20F: Should I Continue Minoxidil After ED Recovery for Hair Shedding?

Treatments Minoxidil
1

Hi all. I’m 20F. I am coming to ask for advice, please please please take the time to read this.

I need help to grow my hair back. I noticed hair loss in August/September of last year, and I ended up having an iron deficiency, they gave me minoxidil, and iron supplements. I noticed the hair loss stopping after a few weeks on both. They said I had alopecia areata.

I decided I didn’t like the minoxidil because it made my hair greasy, so I stopped taking it in December (I was somewhat inconsistent for awhile). I had no clue you were supposed to continue it or further hair loss, but I didn’t notice any more hair loss. This fall is when my ED was the worst, but after December I didn’t lose any more weight.

In winter and spring I didn’t lose or gain any more but in May I walked A LOT and didn’t fuel so that took a toll on my body. In June I was sick of my hair being thin and not recovered from my iron deficiency (because I still hadn’t recovered from my ED), so I started minoxidil again in early June.

Now it is late July and no one told me I needed to use minoxidil permanently, and I only found that out last week. Is it ok to stop since my hair should grow back after I fully recover from my ED? Or should I keep going since I already used it for 6 weeks. I get hair coming out, but I am guessing it is the dread shed since it only was happening after I restarted minoxidil. It especially happens when my hair is wet, or when I comb it through after applying minoxidil.

Can someone please offer me any advice? Should I stick with minoxidil or stop? Ideally I’d like to stop eventually, so should I just do it now or wait?

Is there anything else I can do besides gain weight to recover my hair? I’m massively insecure about it. It has recently thinned out on the part, my hairline, and my temples. Which I’m guessing is because of the dread shed since it wasn’t like that until recently. I’ve put on about 5-6 pounds, but what else can I do?

Please help and let me know what to do about the minoxidil, I don’t want to be on it for life, but I don’t want my hair to fall out more if I stop. I want my hair to grow back on its own, is minoxidil the only way? Let me know.

If you read this, thank you so much. I just need some guidance because my hair is so bad right now and I want it to recover. Thank you.

2

Min works by helping keep hair in the growth phase, but since you’re also recovering nutritionally, focusing on iron and complete nutrition can help too. If you want to stop min, know that it might lead to more shedding again, but focusing on diet and iron could compensate over time. Most gains with min happen after a few months, so consider if it’s worth sticking out a bit longer. Recovery from ED and healthy nutritional levels can significantly aid hair recovery. If you decide to stop, taper off gradually.

3

Hi thank you so much for reading and responding. I understand thanks for your explanation. If it’s only been a month or so (6 weeks ish) on minoxidil, does that mean I can stop now since not much has happened yet. It seems like a lose lose, I’ll shed if I keep doing it, I’ll shed if I don’t. How would I phase it out gradually?

In this case do you think it makes sense to stop, since hair growth would resume with recovery? That’s what I’ve been hearing