ResearchSafe

RU-58841 scalp irritation after 3 weeks, normal shedding or am I reacting?

Posted by leah_vo2max in Safety & Side Effects - 1 points, 4 comments.

Been running RU-58841 topically for about 3 weeks now, 50mg/ml once a day on thinning at the crown. First week felt fine, then around week 2 my scalp got noticeably itchy and kind of dry/flaky in the application area. Not red, not painful, just irritated and flaky.

Also seeing more hairs on my pillow and in the shower drain than before i started. Could be normal early shedding, could be the irritation making things worse, to be fair i have no idea which one it is.

For anyone who's run it longer, does the itch/dryness chill out after a few weeks once the scalp adjusts, or is that a sign to back off? And did anyone see a shedding phase that resolved on its own?

I'm also on oral finasteride so it's not like RU is my only line of defense, i just wanted something topical to hit the follicle directly. Wondering if i should drop to every other day or pause for a week to let the skin settle. Bloodwork is fine last time i checked, no systemic sides from what i can tell.

Comments

  • weekendnate: The driver in the bottle for most RU preps is PG3 and that stuff is famously irritating to scalp skin. The itch and flake pattern you're describing lines up with that more than with the RU itself. A lot of guys either dilute the concentration down or mix it with a little aloe or a gentle, fragrance free scalp serum to cut the sting. Switching to every other day is a reasonable middle ground. On the shedding, three weeks is exactly the window where a lot of people freak out because follicles are
  • leah_vo2max: Yeah that tracks honestly, i never thought about the carrier being the issue more than the RU itself. The prep i have does have PG in it, i just assumed it was inert. Diluting with a fragrance free serum sounds easier than messing with concentrations, i'll try every other day first and add a serum on off days to see if the flake settles. If it's still angry in another 2 weeks i'll just pause.
  • patient_codes: That tracks with what I have seen in the topical application space, the carrier is usually the sneakier irritant. Have you looked at what your formulation is using as a base? If it is high-PG the switch to a lower concentration or different vehicle could make a noticeable difference pretty fast. The every other day approach is solid while you figure it out.
  • leah_vo2max: Yeah honestly the carrier thing makes sense, mine is like 70% PG which from what i've read is on the higher side. Might dilute it down or try every other day first since i'm only 3 weeks in. Did the itch actually go away for you when you switched vehicles or did you end up needing a break too?

Community discussion - research and educational context only. Not medical advice.