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This sounds maybe less messy than I was thinking. Is there a reason you use liquid in the morning and then foam at night?
You've used it with success for several decades, yes?
Do you find that it costs about $30 per month?
I use the liquid in the morning because it goes directly on the scalp, and does not interfere with combing my hair. The foam is more effective, I use it at night because my hair will get messed up overnight anyway. That said in winter sometimes I don't do a morning shower, so I just comb my hair, it's like it has a little mousse in it, but not like the old time "greaser" look at all.
I have used minoxidil with some success since it came out in the early 80's as a prescription product.
I have been using finasteride (Propecia) since it came out, around 1990, it's still prescription. Finasteride is not recommended for women, currently. But I mention it because I do use it.
My dermatologist is quite satisfied that this program has me well ahead of the average 61 year old guy in terms of MPB on the front and top of my head. I think all this has been more successful in preventing more hair loss, than in growing back my temples, which was and is the worst area of hair loss for me.
I have heard, anecdotally, that these 2 products are synergistic and the combined effect is greater than just adding the two individual effects, but this was hardly in a peer-reviewed publication.
Generic finasteride is like $40 for 90 tablets, one tablet a day. The tablets are about the size of a lentil, they are not a horse pill at all.
Store brand foam minoxidil is like $40 for 3 cans, about one can a month.
Store brand liquid minoxidil is also about $40 for 3 bottles, about one bottle a month
As I am using both the foam and the liquid, each can or bottle lasts me about 2 months.
About $80 to set me up for 3 months (90 finasteride pills, half of a pack of foam, half a pack of liquid). You could just do the liquid or the foam, instead of getting both like I do. You can sometimes find these on sale, or 50% off if short-dated. So it's less than $30 per month.
To paraphrase Churchill: "I shall fight using minoxidil, I shall fight using finasteride, I shall fight using biotin, and I shall never surrender!"
Something about Minoxidil - it is not *advertised* as being effective on the hairline in front, just on "vertex thinning". This is from the original research testing back in the 80's. It's a lot easier to get an objective measurement of a bald spot on the top of the head, than it is to measure hairline recession. Think about it - if you look at your hairline, if you think it's higher, how would you measure that? From your eyebrows? So, back when it was a prescription "drug", the maker was careful to avoid overstating what the clinical research had actually proven. They didn't have any *data* for the hairline.
That said, the mechanism of MPB hair loss is, as far as I know, the same at the hairline as it is at the vertex - with dihydrotestosterone being the "bad guy" causing the hair loss. So, while the manufacturers won't claim it, there is no reason to think minoxidil is not equally effective at any hair loss site regardless of position on the head.
Reviving this thread. Anyone still here? I’m a 61-year-old female. Have been noticing thinning hair for some time now. I was put on synthroid a month ago when my thyroid numbers suddenly headed up after a lifetime of being in the normal range. I feel much better - could tell the difference immediately - and I’m guessing my hair will fill back in eventually, but I’m wondering if I should consider minoxidil or biotin or other supplements in the meantime. Or should I just be patient? (Noooooo!)
It will take time, but it should grow back. I have always had very coarse, and fairly thick hair. Hair stylists often comment on the fact that it's not the number of hairs that I have, but the actual thickness of each strand. The only time I started losing it in bulk was when I got a bad batch of thyroid meds, and boy was it noticable in the shower. I had to clean out the drain after washing my hair every time. It grew back slowly once the dose was corrected. Now I'm back to my crazy hair, but even I am starting to notice a bit of thinning around my temples.
OP, do get your thyroid levels checked. It's probably the most common reason for female hair loss after loss of estrogen, and many people don't realize that it's the reason for many issues supposedly caused by aging, including thinning hair, dry skin, forgetfulness, lack of energy, fatigue, and depression.
Please check thyroid. Also, do not pull your hair up in a tight pony tail. I do it all the time, as a former ballet dancer and I know it is not a good thing.
And.... check into hair re-plants (or whatever they call it) No need to be bald. or go with wigs. I love them!
Take the strongest dose of biotin that you can find. I think I’m currently taking 10,000 mcg. Brand doesn’t matter. I’ve taken it for years, starting when I had telogen effluvium from illness/surgery/work stress. It also strengthened my nails, perhaps too much.
For anyone who is losing hair by the handful, I would try generic Rogaine (I think it was Costco brand). When I had the above problem, I was really young, and no way was I going bald! I used it twice a day and it arrested the hair loss (mostly at temples), and hair grew back.
My SIL is losing his hair. He uses Nioxin shampoo & conditioner, and says it’s slowed down the loss and makes his curly-but-fine hair look & feel thicker.
Be careful with super high (above 5,000 mcg.) Of biotin as it can impact readings from various other medical labtests according to some recent research and thus give misleading results.
I’ve posted before that my hair has thinned up top. I attribute this to my family’s tendency to pattern baldness. Apparently there is a female pattern baldness.
If your father had thinning hair or baldness when he got older, you might have same.
I read somewhere to take biotin. It seems to me it has helped a bit with hair and nails. Maybe I’m imagining it, but it seems to helped in a minor way.
As we age, our scalps show through noticeably. Dyeing our hair just makes our pink scalp more noticeable, in my observation. Condition but don’t dye our older hair. That’s my advice (which you are free to ignore.)
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Solly says — Be nice!
