From the above posted study.
“The unforeseen finding that supplementation of a metabolite α-ketobutyrate (α-KB) in old mice can increase longevity and prevent alopecia (Huang et al., 2016) suggests that rejuvenating aging or aging associated deficiencies may restore hair follicle stem cell function and hair growth in skin.”
The “Huang et al., 2016” reference is;
“Ketobutyrate compounds and compositions for treating age-related symptoms and diseases”
“Rapamycin, metformin, and alpha KG induce hair growth in mice, via autophagy induction.”
I have been taking rapamycin for 7 months, metformin for years, and Alpha KG for 4 months.
And unfortunately, the billiard ball continues to shine.
That was my dilemma – what was readily available (not a cream - like topical rapamycin) to make the powdered rapamycin pills soluble. Minoxidil seemed the perfect answer - each substance performs a different function on the follicle root. minoxidil treatment is a vasodilator, it widens the blood vessels to deliver more oxygen-rich blood to the hair follicles and also helps increase the size of hair follicles, which promotes the growth of thicker, stronger hairs. Rapamycin can stimulate to initiate anagen
and hair growth by small molecules that activate
autophagy. My thought - why not use both in tandem?
One is proven in clinical trials, the other is not. You don’t know which of your cocktail ingredients is responsible for the outcome. Not taking anything away from the result, just the science of causation.
Exactly… my goal …to regrow… and keep thicker hair as long as possible. My hypothesis seems to be working.
I should have mentioned my past experience with minoxidol was pretty meh. For me Rapamycin seems to have kicked it up a notch. Phenotype… blood type all can give some a better result than others doing the exact same thing. Only 1 month in… let’s see what 3 months look like. Two more to go!
I will let the researchers figure out the details.
FWIW…
Agetron, dissolve the rapamycin in the DMSO first, then reduce to 50 to 70%{this is the best absorption % through the skin] Higher % of DMSO on skin is not absorbed well and on most people will burn/irritate are.
Rapamycin dissolves in DMSO at 200g per ml
“The solubility of rapamycin in 50/50 DMSO/water, as used in osmotic pumps, is about 0.5 mg/mL at ambient temperature.”
Rapamycin does not dissolve in water very well.
A PDF copy of the book titled;
"Dimethyl Sulfoxide (DMSO) in Trauma and Disease” by Stanley Jacobs is posted on this thread;
My concern with mixing with rogaine is that rhe purpose of the rogaine solution is to penetrate to the follicle, at the dermis. So i assume this translates to systemic absorption. So wouldnt that also mean you are dosing rapamycin daily via your rapa/rogaine mixture? And do you think that could be an issue ?
In the study they did of topical rapamycin cream (paper linked to in the first post in this thread) they tested, and found no systemic absorption of the rapamycin/transcutol/skin cream mixture - so I think that system absorption of rapamycin when topically applied anywhere on the body is probably not an issue.
I think the amount being absorbed is highly diluted (4 mg in 3 fluid ounces) spread out use over a period of weeks, is somewhat like the topical cream on the face. In clinical trials rapa doesn’t absorb much deeper than intital surface… does not show up in any significant amount in the actual body system.
That is correct, search the forum, there is a paper refence to exactly this study. No systemic absorption.
So my odorless DMSO arrived today
Mixed with 70% of minoxidil 5%… in a glass bottle.
Will use tonight. Thanks Joseph… here’s to continued hair regrowth.
I love it… we’re all starting our very own home-based compounding pharmacies 
We have a Skunk Works!
EXACTLY!!
skunkworks is a group of people who, in order to achieve unusual results, work on a project in a way that is outside the usual rules. A skunkworks is often a small team that assumes or is given responsibility for developing something in a short time with minimal management constraints. Typically, a skunkworks has a small number of members in order to reduce communications overhead. A skunkworks is sometimes used to spearhead a product design that thereafter will be developed according to the usual process. A skunkworks project may be secret.
The above was my update… lol…noticeably thicker after showering… drying… and it is coming in black.
Going to mimic your process, but adding topical finasteride as well, will report back on the results, thanks for sharing.
FYI… Dimethyl Sulfoxide (DMSO) can burn so use just enough to dissolve the 4mg rapamycin… so ratio in bottle is 20% DMSO/rapamycin solution. Add 80% Minoxidol 5%.
Definitely you will feel it if it trickels onto your forehead or down side of face. Lol.
