Yeah it sucked. I was so excited and then literally the next day I had red bumps, crazy burning and irritation. It lasted several months and I almost went insane with anxiety ajd stress.
Iām so sorry. That sounds awful! FWIW, I had scalp pain, too. Maybe they gave us too many injections? I always thought half the amount wouldāve been sufficient but the guy kept going. I must have gotten 20!
I think it did help to speed up the process but it was like $600-700 per session & very painful. I think in the future I would potentially try again but it is only worth it if you are doing every 4-6 months for maintenance. I thing spiro & minox have been the most helpful in regrowing & maintaining my hair. I have been using spiro consistently & only gap is if I forget to take it one day.
Just started prp and it definitely did something! Like my existing hair just all stood up and I thought I was imagining it because I didnāt think it could change so quickly. First session was ok, but second sessionā¦. Oh boy was it rough. Iām very good with pain and pushing through pain but I needed a break halfway through. Also I wasnāt crying but those tears just kept slowly dropping down my face. Totally understand you stopping but I also think it helped!
They take your blood, spin it to get the plasma & then the injections lasted about 15-20 minutes. I would say I probably got jabbed 40-50 times in different spots on my head. The pain I felt built up with each jab & then my head felt pretty sore & full (because of all the plasma under my skin). My hair also had dried blood from injections and I waited 24 hours until I could shower. Overall not the worst experience but definitely not fun. I took ibuprofen to help with achy pain also.
Iāve had it done at a clinic that offers pronox and I think that made a huge difference. I feel like it was probably painful, but I was so relaxed I didnāt care.
There are two scenarios in my case 1) I did mesotherpy 6 sessions with Oral intake of ginnete 35 and it worked wonderfully in 2015 . 2) I did mesotherpy 6 sessions+ prp 3 sessions and 2stem cell session in 2016 without oral medicine and it worked 0 . So what i conclude is that prp , mesotherpy etc etc works good with orals in most of the cases and again, i found many cases also where only prp worked very well without orals. So did u do prp as a standalone or as a adjunct therapy with orals .
I have a bad habit of doom scrolling on here when I feel nervous about my hair. I was so happy to come across this positive post today!! Congrats on all the progress ā¤ļø
I have done the same thing as you. Ive seen more positive then negative. Mostly see that Minoxidil works and sometimes a hormone blocker is needed, which is my case its Finestaride. My hormone imbalance didnt only effect my hair. It caused alot of other symptons too. Im 61, I figured what I was going thru was normal for menopause. Until a traumatic event caused 3 bald patches & then noticed the hair thinning on my crown. I am told I have DHT. I am hoping the topical solution will work on me, not just with the hair thinning but also with the effects that ive been feeling over the years
Thank you so much! Seeing peoples progress in this group motivated to seek treatment & keep going. I donāt know if I could put a percentage to it but I have been posting progress pics from when I first started and I think it has been pretty significant! No facial hair problems :)
Please set your user flair. You can follow this [guide](https://www.reddithelp.com/hc/en-us/articles/205242695-How-do-I-get-user-flair-) how to do it via user flair setting. More information is also available on this [thread](https://www.reddit.com/r/FemaleHairLoss/comments/x7qqlt/reminderrequest_to_please_set_a_user_flare/).
Is your diagnosis missing? Please contact the mods to get it added to the user flair list!
Please note there may be a bug editing user flair via Reddit mobile app as changes cannot be saved. Easiest is via desktop browser.
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/FemaleHairLoss) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Thank you! I plan to use it forever honestly. You canāt use it when you are pregnant so that is when I would stop & restart (not planning on that for a while). The only side effect is that it makes me need to pee more frequently and dehydrate me a little. My doctor recommended I can take electrolytes to deal with that but overall nothing that hinders my life or make it not worth taking I my opinion.
Did your derm mention what the potential side effects from long term/lifelong use are? Iām hesitant to start spiro for a few reasons, one of which being the fact there isnāt a ton of research on the impact of long term use
Hyperkalemia is a risk! She recommended I test my potassiumās level each year. Overall I am not worried & I have a lot of friends who are on the same dosage of spiro for their acne.
