ResearchSafe

RU-58841 scalp irritation, safety concern or just push through?

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

Been running RU-58841 for about six weeks now for hair loss and the results are actually pretty decent on the vertex. But the scalp irritation is bugging me. Started around week two, just some itching and dryness, but now its more of a red, flaky patch where I apply it daily.

My question is, at what point does scalp irritation go from normal adjustment to an actual safety red flag? I know the literature says contact dermatitis is rare but here I am with a legit reaction. Ive tried applying less, letting it dry longer, even doing every other day for a week and it still flares back up.

Anecdotally I have read some people say their skin just adapts after a couple months, others switched to a different vehicle like adding some glycerin or using a different base. Has anyone found a way to keep running it without the inflammation? Or should I be taking this as a sign to stop altogether? Not trying to do long term damage to my scalp when the whole point is hair preservation.

Comments

  • retired_coldplunge: Red flaky patch with persistent itching after six weeks is not normal adjustment, that is your skin telling you something is wrong. Contact dermatitis can absolutely look like this and it tends to get worse, not better, if you keep pushing through. If it were me I would stop, give it a couple of weeks to fully calm down, then maybe try a lower concentration or a different vehicle before going back to it. Adding glycerin or switching carrier sounds reasonable but honestly if your barrier is alre
  • tiredmira: Yeah six weeks in with a persistent red patch is not adjustment anymore, that's barrier damage territory. I'd honestly stop completely first, let it heal for like 2-3 weeks, then reassess if you even want to go back. When I had a similar reaction on a topical I bumped the carrier to one with more humectants (panthenol based) but only after the skin was fully calm. Applying anything to an already irritated scalp just keeps the cycle going. A derm visit is worth it here, especially if it's sprea
  • tracker_jade: Honestly yeah, two to three weeks off sounds right. Ive been pushing through it hoping it'd settle and thats probably what made it worse. The panthenol carrier tip is solid, gonna look into that once the flare actually calms down. Derm visit is fair too, didnt want to overreact but six weeks is a long time to keep irritating the same patch. Thanks for the straight answer.
  • tracker_jade: Yeah honestly reading this back I think I was kinda hoping someone would tell me its fine and to just keep going. The patch has not improved at all in like three weeks even with the every other day thing, so I think youre right that its not gonna magically adapt. Gonna stop and let it chill out. Question for you though, did you ever actually go back to RU after a break like that or just call it done? Trying to figure out if its worth even restarting at a lower concentration or if I should just

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