Minoxidil & androgenetic alopecia: My opinion and testimony after more than 5 years of treatment

Minoxidil is one of the only local application treatments we have available to combat androgenetic alopecia. It is a medication that has proven its effectiveness and absence of toxicity in clinical trials.

However, the effectiveness of a medication varies from person to person. I personally used Minoxidil 2% then 5% to treat my androgenetic alopecia for almost 10 years.

Has it been effective for me? Did I experience a 'shedding effect' worsening my androgenetic alopecia or other undesirable side effects? How does the application go? What happens when you stop after several years of treatment? How did I psychologically cope with applying this treatment every day for years? I tell you everything in this article!

20 years: The diagnosis of androgenetic alopecia is made and I start Minoxidil 2%

My dermatologist diagnosed me with androgenetic alopecia at the age of 20. At the time, my hair loss was not really noticeable. I was just starting to have my hair part widen and thin out a bit. This alerted my close circle, who encouraged me to consult a specialist. After some blood tests and supplementation with iron and vitamins, my dermatologist prescribed me a 2% Minoxidil treatment.

I decided to follow this treatment because it was my only source of hope against this condition. I thought I had to at least try to do something to keep my hair for as long as possible. I was really afraid of the future, of how I would look at 30, 40, and then 50 years old. It is really difficult to learn at 20 that you might become very thin-haired in ten years because of it. This is one of the hardest things to deal with after being diagnosed with androgenetic alopecia.

I was quite sad to have to apply this solution to my scalp daily. I found it unfair and humiliating to have to do this every day to have hair like my friends, like all the other women. It should have been a given. I shouldn't have had to fight for it. But I didn't feel like I had a choice.

I use 2% Minoxidil from the Bailleul brand. Upon application, which should be done morning and evening, the product makes the hair slightly greasy, but fortunately, it dries quickly. However, the roots of the hair remain quite dull afterward. It is important not to apply the product before washing your hair. This means it has to be done after shampooing. The problem for me was that I never felt like I had clean hair anymore.

Because when they were clean and shiny after a shampoo, I had to apply the product that same evening, then again the next morning, and my hair felt dirty again. I struggled with this during the treatment.

It is important to wash your hands well after application, but also all the areas where the product has dripped on the face, like the forehead and temples. Because if you don't do it properly, which has sometimes been the case for me, you can have a slight fuzz growing in those areas. I was surprised to see very fine hairs growing on my temples!

Among the side effects of Minoxidil, some people experience a "shedding effect." Indeed, Minoxidil, in the first weeks of treatment, sometimes causes accelerated hair loss of hairs that were about to fall out (hairs in the telogen phase), before regrowth occurs. I did not notice any shedding effect. It wasn't something I particularly dreaded because, in any case, it was supposed to be followed by regrowth.

Regarding the effectiveness of 2% Minoxidil for androgenetic alopecia, I admit I have never noticed any significant results. I had a few slight regrowths of hair at times on the top of my head, but I didn't know if that was normal (classic hair growth) or if it was related to the product. In any case, the effect was never significant, and I was still thin-haired even though my alopecia was very early at that time.

Minoxidil, on the other hand, had a clear effect on me, which was to make me focus a little more each day on my alopecia. At a time when I could have enjoyed life, my youth, and hair density without thinking too much about it. But when the diagnosis of androgenetic alopecia is made, it is difficult to tell yourself that you will do nothing to stop the hair loss. Applying this product twice a day was particularly psychologically destructive for me.

Every day, in front of the mirror, I had to face the fact that I was losing my hair and that I had to apply a greasy product to my thinning scalp to counteract it. I had dull hair roots 7 days a week.

I felt very guilty when I decided not to follow the treatment occasionally. I remember that every Saturday night, I would sleep at my boyfriend's place, and I didn't want to apply the product in front of him. I didn't want to ruin our evening with that. He was aware of my alopecia and the treatment I was following. But I simply didn't want to spoil our good moments with my alopecia. But on the other hand, I felt guilty for not being rigorous enough. I thought maybe that was why I wasn't seeing any significant results...

