Rogaine Experiment in Facial Hair Help Forum

Rogaine Experiment

Author	Comment
Curi0usGeorge	Rogaine Experiment	Lead	[-]
Posts: 48 (01/21/03 21:56:18) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Tags : None Remove this ad Well, this is my first post here. After a bit of research (here and elsewhere), I've decided to give Rogaine a try for beard growth. My beard is extremely thin. I had an "almost" goatee growing until today, but I didn't care for the way it was coming in. I let it grow for over two weeks, and it was remaining thin. Almost none of the hair was actually course. It was all fairly soft. So what I'm going to do is start applying Rogaine extra strength (or one of the generic equivalents) to my beard area twice daily, every day, and see what happens. I plan to give it two to four months. I'm going to take pictures every week (on Monday), and then shave. This way, I can compare weekly growth. I probably should wait a week before starting, so I can have a control, but I seriously doubt that I'll see any change in the first week, so for all intensive purposes, it can be the control. I'm going to try to actually keep it up. However, if I see any unexpected side effects, I'll discontinue use. We'll see what happens. I'll post the results here. Currently, my facial hair is thin everywhere. My cheeks are effectively bare, as is the area under my chin. I can't grow sideburns, either. My moustache and chin grow hair, but it's soft and thin. The goatee area is more course than the moustache, but the hairs are sparser. My "soul patch" is similar to my chin, though the hairs don't grow as long (rather, they don't grow as fast). Edit: P.S. I'm 20 right now. I've always developed late. I was under 5' when I started high school. I'm currently ~5'7". Given time, I'm fairly certain that my beard would thicken naturally, but I'm going to try to give it a bit of a push.
PatrickQ	Re: Rogaine Experiment	#1	[-]
Posts: 7 (01/21/03 23:33:28) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Hey George I'm 26 y/o, I've used it for 8 months and got decent results. I quit for 6 months because it got old, but the follicles didn't shrink like it was supposed to it keep on growing and growing. I'll probably get back on it when the weather warms up. Rogaine leaves your skin dry in the cold weather. Oh by the way you can get 4 bottles of Costco brand minoxidil for 19.95. That's a year and a half supply. Good luck to you.
Curi0usGeorge	Re: Rogaine Experiment	#2	[-]
Posts: 48 (01/21/03 23:49:03) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Wow, that's a lot of Minoxidil. I bought the Equate brand 5% from Wal-Mart. It was $25 for 3 bottles, 2 oz each. Yeah, I figure that if the follicles grow, then they will stay that way, because they don't shrink from the DHT. How did you apply it? I just applied mine for the first time about an hour ago. I used the sprayer, but it was too messy. I don't want it squirting all over. I don't need thicker eyebrows. I think I'll use the dropper next time, and just rub it in with my fingers like I did this time.
PatrickQ	Re: Rogaine Experiment	#3	[-]
Posts: 7 (01/22/03 23:04:47) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	open the bottle and press the opening against your cheek and turn your head sideways, release a little bit of pressure then move it around a little. then with that rub all over your face and massage it in, make sure you massage for at least 30 seconds so you can increase circulation to the follicles....going to try different expirements like putting minoxidil in a roll-on bottle, or mixing it with facial lotion so it would be thicker don't know yet...well more to come....chaio!!
Curi0usGeorge	Re: Rogaine Experiment	#4	[-]
Posts: 48 (01/23/03 01:16:31) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Well, today, I tried dripping in on slowly, and then using the side of the dropper (gives more surface area) to rub it in. Then I used my fingers to get it more even, and used a rag to clean up the little bit that ran too far down. I've thought about using a paintbrush, too. A sponge applicator might work even better. I'm going to have to buy some lotion later. It's drying my face out already, which is odd, because I have naturally oily skin. Thanks for the roll-on idea. I might try that one.