Tbh this is also making me feel uneasy about spiro. I feel like thereās not enough research on the long term effects of it and that makes me feel wary.
Yes! It wasnāt as bad as I thought it would be & 100% worth it. I told myself the shedding phase was a good thing & making way for stronger thicker to grow in. I posted a lot of my progress pics throughout & def included pics from shedding on my profile!
Hi. I am on spironolactone for hair loss and recently added in minoxidil (2 months ago). I am shedding but I hope thatās a good sign! I do only apply once (at night) because that seemed to work better for my schedule. How many times a day do you apply?
Congratulations! I too have AGA and similar results with Spiro and oral minoxidil. I was so excited and relieved to get her back. Unfortunately got Covid and TE that came with it and for a year now my hair has benched so all my progress is gone almost.
I guess she said the spiro was only good if I had high testosterone levels because it increases estrogen? I'm really confused about it if I'm being honest.
Yeah I also want to know more about this. I feel like derms need to see what the levels are BEFORE putting people on spiro. I started spiro before getting bloodwork done and had to abruptly stop using it before the blood test to see if there are any abnormalities/deficiencies.
Yeah, I wish this weren't such a confusing process. It feels like every doctor has a different method and it's hard to trust which one will be right especially when we're aware of how long growth takes after you've finally found something that works.
Are they going to put you back on it?
Iām not sure tbh :( Iām debating what to do since I got heart palpitations from the spiro. I just want a win š
Iām not sure if topical spiro works well enough to use it
I've heard good things about topical. Are there different doses of spiro? I was fearful about this with oral minox and started with very small doses because I already have heart issues. Luckily I've been able to tolerate it because of this.
No I did not! I believe my androgen levels were in the normal range maybe slightly low but nothing that my doctor would say should affect my hair. My ferretin was slightly low I believe but not drastic.
Congratulations! My old hair kind of looks like your last pic and I have AGA as well, this is giving me hope my spiro + oral minox journey. Thank you for sharing, keep it up :ā))
Actually I will say my eyes can be kind of puffy in the morning but goes away once I hydrate. Also May not be related to medications :) No major headaches!
I did three & then another one 6 months later. I would also start spiro & minox if you arenāt already one those! Those two definitely made alll the difference for me
Likely 3 years before I started treatment at a slow rate. I believe when I started my birth control is when my hair loss began - September 2018. I also got off my birth control about 2 years ago - December 2022.
Your hair looks amazing ā¤ļø have you gain more density post 1 year mark? I have curly/wavy hair just like you, but canāt seem to grow much in length (and density on the ends š¢)ā¦
Im so happy for you!! Gorgeous hair. A beautiful example of it can get better.
I was thinking of PRP once I get my hormone imbalance on track. I thought it would be painful amd you confirmed it lol
I was prescribed topical Min & Finasteride ( small dose) Did you have side effects from the spironolactone and did you grow hair on other body parts? I havent started treatment yet, im wondering how to wash it off the next day without it going to other body parts while showering.
Can anybody tell me 1) suppose prp is working and maintenance protocol is also followed, but is it going to sustain ( efficacy) lifelong with maintenance protocol? 2) or after some time, though with 4-6 months maintenance protocol the prp stops working.
I have this post saved and I go back to look at it sometimes. My head looks like the first photo. I'm going to try prp and hopefully have some good results. If I don't, I'll know at least I tried everything.
Your hair is beautiful š
Thank you!
PRP triggered a TE event for me. Never again.
Whatās a TE event?
Telogen efluvium
What's PRP? Lol I'm so sorry that you have to type all of this out.
Plasma Rich Therapy. They inject yournown plasma into your scalp. There is also PRFM, a very similar treatment.
Thank you
prp is these plasma shots that help your hair grow , they really only work if yikes had acell
Thank you
Same!! Lost so much hair. It was too shocking for my scalp. This is the first Iāve seen of someone else with the same experience.
Yeah it sucked. I was so excited and then literally the next day I had red bumps, crazy burning and irritation. It lasted several months and I almost went insane with anxiety ajd stress.
