Effects of High-Dose Minoxidil
What about the dose of minoxidil?
As for the effects of topical minoxidil, a 15% minoxidil lotion worked better than a 2-5% minoxidil solution in many men and women according to the author’s clinical experiences.
Even in patients, whose hair did not become thick after using low or standard concentration topical minoxidil, hair became thicker with a high concentration minoxidil lotion.
This means that a high concentration topical minoxidil solution will increase hair thickness better than a low concentration minoxidil lotion in many patients including women.
Thickened body hair can be removed easily by laser hair removal, for example. Thickening of scalp hair is more important than body hair in many women in the author’s opinion.
High concentration of topical minoxidil can possibly have the side effects of irritation and inflammation of dermatitis on the scalp, but it can easily be treated by a dermatologist.
Topical minoxidil usually does not develop unfavorable systemic side effects as long as oral intake of minoxidil tablets is avoided.
As for the concentration, for example, a 5% topical minoxidil solution of 3mL may be safer than 1mL of 15% topical minoxidil with a low likelihood of contact dermatitis in the author’s opinion.
Topical minoxidil is much safer than oral minoxidil anyway.
As for oral minoxidil, a larger-dose of oral minoxidil sometimes makes hair thicker than low-dose oral minoxidil. However, the author does not recommend taking high doses oral minoxidil.
Minoxidil does not work in a dose-dependent manner.
It means that large doses of minoxidil does not always guarantee better results with denser hair, although high doses oral minoxidil increases the risk of side effects.
As for topical use, the side effects caused by high concentration minoxidil lotion will not be serious. They include dermatitis on the scalp and body hair thickening.
With regard to oral use, however, a larger does oral minoxidil may increase the risk of serious systemic side effects such as cardiac diseases, which should be avoided.
Oral minoxidil should be used in the lowest dose to avoid undesirable side effects in the author’s opinion.
Effects of High-Dose Finasteride and Minoxidil in Non-Responders
Individual Differences
There are individual differences in the efficacy of all drugs.
Some medicine may work better than the others in some specific patients, but the same drug may not work effectively in other patients.
There are individual differences in the effectiveness of hair growth medicine, too.
Differences in the effects of finasteride and minoxidil can result from individual differences in SRD5A2 and SULT1A1 genes.
Even if you did not notice any increase in hair thickness with the standard dose of hair regrowth medicine, you do not have to be disappointed.
The increase in hair density may not be noticeable in some people, if the degree of increase in density is small. However, hair thickness can be maintained in such patients by continuing medical treatment. It may suggest that such people may also be responders to the treatment.
The number of true non-responders is not so high.
In any case, many people will react to high doses of hair regrowth drugs to some extent.
The hair thickness may not increase in the long run, but it can be expected that existing hair thickness will be maintained as long as the hair regrowth drug is continued.
Maintaining the thickness of existing hair is the ultimate goal of hair regrowth treatment.
Long-Term Effects of Hair Growth Medicine
Finasteride, Dutasteride and Minoxidil
A GREREN LINE:
The maximum increase in the hair thickness can usually be achieved after 1-2 years of medical treatment with hair growth medicine.
The effect of the drugs will be maintained thereafter as long as the drugs are continued, although it may be inevitable that some hair thinning will progress due to aging. (a green line)
A BLUE LINE:
As for dosage of hair growth medicine, a larger dosage is more effective than a low dose, in general. (a blue line)
People are happy when the hair thickness increases by using more doses of hair regrowth medicine.
Approximately 40% of non-responders to standard doses of hair regrowth medicine may be able to enjoy an increase in hair thickness with more doses of the drug.
However, it is only a story during the first year or two.
Medical treatment will not keep your hair thickness increasing indefinitely.
After that, the effect of the drug peaks out, and the increase in hair thickness changes to the maintenance stage, although the hair thickness decreases slightly with age.
A YELLOW LINE:
If people do not use any hair regrowth medicine, hair becomes thinner with age and also with the natural progression of androgenetic alopecia. (a yellow line)
No one can stop the natural progression of thinning hair, but it can be slowed by continuing with the drugs. It is the role of hair regrowth medicine.
