# Men's Hair Loss > Introduce Yourself & Share Your Story >  To Minoxidil veterans, I need advice

## DaveB23

Hello all, this is my story. I am currently 22, will be 23 in 1 month. Around the age of 19 my hair began thinning. Looking back at pictures I can clearly tell this, although at the time I didnt really notice because it was quite subtle (and also because there is no history of hair loss in my family, at least at such an early age). The thinning began at the very top of my head and starting affecting my bangs. As I went through 19 into 20 and then into 21, the thinning started getting much worse. My bangs would be quite weak and always flap around in the wind. A bald spot at the top of my head began to grow, and I had the typical V-shape baldness begin along with the bangs problem. 

Once I turned 22 the thinning started to become VERY bad and to the point where it was quite noticeable. I finally began using Minoxidil (5% Kirkland brand liquid) exactly 8 months ago, in conjunction with Nioxin shampoo. I applied the minox religiously twice a day, and always added a little more to the dropper than the 1.0 mL they recommended (even though they said applying more than 1.0 mL will not accelerate results). 

After going through the normal initial shedding (although it was not bad at all compared to some of the other stories Ive heard), I began notice the hair I had becoming thicker (although the Nioxin shampoo probably contributed to this as well). After a couple months, my hair was not only thicker, but finally began filling in. I was quite ecstatic, as my hairloss was causing me great anxiety and depression at such an early age, and I was really hoping to stay away from Propecia due to the libido-related side effects. 

As the months went on (3-4-5 months) my hair was noticeably fuller and thicker to those who had seen my hair when it was at its worst (such as my mom). The hair I had was stronger and thicker, the new hairs that had started growing in were also becoming thicker, and still new thin hairs were growing from what I assume had become dormant follicles before I began using the minox. 

By the time 6 months rolled around it was pretty difficult to notice thinning (although it was still there and my bangs were still not as strong/full as they should be). I was still very pumped, thinking that I had finally found my salvation. 

Now, here are my questions to the minox veterans. From month 6-8 (now) I have still seen an improvement, although I feel as though it is not improving at the same rate as it was from months 3-6. I understand this may simply be an illusion due to the fact that months 3-6 my hair was so awful, whereas now it has improved a great deal so the continued improve is not as noticeable. Has anybody else noticed this?

My main question is: How long have the minox veterans here been using it, and how long did it take for you to see full regrowth (or atleast, how long until you saw your own personal best results?) 1.5 years? 2 years? More? 
Also, when applying the minox liquid, I often like to do it after showering. I dry my hair quite thoroughly, although it is still a tiny bit damp so that after I apply the minox I can easily comb my hair back evenly. The reason I do this is because I find when I comb my hair back after applying, it dries quicker and much more evenly, and then when I push my hair forward after it dries there is no greasy residue whatsoever. This is compared to when I apply the minox to completely dry hair, I do not comb it back because my hair does not comb back evenly when it is not damp. When doing it this way, the hair takes MUCH longer to dry and leaves a bit of a greasy aftertouch (even after 4-5-6 hours), not to mention it does not lay out as nicely and evenly as when I comb it back and let it dry that way. 

Is it ok to apply the minox to slightly damp hair and then comb it back afterwards? Ive heard some people say this could affect absorption into the scalp, but I feel I combat this by spending a good couple minutes messaging the minox all over my scalp, so by the time I comb it back the minox is already absorbed. 

Finally, what is the deal with 15% minox? I didnt even know this existed but Ive seen people posting about it. Would anybody recommend upping my minox to 15% after having used the 5% for 8 months now?
Any advice will be greatly appreciated, thank you so much!
-	Dave

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## kanyon

Hi Dave,

Your story is very similar to mine. Infact my name is Dave too.

I noticed thinning when I was 20 too and used Minox only (not Niz because it disagreed with me). At about the same point as you (a few months) I saw results and was ecstatic. My hair had been very thin but Minox completely thickened up my head so that thinning was so longer noticeable. Even the wind or swimming didn't bother me anymore.

I don't think you need to worry about if it's working as well as it did when you started. You have already had the success you want. Unless you start to see your scalp again you should be happy. I agree with your synopsis that results won't be as noticeable now because the hard work has already been done. Your hair is now thicker and scalp not as exposed.

Hopefully it works for you for a long time. I'm now 29 next month and have been on Minox for 7.5 years. It stopped working for me about a year ago and I am now worse off than when I started it when I was 21. I lost a shitload of hair late last year. Quite astonishing. I'm now using Fin to try and keep what's left of my hair. But those 6-7 years were marvellous.

Also, with the success I had, I only applied it once per day (infact over the 7 years I would sometimes go weeks without using it because my results were so incredible and I was lazy or busy). If it works for you it works for you and you don't need to be too diligent if you're a good responder which it sounds like you are.

