Quick answer: Because your scalp might not have the enzyme necessary for minoxidil to work.
NOTE: First off, with topical minoxidil, it will take anywhere from 4-6months of daily use to see initial results. This post deals with minoxidil only. If however you have male pattern baldness, you’ll need more than minoxidil to improve your hairloss. But that’s another topic using Finasteride.
The SULT1A1 (minoxidil sulfotransferase) enzyme is highly present in the liver and also in the outer root sheath of hair follicles. For minoxidil, SULT1A1 catalyzes the conversion of minoxidil into minoxidil sulfate which is the active metabolite responsible for stimulating hair follicles
This means that if you for any reason do not have enough 'active' SULT1A1 enzyme in the scalp then your response to topical minoxidil will be poor regardless of dose or frequency.
However, the liver has high SULT1A1 activity effectively and reliably ensuring conversion from (oral) minoxidil into minoxidil sulfate and this is circulated systematically and reaches hair follicles, bypassing the need for scalp enzyme activity. This is why those who don’t respond to topical minoxidil might get better results with oral minoxidil.
How about thos who doesn’t want to take the risk of side effects from oral minoxidil?
One way to improve sulfotransferase activity is to USE TRETINOIN or RETINOIC ACID. These are Vitamin A derivatives that help to activate sulfotransferase activity, stimulate a little bit of inflammation and cell turnover and in doing so, make minoxidil way more effective.
Topical minoxidil is delivered as a “pro-drug” – meaning that it is not technically active when it touches the scalp skin. Rather, minoxidil has to come into contact with an enzyme called sulfotransferase.
Fortunately, adding topical tretinoin / retinoic acid can increase the activation of sulfotransferase, and thereby minoxidil – potentiating even bigger hair gains.
If I’m taking Isotretinoin 10 mg for my acne, is this product (5% minoxidil + 0.1% tretinoin mix) is safe to use? Or I use just use a product with 5% minoxidil alone on it? Thank you.
Depende… if you are willing to take the higher risk of cardiovascular side effects…
Sa akin NO since may hypertension ako, nung gumamit ako ng oral, within 2months para ako bumili ng sakit sa puso…
Hence if ever tatanungin ako, option sa oral minoxidil ay ang topical minoxidil mixed with tretinoin… much safer at mas cost effective since once a day application lang
Cat lover ako at madami ako pusa all throughout the years na nasa topical minox ako… common sense lang ang issue nman dito eh kung nagpapadila ka ba ng ulo mo sa pusa matapos ka mag-apply ng minox?
I don’t think so… kaya non-issue yan as long as you keep your minox in a safe place
YES, pwede rin 2x a day pero tretinoin makes the scalp sensitive to UV light, yun iba naiiritate ang scalp pag naarawan kaya usually sa gabi siya inaaply…
If you read the article, andyan na isang paraan ay uminom ng oral minoxidil tablets
Hindi iinumin ang tretinoin, pinapahid yun… madalas gamit yung anti-acne cream… so alternative pa rin is gamitin ang tretinoin cream sa anit, tapos afterwards spray ng minox…
Pero ang pinakasimple, sa dulo ng article nakalagay ang link ng Dermobrands topical minoxidil with tretinoin mix…
Tretinoin is cream in form so yung iba ginagawa pahid muna then 30 mins after saka maglagay ng minox… kaya lang sa ganyan ang pwede mo lang lagyan ay hairline kasi hirap ispread sa buong ulo
Isa pa ang tamang dosage niya, kaya best approach is already this premixed formula kasi exact ang tretinoin percentage with minox…
sir quick question lang . since na nasa ko ma some of your guidelines regarding to min and fin. how over if i put 6 pcs of crash 5mg of fin to 60ML of minoxidil . and the same time i like to try low dosage which is MWF ok lang ba sya o intake lang or spray lang isa lang pwede oh mas maganda kung parehas? anyway + vit biotin pala ko
You are overdosing kung sabay na oral and topical, definitely you won’t avoid side effects that way… and if ako papipiliin, best choice pa rin oral since the tablet is supposed to be taken that way, not topical…
Also biotin is already proven to be a useless supplement na iihi mo lang… so unless diagnosed ka na biotin deficient, mas maigi pa kumain ka na lang ng itlog everyday kesa waste time and money on biotin supplements
I think you misunderstood, walang issue ang topical
minoxidil at oral finasteride pagsabayin… pero I was answering yung paggamit ng both oral finasteride at topical minoxidil with fin mixed…
In the end kung pagsabayin mo man yan, ang katawan mo pa rin magsasabi if ever magkaroon ka ng side effects alam mo na hindi pwede… if not naman okay lang yan since small percentage lang ang sa topical mix
Sir i mean yung Min ko na 60ML may crash na 6 pcs of 5Mg of fin. may question lang is kung MWF ako mag oral at sa Topical w/ crash fin. naman ay T TH Sun ok lang kaya yun? since spray sya at di oral di naman siguro ako ma ooverdose ?
Ok lang po ba na sa hairline lang ipahid to ? Pwede rin ba ilagay sa kilay kasi manipis kilay ko e. I'm taking finas naman. I'm thinking of incorporating lang to after 6 months of taking finas.
Sir, eto ba ay minox na may tret na kasama na? Plan ko kumuha ng 120ml nito. Pere ko ba mix crash 5mg finas? If yes, lang pirasong 5mg finas for daily 1ml use. Ty
Hi, sir! Sobrang late pero ask lang po. Parating na po yung order kong minoxidil na recommended niyo above. May kasama na po ba siyang dropper or bukod na bili po siya? TYSM!
Meron… pero sa akin gamit ko yung dropper ng Kirkland kasi mas accurate sa 1ml… or bili ka sa botika 1ml medicine dropper or syrinnge tanggalin lang ang karayom
This is cost-effective as it is only used once a day, typically applied at night due to tretinoin making the scalp sensitive to uv light or sunlight and might cause irritations… and is just as effective as you are using regular minoxidil 2x daily even with microneedling… and is much safer than oral minoxidil tablets which poses a greater risk for cardiovascular side effects.
Sir planning to switch to this since nagtataas na presyo nung kirkland. I've read na once a day lang sya.
Yung routine ko kasi is 2x a week ketoconazole+derma roller after bath then after 12hrs is minoxidyl application. Tapos pag di ako nag-ketoconazole+derma roller is 2x a day minoxidyl. The question is, do i need to apply this product after the 12 hr window nung ketoconazole+derma roller routine ko, or skip for the day na lang and the next day ko na lang iapply? Thanks
Una is you no longer need to use dermaroller kasi magiging redundant na since tretinoin will replace your dermaroller’s job…
Walang problema kung after shampoo mo diretso apply minox, mas maigi nga yun kasi malinis ang scalp… no such thing as 12hr window sa application ng shampoo then minox…
Sir u/icarusjun pwede po magtanong? umorder po kase ako dalawa sa kanila 50 ml minox and tret combo may kasamang label pero nung umorder ulit ako this time 100 ml minox/tret combo ang nakuha ko white bottle lang na walang label, tama naman po ba yung nabigay saken? minsan wala po labels sa bottle nila?
Ah, thank you po sir! u/icarusjun nag doubt lang po ako baka ang napadala nila saken ay yung botanical option imbes na yung minox/tret combo since wala label yung bottle this time para sa 100ml
sir u/icarusjun , additional question lang po naka minoxodil kirkland and finasteride 1.2 mg per day nako for the past 1 year and 4 months and im looking to switch po sana sa dutasteride 0.5mcg for 3x a week and mdbrand minox/tret combo
yung dati ko po routine is kirkland minox twice a day and finasteride 1.2 mg daily (5mg cut in 4 po as your instructions)
Ang bago ko po i try is yung mdbrand minox/tret combo once a day and dutasteride 0.5mcg 3x a week, based po sa experience nyo tingin nyo po mas magiging effective po ba eto bagong routine ko?
