Rogaine routine for women

[Anonymous]

Op here, these replies are really helpful. I'm glad to hear I don't need to worry about keeping my hair off my pillow after an hour or so. And as for evening scalp rinsing, I use Toppik hair fibers most mornings so I want to apply the rogaine to a bare scalp in the evening. I think I'll just lay off the Toppik more often so I can skip the evening rinse.

I use the 5% liquid with the dropper.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Following some of the advice on this board I took the plunge and ordered topical minoxidil from Costco which I've started using to address my thinning hair. It's been four days so can't speak to results yet, but I'm curious to hear from others the logistics of daily application.

I wash my hair in the morning but now rinse my scalp in the evening after work so it's clean.
I apply the minoxidil usually about an hour before I fall asleep. Sometimes dh and I will be watching TV, sometimes reading in bed during that hour. It can take 2-4 hours to dry completely, according to the box. Should I be sleeping with something over my head to ensure I'm not getting the solution on my pillow and transferring it to my face etc?

Should I just switch to the oral pill? Will I be resetting the clock if I give up the topical and switch to a pill in a couple of months?

OMG, this sounds awful--just do the pill. It was a total game changer for me. No fuss, no muss, and zero side effects.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I was using the foam for four months then switched to a liquid compound of minoxidil tretinoin spironolactone ketoconazole and that was the game changer, for me.

Where did you get this? I'm the PP who has had success with topical minoxidil and I think this could work well for me...

[Anonymous]

To those who had success with oral Rogaine - what type of hair loss do you have? I have thinning in the front that the doctor says is genetic. I have been offered oral Rogaine but I am scared of side effects and taking it for the rest of my life. I’m curious if people have had success with my type of hair loss.

[Anonymous]

NP here and I started 5 percent men’s topical liquid four weeks ago on my dermatologist’s recommendation. She said the women’s formula doesn’t work as well and the foam application is too drying for long hair. I use the eye dropper applicator once a day in the morning when my hair is damp but not sopping. I let it air dry. I don’t use gloves but I do wash my hands after massaging it into my scalp with my fingertips.

The dread shed started 1-2 weeks ago. I’ve been collecting my hair in a ziplock bag labeled by week (I know it’s weird) so I can tell the difference over time. My family thinks I’m insane but I’m having fun with my little science experiment. I’m trying to stay strong but it’s hard seeing clumps of hair falling out.

I’ll report back once the shedding stops. I hope it’s soon.

I considered the pill but my dermatologist is conservative about systemic oral medication and recommended the liquid first. I’ll reevaluate once I’m done with the liquid 12-week supply. If I were to switch, would I restart the clock on the dread shed? I think I’d have no hair left.

[Anonymous]

I'm the OP of this thread and 4.5 months in I'm really happy with the results. My hair is noticably thicker, and I am excited that it will likely continue to get thicker over the course of the year.

I went through a few months of intense itching on my scalp which almost had me quit, but I reduced the overall amount I've been putting on my scalp to a bit less than the recommended line on the dropper, and also switched to a deeper conditioner to moisturize my scalp, and am truly thrilled.

[Anonymous]

That’s great to hear OP! So my hair is long and thin. This shedding is making me want to cut all my hair short. Did you go shorter when you started? It will take forever for the new baby hairs to catch up, if they ever do.

[Anonymous]

The oral pill is super cheap, easy and effective. Easy to order online. Don't understand why anyone would do anything different.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The oral pill is super cheap, easy and effective. Easy to order online. Don't understand why anyone would do anything different.

Google side effects. My doctor wouldn’t prescribe it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:To those who had success with oral Rogaine - what type of hair loss do you have? I have thinning in the front that the doctor says is genetic. I have been offered oral Rogaine but I am scared of side effects and taking it for the rest of my life. I’m curious if people have had success with my type of hair loss.

I have the same question, and would also love to hear the specifics! My thinning is by far the worst right up front. I’ve considered spot treating with foam but I’m not good at sticking to elaborate routines…

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The oral pill is super cheap, easy and effective. Easy to order online. Don't understand why anyone would do anything different.

Google side effects. My doctor wouldn’t prescribe it.

What side effects? I’ve been taking it for almost 1.5 years.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:To those who had success with oral Rogaine - what type of hair loss do you have? I have thinning in the front that the doctor says is genetic. I have been offered oral Rogaine but I am scared of side effects and taking it for the rest of my life. I’m curious if people have had success with my type of hair loss.

I have the same question, and would also love to hear the specifics! My thinning is by far the worst right up front. I’ve considered spot treating with foam but I’m not good at sticking to elaborate routines…

I have genetic hair loss, with thinning most prominent on the top of my head. The Rogaine pill works for me.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:To those who had success with oral Rogaine - what type of hair loss do you have? I have thinning in the front that the doctor says is genetic. I have been offered oral Rogaine but I am scared of side effects and taking it for the rest of my life. I’m curious if people have had success with my type of hair loss.

I have the same question, and would also love to hear the specifics! My thinning is by far the worst right up front. I’ve considered spot treating with foam but I’m not good at sticking to elaborate routines…

I’d recommend seeing a dermatologist to figure out why you’re losing your hair. If the cause is genetic or hormonal, then yes, I believe you need to keep taking it. If the cause is stress (illness, medication, hairstyle, life) and those issues are now resolved, Rogaine can jump start the regrowth process and can be discontinued eventually. At least that’s how my doctor explained it to me.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:To those who had success with oral Rogaine - what type of hair loss do you have? I have thinning in the front that the doctor says is genetic. I have been offered oral Rogaine but I am scared of side effects and taking it for the rest of my life. I’m curious if people have had success with my type of hair loss.

I have the same question, and would also love to hear the specifics! My thinning is by far the worst right up front. I’ve considered spot treating with foam but I’m not good at sticking to elaborate routines…

I'm the OP and my issue was also mostly up front. The topical liquid has really helped. I also used to use Toppik powder to mask the bare scalp areas but don't even need to anymore.

To another pp who asked about my hair length -- I've always had extremely fine hair. It's about shoulder length bc for a while it was so thin I never let it down at all. Now that I feel more comfortable with it down, I'm thinking of cutting it a few inches shorter. Also, the new hairs coming in make my scalp area fuller, but they're still too short to really make for a thicker ponytail. Once they grow in though I think I'll be in great shape.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:To those who had success with oral Rogaine - what type of hair loss do you have? I have thinning in the front that the doctor says is genetic. I have been offered oral Rogaine but I am scared of side effects and taking it for the rest of my life. I’m curious if people have had success with my type of hair loss.

I have the same question, and would also love to hear the specifics! My thinning is by far the worst right up front. I’ve considered spot treating with foam but I’m not good at sticking to elaborate routines…

You don’t have to worry about it being elaborate. I noticed some thinning in the front of my hair when I was in my late 30s. I began using 5% minoxidil liquid from Target in the morning and my hair returned to its prior thickness. I don’t care if I have to use it for the rest of my life as thinning runs in females in my family and one of my aunts actually went bald in her 70s.