Hi Sam,
Its been a while I've been away. Your new look of the site is nice and its good to hear your new reviews on your regimen.
The issue of minox tolerance is still always bothering me. I've finally learned that it just doesn't simply stop working but its that the MPB process catches up with the minox so it only appears to lose effectiveness.
However, once in a while I still have some doubts. If minox is a drug, wouldn't the body just naturally get use to it? For example, if I took aspirin for every day for a few years and then I got a headache, I guess the aspirin wouldn't be so efficient would it? You wouldn't just say "Oh the headache was so severe the aspirin couldn't catch up." These kind of ideas bother me.
If there was an issue of body tolerance toward the minox, is there any strategy that we could use to avoid it? I heard some poeple say stopping once in a while can help, for example stop 5 days a month, or stop 1-2 weeks every 3 months, etc. If body tolerance to minox was real, then this strategy would help.
On the other hand, if it was just simply that the fundamental causes of MPB caught up with the minox results, then I don't think such formulas would help. What are your thoughts here?
I told you that I was on minox 5% + retin A (Remox I) for 5 months with totally amazing results. Then I've gone down to the 2% because I was worried the 5% results would diminish. To be honest now I've had some thinning which has now started to stabilise, but "psychologically" I have a much better peace of mind. I know that if the minox 2% effects start to plateau, I still have the 5% to go with (oh man the 5% was so potent for me!).
So basicly from all I've said, I'd like to know if I should:
A) Carry on with the 2% and stick to my "upgrading plan" for 5% in the future.
OR
B) The upgrading plan doesn't make any sense since jumping right away into 5% will create better results. In another sense, perhaps the amount of time waiting for the MPB to catch up with minox 2% results + the 5% results might just be the same duration as MPB catching up with 5% alone so it might be just as well to start with 5% in the first place. I hope you see what I mean.
Although plan A) brings me a peace of mind, the downside of A) could be that in the meantime I'm losing many follicles to the atrophy stage and will be very difficult to bring back. I notice since switching down to 2% I've lost about 1 mm of my hairline within 4 months.
Please shed some light Sam! Thanks so much!!
Minox tolerance issue still bothering me
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melchiangmai
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James
This bothers me also. I don't have a reccomendation for you. I know that Dr. Lee at minoxidil.com doesnt think that there is such as thing as minoxidil tolerance but Dr. Proctor does believe it is possible. I guess the answer is up in the air but if I was in your shoes I would def. go back to the 5% with Retin-A that you were having results with. Remember that you can also move up to 12.5% minox and 15% minox as well, they just cost more money.
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maddoc23
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Melch,
You should definetly get back on 5%. I don't believe anyone can tell you if there is such a thing as minoxidil tolerance because to date nobody knows the mechanism by which it works. What has been shown from the studies is that after a certain amount of time it will stop recruiting active follicles. From that point on, it will maintain the new amount of follicles you have grown. Always keep in mind it is easier to maintain hair than to regrow. Starting with 2% is a mistake because you may not be able to see the potency you described if you prolong its use (5%). With respect to the tolerance issue, using minoxidil will provide you with a higher basecount than if you didn't use it, no matter how much "tolerance" you think you have to it.
D
You should definetly get back on 5%. I don't believe anyone can tell you if there is such a thing as minoxidil tolerance because to date nobody knows the mechanism by which it works. What has been shown from the studies is that after a certain amount of time it will stop recruiting active follicles. From that point on, it will maintain the new amount of follicles you have grown. Always keep in mind it is easier to maintain hair than to regrow. Starting with 2% is a mistake because you may not be able to see the potency you described if you prolong its use (5%). With respect to the tolerance issue, using minoxidil will provide you with a higher basecount than if you didn't use it, no matter how much "tolerance" you think you have to it.
D
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HairLossFight.com
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Melchangmai, good to hear from you!
I've been in Germany on a vacation over the last couple of weeks and I have just returned.
Anyway, with regards to your concern about tolerance, basically I agree with the others that we just don't know whether one can become tolerant to minox over extended use.
Actually, I miss a day or two or three a month myself. I think it can't really hurt and I mainly do it just to give my scalp a bit of a rest from all the medications. My fear is developing an allergy to the topicals more than developing tolerance.
I also think it is a mistake to stop something that is giving you amazing results NOW so that you can use it for the future. If remox works so well for you then get back on it! You need hair today, not 3 years from now. My philosophy is that you will never have more hair than you have RIGHT now, no matter how well the treatments work 3 years from now. What use is it you lose half the hair on your head in the next few years even if a treatment works really well for you when you start using it. You may grow back a lot of hair, but not get back to the amount of hair you have today, right now! So battle it with all your might now.
The ONLY time I would suggest to somebody to start with 2% minox is if they are a) very young, and b) less than a norwood 2. If after 6 months they don't get good results I would suggest upping the dosage to 5% minox.
Hope this helps.
Regards,
Sam
I've been in Germany on a vacation over the last couple of weeks and I have just returned.
Anyway, with regards to your concern about tolerance, basically I agree with the others that we just don't know whether one can become tolerant to minox over extended use.
Actually, I miss a day or two or three a month myself. I think it can't really hurt and I mainly do it just to give my scalp a bit of a rest from all the medications. My fear is developing an allergy to the topicals more than developing tolerance.
I also think it is a mistake to stop something that is giving you amazing results NOW so that you can use it for the future. If remox works so well for you then get back on it! You need hair today, not 3 years from now. My philosophy is that you will never have more hair than you have RIGHT now, no matter how well the treatments work 3 years from now. What use is it you lose half the hair on your head in the next few years even if a treatment works really well for you when you start using it. You may grow back a lot of hair, but not get back to the amount of hair you have today, right now! So battle it with all your might now.
The ONLY time I would suggest to somebody to start with 2% minox is if they are a) very young, and b) less than a norwood 2. If after 6 months they don't get good results I would suggest upping the dosage to 5% minox.
Hope this helps.
Regards,
Sam