I have a teenage friend who’d like to know if Rogaine could possibly work for a while on the face. I guess the real problem is that these folicles have never started up production in the first place. Does that matter?
For that matter, if it works, I’m buying some.
Well, if the Simpsons is to be believed, it’ll work on a 10-year old boy, so it’ll probably work on a teenager.
It will make beards thicker. Careful where you put it tho, I know one guy (a fellow doc) who used it so liberally on his face he had to start shaving under his eyes.
OK, I did a Yahoo search on this, and came across a point that seems to apply.
Isn’t it testosterone that makes men go bald in broad areas? Doesn’t Rogaine work by suppressing the response to testosterone? Don’t beards grow in response to testosterone? Wouldn’t this then mean that you’re spending money to go backwards?
Having said this, I realize that empirical evidence trumps any theorizing. Qadgop - you know this guy personally, and he’s sure it was the Rogaine that had the effect?
Anyone else know personally of examples?
From the site listed:
If Bart’s dreams are to be believed Dimoxinil (as opposed to minoxidil) will work.
The hell with that. Can I get electrolysis or something on my face so I don’t have to shave anymore?
Every once in a while, I get a minor outbreak of allopecia, which is apparently latin for “No hair grows.” I usually get a small patch about 1.5 inches in diameter where no facial hair will grow, it’s usually on my chin or near my mouth. It’s completely benign, but I have to shave really close every day so I don’t look weird.
I asked a doctor about it, and he said he could prescribe minoxidil, and it should help the hair grow in that spot. In fact, minoxidil is the ONLY treatment for allopecia, it doesn’t have any known cause (other than it seems to be stress related) and definitely doesn’t have any known cure. So temporary rogaine treatment is about all they can do.
In my case, the allopecia goes away after a month or two, so the doctor just recommended I wait and it will go away on its own.
It seems that minioxidil can cause more beard hair growth, but I suspect your prepubescent friend won’t get any benefit because his follicles aren’t active yet. Don’t be in such a hurry to start shaving, it sucks.
Yeah, well, I’m about 12 years removed from being a teenager.
Also, and I hope this doesn’t come across too snippy, but guys who complain about having to shave and act like they wish they could just never have a beard again I suspect are for the most part lying. Way down deep, I suspect that every guy is kind of proud of his beard sneaking out, even if he does shave it back off.
Don’t get me started on the women who think they’re making compliments with, “Oh, you don’t look old enough to be (whatever).” Yeah, well take your perception and quietly cram it. Thanks.
Yep, most definitely too snippy.
Finasteride mucks with Testosterone, minoxidil’s mechanism is unknown, but it’s thought to prolong anagen, or the growth phase. see link:
http://www.emedicine.com/derm/topic21.htm
And yes, I saw his face after minoxidil. Very werewolfy. This was in the old days before minoxidil was available to treat hair loss. He had a pharmacist grind up some minoxidil tabs and mix it into various solvents, so he could rub it on. Pioneer work!
As an explanation, not an argument:
Getting told that I should be glad for something that really bugs me, really bugs me. The lack of sympathy I have gotten on so many things related to this is staggering. Don’t people have the good sense to just nod empathetically for others anymore?
OK, maybe that’s too much of an argument. But it feels too good to erase. Sorry for the inturruption.
Thanks, Q. I never heard of that site. I spent about 20 minutes searching using key terms in Yahoo, but didn’t come across anything definitive. Everything seemed to be warning women away from using too much.
Interestingly, I found the idea of using it so that the hair would thicken, so it would be more susceptible to lasers. Kind of the reverse psychology there on the folicles.
And Bill, my girlfriend swears by the laser hair removal. She’s done it many times. The darker the hair, the better it works, though. It falls out a week or two after the procedure.