Over the last little bit, I've posted here and there in a few different topics about my Minoxidil experiments.
Straight up? I was extremely disappointed with my facial hair growth at 1yr and 9m in. It was the one thing that I was sure would come in fastest (stupid) and, when I was left with BS, ended up disappointed.
Yes, I know these things take time and whatnot. I also know that I'm 15-16 hormonally speaking but I'm really thirty.
Aint nobody got time fo dat.
After looking through some of the testimonies from guys and weighing out the side effect risk, I decided to throw caution to the wind and go for it.
I started almost a month ago now and plan on documenting my progress with pictures every couple of weeks. Honestly, I'm shocked at how many changes have already occurred considering I got very, very piddly with applying it (sometimes once a day, sometimes not at all) for two out of those 3 1/2 weeks due to being on vacation.
The ones on the left are the pictures I just took a few minutes ago and all the images on the right were taken 3 1/2 weeks ago.
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The next two were taken indoors to show the crazy amount of vellus hair that's been popping up.
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I have seen significant improvement already both in the density of what was already present and the appearance of new hair. So far, I'm happy with the gains and plan on continuing for at least a year if not a little longer.
Looking good, man. Live out those beard dreams.
I've had some pretty crazy growth happening on my cheeks in the last two weeks. Actually, I've had pretty crazy growth all around.
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I feel like I may actually have something respectable soon, maybe? I'm pretty stoked for six months from now at this pace.
How long do you leave it on for? I'm over a year in now and pretty disappointed with my beard growth too. My sideburns and a goatee are just starting to fill in more since I had my dose increased but there's not much to show for it yet. I guess I could wait but I'm impatient. I was thinking about applying it while I'm at work for 8 or 9 hours then washing my face before I get home. I don't have a problem with the side effects, the only issue I have is that minoxidil is apparently really toxic to cats and I wouldn't want to risk using it at home since my cat sleeps right next to me on my pillow and licks my face to wake me up sometimes. I don't want to accidentally poison him just because I couldn't wait for my stupid beard to grow. Do you think it would work to apply it at work then wash it off before I left?
Minoxidil is famous for velvety baby soft hair. If you really want to grow a beard, then Testosterone is what you need. There is no substitute for Testosterone for all the manly characteristics.
Quote from: Contravene on October 01, 2017, 04:45:03 PM
How long do you leave it on for? I'm over a year in now and pretty disappointed with my beard growth too. My sideburns and a goatee are just starting to fill in more since I had my dose increased but there's not much to show for it yet. I guess I could wait but I'm impatient. I was thinking about applying it while I'm at work for 8 or 9 hours then washing my face before I get home. I don't have a problem with the side effects, the only issue I have is that minoxidil is apparently really toxic to cats and I wouldn't want to risk using it at home since my cat sleeps right next to me on my pillow and licks my face to wake me up sometimes. I don't want to accidentally poison him just because I couldn't wait for my stupid beard to grow. Do you think it would work to apply it at work then wash it off before I left?
You're supposed to leave it on for at least four hours but you can leave it on much longer. I like to wake up, shower and apply it then go on about my day. At night, I wash my face and apply it right after. If you do choose to go on it, I
HIGHLY recommend the foam version.
As far as your cat is concerned, I'd do what you said and apply it in the morning and then thoroughly wash it off before going to bed. Honestly, if you're really concerned, you could wash it off after four hours just to be on the ultra safe side. I have two cats but they're not allowed in our bedroom so I never really had to think about that part of it.
Quote from: Dani on October 01, 2017, 10:18:53 PM
Minoxidil is famous for velvety baby soft hair. If you really want to grow a beard, then Testosterone is what you need. There is no substitute for Testosterone for all the manly characteristics.
Yep, thanks. Already on testosterone.
Another two weeks, another update. Cheeks have continued to fill in and the hair around my chinstrap has became a lot thicker and more coarse. Again, I've been very pleased with the results so far and haven't experienced any side-effects thankfully.
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You're looking great dude. Glad to see minox is going really well for you.
Quote from: TransAm on October 01, 2017, 10:42:35 PM
You're supposed to leave it on for at least four hours but you can leave it on much longer. I like to wake up, shower and apply it then go on about my day. At night, I wash my face and apply it right after. If you do choose to go on it, I HIGHLY recommend the foam version.
As far as your cat is concerned, I'd do what you said and apply it in the morning and then thoroughly wash it off before going to bed. Honestly, if you're really concerned, you could wash it off after four hours just to be on the ultra safe side. I have two cats but they're not allowed in our bedroom so I never really had to think about that part of it.
