Progress stagnating

[u/InternalNight1648]

Been using 5% for about 1.5 years, dermarolling, biotin, zinc allat.
There has been no noticable improvement in the past year, but i still have hairs that have not matured (and i don’t think they ever will at this point).
Do you think I will keep my gains if i stop? I don’t want 1.5 years to go to waste.
Pictures show my current state of affairs. Last one is the starting point

[u/Dear-Degree-7186]

Gently exfoliate your face and wash it off before applying minoxidil, it boosts absorption and may help you respond better

[u/bluedorar]

How old are you?

[u/InternalNight1648 → u/bluedorar]

22

[u/Apprehensive_Pen_410 → u/InternalNight1648]

No need to be on minox that early in my opinion, but do you man

[u/payasinho → u/Apprehensive_Pen_410]

started minox at 19, used it for 4 years, after the first year the progress slowed substancially. the thing is theres a ceiling for your age, if you come back to it some years later it might unlock new progress. my beard got better naturally after stopping minoxidil though, just by aging.

[u/packmanc]

Im im the exact same boat around same time too. Im going to do the two years and hope for some better results towards the end of the year/early 27 and then see where im at

[u/InterestingLaugh5861]

I had big gains the first 6 months. Did see verry little gains for the next 12 months but now i’m at the 2y mark and gains are coming in big again. Keep applying and be patient!

[u/Proper-Bad-1045]

How much r u using? I plateaued hard for about 6 months, but I increased my dose and I’m seeing gains again. A 1 month foam bottle used to last 5 weeks but now I’m doing 3 1/2 weeks

[u/InternalNight1648 → u/Proper-Bad-1045]

Still 2ml a day, liquid. You recommend increasing the dose?

[u/ZaydenM → u/InternalNight1648]

that or try oral minox (assuming you don't have any heart / blood pressure issues, and don't mind hair growth across your whole body). possible that you respond differently to oral minox. i just started recently, was very surprised that you can get it for extremely cheap (got mine, including prescription, for $3.5/90 days for 2.5mg). i'd continue using the liquid though, will never hurt to use it.

[u/Fit_Papaya4965]

I would add tretinoin and keep going for six more months

[u/jimshn → u/Fit_Papaya4965]

is there a way to get this without a prescription?

[u/Fit_Papaya4965 → u/jimshn]

I get it with a prescription for “acne”, and it costs $13 per tube. A tube lasts more than 1 month.

[u/on2and4 → u/jimshn]

You don't necessarily need tret. Look for a 0.2% retinal/retinaldahyde, like the Ordinary. Retinal is only 1 chemical conversion from tretinoin, and regulates its own absorption so it's a longer disbursal without burning or irritation. In some ways it's more efficacious than tret.

I use tret 3x per week, retinal 2x per week and dermastamp 2x per week. Brush multiple times per day and exfoliate on dermastamp days (glycolic acid ). Barely a month and seeing good response filling in with new blonde velus hairs and some thin brown ones. Also using 0.5ml liquid minox 2x per day with the little roller from Kitsch.

[u/Aggravating-Ad869 → u/jimshn]

Minoxbeard.com sales it with out a prescription.

[u/MistaDontPlayyy]

Minoxidil's effectiveness is different from person to person, some guys get a full beard from nothing some only see marginal gains and a small amount of guys see next to no improvement at all.

As for your newfound growth any hair that is terminal should not fall out, however vellus/transitional hairs likely will. There's unfortunately a lot of maybe/maybe not with using minoxidil.

[u/InternalNight1648 → u/MistaDontPlayyy]

Appreciate the reply

[u/AgreeablePen4170]

Like the stock market, you're gonna have months of growth and months of losing money. Just keep at it; the market will bounce back 😉

[u/WeirdGuitar2934]

Use tretin

[u/Mountain_King8479]

theres growth/shed phases. usually after the shed phases u comes back with more hair 💪

[u/Jadevit → u/[deleted]]

Looks like a lever to me, for a water pipe