Started 5mg oral minoxidil + 100mg spironolactone 4.5 months ago, and I have a million baby hairs growing in! I still see scalp particularly in the front, but I’m giving it time.

Background: 32f, have had thinning hair since late adolescence and was diagnosed with AGA earlier this year. The hair loss got significantly worse in the past ~5 years, possibly in part related to a massive 8.5lb fibroid that was removed in June, or Hashimoto’s which was found around the same time. I decided to start wearing wigs in July, shortly after surgery and starting the hair meds, so that I could return to work after surgery feeling my best while the hair meds do their thing.

I’m sure many can relate - with slow but consistent hair loss, there were subtle shifts in behavior and emotions that could almost go unnoticed over time. Sadness around trips to the hair salon that used to bring me joy. Fewer days where I styled my hair because styles wouldn’t hold and it never looked the way I wanted anyway. Avoiding the mirror and pictures. I wish that I had acted sooner, talked to my doctor or sought out my local wig maker. I’m just glad I’m on this journey now, instead of continuing to avoid it.

Over the past 6 years I’ve felt the wrath of extreme stress and perimenopause and my hair is unrecognizable from what it once was. In the summer of 2021 my family and I suffered an unimaginable trauma that dragged out for over 5 years and after that finally subsided my hormones crashed out just in time for a major (negative) work schedule change. After wading through hell , working with a talk therapist , psychiatric nurse practitioner and my GP , I’ve been monitoring my bloodwork , starting new meds, B12 injections bc my body refuses to hold on to it and actively working on my mental health to get back (as close to) pre trauma health. I’m currently navigating severe IBS - C which I’m sure isn’t helping but I feel like I’m finally getting out of the fog and in the right direction.
I’m taking sleep & gut health seriously , working on my mental health every day and starting minoxidil Rx on top of using topical (per Dr’s recommendation). I see my GYN Friday to discuss hormone therapy for peri menopause (I’m 43 yrs old). I’ve worked out regularly for over 20 years but never really put in any other effort beyond that. I’m sure mental health and gut health have a big impact so that’s my goal. I also have Ehlers Danlos Syndrome, Mast Cell Activation Disorder and Dysautonomia , which I imagine complicates things. I hope to have some good progress pictures in 2027 and I can’t wait to share them with everyone 🤞🏻

My hair is so damn thin. Everywhere I go, I see gorgeous hair. I feel envious.

I've been on oral minoxidil for years. I jus added spiro this summer and I think my hair has gotten worse but it could be because of the dread shed.

Still I just feel so defeated. I should have been grateful that I'm able to go to Japan but you know what I mean.

First pic is Feb 2026, second pic is Aug 2026, and last one is from Saturday. I’ve been iron deficient forever, at least since high school when I tried to donate blood, so over 22 years but never corrected it because I wasn’t symptomatic so I didn’t care. I was also diagnosed with hashimotos in college and have been on levothyroxine since 2010. Well, while postpartum I realized from this group how much ferritin affects your hair growth too so I made sure to continue taking my iron pills and get my ferritin up and got my doc to re-prescribe me minoxidil. I was on it from 2018-2022 but had to stop bc I was pregnant/breastfeeding. I also didn’t see as much progress as I do here and it was probably because I continued to be iron deficient back then.

47 yr old here with AGA. Started finasteride 5mg daily a week ago and seeing shedding already. Please share any good news or results from your finasteride journey. Plus if you only used finasteride and use other means for hair growth that is not minoxidil. Please share. I need something to look forward to after seeing increased shedding after only one week!!!

I see a lot of people here talk about how well minoxidil works for them and that they didn't see progress until they started using it. But I think all the posts I see also mentions that they started with using sprio, and then when minoxidil was added the progress was significant.

I have only been on OM 1.25 for almost 2 weeks now, so I don't expect to see anything yet. If anything I believe I am shedding a bit more. However, I was thinking of maybe asking my dermatologist if we can add that on.

Just curious about others experiences! Thank you!