FuzzyKen	Re: Rogaine Experiment	#5	[-]
Posts: 204 (01/23/03 10:42:03) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	For those doing Rogaine it will work, but for most it is going to take some time. (If you have the necessary follicles count on 6 months for a rather substantial change) The alcohol carrier is a problem for most and is extremely irritating to your skin. I would not advise mixing anything with Rogaine. The first reason is that it is going to dilute the Rogaine making it less effective. The second is that it may slow or prevent absorbtion into your follicles which is what you need to have happen for Rogaine to be effective. The same things that would moisturize the skin would tend to interfere with absorbtion of a product like this one. Remember that Rogaine takes about 4 hours to fully penetrate. You can't mess with things for 4 hours! AS has been said massaging it in will help to some degree, but the main thing you are going to have to do is to make facial skin cleansing and moisturizing a ritual and you will have to work out a schedule which will allow the penetration and absorbtion of the "lions share" of the solution. One thing that I have heard helps from a few friends who also had success with this was to spread the application times as much as was possible. They got up for work and did their initial application at about 6AM. They did not do their second application until an hour or so before they went to bed. This allowed more sebaciuos oils to be produced and did help some. From what I have seen the dry skin just goes with the territory and is one of the inconveniences that you will have to put up with. One other thing: A hair follicle has times that it is dormant and it has times that it grows. Some genetically remain dormant indefinitely. When Rogaine is used what happens is that a stimulated follicle will produce hair. What this means is that cessation of the use of Rogaine will NOT cause the hair to "fall out". Facial Hair pretty much keeps growing once it is stimulated. Most of the men who tried this that I knew a few years ago never did lose anything that they gained even after they ceased using the product for this purpose. Good Luck, Fuzzy Ken
Curi0usGeorge	Using moisturizer now	#6	[-]
Posts: 48 (01/23/03 18:35:19) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Well, I just bought some Neutrogena hand creme. The stuff is wonderful (I've used it before). I needed it for my hands and arms anyway. The cold is chapping them. I've been applying the Rogaine in the morning and at night. I actually cheated today and applied the moisturizer a little less than four hours after I applied the Rogaine. My face was about to split, though. I'll start applying Moisturizer at least once a day, but no less than 4 hours after an application. I'm glad that I'm hearing that the hair won't fall out afterward from more than one person now. I expected as much, since it's not natural for facial hair to "thin out" with age. Transsexuals have to have facial hair surgically removed, so it seems that even a lack of testosterone won't stop facial hair once it's started. I'll be giving it up to four months. If I don't see some results by then, I'll give up. As long as I see some semi-decent results, though, I'll continue treatment. I'm fairly certain that I'd develop more facial hair naturally, anyway. My father has patchy facial hair, but he does have more than I do. Actually, I don't think his beard is patchy anymore. I think it's been thickening as he's gotten older, but he hasn't had a beard since he was around 25 or so, so I can't be certain.
PatrickQ	Re: Using moisturizer now	#7	[-]
Posts: 7 (01/23/03 20:02:11) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Hey George, give it six months. I'm of Asian decent, and there is no beard growth in either my mom or my dad's side. I mean no one, I've check it all the way to my great grandparents. All they can grow is a moustache and a little patch on the chin. Right now they are wondering why I have hair on my cheeks. They question me from time to time if it's from all the American food and dairy products I eat. I just told them, well humans have to adapt to the climate, and it's pretty cold right now, so I have to grow more hair. As of today it almost 7 months since I've been off and it's been the same.(Too Lazy to put it on these days, gets to be a pain) Sometime I wonder if this growth is natural. But there is no way to tell. Don't give up until you get the results you want. Later
Curi0usGeorge	Re: Using moisturizer now	#8	[-]
Posts: 48 (01/23/03 22:11:05) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	I'm certainly willing to give it six months (and more), but probably only if I see some change in 4 or less. If I don't see anything at all in four month, I doubt I'll see anything ever (from the Rogaine, at least). I do expect to see something, though. I'm being optimistic.
FuzzyKen	Re: Rogaine Experiment	#9	[-]
Posts: 204 (01/23/03 22:56:48) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Dear George, The main reason that I am stating six months is that hair has to go through various stages of development. From what I have seen even in people we knew had follicles present, it seemed to take about 90 days before the stimulation was sufficient to really start things off. After 90 days you should begin to see the beginnings of some very fine baby hair. This is the initial vellus hair stage. It is going to take another 90 days aafter that for the hair to begin to become clearly visible and begin to develop into real adult hair. There will also be follicles which will take longer to react. These will then start to "sprout" later. Depending on the follicle count, you could end up with quite a bit of hair at the end of your trial. Remember and be cautious however. There are side effects listed on the product literature. If you begin to see any evidence of increased heart rate, fluid retention, or anything at all out of the ordinary the hair is not worth taking a chance. STOP the use of the Rogaine immediately. Also be aware that the skin on your face has different absorbtion characteristics than that of your scalp. This means a small percentage of the drug will be absorbed into your system or "go systemic". If this happens, it will also stimulate body hair and scalp hair to a minor degree. If, over time you see changes other than on your face do not be surprised. If you expect that it may happen it is no big deal. Good Luck, Fuzzy Ken
Curi0usGeorge	Re: Rogaine Experiment	#10	[-]
Posts: 48 (01/24/03 00:08:37) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Remove this ad Well, that means in three months I should see some minor hair growth. That'll be enough to keep my attention. I've been watching for side effects. I'm not interested in dying for facial hair. I don't really want body hair. Right now my upper body is pretty smooth (except for underarms and a small "trail" on my stomach). I'd accept a small amount of body hair in exchange for some facial hair, though. edit: Just noticed that I've got a smiley face after every block. Oh, well.
joshwilson3		#11	[-]
Beard Newcomer Posts: 3 (01/25/03 02:50:22) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	. Last Edited By: joshwilson3 04/24/12 05:50:56. Edited 1 times.