5 ans plus tard, je passe au Minoxidil 5%

In the absence of satisfactory results, I decided to consult another dermatologist at the Sabouraud center a few years later. I hoped that I might be diagnosed with another condition or that a more effective treatment would be proposed. I found myself in a waiting room with brochures for wigs, which at the time, did not reassure me at all! I was confirmed to have advanced stage androgenetic alopecia, in 2 minutes flat, scalp examination included! The dermatologist then prescribed me Androcure (a treatment I refused) and Minoxidil 5%.

Minoxidil 5% is more heavily dosed than 2% and is normally prescribed only to men with androgenetic alopecia as it has undesirable side effects in women. However, some dermatologists prescribe it to women when Minoxidil 2% is not effective enough.

I experienced a lot of scalp itching with Minoxidil 5%. I spent hours scratching my scalp with this formulation. The product caused me burning sensations. But I continued because I absolutely wanted to find an effective treatment for myself, and above all, I was afraid to stop. After a few months, the itching subsided. I also had many migraines during this period, not really knowing if it was attributable to Minoxidil or not.

I did not notice any better effectiveness of Minoxidil 5% compared to 2%. I did not have more regrowth and I saw no difference in my alopecia. Well, I did have the luck of having two or three curly hairs grow on the tops of my feet, which was not really the expected effect!

29 years old, I stop the expenses!

As the years went by, I found this treatment increasingly burdensome to follow on a daily basis. I was really starting to get fed up because the effectiveness was not there for me. At the age of 29, my partner and I decided to have a baby. The question arose for me about continuing the treatment during the baby-making attempts and then the pregnancy. But in light of the lack of effectiveness of the product, I quickly decided not to take any unnecessary risks for my baby for so little results. I must admit that I was also very happy and relieved to stop all of this. But I told myself that I would resume the treatment after the pregnancy.

During the first few months without Minoxidil (before getting pregnant), I noticed no difference after stopping the product. After my first pregnancy and childbirth, I never had the desire or energy to resume the treatment. I already had enough to do with my baby and my hair was far from being my priority at that time. Moreover, I breastfed my daughter for 2 years and I did not want to take the treatment during the breastfeeding period either.

At the end of the two years of breastfeeding, my androgenetic alopecia had progressed a lot. Is it due to stopping Minoxidil or to hormonal variations from pregnancy and postpartum? A bit of both? I will never know. I must say that I also took during this period a pill compatible with breastfeeding, Optimizette, which has the side effect of worsening alopecia...

Despite the worsening alopecia, I decide not to resume the product. I no longer have the energy for it, I no longer believe in it, and this treatment is too much of a burden for me for too little results. These two years without taking it have been liberating for me.

My androgenetic alopecia is progressing, I'm switching to a hair topper and it's changing my life!

Two years after the birth of my daughter, my alopecia becomes visible to others. I have no photos to share, as I was no longer taking photos of myself if my alopecia was visible...

One day, a coworker notices my alopecia while I'm on a coffee break chatting with other colleagues. I realize that we are at a turning point where my alopecia is becoming visible to others. I refuse to become a topic of discussion or pity. I had known about hair toppers for 4 years. I had time to come to terms with the idea that it might be the only truly effective solution for me. Initially, the idea was quite difficult to accept, but over the years, I learned to gradually consider it.

So, at the age of 30, I first stepped into a hair replacement store and started wearing a hair topper to hide the effects of my androgenetic alopecia. It was extremely liberating for me. I rebuilt myself thanks to this, and I was able to feel beautiful again.

This experience with androgenetic alopecia, Minoxidil 2% and 5%, and the hair topper has been shared on YouTube. If you're interested, feel free to check out the videos.

Find the other videos on my YouTube channel: the channel Comme un diadème.

Many women I support test Minoxidil, sometimes for years, before discovering that a non-medical solution could help them on a daily basis.

👉 If you're looking for an immediate, lightweight, and undetectable alternative, you can check here the models I recommend according to the type of alopecia: