting "gains" from Minoxidil this will probably end at some point, unless you keep increasing the strength of the dosage.

If you're on fin and dut as you say, I doubt you'll see any decrease in thickness of your hair for a long time, if at all.

Hope this helps 

[Rossybop]

On 4/18/2024 at 10:04 AM, Shadman said:

@Petroholic my experience with oral minoxidil was great I was on 2.5 mg of oral minoxidil for eight months. 

Keep us updated about your progress

Did you take any other medication with it?

I wonder if it works as a solo treatment.

[Petroholic]

14 hours ago, Viney said:

If you are getting "gains" from Minoxidil this will probably end at some point, unless you keep increasing the strength of the dosage.

If you're on fin and dut as you say, I doubt you'll see any decrease in thickness of your hair for a long time, if at all.

Hope this helps 

 Thanks @Viney. Do you have experience with oral minoxidil ?

Actually I have been on Fin 1 mg daily for 11 years and Dut 0.5 mg weekly once for 4 years . In my case, I have gradually worsened over time. I started Fin in 2013. It may have slowed down my MPB but it gradually got worse over the years especially over the frontal thirds of the scalp. In year 2019, I had to get an HT with 2500 FUE grafts in the frontal area of the scalp.

 

In 2024, I feel that the hairline is getting sparse again ( Yes, it was transplanted in 2019 ).  Going by the current rate, I may have to thicken the hairline region in the next 5 years . Strangely, the area that is getting sparse again, contains entirely of transplanted hair.

 

My frontal scalp and hairline definitely has aggresive MPB and responds the most poorly to meds. 

I have heard that Dut is better in the frontal scalp since the 5 alpha 1 enzymes are the strongest acting in the frontal scalp and Dut blocks it. However, my HT doc Dr Bhatti does not recommend increasing it any more than 0.5 mg once a week and I respect his decision. 

[Petroholic]

57 minutes ago, Rossybop said:

Did you take any other medication with it?

I wonder if it works as a solo treatment.

Yes I am on fin. 

I dont think it will work long term solo

 

[Shadman]

9 hours ago, Rossybop said:

Did you take any other medication with it?

I wonder if it works as a solo treatment.

That time I took 1 mg of fin 3 times in a week with 2.5mg of oral min daily

 

In my opinion, if your hair loss is stablised taking only oral minoxidil would be enough

Edited August 7 by Shadman

[Gatsby]

On 8/4/2024 at 4:40 AM, Petroholic said:

@Melvin- Admin @Gatsby Guys I had a question about oral minoxidil and wanted to know your thoughts on the same since you guys have been taking it for a substantially long time. I have heard at many trusted places that Minoxidil's effects are temporary. I remember Spencer Kobren calling it a Band-Aid etc. 

I have been on the drug for just 4 months and I feel it is the most effective drug I have ever started for hair loss. I wrote about this in my previous post. But will these results last ?

What do people mean by the above statements ? 

I am taking it with finasteride 1mg daily and dutasteride 0.5mg weekly. I have been taking these drugs for almost a decade and looking back, If you ask my opinion, there effects have lasted a long time. The effects have decreased a little bit through the years but that is expected with the progressive nature of MPB.

Is Oral Minoxidil not the same ?

I’ve been on oral minoxidil 5mg a day for two years (?) now. It takes one year to see the full benefits I’ve been told. I still feel that my hair/beard is thicker as a result of taking it. But really if you are able to take a 5ari then you are addressing MPB at the root cause (pardon the pun). Also I’ve noticed over the past two months that my frontal area is going through a shed for some reason. Not sure quite why (though I can’t tolerate a 5ari). All the best. 

[Viney]

11 hours ago, Petroholic said:

 Thanks @Viney. Do you have experience with oral minoxidil ?

Actually I have been on Fin 1 mg daily for 11 years and Dut 0.5 mg weekly once for 4 years . In my case, I have gradually worsened over time. I started Fin in 2013. It may have slowed down my MPB but it gradually got worse over the years especially over the frontal thirds of the scalp. In year 2019, I had to get an HT with 2500 FUE grafts in the frontal area of the scalp.

 

In 2024, I feel that the hairline is getting sparse again ( Yes, it was transplanted in 2019 ).  Going by the current rate, I may have to thicken the hairline region in the next 5 years . Strangely, the area that is getting sparse again, contains entirely of transplanted hair.

 

My frontal scalp and hairline definitely has aggresive MPB and responds the most poorly to meds. 

I have heard that Dut is better in the frontal scalp since the 5 alpha 1 enzymes are the strongest acting in the frontal scalp and Dut blocks it. However, my HT doc Dr Bhatti does not recommend increasing it any more than 0.5 mg once a week and I respect his decision. 

I take Sublingual Min and Oral Dut (2.5 years) and both have been incredible for my hair.

Sorry to hear you've slightly lost ground, I'd hate to think where you'd be without any medication, you are going about fighting it the right way.

Edited August 7 by Viney