FuzzyKen	Reply for Josh	#12	[-]
Posts: 204 (01/25/03 06:12:26) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Well Josh, you have about nailed this one on the head. Yes, any and all follicles can be effected. Some are more sensitive to Minoxidil than others are. The potential for some lengthening and darkening is certainly present and recognizing this is wise. Your main problem is less likely to come from being a slob, but from systemic absorbtion. For some, dealing with "too much of a good thing" may be one of the penalties that they will have to live with. Remember that with systemic absorbtion, the hair that grows other than the targeted areas are going to be the follicles most sensitive to being stimulated. The track record of Minoxidil on this level is body hair. Arms, legs, chest, abdomen, back and the list goes on. In high systemic dosages normally found with the parent anti-hypertesive the areas you mentioned are VERY much targeted as areas for unwanted hair growth. AT the dosage level you are going to attempt and with care this should be far more minimal. PLEASE read the product literature and thoroughly understand what to watch out for in regards to blood pressure and cardiac symptoms and monitor yourself carefull. In a way, many of the fellows like yourself are going to be the ones "writing the book" on the use of Minoxidil for cosmetic reasons not involving the scalp. Good Luck, Fuzzy Ken
Curi0usGeorge	I want others to know if it works for me	#13	[-]
Posts: 48 (01/25/03 06:32:57) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	"Writing the book" is why I plan to post my progess here. When I was looking through Google results, the only "progress reports" I could find were from a female who was applying Rogaine to her face in an attempt to look more like a boy. It did work for her, but I woud have loved to have been able to find some "yes, this worked" and "no, nothing happened" or even a few "my God, my forehead is fuzzy now" reports from Men. Whatever my results, I'd like others to be able to see them / read about them. By the way, I'm careful with my applications. I apply only to the beard area, and then I clean around the edges with a wet cloth. I clean up the lower part of my neck, my upper cheeks, and my ears to make sure that I don't have drips, splashes, or smears on the wrong areas. As for systemic absorbtion, I'm just crossing my fingers and hoping. If I see strange increases in body hair, I'll definitely discontinue use. I don't mind a little bit more hair on my chest (though I'd prefer that I not experience such growth), but I'm not going to keep using Rogaine if I start sprouting back hair, or God forbid, upper-cheek or forehead or other unnatural hair.
PatrickQ	Re: I want others to know if it works for me	#14	[-]
Posts: 7 (01/25/03 13:00:38) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Hey George, I've got like one or two hair strands on my ear lobes because I guess when I'm rubbing the stuff on the side of my face it hits it. Nothing serious though, just have to pluck them.
Curi0usGeorge	That sounds bearable	#15	[-]
Posts: 48 (01/26/03 01:07:36) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Well, I could deal with that. One thing that does worry me is that I don't know how far my beard will grow in naturally, so I'm sort of defining my own beard shape. I'm fairly consistent with the shape, and the area I cover, but I don't know what it'll look like if only my natural beard area grows all the way in, and the rest only develops vellous hair. I don't want a wierd "baby hair" border around my beard. It wouldn't be a problem on my neck. I'd just shave that off when I defined the neck line, but on my mid/upper cheeks is another problem. I don't plan to shave my upper cheeks. I think it creates a very fake look on most men. Of course, it's also possible that my natural beard shape is larger than the one I am defining, in which case my beard wil probably grow over time. I'm still fairly certain that I would eventually grow more facial hair. I'm tired of waiting for nature, though.
joshwilson3		#16	[-]
Beard Newcomer Posts: 3 (01/27/03 04:29:50) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	. Last Edited By: joshwilson3 04/24/12 05:52:25. Edited 1 times.
Curi0usGeorge	Rogaine	#17	[-]
Posts: 48 (01/27/03 06:28:12) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Minoxidil will not affect hormone levels at all. Every hair can be affected by Minoxidil, but some are more receptive than others. If you splash Minoxidil around sloppily, you'll probably get some unwanted growth. You might get unwanted growth even if you aren't sloppy, though. There are people who have applied Rogaine only to the crown of the scalp who have grown unexpected hair (facial, body, even forehead). It's a risk, but being careful lowers the risk.