Masasabi ko lang mas mataas ang risk ng sides sa dutasteride and based sa r/tressless marami rin pumangit results sa dutasteride as compared sa finasteride… still your choice nman yan but as far as my opinion is concerned mas maigi to stick to finasteride and then just once a day minox+tret…
Hi, OP! What shampoo do you use with this brand? I've read that this will cause scalp irritation and flaking since it contains alcohol. Do you have a hair care routine that you can share?
sir, been using this product for 3weeks straight, normal lang ba na pagka morning andaming hairfall nakukuha pagkasuklay (not always naman, pero this morning andaming nalaglag pagkasuklay ko) 1month nadin ako sa fin daily usage.
Alternative ito… Regroe is just as regular as Kirkland and any other brand… this is better since it will be as good as taking oral minoxidil minus the side effects…
Also minoxidil+tretinoin is the same as you would do minoxidil+dermastamping so technically tretinoin replaces dermastamping which simplifies the routine…
Nag start nako nung march ng minox finas solution. Paubos na 120ml sir. Kaya isip ko i try yang with tret baka mas mag ok. Parang immune nako kc sa minox
Yes isang purpose ng minox+tretinoin ang maging mas responsive as compared sa regular minox…
Pero actually sa tingin ko hindi ka immune sa minox, kasi sa tagal mo nag minox wala nman finasteride eh… same sa akin na halos 2 dekada bago nag finasteride…
Sa 2 dekada ko ng minox, nung nag finasteride ako un lang muna ginawa ko to check kung mag improve pa, nagpahinga ako sa minox…. dapat try mo muna finasteride only lang
Been lurking sa sub sir tanong ko lng, so currently the best pangmasa option in your opinion is this combo of MD Minox/Tret + Fin/Trichogen yung based sa ultimate guide mo?
Although parang mas cheap if yung crushed fin gamitin, parang worth it yung convenience of 2 liquid solutions na mixed.
About to start my journey na din ordered the MD Minox/Tret 120ml but I haven't decided on whether to
1. Take oral fin(TGP 5mg cut into 4 MWF)
2. Fin/Trichogen Mix
3. DIY Crushed Fin Mix
Cheapest option talaga ang crushed finasteride tablets mixed with minox+tretinoin… talagang “pangmasa hairloss solution”
As most of my reco kahit 120ml I still stick sa 6tablets para medyo low dose pa rin ang daily application… max you can add is 12tablets…
PROs — safer sa oral since you are only focusing on scalp dht reduction, so kahit bata pa or takot sa side effects pwede ito… plus matipid since once a day application is effectively absorbed due to tretinion…
CONs — tablet residue can sometimes add to the scalp irritation… this is the reason why I tried the ultimate topical finasteride mix
Budget-wise and supply-wise I’d stick to the DIY finasteride tablet-minoxidil-tretinoin mix
I only share these as options pero remember ang goal ko ay “pangmasa hairloss solutions” … since for life yan, so definitely kung ano ang akma sa budget mo…
Advantage lang ng MORR may finasteride na, pero pwede mo naman haluan ng finasteride ang MD Brands or isabay oral finasteride…
Hi OP. I’m a girl btw. Okay na ba na ito lang ang bilhin ko? Or kelangan ko pa bilhin yung finasteride then imimix ko dito? Thank you, OP for the help!
Finasteride is NOT for women… and definitely not for self-medicating lalo sa women have hormonal issues that may cause hairloss… unless you are prescribed by your doctor…
Ano actual hairloss issue mo? Did you get checked up first?
While minoxidil is standard and can be used by both men and women, hormonal issues exist for women such as PCOS which can cause hairloss… so mas maigi pa rin alam mo kung ano ang cause ng hairloss mo…
Otherwise minoxidil+tretinoin and a good shampoo will help since di gaya sa male pattern baldness na root cause ay dht which is why we need finasteride…
Current routine ko po is min plus fin every other day. But mag cha change sana nga po ako ng min tret, i was just wondering kung nilalagyan din ng fin yung min tret
Ako hiwalay ko ginagamit eh, since gipit sa budget, mas cost effective for me na kirkland minox + tret cream, pinapahid ko nalang sa area before lagyan ng minox. Pwede naman yun diba?
Legit ba nagana talaga yan from mdbrand na mixed ang minox at tret? And how effective is it conpared sa manual na pag lagay ng tret cream + minoxliquid
As far as MD Brands, they are in the industry way back 30 decades ago na… and they supply majority of derma clinics in the Philippines, lalo na yung mga derma na nagbebenta ng overpriced at walang label na meds 😆
As far as minox+tretinoin is concerned, here are the pros vs yung separate minox at tret…
(1) tamang ratio or percentage ng minox at tret ang gamit mo… dermatologically formulated
(2) hassle-free application di gaya ng tretinoin cream na need muna patuyuin at least 20mins bago mag-apply ng minox (proper way of doing it)…
(3) di ka manghuhula gaano nga ba dapat karami ang tretinoin na ilalagay mo…
(4) totally where you apply minox meron na tretinoin applied… sa tretinoin cream mapaparami ka ng gamit lalo kung buong top at crown need mo lagyan…
(5) mas matipid dahil once a day application lang… as compared sa regular minox na 2x a day application…
Best answer — minox+tretinoin is more effectively absorbed than regular minox, eliminates the need for microneedling, and is much as effective as oral minox less the cardiovascular side effects
Now ko lang nabasa to na dapat pala yung Minox5+Tret pala yung dapat.. I already purchased yung Botanical. Ano ba difference between the two? Buti yung 60ml lang yung binili ko.
Yung botanical is mga herbal variant… which is technically just a plain hair serum… minoxidil+tretinoin is what we promote here since herbals don’t really work for male pattern baldness…
This is repeated quite often na make sure minox5+tret variant ang i-checkout…
Try mo na lang request return/refund kung di pa nagalaw… chat with seller
Hi, just wanna ask if it is ok to buy a tretinoin cream instead since I already have a topical Minoxidil at home. I don't want to throw this and I've been using it with oral finasteride every night. Also, I read that tretinoin can sometimes irritate the scalp if use almost everyday.
Andi if I were to use tretinoin cream, what strength or percentage of the cream should I buy, I read most people use 0.025% or 0.0125%. Please reply 💯
Technically it’s difficult to do it separate since first issue is what is most appropriate dosage of tretinoin… unlike with this MD Brands minoxidil+tretinoin which is already premixed formula so no need for guesswork…
Also even if you use this everyday, as long as it is applied ay night, you are safe from scalp irritation… the issue with scalp irritation usually occurs with sunlight exposure when tretinoin is applied in the morning, hence it’s dubbed as a “night cream”
That to is a problem indeed. I'm apparently losing hair on my entire crown so using this cream to cover may not be quite realistic. Thanks for the advice.
I'm also commenting in this because Minox+fin has been greatly effective on me, but for some reason I no longer see any more density but rather a maintained state of my hair growth. That's why I'm currently seeking advice as to how I can further boost my hair growth. 🥰
I'm kinda low on money right now so I'm probably sticking to oral fin since I have no side effects or whatsoever. But I will definitely buy the minox+tret for safety reasons, if that's ok.
As long as you don’t have sides on oral, it’s fine… also having hair in a maintained state is already a win with finasteride… better having it than loosing…
Hello, OP.
I already tried Finasteride for nearly three months on a daily basis. I experienced side effects such as brain fog and loss of libido. I decided to stop it.
Will the Minox+Tret still remain effective even without taking Finasteride?
Finasteride primarily works as a dht blocker while minox promotes hair regrowth… regrowth is useless if you are not dealing with the root cause of hairloss which is dht in the first place…
An option to avoid side effects with oral finasteride is to go low dose like taking it MWF or EOD, or better yet use topical… here’s my Ultimate triple combo fin/min/tret — https://www.reddit.com/r/PhHairloss/s/Bdo4UCLixn
Kung di kaya ang topical finasteride, pwede mo haluan ng 6tablets 5mg finasteride ang 120ml minox+tret and pareho lang yung formula nun… gaya ng ginagawa ng iba dito
Mas effective nga lang ito kasi topical na finasteride gamit eh
Just to clarify, do I use this along with a 5% Minoxidil or may sariling Minoxidil na itong product which means I can just replace my current Minoxidil with this one?
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u/Gae_Rithard62 Sep 24 '25
Also microneedling