Opening note: this website is basically focused upon discussing my pain, but I think this Minoxidil stuff is sort of fun and interesting, so I’m including it here. In addition to the x2 daily Minoxidil, I’m also taking 4ml of castor oil every night. And, I’ve micro-needled my scalp about every 4 weeks. I want to change that to once a week.
August 17, 2021
So, today as I dripped that purportedly magical minoxidil elixir onto my crown, I thought, “So, this is how it’s going to be for the rest of my life now. Every morning and evening I’ll be squeezing the Rogaine dropper above my crown.”
Now, to a somewhat dysfunctional, commitment-avoidant guy like myself…well, that’s quite a commitment! And, a bit of an expense also: but, at this stage of my life, the cost isn’t an issue. I see you can get the stuff over at Costco—Kirkland brand—for a relatively painless price. It’s like 50 bucks for a 6 month supply. So, yes, I can afford $100 a year.
For me, the bigger hesitation, as mentioned, was the commitment. I knew that once I started I’d have to do this twice a day for the rest of my life. So, I put it off…
But, after I shower and I’m combing my wet hair…wow, does the top of my scalp ever look thin! Truth is, my crown is thin: balding! My crown is balding, and I’d rather not have it balding. Here’s a picture of my crown with wet hair.
When my hair is wet, the bald spot is more obvious
And, it doesn’t look very good when my hair’s dry either. See picture below:
Wet or dry, a bald and balding crown just doesn’t look that great!
So, I’ll post photos and updates here. It should be interesting to see if this stuff works and to see progress pics. The reports about Minoxidil are quite good. If you can trust reviews on Costco’s website, here are a few:
Been using for 4 months, lots of new growth. After the 1st month, hair started looking thicker, I use this instead of a mouse or styling gel. Within 21/2 months myself and hair dresser started seeing some new growth. Now at 4 months, the new hair is about 1/4″ long.
I started getting a very noticeable bald spot on the crown of my head, It went from kind of thin, to clearly showing scalp. I didn’t want it to get any worse, so I purchased this product. 2 Months later, my wife was trying to figure out where the bald spot was. Once my spot appeared to be covered, I got lazy and started only applying this stuff in the morning, skipping the nighttime dose. That was a mistake because that bald spot starting showing itself again. If you get this, you have to follow the morning-evening directions. Make sure at night that you do it way before you plan on laying down in bed, otherwise the fresh chemical will get on your pillow.
The review above raises an interesting point about the nighttime application timing vis a vis getting it on the pillow.
I have been using this since approximately 2/25/18. My wife applies this morning and night. I do have significant hair growth at the top of my head. The hair is still of the ‘vellus’ type, but I am hopeful it will turn into the normal thick type. My wife is happy. I am 58 years old. I hope that over the next few months the hair density will continue to increase. My bald spot is much less apparent.
I have been using this product for the past 9 months and noticed considerable grown in my crown area. While there’s still a thin spot, it’s no where near the size it once was.
Advice to new users would be to commit to 9-12 months from the start, use 2x per day as recommended and don’t expect instant changes. I put on right out of the shower I’m the mornings and again after dinner once we are settled in for the night. Foam dries quickly and you can brush out the crunchiness after about 30 minutes.
Take a pic of your thin area on day 1,90,180 and 270 to use for assessment of how well the product is working for you. I wanted immediate results and was bummed out when I didn’t see them in the first couple of months.
Yes, I like the idea about progress pictures. I’d say, for me, that would be a must.
I have been using Minoxidil in one form or another for over 35 years. I was one of the original test group during the process for approved by the FDA. I am now 82 years old and I can tell you the product works for me.
However, I have much better results with the liquid form and I sincerely hope Costco brings it back soon!!!!
So, for what it’s worth, those are some reviews from the Costco website of their Kirkland minoxidil.
They say that it doesn’t work great for a receding hairline, and I have a little bit of that too. But, for whatever reason, it stopped receding like ten years ago. Some call this a “mature hairline” but I know there seems to be some controversy about this.
And, this is now part of my daily routine. After the morning shower, drip a little Rogaine on the cabeza. And, likewise at night. I don’t know if I’ll transition to the foam. It seems less messy, but many say that it doesn’t work as well.
August 17, 2021 is my minoxidil birthday. Let’s see how things look around Thanksgiving. Do you think there will be a positive change that’s visible at the point?
Table of Contents
Minoxodil pics 9 days later
August 26, 2021
I’m sure it’s too early to see results but just for fun…here are some progress pics after using Minoxodil twice a day for the last nine days.
wet hair 9 days into Minoxidil treatment
dry hair 9 days into Minoxidil treatment
Minoxidil pics 9 Weeks later
October 23, 2021
Okay, I’m back with a Minoxidil picture update. I’ve been applying—as they suggest—twice a day for the past nine weeks. I ran out of the Rogaine brand I had so I purchased a 6 month supply of Kirkland’s, which is much cheaper. Damn cheap at Costco. And, I read that it’s all the same. So, let’s put in a couple of pictures and see if we can conclude anything. I’m not a pro photographer or anything, as you’ll see.
Damp hair here – My male pattern baldenss after 9 weeks on Rogaine – progress picture
So, I need to try to keep the picture conditions the same between updates. But, with that said, you can see a difference, can’t you? I don’t think it’s my imagination. It does appear more filled-in with hair. I’ll take some more pictures.
About 3 months Minoxidil results
November 12, 2021
Okay, it’s been about 3 months that I’ve been applying Minoxidil twice a day. And, I’ve also microneedled a few times. I should have microneedled a lot more, but…I don’t know…
Anyway, the first pic shows my scalp vertex completely wet with Minoxidil: slicked-down. The second pic is my hair dry.
3 months Minoxidil usage hair wet
3 months Minoxidil usage hair dry
Do you see any progress? I know I’m not like a pro photographer or anything….Here’s the very same picture as the one directly above: but, I just made it darker to better see the bald spot:
3 months treatment darker
1 Year of use Minoxidil update
Okay, so it’s been just about a year since I started using Minoxidil twice a day. I’ve been faithful to that.
The other hair-growth things that I regularly do are as follows:
1. microneedle scalp every Sunday
2. Use the Nizoral shampoo five times a week
3. A tablespoon of castor oil every day.
Okay, so here are two update pics of what the bald spot on my crown is looking like this morning:
Crown of head after one year of Minoxidil use
Crown of head after one year of Minoxidil use
Please look at all the progress pics in the post starting at the beginning. What do you think? I feel like the thinning spot is smaller and my hair is all around thicker and better. I feel like it was worth it. And, there’s also not really anyway for me to know how much further the baldspot would have progressed without use of the Minoxidil.
How much of this perceived success should I attribute to the microneedling? How much to the castor oil? How much to Nizoral?
I don’t know. And, I don’t really care. I’ll keep on doing all those things because there’s really no down side to it. I also use Just For Men dye once every four months or so. I’m very damn happy with the results that gives also.