Do Any Women Here Use Minoxidil?

9 years ago

In 2009 I had pneumonia. A few months later I noticed hair loss. The hair grew back.

Now I have noticeable thinning at the crown and can see through to my scalp at the sides of my head when I pull my hair back. This is not something that runs in the maternal side of my family tree.

I had a recent physical and blood workup with nothing unusual noted. I've taken Advair for ten years. I take a small amount of Vit. D-3. I used to take a multi-vitamin, but have difficulty swallowing those horse pills. (ENT MD says whoever did my tonsillectomy 65 years ago didn't 'get it all'.)

Time to do something about my remaining hair. Even a woman over 70 is entitled to be a little vain.

Does anyone here use minoxidil, and at what strength? My DH used it years ago with success in retaining hair. Now he doesn't care.

Comments (9)

redcurls
9 years ago
I've used it with success on my eyebrows. I wish the hair on my head was LESS THICK! I guess we're never happy. My friend found her answer in a hairpiece...or ten! She loved the effect so much, she now has several. They are not expensive and looks like it is real to me. She lloks wonderful. She buys online at a place called Paula's. None of hers are full wigs. She just turned 70 and has been using them about 5 or 6 years.
alisande
9 years ago
I've had no experience with minoxidil, but have you tried biotin? It seems to be the standard recommendation for hair growth. I lost quite a bit of hair the first time I was on doxycycline, a few years ago, because I didn't know that the hair roots will burn in the sun. Biotin seemed to help get it back.

I recently started taking it again when I noticed I was losing hair. I don't know the cause . . . my doctor ordered all the thyroid tests, which came back normal. It could be tick-related, I suppose. Or just old age. When my grandmother was 10 or 15 years older than I am now, her hair was very thin. When we were young, we had very thick light blonde hair. Life is not always fair. ;-)
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phoggie
9 years ago
I am interested..especially for the eyebrows. Is the a pill or is it a liquid that you put on...is it a script? I also am getting very thin on top...but my dad and son was/are bald...but my eyebrows are all but completely gone! i did buy a hair piece and my girls really like it but I am afraid it will blow off. Thanks
redcurls
9 years ago
Phoggie...It is a liquid and I apply it with a Q-Tip. The one bottle should last my lifetime. I think there are also generic versions, but I did get the Minoxidil brand. Be careful not to get it on other parts of your face!! I hear it can cause unwanted excess facial hair. Hope this helps.

This post was edited by redcurls on Mon, Oct 6, 14 at 4:51
dorothy_oahu
9 years ago
I have very thick hair and I keep it pretty short. It started falling our and I asked my doctor if if was my thyroid. He said it was within normal range. I kept telling him it was falling out a LOT. Hair on my pillow case, when I washed my hair it was running down my face and back, when I brushed it it was falling out.

Dr. Oz talked about low thyroid one day and said if your feet are always cold, If the eyebrow hair is missing after the arch of your brow, and if you your hair is falling out HAVE YOAUR THYROID CHECKED. He said most doctors only do a standard thyroid test but there are TWO OTHER tests!

I saw my doctor soon after that and told lhim about Dr. Oz and he agreed there are 2 other tests. When the tests came back my thyroid was low!

I had been taking 75 mcg of synthroid for years. He gave me small sample box or 88 cmg and when I went back a couple weeks later and another test he put me on 100 cmg of synthroid. Within a couple of days of increasing it to 88 my feet were no longer cold. Now my eyebrows have grown back in and my hair has stopped falling out!

check Dr, Oz.com and type thyroid hair in the search. There is a lot of info there.
Jodi_SoCal
9 years ago
I had no idea minoxidil could be used (safely?) on eyebrows. My eyebrows have really thinned over the years though the ones that do grow in, are unusually long. ugh.
sjerin
9 years ago
My 94-year-old mother has used it on her head for at least a decade with pretty good results. She's still using it, I think.
phoggie
9 years ago
Do you need a script for Minoxidil?
chisue
Original Author
9 years ago
Minoxidil is OTC. I see 5% for men but only 2% for women. Wonder why? (Be careful not to get this in your EYES.)

I've heard back from my MD, who wants to run a ferrin (iron) test. I'm going to also ask about thyroid testing beyond the two he did at my physical, results of which were: TSH 1.73 and T4 Free 1.08.

I would prefer to see if there are any *internal* problems before I start treating a *symptom* (hair loss).

I read some online thyroid information. I have a few 'symptoms':

Thinning hair; thinning eyebrows; low body temp (97.8); fingernails with ridges; history of ovarian cysts. I also have a half-sister who experienced complete adrenal failure post partum.

I remember having a radioactive iodine test as a preteen and some concerns that there was a family history of thyroid trouble.

Do Any Women Here Use Minoxidil?

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redcurls

alisande

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Do Any Women Here Use Minoxidil?

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