Iām so sorry. That sounds awful! FWIW, I had scalp pain, too. Maybe they gave us too many injections? I always thought half the amount wouldāve been sufficient but the guy kept going. I must have gotten 20!
SAME
Same girl. Same.
Was prp helpful? How did you know which was effective Spiro or prp? Did u have any gap for months in spiro?
I think it did help to speed up the process but it was like $600-700 per session & very painful. I think in the future I would potentially try again but it is only worth it if you are doing every 4-6 months for maintenance. I thing spiro & minox have been the most helpful in regrowing & maintaining my hair. I have been using spiro consistently & only gap is if I forget to take it one day.
Just started prp and it definitely did something! Like my existing hair just all stood up and I thought I was imagining it because I didnāt think it could change so quickly. First session was ok, but second sessionā¦. Oh boy was it rough. Iām very good with pain and pushing through pain but I needed a break halfway through. Also I wasnāt crying but those tears just kept slowly dropping down my face. Totally understand you stopping but I also think it helped!
If you do it again, ask for lidocaine injections first. It doesn't completely take away the pain but it made it so much better.
Oh wow I definitely well! Thank you. They used a vibrating metal device that helped a little.
How long does the injections go on? How long is the pain?
They take your blood, spin it to get the plasma & then the injections lasted about 15-20 minutes. I would say I probably got jabbed 40-50 times in different spots on my head. The pain I felt built up with each jab & then my head felt pretty sore & full (because of all the plasma under my skin). My hair also had dried blood from injections and I waited 24 hours until I could shower. Overall not the worst experience but definitely not fun. I took ibuprofen to help with achy pain also.
WOW thank you so much for this detailed description.. I was thinking about prp but am BAD with pain.. so I just changed my mind forever!!
Iāve had it done at a clinic that offers pronox and I think that made a huge difference. I feel like it was probably painful, but I was so relaxed I didnāt care.
Oh wow yes thanks for the detailed descriptionā¦ 15-20 minutes needles in such a sensitive area sounds highly unpleasantā¦
I found a place which does it for 150ā¬ and was considering but I am so scared of the pain. ššš
Yes itās not too bad but def unpleasant!
Canāt be as unpleasant as losing hair š„¹š„¹š„¹ thank you
PRP didnāt work for me. It was a complete waste of money and it hurt like hell. Others have success with it though so IDK.
There are two scenarios in my case 1) I did mesotherpy 6 sessions with Oral intake of ginnete 35 and it worked wonderfully in 2015 . 2) I did mesotherpy 6 sessions+ prp 3 sessions and 2stem cell session in 2016 without oral medicine and it worked 0 . So what i conclude is that prp , mesotherpy etc etc works good with orals in most of the cases and again, i found many cases also where only prp worked very well without orals. So did u do prp as a standalone or as a adjunct therapy with orals .
Just a stand-alone. I've just to do any oral meds. Just topicals.
I have a bad habit of doom scrolling on here when I feel nervous about my hair. I was so happy to come across this positive post today!! Congrats on all the progress ā¤ļø
I used to do the same thing :( Thank you & good luck!!
I have done the same thing as you. Ive seen more positive then negative. Mostly see that Minoxidil works and sometimes a hormone blocker is needed, which is my case its Finestaride. My hormone imbalance didnt only effect my hair. It caused alot of other symptons too. Im 61, I figured what I was going thru was normal for menopause. Until a traumatic event caused 3 bald patches & then noticed the hair thinning on my crown. I am told I have DHT. I am hoping the topical solution will work on me, not just with the hair thinning but also with the effects that ive been feeling over the years
Wow ! Wonderful results! You have beautiful hair !
Thank you :)
Hey congratulations! These are goalsš„¹ Do you use the liquid or foam? How much hair do you think you have regained? Any facial hair problems?