Thanks, I'm going to give the foam a try soon. Your beard's looking great!
Thanks, guys! I'd be lying if I said I wasn't excited.
I almost wonder if my issue was the fact I've always seemed to get **** blood flow to my face? I was always one of those guys that would go outside in winter and my face would feel like solid ice (even though I wasn't personally cold) for a good 30 minutes after going inside somewhere warm.
Regardless, I'm just glad it's working.
Just another two week update.
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A lot of vellus hair has appeared in my soul patch region (the weakest area by far) which is hopeful. Still consistently applying twice a day and nothing else has been added to my routine though I've contemplated using a derma-roller.
It's crazy to see how quick it's growing. Ive been meaning to buy it but I'm out of work at the moment so have been putting it off because it's a bit pricey but seeing your results makes me want to order some now. You look great!
I'm always curious to see how minoxidil's working for other dudes out there! I owe it to probably a good 50% of my beard gainz, give or take; I used it for like 16 months and am mostly finished with it now. It looks like it's working some real magic on you too, I'll be curious to see how things go for you, even further down the road!
Did you try the derma roller?
I got some of this minoxidil and have been using it for a few days now. Not hopeful it will work miracles or anything but at 1 year in I really ought to have more growth than I do.
Once you start on minoxidil, do you have to use it the rest of your life? What happens when you stop using it?
Ryuichi
Sent from my SM-G930P using Tapatalk
Quote from: Ryuichi13 on October 27, 2017, 03:55:06 AM
Once you start on minoxidil, do you have to use it the rest of your life? What happens when you stop using it?
Ryuichi
Sent from my SM-G930P using Tapatalk
For beards, once the hair is terminal it will stay terminal. You might lose a bit of volume and the texture might change but you won't lose hair. I'm planning to stop using it after about 12 months (currently at 6) depending on where my beard growth is at.
Quote from: Oblivion on October 19, 2017, 09:00:40 PM
It's crazy to see how quick it's growing. Ive been meaning to buy it but I'm out of work at the moment so have been putting it off because it's a bit pricey but seeing your results makes me want to order some now. You look great!
Thanks, man! It's definitely been crazy. I wasn't expecting too much until 2-3 months of usage so this is pretty thrilling.
Quote from: AndrewB on October 21, 2017, 12:23:20 AM
I'm always curious to see how minoxidil's working for other dudes out there! I owe it to probably a good 50% of my beard gainz, give or take; I used it for like 16 months and am mostly finished with it now. It looks like it's working some real magic on you too, I'll be curious to see how things go for you, even further down the road!
Dude.... your beard is super dense and looks amazing. 16 months sounds like a good goal; when I started, a year seemed reasonable but I may extend it somewhat based on the results.
Quote from: Viktor on October 26, 2017, 08:16:34 PM
Did you try the derma roller?
I got some of this minoxidil and have been using it for a few days now. Not hopeful it will work miracles or anything but at 1 year in I really ought to have more growth than I do.
Nah, not yet. I keep meaning to pick one up but life is getting in the way (lots of projects going on at once). That's pretty much how I felt starting it, too, but so far it's boosted my confidence tenfold.
Quote from: Ryuichi13 on October 27, 2017, 03:55:06 AM
Once you start on minoxidil, do you have to use it the rest of your life? What happens when you stop using it?
Ryuichi
X2 what Jagfel said. Just to add slightly:
Hair falling out is certainly a myth that can be contributed to hair loss on the scalp when stopping minoxidil. When one starts balding due to genetics, they are actively balding for the rest of their lives; minoxidil does not reverse or stop this process, it simply forces hair to grow and maintains that growing hair. When stopping MXD, the person then balds as much as they would have had they never even used minoxidil. Comparing head hair with androgenic hair is a very bad correlation to make as they are not the same thing other than the fact that they're both labeled as hair.A lot of guys take it longer than a year depending on where they're at but I've never heard of anyone going past 2 years. It sounds like a long time but it passes quickly (at least it has for me so far) and the routine is as quick and easy as washing your face.
One important thing to note is that you do have to continue using it until the hairs have reached a terminal phase. You
will not lose the hair you had prior to starting it but you may lose any gains you've seen that haven't reached maturation should you stop early.
A little over two weeks, but I've been ridiculously busy. I took some images both outside and inside this go around as well as some distance shots to show how it looks from further away.
The area under my chin is extremely dense and I've trimmed significantly three times since posting last. The hair seems to be coming in a lot quicker than it used to. I figure I'll keep it about this length (especially along the jawline) until the cheeks, upper chin and soul patch area catch up.
