Minoxidil can cause shedding at the beginning of treatment (i.e. in the first 3 months) but this is expected as it causes some hair to begin a new cycle of shedding and re-growth. This means the medication is working.
Another reason for your apparent shedding is that the less you wash your hair, the more hair you lose each time. Go back to shampooing every day and see what happens.
Minoxidil, the brand name for the drug Minoxidil, does not worsen hair loss, but can cause initial shedding (which actually shows that the drug is working). The medication should be used on a continuous basis for the long-haul. Intermittent use of the drug, or pulsing, makes no medical sense.
Minoxidil for men is 5% minoxidil whereas it is 2% for women. Another difference is that the 5% solution has propylene glycol in it whereas the 2% is alcohol based. The propylene glycol helps the minoxidil penetrate the skin better and makes the medication more effective. Although both the alcohol and propylene glycol based preparations can irritate the scalp, propylene glycol can cause actual allergic reactions in those who are sensitive.
Propylene glycol is greasier to have on the scalp than the alcohol based formulation. For patients who complain of the greasiness, we advise Minoxidil 5% at bedtime and 2% in the morning.
Although Finasteride is much more effective than Minoxidil, even when used together, the medications are just not that effective in reversing the miniaturization process. They may bring you back to the way you were a few years ago, but will not restore your adolescent density.
The main side effect of Finasteride is sexual dysfunction however at dose of 1 mg/day, this side effect is seldom seen.
The sexual side effects of Finasteride (Finasteride) begin to subside soon after the medication is discontinued.
You are probably experiencing an accelerated phase of hair loss that is possibly made worse by the Finasteride. The shedding from Finasteride is common during the first few months of treatment and is temporary. The full effect of Finasteride are not seen for 6 to 12 months.
I would recommend you to continue the medication for at least a year before you judge if it is working or not. It does not matter the time of day or relationship to food.
Stopping therapy doesn’t lead to further hair loss in that it doesn’t accelerate it; you just continue on the path that you would have been without the treatment. When you stop, there may be an initial shedding as you quickly lose any benefits that you had from the treatment.
Although Dutasteride (Avodart) can be more effective for male pattern hair loss, I would start with Finasteride as many patients do great with it and it is safer. The following are the things I would consider before starting Dutasteride.
The photos are not retouched and are without concealers. These are responses to medical treatment alone. Yes, medications (Finasteride and minoxidil) can work really well in selective patients. Patients with early stages of thinning usually respond the best. Contrary to popular belief, the medications can work in the front part of the scalp, as long as the area is not completely bald. Perhaps about 1/3 of patients respond well enough to be put on the site. Most others have a good response but their improvements are not significant enough to be noticed in photos.
PLATELET RICH PLASMA (PRP) is used to halt or reverse miniaturization, the process that causes common baldness.
Platelet Rich Plasma offers an additional way to stimulate hair growth, especially in people who cannot use other forms of treatment. For example, it may be useful to those who cannot undergo other forms of treatment like hair transplantation or usage of Finasteride or minoxidil. It can also be added to patients receiving minoxidil and/or Finasteride for better results.
First three treatments are administered at an interval of 1 month and then treatments are given every three months for the first year. After the first year, treatments are administered depending upon your response.
PLATELET RICH PLASMA (PRP) is used to halt or reverse miniaturization, the process that causes common baldness.
Hair is washed thoroughly and PLATELET RICH PLASMA(PRP) is filled in insulin syringe and injected directly into scalp skin at multiple sites.
It is virtually painless. Tiny needle like sensation is felt which is usually tolerable.
The response time may vary; however, results are usually seen in 3 to 6 months
It takes around 30-45 minutes and is a simple procedure.
Yes
PLATELET RICH PLASMA(PRP) will generally be inadequate for patients who are candidates for a hair transplant. PLATELET RICH PLASMA(PRP) works to reverse miniaturization (thinning hair) as do other medical treatments (Finasteride, Minoxidil, LLLT). Unfortunately, medical treatments do not grow hair back once it has been lost.
It works best where there is existing thinning hair.
PLATELET RICH PLASMA (PRP) is a potential emerging non-surgical based therapy for natural hair follicle stimulation for thinning hair. Current medical literature contains numerous optimistic results. Individual results vary with each patient. No guarantees of individual effectiveness can be made.
