Minoxidil Rogaine Shedding Phase

Like I said in my last post the side effect of itchiness from the Rogaine has deftly gotten better thanks to using Nizoral 2%. However, now I’m starting to experience what they call the shedding phase. For the most part from all the recent research I’ve done, it is basically a sign that the minoxidil/Rogaine is in fact working or starting to work. In a nutshell, the basic idea is the Rogaine is pushing out the old hair, and new and thicker hair is supposed to replace that eventually. For the most part, if you read any of the forum posts on Hair Loss Help etc., people talk about shedding in a generic sense. They will talk about how they got used to their normal daily routine and then all of a sudden, they lose some hair, or their hair gets thinner, or they find some balding spots two weeks after starting to use rogaine.

And if all goes well not only is the hair thicker but the Rogaine will also cause brand-new hair growth in areas that you don’t have hair anymore. So, in combination with the shedding phase and the new hair growth in theory the balding process is reversed. Like I mentioned before I will be very happy if it just holds my hair loss or slows it down to a very slow pace. Now I feel that way because I still have a lot of hair on my head as opposed to someone who is watching over every strand possible. I’m trying to prevent myself from reaching that stage as much as I can until father time truly takes over.

My shedding started a couple of days ago. I noticed some hairs falling out in the shower, and it was more noticeable than usual. Then my wife, who was brushing my hair when she noticed that some strands were thinner. So, I did a visual inspection and sure enough, there were some less hairs. However, as I said before, the Rogaine/Minoxidil is working. And while I can say that I don’t have a full head of hair again, the hairs on my head are a lot thicker now. So, from what I can observe so far, the thinning process has stopped completely.

So, in conclusion, the shedding phase is completely normal and for most people should last 2 to 3 weeks but it can last a little longer. I will make some more observations about the shedding phase over the next few weeks. I’m also going back to update this post as time goes on with any additional observations and side effects. And if all goes well the shedding phase should be followed by new hair growth. It is not uncommon to experience some itching during the shedding phase but that itchiness should go away if you use a dandruff shampoo. During this time, you will lose hair at times what will appear to be an exaggerated rate. However, you shouldn’t worry too much, all the hair that is lost should come back stronger and thicker than before. Remember the shedding phase should only last for a couple of weeks if it lasts much longer, I would recommend speaking to a dermatologist or your general practitioner about it. They would be in a much better position to offer advice about your continued usage of minoxidil/Rogaine.

Rogaine liquid Or Foam

While after some further research I come to the conclusion that a three-month test of Rogaine might not be enough time. Even though there have been people who have seen improvement in three months the majority of people truly notice a difference in six months. So, if you are someone that wants to see some type of results from Rogaine or Minoxidil then you need to give it time.

I have even heard of some people noticing results after only one month while others did not notice any difference until after six months. It all depends on the person and what type of hair growth they are trying to stimulate. I currently have a three-month supply of liquid Rogaine and I believe I will buy an additional three-month supply for a total of six months test of Rogaine. This way at least I’ll know for sure if minoxidil is truly going to do anything for me, hopefully, new hair growth.

I will update as I progress with the use of minoxidil, but I do need to warn you that I am not a doctor, let alone a scientist, and am not a qualified expert in any way and should you try this yourself you do so at your own risk. I am doing this for my personal satisfaction and knowledge, but I am not suggesting that you or anyone else try this without the proper knowledge of what you are doing.

It turns out I have a longtime friend who is actually been using Rogaine for a number of years now. He never mentioned it before to me until I told him I was going to try Rogaine for my bald spot as an experiment. This is another reason why I am writing this article, to give people a chance to perhaps see some results for themselves. Funny enough he never brought it up in conversation with me because I never talked about my hair loss and just figured I didn’t care much about it. It turns out we were both hiding from the situation. He was afraid of seeing my baldness for himself and I obviously didn’t want anyone to know my self-image.

Anyway, he has been using generic Rogaine for years now on a regular basis and I asked him if it was making his hair thicker. He said yes, but that it takes a long time to see any noticeable difference. My guy friend told me that he started with a three-month treatment regimen right out of the gate like I am doing but then moved on to a six-month treatment regimen. Anyway, he explained to me he started with Rogaine liquid and then eventually switched over to Rogaine foam. He is quite happy with the Rogaine foam for a couple of reasons, he feels is better absorbed and it’s much easier to apply to the thinning areas of the scalp.

