The optimum dose for hair loss is not entirely clear. It may be in the region of 0.625mg to 2.5 mg per day.
In conjunction with my Skunk works Agetron tonic… my physician gave me a prescription for oral minoxidil 2.5 mg… twice a day… using now for 2 months plus.
Only side effect is fat ankles… nothing else. The article on the research at the start of this topic indicated 3% had this side effect.
At 5 mg per day going to drop to 1 pill just 2.5 mg… and maybe every other day if my ankles don’t return to normal. My RN son checked… no fluid retention - which is good… just slight swelling.
On a positive note he said "Dad your hair is amazing and crown filled in again. YES!
Prescription generic oral minoxidil 2.5 mg tablets 60 tablets cost $4.44 at local ACME with a SingleCare coupon card if you sign up, $9.94 without signing up.
I have No financial interest in SingleCare, I use them at times for purchases.
I didn’t understand that you started oral minoxidil 2 months ago. THAT is where your hair growth is coming from. Oral is a different ballgame than topical (oral pretty much works for everyone to varying degrees), and you’re taking the dose most Drs have landed on for men (the dose in the NYT article is for women- they require far less than men for results).
Ergo, I’m less excited in your topical concoction: as your results are quite typical of oral minoxidil. I’m still going to try it; as I’m hoping there’s some impact on grey hair while also hoping there is some growth. My minoxidil/finasteride routine is long established, so I’ll definitely know if your topical additions move the needle…
Yeah, the problem is getting the prescription in the US. Loniten is an old drug and has a red flag reaction from most doctors. Need an open minded Dr or an ethical hair transplant Dr to get one.
I guess I could try one of the online consult Drs where you can get finasteride, cialis, ivermectin, etc…
Dying Sucks I’m hoping there’s some impact on grey hair while also hoping there is some growth. My minoxidil/finasteride routine is long established, so I’ll definitely know if your topical additions move the needle.
I continue to use both the topical and oral. Was getting results with just topical first month. But, I
want it back to my youthful thickness, so decided to go oral too. My Personal Physician attitude was at that low dosage… 5mg sure. Got a prescription.
Pics below about May 10th and today crown. Definitely darkening too.
Your hair looks a LOT healthier now! Is there anything else that you’ve changed to account for the change from looking dry previously vs now? It’s a big difference. My hair is more dry like your before photo, despite efforts to change it.
Would be useful if you try to duplicate the angle from above you used in your before photo of the front of your hair for a more apples-apples compare. The difference on the crown is substantial.
May I ask some questions about your topical technique: How do you spread the tonic around? Do you try to cover all areas or just the parts that most need it? Do you microneedle? Is the darkening an immediate staining and if so does it darken your skin or only your hair? Any experimentation on facial hair or eyebrows?
Sorry for so many questions, but its so amazing what you’ve accomplished!.
Dying sucks wrote. Your hair looks a LOT healthier now! Is there anything else that you’ve changed to account for the change from looking dry previously vs now? It’s a big difference. My hair is more dry .
Yes, as funny as the mixture now looks "chocolaty "with the EGCG green tea and Resveratrol.
It really has enhanced my hair… gives a light brown glaze… tone… to my silver hair and deepens my non-gray hair., silky… stronger… my scalp less dry… and no longer itchy. The tonic without the EGCG green tea and Resveratrol dried my hair and scalp a bit.
I only put it directly on the areas needing growth front middle to back. Using the a plastic eye dropper to apply… about 3 dropper full…per treatment. I brush through with a soft rubber tipped brush… vigorously across my scalp. Then comb in all directions with a fine tooth comb… so it spreads evenly across my whole head of hair.
Then dry with a n old towel… it will pick up the brown ; hence, an old towel. . Then comb and part. Done. The richness and color is very natural… nobody thinks it is colored… more glazed… enhanced… still my hair color.
It doesn’t stain my skin… as sometimes it dribbles onto my forehead and I wipe it off. Have only used on my head. Lol.
“Now using alpha keto glutarate at 30mg/cc on hair which seems to result in a more robust thickening and more numerous colored hair than I saw with the rapamycin.”’
“This is why I chose to change to alpha keto glutarate topical for scalp hair because it is a pure autophagy inducer and seems to rapidly induce follicular anagen phase better than the rapamycin.”
