A user who experienced hair loss and stopped finasteride 4.5 years ago is considering restarting treatment with finasteride and oral minoxidil, questioning if their hairfollicles are still recoverable. Responses suggest that hairfollicles may not die and can potentially be revived even after many years, with some users sharing personal success stories using treatments like minoxidil, finasteride, microneedling, and RU58841.
Minoxidil's effectiveness is limited by the need for sulfation and proper transport to hairfollicles, with tretinoin potentially enhancing its effects by promoting enzyme activity and keratinocyte differentiation. Tretinoin may improve minoxidil's response by boosting the expression of necessary enzymes and transporters.
Intermittent fasting may inhibit hair growth by triggering a stress response that affects hair-follicle stem cells. Some users believe genetics and DHT play a larger role in hair loss, and treatments like Minoxidil and Finasteride are mentioned as ineffective for some.
A 27-year-old male with diffuse hair loss, including the donor area, did not respond to finasteride, dutasteride, or minoxidil. He suspects his hair loss may be linked to a mild connective tissue disorder, possibly affecting the structural support of hairfollicles, rather than being purely hormonal.
Some individuals do not respond to oral minoxidil for hair loss, despite it generally working by improving blood flow to hairfollicles. Factors like metabolism, drug interactions, and individual variations in the drug's activation may influence its effectiveness.