(https://www.susans.org/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi63.tinypic.com%2F246kylw.jpg&hash=093fc34b69243bd1b8104fff617e1c64f1d72241)
I've been using 5% Minox for nearly 3 weeks at this point and yep, it seems to have sped up the process of producing thick terminal hairs by about about 500%. That's excellent. I'll continue using it until it's completed the terminal process I think.
Quote from: Viktor on November 16, 2017, 06:20:03 AM
I've been using 5% Minox for nearly 3 weeks at this point and yep, it seems to have sped up the process of producing thick terminal hairs by about about 500%. That's excellent. I'll continue using it until it's completed the terminal process I think.
Sweet, dude, I'm really happy it's working for you. Make sure to take random pictures every couple of weeks or so. You'll be blown away by the progress (even during those lulls when it seems like nothing's happening).
I haven't updated in a while so I thought I'd slap some pictures up. It's still going well despite being very spotty about my application techniques for the last month. The right side is somewhat annoying in that it's coming in semi-swirly; I'm hoping that as the beard matures in size and texture that it will eventually correct itself. The left side is much more tame.
I'm still trimming regularly and I've finally started seeing a lot of vellus hairs and some darker growth popping up on my upper chin and soul patch region.
(https://www.susans.org/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi66.tinypic.com%2F339k1f8.jpg&hash=7d768e1a62d948f7351b5b46098b983b53e280c5)
jeez, that thing works.
i wanted to start using it, too, but i am afraid of side effects.
I had some skin issues lately (before starting T, i am at 3,5 months ATM). My face skin is sooo dry it cracks, i suffered from pickling for months, and i heard minox can worsen it. I want my beard but i don't want to ruin my face with some medical stuff.
It does. Looks awesome dude. I'm using it as well, it works.
I had dry skin as a result of them mistakenly lowering my dose of T for a few months, it's gone when the dose was put up again, but the minox actually helped it. It stings, but it improved circulation, which is sometimes part of the reason for dry skin. But I think it was mainly caused by the lack of T in my case.
I just bought the foam this week and I put about a ping pong sized ball in my fingers and then put it on my face. The problem is that it burns extremely bad. Did you have this problem and did it lessen the more you used it?
It stings for a few seconds, that's it... probably because of the carrier compounds. If it hurts continuously you might be allergic to it.
It is only for those few seconds, but those few seconds suck.
No worse than aftershave, at least.
The stinging bit starts to go away after a while for the most part. After using it for several months, it pretty much feels like putting water on my face at this point.
The liquid version, for me anyway, stung like that for 30+ minutes after every single application. I'm sure that lessens with time as well, but.... 0/10 would not do again.
If I remember, I'll post some more shots later today. I ended up getting a good quality boar bristle brush, beard oil/shampoo and trimming a lot to shape it up. The whole thing is looking much more cohesive, tame and just more wearable in general now. Though it's still nowhere near as full or dense as I ultimately want it to be, I finally feel comfortable with saying I have a beard now.
That looks awesome.
I´m in the same boat as you, 30 and a patchy beard, progress: extremely slow.
Can´t wait to start and see where the Minoxidil takes me.
did any of you face neuritis while on Minox? i am getting swollen on one side of my face and i got neuritis. can this be related to minox? (yes, i am already seeing a neurologist on wednesday ;) i am not here to search for medical advice)
Quote from: rorythedinosaur on February 23, 2018, 09:54:50 AM
did any of you face neuritis while on Minox? i am getting swollen on one side of my face and i got neuritis. can this be related to minox? (yes, i am already seeing a neurologist on wednesday ;) i am not here to search for medical advice)
A google search suggest it can be. The articles were from the NIH, so are generally pretty reliable.
Quote from: Pao on March 11, 2018, 05:16:48 AM
A google search suggest it can be. The articles were from the NIH, so are generally pretty reliable.
i stopped since i feared it was because of minoxidil. Neurologist made me do a MRI which tested negative. I nevertheless decided not to go on with it. So i took it for nearly 35 days before going off (forever, probably). My "gains" in terms of facial hair did not go away though. I am now cutting the hair which grew while on Minox, and it continues to come back. It grows slowly, but it does.
I reckon I found L-Lysine blocks the action of minoxidil. Been taking some L-Lysine during my healing up after top and for skin health in general and I noticed it caused a bit of regression in the beard. Patchiness where there was none before.
I checked it out and found L-Lysine is a DHT inhibitor. So while it might screw up one's beard adventures it might also prevent hair loss on the head as well. Good to know, I guess. I'm gonna cut down my intake and keep up the minox until I can "terminate" the whole beard... currently it's at about 75% coverage.
I think those are pretty great results for minox alone