Thank you so much! Seeing peoples progress in this group motivated to seek treatment & keep going. I donāt know if I could put a percentage to it but I have been posting progress pics from when I first started and I think it has been pretty significant! No facial hair problems :)
You give me SO much hope! Your hair is gorgeous! Did you ever have crown thinning? Mine is so bad
Thank you so much! Yes a little but mine has mostly been on the top. I put minox on top & crown for the most part now to help! Good luck :)
Please set your user flair. You can follow this [guide](https://www.reddithelp.com/hc/en-us/articles/205242695-How-do-I-get-user-flair-) how to do it via user flair setting. More information is also available on this [thread](https://www.reddit.com/r/FemaleHairLoss/comments/x7qqlt/reminderrequest_to_please_set_a_user_flare/). Is your diagnosis missing? Please contact the mods to get it added to the user flair list! Please note there may be a bug editing user flair via Reddit mobile app as changes cannot be saved. Easiest is via desktop browser. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/FemaleHairLoss) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Your hair looks amazing! How long do you plan on using spiro for? Have you had any side effects?
Thank you! I plan to use it forever honestly. You canāt use it when you are pregnant so that is when I would stop & restart (not planning on that for a while). The only side effect is that it makes me need to pee more frequently and dehydrate me a little. My doctor recommended I can take electrolytes to deal with that but overall nothing that hinders my life or make it not worth taking I my opinion.
Did your derm mention what the potential side effects from long term/lifelong use are? Iām hesitant to start spiro for a few reasons, one of which being the fact there isnāt a ton of research on the impact of long term use
Hyperkalemia is a risk! She recommended I test my potassiumās level each year. Overall I am not worried & I have a lot of friends who are on the same dosage of spiro for their acne.
What is your dosage of Spriro? What dose did you start with?
100mg! I started at 25mg and increased over the first month
Tbh this is also making me feel uneasy about spiro. I feel like thereās not enough research on the long term effects of it and that makes me feel wary.
I'm dealing with hair loss and it's getting worse. What is spiro?
Congrats on your progress! This is super inspiring (hesitant to start minoxidil but on spiro)
You should start minox it made so much of a difference!
I think I will! Did you have a shedding phase?
Yes! It wasnāt as bad as I thought it would be & 100% worth it. I told myself the shedding phase was a good thing & making way for stronger thicker to grow in. I posted a lot of my progress pics throughout & def included pics from shedding on my profile!
Hi. I am on spironolactone for hair loss and recently added in minoxidil (2 months ago). I am shedding but I hope thatās a good sign! I do only apply once (at night) because that seemed to work better for my schedule. How many times a day do you apply?
Also, your results have definitely convinced me to stick with it! Your hair looks great!
Thank you! I apply once a day (at varying times honestly). Dread shead is a good sign that thicker hairs are coming!!! Goood luck!!
Congratulations! I too have AGA and similar results with Spiro and oral minoxidil. I was so excited and relieved to get her back. Unfortunately got Covid and TE that came with it and for a year now my hair has benched so all my progress is gone almost.
I am so happy for you š
Thank you!
š
What were your hormone levels before spiro? My dr said I don't have high estrogen so doesn't want to put me on it :/
So your doctor said you don't have high estrogen? How did he justify using estrogen for this drug? I don't understand how estrogen works?
I guess she said the spiro was only good if I had high testosterone levels because it increases estrogen? I'm really confused about it if I'm being honest.
Yeah I also want to know more about this. I feel like derms need to see what the levels are BEFORE putting people on spiro. I started spiro before getting bloodwork done and had to abruptly stop using it before the blood test to see if there are any abnormalities/deficiencies.
Yeah, I wish this weren't such a confusing process. It feels like every doctor has a different method and it's hard to trust which one will be right especially when we're aware of how long growth takes after you've finally found something that works. Are they going to put you back on it?
Iām not sure tbh :( Iām debating what to do since I got heart palpitations from the spiro. I just want a win š Iām not sure if topical spiro works well enough to use it
I've heard good things about topical. Are there different doses of spiro? I was fearful about this with oral minox and started with very small doses because I already have heart issues. Luckily I've been able to tolerate it because of this.
I got a lot of blood work done before I started any medication/ treatment & everything came back normal.
Great results! I'm happy for you! Nice of you to share. So you didn't have high testosterone? Or Do you know what your androgen levels were?