(BTW, this opinion was posted about a year ago by the physician who, from what I can tell, started the do-it-yourself topical rapamycin movement.)
Nice results. The Minoxidil is making it difficult to draw any conclusions about Rapa’s effectiveness. Minoxidil can result in such a restoration of hair growth in males. Sorry if I missed it, but you started the Minoxidil at the same time as the Rapamycin cream?
Sorry if you mentioned but how often do you undertake this? There aren’t any known negative effects DMSO could potentially have on hair (roots)?
Does the DMSO-mixture make the hair (roots) oily, if I can ask? My hair is waist length so I try to get away with washing it not often, but if I apply a substance that makes the scalp oily, that won’t work.
I may give this a try just massaging it into the scalp with my fingertips.
I will use some DMSO to dissolve the Rapa, and add distilled water. DMSO has some antimicrobial activities, but at a low percentage you’d expect a preservative should be added to this mixture?
As to the member that added Rapa to Aquaphor (sorry don’t remember who did), I thought Rapa only has a decent solubility in ethanol and (less so) in DMSO. I didn’t read that you first dissolved the Rapa in DMSO, but correct me if I missed that. Are you sure the Rapa gets dissolved properly in the Aquaphor?
Yes, I completely understand. The rapamycin is dissolved by odorless DMSO which also helps permeates the scalp. The 5% Minoxidil is added to dilute the DMSO which can also burn the scalp if it is more then 20% of the solution.
Certainly, the combination of hair topical treatment and 5mg Minoxidil oral treatment makes for a challenge - I guess my attitude is do what works and the combination is providing me results for me. Just sharing my journey and experimentations which leaves others to at least see options and choose what they want to try. The growth is there and and that’s what I want.
Continuing with your inquires SASH. I use my tonic at night as I am going to bed and after my shower in the morning for the work day. No scalp issues or root damage for the rest of my head of hair which is actually fairly thick, The topical mix does seem to heal any scalp eruptions - not create them.
The solution became more nourishing to the scalp and hair after adding the EGCG green tea and Resveratrol. So it might darken your hair. It washes out but over time could make a permanent stain to your hair. I actually like it. It looks richer and feels healthier to the touch.
So you can use the original mix minus the EGCG green tea and Resveratrol.
Thanks so much for sharing, Agetron! I may give the Rapa + DMSO mixture a try once I have some time available to prepare it. I have dark hair so I don’t think stains would show up and the green tea/resveratrol combo sounds nice also
Your results are looking very good thus far: if you only started Minodoxil a few months ago you will likely see further improvements. On Reddit lots of guys combine Minoxidil with microneedling (there are many pictures with remarkable results). But microneedling the scalp must be quite a hassle.
Another interesting article, focused on oral minoxidil, but with some additional information:
For example, Bauman himself swears by a recipe called Formula 82M, which is a topical combination of tretinoin (a retinol), fluocinolone (a corticosteroid), minoxidil, and finasteride. He’s been prescribing it in his clinic to what he says are astounding results for nearly two decades without FDA approval.
also…
One more thing to know: An oral ingestion of minoxidil can cause thicker, darker hair growth all around the entire body; it’s not like the drug knows just to target the top of your head. On one hand, maybe you can finally grow a real beard (which Bauman says he has witnessed in some patients), but on the other, maybe you need to dust off your body grooming skills.
Read the full article:
“Formula 82M” is a quick-dry alternative to over-the-counter minoxidil Rogaine solution or foam that doesn’t leave a thick greasy residue. 82M is a customized compounded prescription solution that contains the FDA-approved hair growth medication Minoxidil 5%, Tretinoin 0.01% for enhanced penetration and hair growth effect, the anti-inflammatory Fluocinolone 0.01%, an organic anti-androgen Oleanolic Acid and a sophisticated blend of powerful antioxidants, scalp conditioners and hair conditioners in a non-irritating propylene glycol-free base.
Formula 82M - Compounded Minoxidil Formula - 3 Month Supply, $261.00
Another compound that looks interesting, and which is cheap and available generic:
Topical valproic acid increases the hair count in male patients with androgenetic alopecia: A randomized, comparative, clinical feasibility study using phototrichogram analysis
