Home | Consult Us | Hair Loss News

Hair Loss Article

Abruptly Stopping Rogaine Hair Loss Treatment- Tuesday, March 09, 2010

Question:

I started using Rogaine 4 days ago. Due to reasons beyond my control, I need to stop treatment for about two weeks. I just recently noticed the first signs of male pattern baldness, and I'm scared this will make matters worse. What if my thinning hair sheds and doesn't grow back? Will the minoxidil negatively affect the rest of my hair now?

Answer:

It's unlikely that your thinning hairs have become minoxidil-dependent after only 4 days of use. The initial shedding period normally occurs within the first few weeks of treatment, so it's possible you may not experience any temporary hair loss. Even in long-term users, it can take up to several months to lose all of the hair that was regrown or maintained by regularly applying Rogaine .

Healthy hair that is not genetically predestined to fall out should not be affected by Rogaine. However, if minoxidil has reversed the miniaturization of thin hairs and promoted thicker growth in some areas, you will likely lose this benefit after discontinuing use. In general, irregular application of Rogaine is counterproductive, so just make sure you're able to commit to daily, long-term use before you start up treatment again.

-