FuzzyKen	Re: Rogaine	#18	[-]
Posts: 204 (01/27/03 09:44:16) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Dear Josh and Curious Rogaine 5% will stimulate any and all target hair follicles. Do not make the assumption that painting the solution on in the shape of a perfect beard is going to only stimulate hair growth in that pattern. "IF" the follicles are present the capillaries which circulate blood near the surface of the skin on your face will carry the Minoxidil to other adjacent locations. "IF" you have hair follicles up higher on your cheeks these will be stimulated as well. Maybe the stimulation will be a little less, but if they are present they are going to receive some of the effect of the drug. I am heavily bearded and my facial hair grows up high on my cheeks. This is a GOOD thing surprisingly. What this allows me to do with my own beard is to trim in such a manner as to create a very definite "edge". When I was a great deal younger and before my beard filled in in this manner, it looked no where near as good as it does now. If your desire is a good looking full beard being able to trim and edge in this manner is virtually a requirement. There are ways to compensate some in grooming, but, having the hair there makes it a great deal easier. Think of it this way. You can always shave something off and re-shape. You can't groom and re-shape what isn't there! When it comes to grooming my beard I have found that the more hair the better. I literally use a clipper set to just under a half inch in length and go over my entire face with this every couple of days. I then initially shape the "edges" with the clipper minus the "guard" and then touch them up with a safety razor. The whole process now takes me about 10 minutes from beginning to end. When I had less hair it took me longer because I had to compensate for my (if you'll pardon the pun) "shortcomings". To put it with a sense of humor, enbrace and welcome every active follicle. The more facial hair you have the more variety in grooming styles are open to you, the faster it is to groom and the less time you'll spend at it. Until my own filled in with age I would never have realized this! Good Luck to you both! FuzzyKen
triumphcorvair	Rogaine	#19	[-]
Posts: 1 (01/27/03 11:38:15) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	I've been following this thread with some interest. Like most of those following this thread all have heard of Rogaine and the truths or myths of this product. I've never used it but I am curious about the potential it offers. 1. If Rogaine stimulates hair growth, will the hair that has grown as a result of the rogaine fall out if the treatment is discontinued? 2. If hair that was stimulated by Rogaine is ever removed (shaved) will it grow back by itself because it was stimulated to grow. Or will another treatment of Rogaine be required to get it growing again? Ive got a pretty thick mustache but I've noticed that there is alot of fine hair under my mustache that does not grow. It remains the same length. If this fine hair ever started growing I would look like Tom Selleck. I wonder, would Rogaine stimulate this growth? Does it affect existing hair growth?
Curi0usGeorge	Update time: 1 week	#20	[-]
Posts: 48 (01/27/03 15:14:40) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Remove this ad It's been one week today since I started treatment. Unfortunately, because my stubble is so light (most of it is blond and thin, and it all grows slowly), I can't get it captured on the digital camera I was planinng to use. So I'll just give descriptions. Sideburns pretty much the same, that it to say, nonexistent. The area at the bottom of the sideburns (earlobe level) might actually have a few more "real" hairs, but that's probably just wishful thinking. I've had a tiny, thin patch on each side for some time. Those patches are about at earlobe level, but they don't reach all the way to the edge of the jaw. In fact, they are probably at least a half inch away at the closest point. The rest of the sideburns still have virtually no growth, same as before. Maybe a little white fuzz if I let them grow long enough, but not enough to notice without looking really closely. I believe that there is more vellus hair on my cheeks. I could be wrong, but it appears so. I know for certain that I have more vellus hair on the underside of my jaw. I couldn't see it in the mirror very well, since the light source is above me, but I could feel it with my hand. Most of it wasn't there a week ago. There are also now 3 dark, stiff hairs on the underside of my jaw. They are in the chin area, but farther back, halfway between the chin and neck. There was only one there before. I know, three isn't really any better than just one, but hey, it's evidence that the Minoxidil is working nonetheless. Chin and moustache seem to be the same. Perhaps a little thicker, but not enough to matter. It does seem as if I have a few new vellus hairs on the chin, but I'm not certain about that. I may just be looking for them more now. Soul patch is still pretty much the same, too. The way I see it, there are four main factors in my new facial hair growth: Minoxidil, Natural Change, Closer Observation, and Wishful Thinking. I don't know which of those is most responsible for my "new growth, but I'm going to be optimistic and assume that the Minoxidil is working.

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