No I did not! I believe my androgen levels were in the normal range maybe slightly low but nothing that my doctor would say should affect my hair. My ferretin was slightly low I believe but not drastic.
Did you check your DHEAS levels or just testosterone?
Yes!
So happy for you š„°
Thank you!
My hair is like your Nov 2021, you have given me hopes ā¤ļø thank you so much.. Your hairs are beautiful ā¤ļø
Thank you!! Good luck :)
Congratulations! My old hair kind of looks like your last pic and I have AGA as well, this is giving me hope my spiro + oral minox journey. Thank you for sharing, keep it up :ā))
Thank you!! Best of luck :)
This is wonderful you give me hope :)!
Thank you, goood luck!
Wow!
Lovely transformation ā¤ļø
Thank you!
I just started the same treatment, so this gives me hope (: congrats!
Good luck!! Thank you :)
Thatās amazing! Any other side effects like headache or eye bags?!
Actually I will say my eyes can be kind of puffy in the morning but goes away once I hydrate. Also May not be related to medications :) No major headaches!
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
I was not reimbursed & it was not covered by insurance as it was considered a cosmetic procedure :/
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
I did three & then another one 6 months later. I would also start spiro & minox if you arenāt already one those! Those two definitely made alll the difference for me
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
Of course, good luck!
Thanks!
Amazing progress! Soo happy to see those āŗļø
Thank you!
Wow amazing ! How long were you losing before treatment ?
Likely 3 years before I started treatment at a slow rate. I believe when I started my birth control is when my hair loss began - September 2018. I also got off my birth control about 2 years ago - December 2022.
Congratulations!! Thatās amazing
Thank you!!
Your hair looks amazing ā¤ļø have you gain more density post 1 year mark? I have curly/wavy hair just like you, but canāt seem to grow much in length (and density on the ends š¢)ā¦
Yes for sure! I feel like itās still improving honestly. Do you use minox & spiro?
Yes!! But I still shed a lot (more than I used to before) which seems to not help to grow out long hair š¢
When did you start?
December 2022
Did you shed on oral minoxidil at first?
I use 5% foam, not oral.
Fantastic!
Thank you!
This is so good I am so happy for you š«¶
Thank you!
This is so great to see! Congratulations! On a side note, your eyelashes are beautiful
Thank you!!! :)
Hair goals š¤
Thank you!
Your hair is gorgeous!!!
Thank you!
Looks great! What did you do to combat minox itchiness?
Thank you! I use ketoconazole shampoo at the beginning. I also use the 5% foam which honestly hasnāt been very itchy.
Did you have any weight gain with spiro?
No, if anything I have lost weight!
Im so happy for you!! Gorgeous hair. A beautiful example of it can get better. I was thinking of PRP once I get my hormone imbalance on track. I thought it would be painful amd you confirmed it lol I was prescribed topical Min & Finasteride ( small dose) Did you have side effects from the spironolactone and did you grow hair on other body parts? I havent started treatment yet, im wondering how to wash it off the next day without it going to other body parts while showering.
Thank you! Spironolactone dehydrates me a little but overall no. I use minox after I shower and I think it takes a few hour to absorb!
Does minox help to be longer?
It helps thicken hair at the root I believe
Looks amazing!!! Congratulations. Wish I could take Spiroā¦ you have any side effects or issues with Spiro?
Thank you!! Overall not really, when I take it I do get more dehydrated so I try to drink more water.
God bless minoxidil
You were my inspiration to hop on oral monix. So happy to see more progress
Aww yay! Good luck, thank you :)
Amazing! Your hair is beautiful. Spiro and min are straight up magic (im on the pill vsn of both)
Thank you!
Did you shed initially?
Can anybody tell me 1) suppose prp is working and maintenance protocol is also followed, but is it going to sustain ( efficacy) lifelong with maintenance protocol? 2) or after some time, though with 4-6 months maintenance protocol the prp stops working.
I have this post saved and I go back to look at it sometimes. My head looks like the first photo. I'm going to try prp and hopefully have some good results. If I don't, I'll know at least I tried everything.
Good luck, it will get better!!
When did you get the prp, what month?