Yes
If you are a candidate, the doctor may be able to perform the PLATELET RICH PLASMA (PRP) procedure at the time of the consult. If the procedure cannot be performed at the time of consultation, you can schedule one very soon after.
There is some inconvenience in that you need to have your blood drawn. Platelet Rich Plasma seems to be extremely safe, since we are using your own serum.
This lack of any reported major side effects coupled with the fact that PLATELET RICH PLASMA (PRP) is obtained from a patient’s own blood makes doctors relatively confident that PLATELET RICH PLASMA(PRP) treatments are safe for hair loss.
It depends on the speed of hair fall and extent of baldness. Usually 3-12 sessions are required which are to be taken at an interval of 2-4 weeks
No, there are no side-effects.
Make hair quality and texture stronger. Controls hairfall.
It is virtually painless. Tiny needle like sensation is felt which is usually tolerable.
The response time may vary; however, results are usually seen in 3 to 6 months.
It takes around 30 minutes and done during a simple office visit.
Yes
MESOTHERAPY will generally be inadequate for patients who are candidates for a hair transplant. MESOTHERAPY works to reverse miniaturization (thinning hair) as do other medical treatments (Finasteride, Minoxidil, PRP, LLLT). Unfortunately, medical treatments do not grow hair back once it has been lost.
It works best where there is existing thinning hair.
Individual results vary. No guarantees of individual effectiveness can be made.
Yes
If you are a candidate, the doctor may be able to perform the MESOTHERAPY procedure at the time of the consult. If the procedure cannot be performed at the time of consultation, you can schedule one very soon after.
Mesotherapy seems to be extremely safe.
There are several handheld lasers currently marketed as home use treatments for androgenic alopecia. To my knowledge there has never been a clinical study comparing different laser devices. If you would like to try laser therapy for hair loss, I suggest using a Hair Max laser comb. This is the only device that is FDA approved.
Some patients prefer a helmet, since they can just relax and don’t have to worry about using it correctly or concentrating on reaching every spot. Others prefer the hand-held unit, since it is less expensive and can be used at home. There is no evidence that the helmet lasers works any better than the LaserComb.
The advantage of the in-clinic LLLT systems is that the units are more powerful and same amount of energy is delivered each time Moreover, the patients’ initial evaluation will be made by physician who will help to determine whether the particular type of hair loss would respond to this therapy or not. The effectiveness of the treatment can more readily be monitored over time. And also the patient doesn’t have to spend 15 minutes each time concentrating on using the machine correctly.
The disadvantage of the clinic based system is that the treatments are significantly more costly than the home machine and require periodic visits over an extended period of time – a nuisance for working people, or for those who do not live close to a facility offering this service.
The advantage of the hand-held system is that it is much less expensive than the clinic based machine and it is much more convenient to do the treatment at home than to go to a doctor’s clinic several times a week. There may also be a potential advantage for patients who still have a significant amount of hair. In these people, the hand-held system (that is able to part the hair) may allow the laser light to more effectively reach the scalp.
The major disadvantage of the hand-held device seems to be with patient compliance as people get tired of having to run the instrument through their hair for 15 minutes several times a week. It is also hard for the person himself to judge if the treatments are working, how to taper the treatments and if, and when, to stop.
As other medical therapies for hair loss, once the treatment is completely stopped, any benefit should subside. It is anticipated, therefore, that periodic treatments will be needed after the initial treatment course.
The studies submitted to the FDA looked at the effects of low level lasers over a 6-month period. There is no published data for use beyond this time period. Therefore, the long-term effectiveness of these lasers in treating hair loss is not currently known.
Laser treatments, as other medical treatments for hair loss, only work when there is some existing hair in the area
There can be an early temporary hair shedding in some patients. This happens due to an acceleration of the hair cycle and is probably a mechanism similar to the one that causes early shedding when using Minoxidil (Minoxidil) or Finasteride (Finasteride).
MESOTHERAPY will generally be inadequate for patients who are candidates for a hair transplant. MESOTHERAPY works to reverse miniaturization (thinning hair) as do other medical treatments (Finasteride, Minoxidil, PRP, LLLT). Unfortunately, medical treatments do not grow hair back once it has been lost.
The HairMax LaserComb only works in areas where there is still some hair. It will not bring back hair that has been lost. You need hair transplantation to do this. The laser comb works by thickening fine, miniaturized hair
Yes
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