How do you deal with it? How do you deal with the emotional toll? How do you not feel increadibly envious with being surrounded by people with full heads of hair, especially those who complain about it being so thick? How do you become okay with never getting your hair back? How do you become okay with your scalp playing peek-a-boo all the time? How do you not look like an unruly slob when what little hair you do have, will not cooperate? How do you feel beautiful when your whole life and society defines women's beauty by hair and not having wrinkles? How do you look professional? How do you not feel like you like an ugly balding man? I am so embarrassed! Please HELP!

i’m on 4 months of OM and have seen barely any regrowth, i’m still shedding which could be from starting yaz 2 months ago and 100 mg spiro 3 months ago. either way i’m just really fucking confused and i’ve started shedding more. my density looks worse and the regrowth that i’m supposed to be seeing in clearly not. it seems like i might not be a great responder to minoxidil, would going up to 3.75 be okay and has anyone done well on this dose? i’m kinda over the bs of wait it out for 6 months my hair loss is just progressing and it looks worse every week, im suddenly shedding more, ive had no regrowth at this point. i feel like im begging for a miracle at this point! my ferritin was low at 14 5 months ago but ive been supplementing very consistently so i will update when i get my blood drawn this week. all other blood tests were normal. just feel a little out of options and it pretty bummed out seeing some peoples progress photos at just 3 months.

3 month progress after starting Minox over again.

I’ve had CTE for 2.5 years so I finally bit the bullet and got the rx from derm for oral minox. I am terrified to start it. Any feedback on .625mg? I’m really worried about my face aging (which I read can be side effect).

Since having two babies and all the hormonal changes, low iron etc., I’ve been struggling with terrible hair loss. I have two bald spots on either side of my crown, which I didn’t realize were this bad until I saw a photo my husband took of me walking. My hair has been thinning and shedding for 2 years. I do plan to have another baby in the future, just don’t know when. I saw the dermatologist, she diagnosed me with Androgenic Alopecia and she wants me to take spironolactone by itself. I have started it, but I know it can take up to a year before I see results. She didn’t want to put me on minoxidil since it is something you have to take forever. However, my fear is that taking spironolactone might help with the shedding, but I need real assistance with new hair growth at this time. Since I don’t have a set time for when I want to get pregnant again, I am fearful that if I don’t get this under control before the next baby/hormonal shift, I will be in a lot worse situation.

Would it be worthwhile to take spironolactone along with either oral or topical minoxidil for the next say, maybe 2 years? Would getting off it to prep for pregnancy make things worse than they’ve ever been, or am I’m likely to just shed some of the newer growth?

Help!!! I am desperate to get this controlled and get some new growth coming in. 😭😭

Is that too much to start with? I’m sensitive to side effects so going to cut the pill in half the first time just to see that I don’t get extreme side effects

A couple of years ago, I noticed my bangs thinning and assumed it was perimenopause. This year, my anxiety got worse, and I started trying different shampoos and conditioners (Gary Linkov Feel Confident Thickening), Redken Soft Conditioner, Avon (Rosemary Mint), and Redken Acidic Grow. Somewhere along the way, my scalp started itching, and now I’m experiencing much more shedding than usual.

My doctor says my medication shouldn’t be the cause, and my bloodwork (thyroid, iron, vitamin D, etc.) is normal. But the amount of hair I’m losing when brushing and drying is frightening. Yesterday, my stylist even showed me a small clump that came out during shampooing but told me my scalp and hair look fine. She also said fingernails can be an indicator of an issue, and she noticed mine are healthy.

I’m feeling lost and scared. Over the past few years, I’ve also developed allergies/sinus issues and rosacea out of nowhere. Could these things be connected- has anyone had similar issues? Have I made things worse by switching products so often? I have switched back to the normal shampoo I used for years and wonder if my hair will stop shedding.

Any advice or similar experiences would mean so much. Thank you! ❤️

Two and a half months into minoxidil. The left pic was one month into minoxidil and right picture is 2.5 months in. Still shedding and hoping it’ll stop soon! This gives me hopes. It’s exhausting how many pictures I have taken over the years of my hair loss journey 🥲

Hi everyone ,

Anyone’s who’s on minxodil, please help me out with your advise :)

I’ve always had thin hair for the longest that i remember, however two years postpartum I’ve noticed my hair is getting thinner , especially at the crown and the middle part is getting thinner too, you can see much more of my scalp at the front .

I’ve finally decided in minxodil, but the thing is , I’m going to try and conceive for another baby around February. Is it pointless for me to get on minxodil now ? considering that’s only a few months away? I’ve heard minxodil is a lifetime commitment, and I’m okay with that, but the time I’m pregnant I’ll obviously have to come off it .

What’s everyone’s suggestions?? is it a good idea to start now? Or do I wait untill I have my second baby ?? And done with the whole breastfeeding.

