I'm starting a journey to get minoxidil related lost hair back, because I couldn’t find one on reddit.
To begin with, everyone here should watch the movie "The Substance".
First two pictures are without minoxidil. We have no history of AGA in family.
Why did I take it? Everywhere I found a favorable review, some influencers went to the distance to say it can be taken even if you don't have male pattern baldness. I cared so much about my hair, and I'm also terrified of age related balding so I tried to give it the best. Saw some mild hair loss in the temple, look at the top left corner of the first picture, which was actually due to tight hair tie. Got freaked and jumped to get minoxidil. It is available non prescribed in India.
And yes, I still ask myself this question every day. Why did I take it?
Literally the top of my hair went to nothing but a cowlick in a flash. Terrible headaches. Scalp dermatitis. Puffy face. Had to trim some hair to hide the scar, nothing worked. Stopped it at less than 3 weeks and shaved head. Side effects were so severe and I literally can't risk having minox dependent hair. Shedding nearly stopped after a few days but scar remained and which is even worse, my hair remained damn dry and frizzy, like it got shocked with electric. Shaved head. I was devastated. I never shaved my head in my life. I look like a monster.
I still keep telling myself at night, " Can I just have how it was?" and it doesn’t.
However, when I came to this thread, I saw countless people dealing with this pain, where they literally spent their own money to ruin their own beautiful hair. There are people who took it for 3 months, 6 months, even 1.5 years and those poor souls lost a lot more than they gained. Which is worse, every day for 1.5 years they thought maybe they would get their old hair back and they never did. I'm a man, but the women who lost so much time, hope and money for it, I can't feel anything but enormous empathy for them. Sadly I couldn’t find a post where people regained their hair after quitting minoxidil.
So for them, I will start a journey.
For the next 6 months, I will follow some hair routine and show you my progress in every two weeks. If it works, I will share my routine with you and you can follow it. If it doesn’t, I will accept defeat and live with whatever I get. We are human, we make mistakes. I will inspire some people, or I will let you know that nothing works and you need to live with it.
For the people who didn’t start minoxidil, don't unless you have it prescribed by a renowned dermatologist himself. It is for AGA, don't start it for telogen effluvium or tight buns. This is for bald people and this makes you one among the bald people. IT IS NOT A BEAUTY PRODUCT AND DON'T LET THE INFLUENCERS FOOL YOU!
I will come back in two weeks. Stay strong everyone.
To end with, everyone should watch the movie "The Substance". I'm living it.