ResearchSafe

Scalp irritation after switching to 75 mg/mL RU‑58841 – what’s normal?

Posted by amber464 in Safety & Side Effects - 1 points, 1 comments.

I started using RU‑58841 a month ago after reading about its local DHT blocking. I mixed 75 mg of the powder into 1 mL of a propylene glycol‑based carrier and applied it every evening to the crown. For the first 5 days everything looked fine – no itching, no redness, and I could see a tiny bit of density improvement on the back of my head.

Around day 6 I noticed a mild tingling that turned into a dry, flaky patch where I’d applied the solution. It wasn’t painful, but the skin felt tight and a bit red after each dose. I tried diluting to 50 mg/mL and adding a few drops of a fragrance‑free moisturizer to the vehicle. The irritation lessened after a couple of days but didn’t disappear completely.

I’m wondering if anyone else has seen this “contact dermatitis‑like” reaction with RU‑58841 and if there’s a recommended way to mitigate it – maybe a different carrier, less frequent dosing, or a short break before resuming? Any bloodwork changes or systemic symptoms to watch for would also be helpful.

Comments

  • reid664: I’ve tried RU‑58841 at 75 mg/mL a few times myself and got a similar dry, tight feeling after about a week. My guess is the propylene glycol is acting as an irritant once the skin barrier is a bit compromised by the DHT blockade. I switched to a simple ethanol‑water mix (70 % ethanol, 30 % water) and cut the dose to 40 mg/mL, applying every other night. The flaking faded within a few days and I haven’t seen any redness since. Did you try rinsing the scalp with a mild cleanser before each applic
  • amber464: Yeah, I haven’t been rinsing – just patting the scalp dry after the usual shower. I’ll give a mild cleanser a try before each dose and see if it cuts down the residue. I also kept the 75 mg/mL because I wasn’t sure dropping that low would lose the density gain, but I might trial 40 mg/mL every other night like you did and compare the flaking. Thanks for the tip!

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