Now I have read for myself on the internet that there are many different types of minoxidil and a number of different manufacturers including Hobin, Rogaine, Regaine, Triumph and Stiefel. All are basically the same with a slight variation to some of them such as having different concentrations of the active ingredient in various bottles. The most important thing is to find one that is compatible with your body chemistry and may provide better results than another.

However, I sticking to Rogaine for now. I am the only one in my family that has baldness, so I am sure they will be happy to hear that I am trying something to remedy the problem. It’s just a shame that this problem will pass from generation to generation because of our fathers and grandfathers.

Consequently he recommends I switch over to the foam after I’m done with my liquid Rogaine. He’s a real cheap guy and started with the generic minoxidil right from the beginning and has had good results according to him. All I can attest to is he hasn’t had any visible hair loss since I’ve known him so I guess the minoxidil’s been doing its job. So I decided to try Rogaine liquid for three months and see how that goes and then try Rogaine foam and just keep using the one I prefer the most. I have to admit though the foam does seem more convenient however I prefer results much more than convenience.

I Did Not Purchase Rogaine

Just for the record I did not go and purchase Rogaine for myself in fact even though I have a bit of a bald spot in the back of my head it never really bothered me that much. I just felt like I should put this on the internet for all of you men out there who are experiencing a little hair loss and have not gone ahead and purchased some Rogaine. I don't know if it's because I have this bald spot in the back of my head or what but I never really had any issues with a lack of hair until now. However, my brother-in-law who happens to be totally bold was given a couple of bottles of Rogaine for his birthday. For better or worse he flat out refused to use it and ended up giving it to me to try out. At that point I said what the hell it’s free I’ll give it a shot and was given three bottles of Rogaine which is about a three month supply. So I figured if I see any improvement in three months I’ll continue using the minoxidil.

I have helped family and friends with their own blogs and other websites and since I have some knowledge in this I decided why not blog about my experience and results with Rogaine. I am going, to be 100% honest. This blog is for people who just started Rogaine and have some questions when it comes to what they should expect. First, let’s start off with what Rogaine is:

Rogaine (aka minoxidil) is a topical medication used in hair loss treatment. It's applied once per day or twice per day as needed by men and once per day by women. I plan to document my usage of Rogaine including all the positives as well as all the negative effects upon my hair. I am a regular consumer and in no shape or manner have any connections with Rogaine whatsoever. I have tried and tested this product like no other but I am not the only one going down this road. I know this post will be controversial in some parts but I just want to help others who need some help in choosing what is the best solution for their hair loss problem. (I can't promise you anything, but hopefully, you will be able to get a better understanding of what to expect). I am merely documenting my results in order to possibly help others who are thinking about trying Rogaine for the first time.

Initially like I said I’ll start with Rogaine however once my three-month supply finishes and I determine to want to continue using Rogaine I will just buy the generic form minoxidil. From what most people tell me and from what I’ve read online the generic works just as fine as the brand name. Essentially whatever brand is cheapest and on sale is what I am going to purchase. (As of right now, I'll probably buy Kirkland minoxidil which is available on Costco online for $33.99 per three months).

Now as I am writing this blog prior to starting Rogaine I am aware that this will have an effect on my hair. Some may say a negative effect while others may say a positive effect. Currently, the status of my hair is not bad at all, I have a full head of hair though not as thick as I would like. However, in the back of my head, I have a bald spot in the usual area where most men begin to lose their hair. At the very least am hoping to stop it from progressing anymore and if possible, to regrow some hair would be fantastic. Rogaine is used as a treatment for male pattern baldness. Rogaine works by increasing the amount of hair on your head and slowing down the rate at which it falls out.

Rogaine was released to the market in 1997 and since then has remained one of the most popular treatments for men with male pattern baldness. Around 2 million men in America suffer from androgenetic alopecia (AGA). Even though it does not cause any permanent damage, hair loss is extremely disheartening. The market has produced various brands of topical minoxidil products including ROGAINE®, which help to stop hair loss by increasing the growth of hair follicles.