Also, don't worry about 15% yet. Infact I haven't even tried it (which I probably should) as it's not sold at pharmacies here. 5% could get you through 5-10 years so keep up with that. If you're happy with the results don't push it. Be very happy that it works for you.

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## DaveB23

Dave, thank you so much for your response!
So you used the minox alone (no fin/propecia) for all those years and got the results? Thats very encouraging news! 

So you said the Minox worked marvelously for you for 6-7 years. During that time, at the peak of your success, how much hair would you say you grew back? Basically all of it (full head), or most of it, or simply enough so that no thinning/loss was noticeable? And how long into the 6-7 years did it take for you to achieve your personal best results?

Im really happy to read this, as recently online Ive read some posts by people claiming that Minox alone (without fin) only works for a short while (like less than a year) and then the results stop coming. Ive also read responses to these posts saying that they are untrue, and I see now with your response that this is, in fact, untrue (at least in our cases). 

Im now 8.5 months in, and I've been using it religiously twice a day, every day (there have been a couple weekends where ive been away and haven't used it, but thats about it). I guess im getting greedy now, as in the first 6 months I was so happy just to have the scalp completely covered and the noticeable thinning go away, but now im to the point where I want to see the hair come back to as close to a full head of hair as possible.

If Dave or anyone else who used Minox alone (or a minox/shampoo combo but no fin/propecia) could let me know:
-The best personal results you achieved using the minox only (full head of hair returned, most of the hair returned, etc)
-How long it took you to achieve these best personal results;
I would really appreciate it! Once again, thank you for the response as I am definitely very happy and encouraged and will keep using the minox religiously. Like I said, now im just at the point of being a bit greedy I guess, and would like to know what level of results I could expect (like if I will actually eventually achieve a full head of hair back or atleast most of the hair back) and how much longer it will take. 
THANKS!!!

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## kanyon

Hi Dave, you sound like a good responder and you should be very excited. A lot of people don't seem to get results with minox and I feel bad for them because it truly prolonged my youth. I can't stress that enough.

It was so long ago that i started it but with minoxidil I think I saw my full results sometime within a year. I think I got back a full head of hair but I already had some temple recession so that didn't grow back. As far as I was concerned I was delighted after about 3 months and I truly didn't think about hairloss again til last year. Unlike you I was just so happy that my scalp was no longer visible that I didn't pay much attention. In hindsight possibly it did get better over the years but I'm not sure past the first 6 months to a year.

I grew more hair than just enough for it not to be noticeable. I mean I remember a year ago thinking damn my hair is so thick I wish I had less of it. How stupid. Last October a hairdresser said that my hair was so thick. Boy did things change within 2 months later.

This may sound crazy but during the 7 years I would go a month or two sometimes when traveling (possibly even 6 months when I traveled the world) without using it because I thought the stuff was so brilliant. That time away from it didn't cause me to lose the hair. I now believe that the inconsistent use of it is why I lost so much hair since last year even though I was actually using it more than than I had while traveling a few years ago.

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## Roon

Hello Dave and Dave, 
I'm happy for you guys. It's fantastic that you've grown most of you hair back! This thread is 5 years old now. I hope you still see this message. 

I just turned 21. My story is very similar to yours, Dave (the OP). I started losing hair (noticeably) at the age of 19. I ignored it at the beginning as none of my parents/grandparents/uncles started losing their hair this early, and assumed it was caused by a nutritional deficiency (I had started college 6 months before, and my diet went to shit for those few months). A dermatologist recently confirmed that it was either regular male pattern baldness, or a hormonal problem. She prescribed Minoxodil alone (5% w/v), without Fin or any shampoo. 

I've been using Minoxidil twice a day for about 2 months. However, I've begun using it religiously (twice a day) only for one month. I still continue to lose hair rapidly (most visibly after a shower). I'm not sure if this is the shedding period you mentioned, or if Minox simply doesn't work for me. 

1. How long did the shedding last for you? 
2. Also, did Minox cause any problems for your scalp/skin? I'm dealing with horrific dandruff for a few weeks now. Just wanted to know if this is a side effect caused by the Minox. 

Thanks for your help  :Smile:

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## kanyon

I didn't suffer from noticeable shedding or scalp or skin problems. I reacted badly to Nizoral shampoo but Minox agreed with me.

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## Roon

Hey Dave, thanks for the response.  :Smile:  

I see. What exactly happened when you used Nizoral? Also, how's your hair now? I understand that you had a bad year in 2010.

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## kanyon

Hi Roon, with Nizoral the skin on my face became red, dry and flakey. Not so much my scalp, but the front of my face. I stopped using it but don't regret that - I'm not sure that it does anything.

