After using rogaine for 5 months, I had to stop it because from having a little thinning in my crown 5 months ago, now my crown is completely exposed. I decided to do a little research on the product to see if accelerated hair loss was a side effect of rogaine, and it is. I also read that out of the 68% of women who experience regrowth, only 6% experience regrowth on the head, the other 62% of the regrowth is on the body. Of coarse since it's still regrowth they can get away with implying that it's on the head. I guess I'm writing this to warn women that rogaine is not the answer. It may work for some women but generally your hair loss must be within the first year of hair loss, anything over that the rogaine won't work on. And when you stop using rogaine for any reason, all the hairs shut down and go into the resting phase, so you lose even more hair. I just want women to be really careful about the stuff. When I first started it, I was so desperate for my hair to grow back that noone could have stopped me from trying it, but if someone warned me about the effects I would have at least thought about it before jumping in and starting the regiment. For me it's to late, rogaine has made my hair 100 times worse but if your just starting it or are contempating using it because some doctor tells you to, PLEASE DON'T....
First of all, I am so sorry about the hairloss! My heart goes out to you.
I want to thank you for posting this because it confirms my decision to not use Rogaine. Back in 2001 when I first joined this board, I posted questions about Rogaine since my dermatologist was pushing it for hair loss. There were some cysters at that time that told me the warnings about what could happen: The "dread shed" that you talked about when you stop using it...initial hair loss that could be devastating and the cost of it. I decided not to use it.
I think that it is deceptive how Rogaine is marketed. Also, so many people, including my doctor, when I tell them of my hair loss say, "Why don't you just use Rogaine?" When I try to explain the potential harm it can do, their eyes glaze over in disbelief and I begin to feel silly, because, after all, I haven't used it. However, when I read a first hand account like yours, it is more than enough to convince me not to use it.
Thank you for posting this.
Kathryn
P.S. All that being said, I know that some cysters have posted about using it, but I don't recall their results. Has anyone had ever had success with it?
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I used it and saw more hair loss than growth. I did grow hair in the temple area where I had lost some hair. I have been off of it for about a month now. So I will see how long it takes my hair to return to normal again. How long did it take your hair to start growing again
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I appreciate the kind words Kathryn, If I have stopped 1 person from making their condition worse then I have done what I wanted to with this post. My doctor was also in disbelief that rogaine made my hair worse and was trying to imply that it was from stress until I showed him the research that I had done, then he didn't know what to say. Don't feel silly about not taking your doctors advice, his eyes probably glazed over because he's in disbelief that you know more then he does and he has a medical degree.
Someone asked if there has been any successes on it and I figured I'd post mine. I used rogaine 2% for a while and my hair just kept falling out with no regrowth for 1 year! But then I switched to the 5% formula as my derm suggested. I had a bad shed about 1 month after using the 5% but then I did get lots of regrowth. I really wanted to quit it when I had the shed but the derm said that many of her patients get a horrible shed when they start rogaine and then it gets better. It took about 6 months to really see the improvement.
My hair still is not where I would like it to be, still very fine and can see my scalp around the area of my part but it's a vast improvement from before. I used to be able to see right thru my hair all over the top of my head. I would say I've gotten back about 1/3 of what I had lost before the rogaine.
If you'd like many, many, many experiences from women regarding rogaine (both successful and unsuccessful) then I suggest checking out www.hairsite.com on their womens boards. I have also advised some of the women on those boards to check out the soulcyters site because they talk about PCOS there too!
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I too have significant hair loss I use Regaine 5% I have been on it a year now .. I went through a HORRENDOUS shed ... I was losing handfuls I was near to a breakdown the doctor denied it was due to regaine and I went for three injections a week to halt it but it wasnt until I joined www.heralopecia.com that I realised that this hair loss was normal as it was shifting out the old hairs to replace with stronger thicker ones..
Saying that its not helping me in teh temporal regin or the front and I am still losing hairs .... but its improved the coverage on the top back....
I wouldnt say dont do it but if you do be warned the "dread shed" was a very long and horrid experience....
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Wow, thanks so much for posting. I was considering asking for rogaine and now I'm not even going to think about it. I've lost enough hair as it is and I don't want to lose any more than I already have. I really appreciate those of you who posted to say that it helped you though. Kudos to you all for persevering through the dread shed and continuing the treatment. For me however, I don't think I'd be able to handle any more shedding. As a sidenote, have any of you found anything that HAS worked for you? And I mean anything, inlcuding meds, hairpieces, etc. Whatever you have found beneficial.
I am using extensions at the moment but I do see a lady that deals wtih hairloss at www.wattzinternational.co.uk she is totally brillaint its in Kent but if I get to the stage which I know I will that I need a hair peice then I would trust her entirely
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How do you find the extensions? Are they are lot of work/maintenance? I'm not sure where you are thinning, but would they fill in the top of your head or just the sides? Sorry for all the questions, I've never known anyone who has had them before.
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No they dont cover the top of my head they are the sides and back I have thirty above each temple .... and ten at the back .... when the top starts to go .. which I know it will I will have a bonded on hair peice .. which is hair literally glued to your scalp .. maintenance for that is four weeks .. but for extensions its between eight and twelve weeks ... I would not be seen dead without them in I tell you .... they saved my sanity for the last year ....
Feel free to ask any questions I am happy to help out...... and If your really badly losing hair check out www.heralopecia.com the forums have some great gals talking about how they are dealing with the hair loss
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Oh I forgot to mention my type of hair loss .... I have male patter ... NICE ! ... I have recession and temporal balding and also thinning on the top ...
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I've thinned out on the sides...enough that I can't pull my hair back because it just looks too weird...I have male pattern as well and the top of my head where my bangs are (or whats left of them) is the worst part. Its not super severe yet, but you know that look people get when they notice it and its really disconcerting. I'm thinned out on the top where the part is in my hair as well, but like I said the front is the worst. Thanks for directing me to that website, I will have to definately check it out.
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As a sidenote, have any of you found anything that HAS worked for you? And I mean anything, inlcuding meds, hairpieces, etc. Whatever you have found beneficial.
when i had a big hair shed a couple of years back (you can see my freakout on SC if you search for my early posts), i actually gave in and went on the pill. i'd been trying to do everything naturally, and it was working until i had some majorly stressful events happen in my life, which i believe elevated my testosterone levels. tests proved back then that they were pretty high, but i cannot be certain that this was the reason. it's a gut feeling i guess.
i basically tried my hardest to de-stress and i went on the pill. it helped - my hair stopped shedding. i was losing 100+ hairs a day, which apparently is normal, but not for me. i literally would count the hairs in the bath in the morning and i knew something was up.
anyway, the pill might be an option. i was using yasmin. i've come off of it now because i'm ttc.
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Don't use rogaine 
Kathryn
