|
 Dr. Yechiel is the Founder, President, and Director of Research of Elsom Research Co., Inc., maker of the New Equilibrium line of cosmeceuticals which includes the Equisomin Serum anti-aging scalp treatment. He specializes in the biochemistry and biophysics of cellular aging and cell membrane structures, and has developed novel nano-encapsulation and nano-emulsion technologies for topical applications. Dr. Yechiel is also the creator of The Formulator, enabling consumers to select the ingredients for their own custom-made retail-size formulations.
verysadperson
2005-05-10
should I stop applying minoxidil?
i had been loosing hair all over the scalp so i decided to try minoxidil since i\\\\\\\'m not 18 yet (i\\\\\\\'m 17) My hairloss is recent and it can very well go undetected if i comb my hair right: I started the treatment with topical minoxidil 5% 4weeks ago and since the end of the second week i\\\\\\\'ve been experiencing massive shedding. now what i am confused about is: according to my research, the so-called initial shed was only supposed to affect the area where treatment is applied. Since i\\\\\\\'m only applying minoxidil to the temples region, i don\\\\\\\'t understand why my hair is shedding like crazy all over the scalp (back of the neck and sides included). Besides, this shedding is quite terrible, i had heard about initial sheds but this is quite frightening. . If it keeps this way, im afraid i\\\\\\\'ll soon have no hair at all to worry about. Each time i shower i promise i\\\\\\\'ll stop the treatment but...i really don\\\\\\\'t know... what should i do? any help would be most appreciated
Hello,
Just to make sure you understand, I am a scientist and I will not give you medical advice but will encourage you to seek medical advice, not only in hairloss forums but by physically going to a specialist and having a preliminary evaluation of your problem. With such an evaluation in hand, there will also be more information on which to base a more educated comment. With this said, you should not despair, but you should be more assertive and proactive about your hairloss situation and not let time pass by before you see a specialist while you observe the problem progressing. If you were taking a medicine for another problem and you were convinced the medicine was aggravating rather than curing the problem, you would seek help immediately and probably come up with an alternate treatment, perhaps a different medicine or different dosage or different application method or different carrier; you should do the same about this problem.
It is possible that if indeed you are sensitive to minoxidil, when you shower you may spread the minoxidil you put on your temples all over the scalp; perspiration, hairbrushing, and many other methods may also cause material to spread beyond the narrow zone in which it was originally applied. With the detergent in a shampoo being a potent vehicle, you may create a secondary application of the minoxidil topical all over your scalp with certain penetration assisted by the shampoo. It is possible that the concentration of minoxidil is not right for you. If you are not sensitive to minoxidil, you may be still sensitive to the carrier (vehicle) in which minoxidil is formulated. In such case you can just replace the brand you are using. There are also alternatives to minoxidil including non-medicinal alternatives and I would encourage you to listen to many opinions and personal experience stories but only after you first go and listen to a certified specialist and let the specialist evaluate your situation. If you do not seek professional advice, and listen only to opinions of people who never saw you and never evaluated your unique personal situation, it may cause more damage than good.
Click here to return to Dr. Elishalom Yechiel, Ph.D.'s Q&A page.
|
