Hey Friendly Forum,

I have a question. I am a little over 2 weeks post 3rd HT and I have been using Rogaine for about a week now. This is my 1st experience with Rogaine and I decided to try it this time after i read about Shock Loss. Now, I didn't even know about shock loss at the time of my last 2 HT's (once again, thank goodness for education & this site!!) So i don't really remember if I had it or not, and that being the case, I imagine if it did occur, it must not have been that bad given how hyper-attentive we all are post surgery, right?

So anyways, I have been using Rogaine for about a week (i'me continuing propecia which I've been on for about 6 years). And I am really interested in your opinion as to whether it is worth it or not. To be honest, I don't like it. I feel it makes my scalp goopy & itchy. I also have noticed a change in the texture of my hair. Before I begin Rogaine my hair was full, smooth, and soft. Now it seems more frizzy and dry even though I have returned to using the same shampoo & conditioner that I used pre HT and was extrememly happy with.

(Which reminds me. I highly reccommend Mane, Tail, & Body Shampoo & Conditioner. It was originally created for horses but a top female model friend of mine put me on to it and it's great. And cheap and available at CVS, Brooks, etc for about $7 each for a huge bottle).

But I digress... My schedule only really allows me to apply Rogaine once a day (as opposed to the reccommended 2x). So my question for my forum friends is: Is Rogaine really worth it? I mean I'd def. continue to use it if y'all had good experience and recommend I should.

And I understand that everyone's experience is different blah, blah, blah, and I should do whatever I feel most comfortable with yada, yada, yada, but I mean I gotta be honest, I mean HT isn't exactly the most comfortable experience but the results justify the means I just am hoping to hear your guys' personal experience and opinions on the whole Rogaine after the HT thang!!!!!

Thanks Again & I can't to wait to hear from everyone!!!!

I choose not to use it, I read some posts of people who stopped and the hair fell out fast. I didnt want to commit my life to that regiment. I am on propecia and thats easy so I choose to do that.

I agree with Troy

it's a mission ( greasy, etc) and you must do it for life. I'd rather get some HT grafts put there and not worry

I used the Rogaine after my first procedure. I was an early sprouter too (around 2.5 months). My understanding is that it will give us early results, and can be discontinued after 3 months.
I just started it yesterday (15 days after my second procedure), and plan to use it at least until the new hairs sprout once again for three months or so. My opinion - it's worth the aggravation...

I chose not to use it. In the long run the same amount of hair will sprout. So, because of some negative press about it, I decided just to wait it out.

Yep, same for me. I don't like that stuff, it is messy and I have serious doubts on its usefulness post HT.

Hairworthy,

Best wishes for your second procedure! I see that you are going to Dr. Epstein for your upcoming second procedure. I've done both of my procedures with him (the second was 1-9-06). Anyway, you should be aware that he recommends using 5% minoxidil starting on the day after sutures are removed. My advice would be to discuss this with him before deciding against using it on your own. I've had good results with the stuff myself.

Like Doc Patient, I also started using 5% minoxidil a couple of weeks after my procedure. I too was an "early sprouter." The hair started coming in around 2.5 months. I still use 5% minoxidil along with Proscar, because of their synergistic effect when taken together.

There are very few peer-review published papers on hair transplantion (relative to the rest of medicine). However, the efficacy of minoxidil post HT is clear.

Dermatol Surg. 2002 Oct;28(10):894-900; discussion 900. Related Articles, Links

The potential role of minoxidil in the hair transplantation setting.

Avram MR, Cole JP, Gandelman M, Haber R, Knudsen R, Leavitt MT, Leonard RT Jr, Puig CJ, Rose PT, Vogel JE, Ziering CL; Roundtable Consensus Meeting of The 9th Annual Meeting of The International Society of Hair Restoration Surgery.

Department of Dermatology New York Presbyterian Hospital-Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, New York, USA. info@dravram.om

BACKGROUND: Over the last decade surgical management of hair loss has become an increasingly popular and satisfying procedure for both men and women, as innovations in donor harvesting, graft size, and hairline design have resulted in consistently natural-appearing hair restoration. OBJECTIVE: In addition, a better understanding of the regulation of the hair-growth cycle has led to advances in the pharmacologic treatment of androgenetic alopecia. METHODS: Currently there are two U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved agents that promote hair regrowth: over-the-counter topical minoxidil solution for men and women and prescription oral finasteride tablets for men. In October 2001, a group of 11 international experts on hair loss and hair transplantation convened to review the physiology and effects of pharmacologic treatments of hair loss and to discuss the value of administering topical minoxidil therapy as an adjunct to hair transplantation. RESULTS: This article presents the key findings and consensus points among the participants, including their current use of pharmacologic treatments, strategies for optimal results both pre- and postsurgery, and the importance of realistic patient expectations and compliance. CONCLUSIONS: Based on the surgeons' clinical experience, the use of approved hair regrowth agents in hair transplant patients with viable but suboptimally functioning follicles in the region to be transplanted can increase hair density, speed regrowth in transplanted follicles, and complement the surgical result by slowing down or stopping further hair loss.

Mtbaldy again. I to am unsure of rogain or minoxidil , I have noticed that hair is growing in the middle of my head and some light hair on my Bald Plate in the back of my head. It is like growing over the FUT marks. I had my transplant 7 weeks ago. 1500. It seems to make my hair thicker. But I couldn't swear on it. But it has helped to grow some hair. I have pretty bad hair loss, from front to back. No frontal Hairline. And a nice bald plate, I am not to proud of. But I have grown some hair in the crown area and on the back. I hope it does no harm to my FUT transplants. If it grows hair, I'll continue to use it.

I used for about a week 10 days post op. I had the same results, frizzie hair, etc... and I think it even increased my hair loss (a known result). I stopped using, I figured my FU's would come in anyway. By the way I do have alot of shock loss due to the transplanted hairs into areas with some hair to begin with. I am hoping the hair comes back so I am trying to ride out. Anyway, my thought was I wasn't going to stay on anyway so having the transplanted hair come in a few weeks to a month early just wasn't worth the mess and cost.

Good luck.

I think propecia is better for minimizing shock loss.