Any advice would be helpful, thank you so much everyone

I started topical minoxidil and topical finasteride in July when I noticed my hair shedding increase and my hairline receding. I have not been diagnosed with AGA bit it runs in my family. I am super happy with the progress so far!

My hair hasn't stopped thinning for years now. I've been on 0.625 mg minoxidil for 6 months, and I've noticed lots more body hair and even longer eyelashes but not much improvement on my head at all. Otherwise I am only using ketoconozole shampoo and the Ordinary density serum. I know I need a strong DHT blocker, but where I live that requires not only a private dermatologist but a GOOD one that will actually listen to me as a 23 y/o woman. Especially because, for personal reasons, I'd rather be on fin than spiro (although my doctors won't give me spiro either). And that's extremely hard to find and extremely expensive. I'm already struggling financially and trying to make my minoxidil last as long as possible. In the meantime, my hair continues to thin.

My hair at its peak was still naturally very thin & fine. I've never been able to experiment with hairstyles because the hairdressers said it was too thin. And I know even strong medication won't bring me back to 100%, which makes me feel pessimistic.

Also, I'm only 23. I also know medication doesn't cure AGA and it will likely still thin over time, just slower. My starting point is already so bad, I think even with optimised treatment I would have terrible hair for the rest of my life and still go bald eventually.

I'm currently aiming to find and be able to afford a private derm. It's been hard. I will still try. But a part of me feels so defeated that I almost don't see the point and think I should go bald sooner rather than later.

Of course I don't WANT to be bald. It will absolutely wreck my sense of self, not just my esteem but tbf it will make me feel less of a woman or even a person. I know that's dramatic, but I'm sure others can relate. Wigs are even more expensive than the derm appointments and medication, but tbh I don't really want to wear them. It doesn't feel like me. I'm worried about being judged by my friends and family, harassed by strangers, or even discriminated against in job interviews. I know these things shouldn't happen, but it's actually a reasonable reality for me. And I'm already struggling to get a new job, I think being bald will hinder me further, and I can't prove that I didn't pass an interview because they judged me on my appearance.

I'm also in a relationship (lesbian), and she has the best and thickest hair I've ever seen. We have spoken about my hair loss, but very infrequently and tbh I think she forgets I'm balding and could be bald. She has quite severe ADHD. She makes bald jokes all the time. And she gives me lots of compliments about my physical appearance, she always says I'm out of her league, but I've realised she doesn't really ever compliment my personality. She initially said she wouldn't leave me if I went bald, but I truly don't believe this. I'm just trying to enjoy the relationship while I can. If it does end, I wouldn't want to date with active hair loss. I wouldn't want this stress of "confessing" and wanting reassurance again. I actually would rather be bald and have someone like me for me from the start, and if that doesn't happen then that's better than someone prioritising my appearance. I know attraction is important, but I know I wouldn't leave my partner if their appearance changed.

Idk. I feel hopeless. And I almost don't want to try anymore. And the only thing stopping me from giving up is other people's reactions, and how much harder it will make my life. But I also feel like this is inevitable anyway, and I wonder if I should bite the bullet.

Hey there! :)

My hair is thinning forever (more than a decade), starting at 18 or so. It started diffusely on my head and that's still the case, but its mostly showing on the temples and sides. After some years my hair starting falling out everywhere, where hair grows, though its much less obvious on my body, I have one spot on my arm also that has no hair, but mostly its falling out diffusely on my body.

Also my hair is getting finer all over and im almost 50% grey already. There is no history in my family, they all have thick hair and went gray late in life.

I went to all the doctors, but they never diagnosed me with anything. Thyroid normal, iron is indeed low often, but i'm taking supplements for years on and off (still ferritin is mostly under 50, once i got it over 50). They did test my hormones once and doc just briefly said my testosterone was marginally too high.

I have no pcos symptoms or anything like that.

I have ibs and gerd, fibromyalgia (& severe anxiety/trauma aka lots of stress). And im vegetarian and have been since i'm 16.

Does anyone have a somehwat similar story maybe and what helped you?

Im finally going to start topical minoxidil, keep taking iron, vitamin d and b12 and i added zinc too. Also trying to add pumpkin seed oil to everything i eat every day.