Yes, things went very badly for me in 2010 and once I realised that Minox was no good for me anymore, I got on Fin. I'm very pleased to say that my hair is in the same condition as it was when I started Fin in 2010. It has worked at maintaining my hair - not improved or regrown it - but maintained it. I don't have thick hair but I'm 33 and with the way I style it I think I'm doing ok. Hopefully it doesn't stop working!

Even after all these years, I still use Minox daily! I think it is completely useless now and that Fin is what's working for me but I'm kinda scared to stop using Minox altogether just in case it is actually helping me not lose hair.

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## pheble

Hi there. I just turned 21 as well. I believe over the last 3 years I have seen some recession (annoyingly most on my right temple) and seeing my hairline go back a bit now. I only just felt the need to get started with treatment because my hair is still quite thick. I opened my 6 month supply of kirkland minoxidil and ketoconazole shampoo on monday and I believe this is the only treatment I'm willing to undergo (because i'm not going to jeopardize my mental/sexual health over a cosmetic choice). If this doesn't work I believe I might let it run its course. I'm not looking to beat baldness all together but I would like to keep my hair loss to a minimum until hopefully 30. Enough about me. I was wondering if you guys could give me tips to make the most the application. Is it better do it in the morning or evening? Do you spread it with a brush? Whats the best hair length? How did you start to realize that it was working? Did applying it to the hairline help? Thanks for your time.

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## Interestinglife

Hey i'm in the same boat as Dave basically. I'm 21 almost 22 and my hair has been thinning during college. My hair loss is only on the top of my head. Right now I've been using minoxidil foam (5%) twice a day and washing with lipogaine shampoo maybe 3 times a week for about 3 weeks now, and i'm still losing hair, mostly in the shower. My hair is somewhat long and I don' think my hair loss is in one area on my head (If you split my hair and part it to the sides you can see a scalp line, but if you part it from a different spot you'll see a different line). I'm not sure how to go about this. Up to now, I've been trying to part it around the same spot. Also just wondering, if you're supposed to apply it on the scalp and continue, then how are you going to do that after it grows new hairs in those areas? 

Thank you

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## Zdude

I am a minoxidil user, too. I experienced bad shedding for a month, and it took a couple months for it to grow back and return to 'normal'. Fourth month, I started seeing considerable improvement in the thickness of my hair - and I recovered a bit of my receding hairline - and five months in, I don't really lose hair any more.

Before I started, I was losing hair rapidly (hair in my hands, hair loss in the shower, hair on my pillow, clearly losing hair at a faster than normal rate). But five months in, my hair is as thick as it was when I was twelve, and I can literally count how many hairs I've seen myself lose since my shedding stopped - three hairs. One I saw while having a shower. And a couple hairs on my pillow. That's it (obviously, I have lost more, but these are the hairs I have noticed - compared to every time I put my hand through my hair being able to count 1-5 hairs on my hand before starting my regiment of using Min - I can at least brush my fingers through my hair without fearing hair loss now). For anybody who's experienced rapid hair loss, you should know exactly what I mean when I say those results seem like an absolute godsend.

It's definitely very good at thickening up your hair if you're thinning. And as a preventative, it's pretty damn good if you respond well to it, too. But as for a receding hairline, it's a very, very slow moving process, although there is some improvement. That's my experience, anyway. I honestly wish I started it sooner, because I likely could've halted my hair from receding as extensively as it has. Whenever I see people tell others not to use it as a preventative if a person only has a slightly receding hairline, I genuinely don't understand that advice, because that's honestly what it does best IMO.

I am 25 FYI. Started losing my hair at 18 and only recently decided to do something about it as it's become noticeable.

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## Interestinglife

I'm not sure if this is from the minoxidil, but feel like it's dehydrating me (frequent urination, dry mouth)? Anyone else on this. Also, what shampoo should I be using on the off-days when I'm not using a keto shampoo.

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## Zdude

Nope, haven't personally had those side effects Interestinglife.

I know it's a dilator, but no idea if dilators can cause dehydration. But if you're feeling like you have dry mouth, just drink more water. No harm in drinking more water, I guess.

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## cloudzero2006

I've stumbled across this post and glad to hear good results from the OP, I hope the same thing happens to me. I'm 26, and I'm 5 days in my first minoxidil 5% treatment. I'm quite concerned about the shedding phase, how long does it really last? How far into taking it twice a day will it start? How noticeable is the shedding to others?

I have thin hair anyway and it's mainly affected on the top of my head and towards the front, I'm going to avoid getting my haircut on top anyway so the longer my hair is if it was to shed it won't be as noticeable to others? That's what I'm worried about to be honest

Overall, how have you guys found using minoxidil? I'm using this alone and not with fin or anything else. I just hope I have good results!!

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## purple7

Hey dave,you still use minoxidil?

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