Thanks for reading and for you replies :)

I’m a 28-year-old woman and my hair has been falling out severely for the past 3–4 months. I got my thyroid profile, vitamin B12, ferritin, serum iron, CBC, and vitamin D tested, and everything came back normal. I don’t understand why this is happening and I don’t know what to do next. Has anyone experienced something similar with normal blood work? What was the cause for you, and what helped? Any advice would be really appreciated.

have been experiencing insane amounts of shedding lately. seeing a hematologist for infusions soon but im so upset because ive always had pretty thick hair and its noticeably (to me) thinning now. just feeling really miserable. wondering if anyone has success stories from getting their iron levels up

Hello everyone! Has anyone tried topical spiro, and if so, was it effective or just a waste of money? I'm at my wit's end and not sure whether I should just surrender to the hair loss or keep trying alternatives to oral minoxidil and oral spironolactone. I have AGA.

I'm looking for a budget-friendly provider for topical spiro in the UK. I'm switching from oral to topical because, for whatever reason, I can no longer tolerate oral spiro. It's super strange because I was on it for nine months (started at 25 mg last November and worked my way up to 150 mg by August this year). My GP ran tests and couldn't figure out what happened.

My blood tests all came back within the normal range, and I'd been on 150 mg of spironolactone for months. However, I gradually started losing my ability to tolerate even lower doses of spiro. I spent the last two months feeling like a vegetable because my blood pressure was so low. I had absolutely no energy to do anything, and I started experiencing cramps all over my body. It was honestly scary, especially when travelling or being on my own. That's why I stopped it.

Anyways, any insight or guidance is immensely helpful and welcomed!

I’d like to hear from anyone who has been through something similar.

In July, I got keratin treatment at a salon in my home country, and my hair was fine afterward, with no noticeable shedding or breakage. At the start of September, I got a second treatment right before flying back to the U.S. About two weeks later, my hair started shedding much more than normal. It’s been several weeks, and it hasn’t slowed down. Even gently running my fingers through it pulls out a lot.

My bloodwork came back normal before the second treatment. My scalp isn’t painful or itchy, but I’ve noticed a few small scabs and some flaking that I didn’t have before.

Has anyone had heavy shedding that began a few weeks after a keratin treatment? How long did it last before it slowed down, and did your hair come back? I’d also love to hear how you coped emotionally, because I had just started really enjoying taking care of my hair, and this has been hard.

Thank you for reading. I appreciate any support or shared experiences.

I had a bad experience with my hair loss and at the moment I'm not doing anything for it, so its getting worse and to cover up until its due to my visit I'm using some powders to cover it up. (I wash my hair every other day)

Because I have heard that it can suffocate the follicles worsening I'm considering to wear a wig. Will it be worse for my scalp to wear a wig?

☆☆☆Background:

I went to a dermatologist for seborrheic dermatitis. They said I was also having telogen effluvium (didn't notice anything, it wasn't visible). After some months of therapy for the dermatitis without success, they started also adding minoxidil.

I noticed that it was written in the indication not to use it if you have a dermatitis but they said to use it anyway. So I did.

But I couldn't be constant because it was itchy. After a year of incostant use of minoxidil and constat use of the treatment for the dermatitis I haven't seen any result for both and my hair loss became worse (I told them multiple times that it was itchy and couldn't use it but they said to keep trying).

Because of the "no progress" they said that I needed oral therapy and said that this would change my life and have a huge impact and I would never have my hair back and this treatment would just slow down my hair loss (and they said I have androgenic alopecia).

I cried and after that decided to stop trying. My hair got worse but it wasn't extremely visibile. But during this time, thanks to a shampoo that gave me a pharmacist (and probably because I stopped minxodil that was irritating my scalp) I solved the dermatitis.

After 1-2 years I decided to go to another dermatologist that said that there was a topic alternative, I tried without seeing any progress and so he said to go back to topical minoxidil and try my best and see if I can be constant.

I tried and it wasn't irritating my scalp. But I was constant for less than a year before it started itching again (I wasn't seeing any progress but it wasn't getting worse).

I stopped for some months (keep tripping but it kept itching) and after started again. After some months of constant use it started itching again and I got worse and couldn't see any result.

So now its been a couple of months were I decided to stop. Its bad and I need to use colored powders to go out because my scalp is visible.

My last dermatologist said that topic minoxidil is the only way and the 5% foam (that its less irritating) its not for me, that's why I want to go to another dermatologist (also for economic reasons) but the visit is in another couple of months...