My Hair Growth Journey with 5% Minoxidil

Written By Trudy Temple

I’ve always had fine hair—but I had a lot of it.

Like many women, I slowly started noticing my part getting wider. At first it wasn’t obvious, but over time it became harder to style my hair the way I always had.

If you have dark hair, you probably know exactly what I mean. Bright sunlight is incredibly unforgiving.

Instead of treating my hair loss, I spent years trying to hide it. I bought hair fibers, root touch-up sprays, volumizing shampoos, powders, thickening mousses—anything that promised fuller-looking hair. Some products helped a little. Most didn’t. They all covered the problem without actually solving it.

Then one photo changed everything.

Looking at a picture of myself outside, I could clearly see my scalp. That was the moment I realized I couldn’t ignore it anymore.

A Quick Note Before We Begin

This article reflects my hair regrowth journey six months after starting 5% topical minoxidil. As my journey continues, I’ll continue updating this article with new photos, honest progress, and anything else I learn along the way.

My hope is that if you’re considering minoxidil—or you’re somewhere in the middle of your own hair regrowth journey—you’ll have a realistic timeline from someone documenting the process in real time.

First, I Wanted to Rule Out Medical Causes

Before I treated my hair loss, I wanted to make sure something else wasn’t causing it.

Hair thinning can have many different causes, including thyroid problems, iron deficiency, hormonal changes, nutritional deficiencies, certain medications, genetics, or simply aging.

For me, that meant working with my doctors, optimizing my thyroid medication, reviewing my hormone replacement therapy, checking my ferritin and other lab work, and making sure there wasn’t another medical reason for my hair loss.

Hair thinning runs in the women in my family, so I knew genetics could be playing a role. While I couldn’t change my genetics, I wanted to make sure I wasn’t overlooking something that could be treated. Once I’d ruled out other medical causes with my doctors, I felt confident it was finally time to commit to a consistent hair growth routine.

I Knew What to Do. I Just Didn’t Do It.

The funny thing is, I already knew about minoxidil. I’d researched it for years. I even bought a red light therapy helmet, but it sat in the box. Life was busy, and there always seemed to be something more important.

As a former dental hygienist, I never went to bed without brushing my teeth or washing my face. So why couldn’t I spend another couple of minutes taking care of my hair?

I honestly don’t know.

At 61, I Finally Committed

I decided I was finished hiding my thinning hair. This time, I was going to stick with a routine long enough to give it a fair chance.

I started using Kirkland 5% Liquid Minoxidil every night. A few weeks later, I added a 0.5 mm dermaroller once a week. Eventually, I also incorporated Nizoral shampoo twice a week, along with red light therapy, and later added pumpkin seed oil, saw palmetto, and astaxanthin after doing my own research.

Then Came the Shedding Phase

Even though I’d read that an initial shedding phase can occur with minoxidil, most commonly during the first two to six weeks, watching that much hair fall out was scary. I reminded myself that this can be a normal part of the process for many people as older hairs make way for new growth. Even so, there were moments when I questioned whether I should keep going.

Instead, I reminded myself that I’d spent years wishing my hair would improve. I owed it more than a few weeks before giving up.

So I kept going.

Five and a Half Months Later

Today, I honestly feel more confident than I have in years. The biggest surprise hasn’t been what I see in the mirror. It’s what other people have noticed. My hairstylist commented on all the tiny new hairs growing in.

Then one evening, one of my closest friends looked at me and smiled. “Your hair looks so much thicker.” Then she added something I’ll never forget. “It’s been years since I’ve noticed your scalp.” Oddly enough, I wasn’t offended. I appreciated her honesty because it confirmed what I’d suspected all along. People weren’t just noticing my thinning hair anymore. They were noticing the improvement.

What Worked for Me

I’m not suggesting this routine will work for everyone. Hair loss is incredibly personal, and every woman’s situation is different.

I’m simply sharing what worked for me after ruling out other medical causes and finally committing to a consistent routine.

These are the products I personally used during my journey:

  • Kirkland 5% Liquid Minoxidil

  • 0.5 mm Dermaroller (once weekly)

  • Nizoral Shampoo (twice weekly)

  • Red Light Therapy

  • Pumpkin Seed Oil

  • Saw Palmetto

  • Astaxanthin

  • A high-protein diet

I’ll Continue Updating This Article

As my journey continues, I’ll continue updating this article with new photos and honest progress.

If you’ve been putting off treatment the way I did, I hope this encourages you to stop hiding your thinning hair and finally start taking care of it.

Looking back…

I only wish I had started sooner.

✨

Trudy’s Take

If I could give my 50-year-old self one piece of advice, it would be this:

Stop trying to hide your thinning hair and start treating it.

I can’t get those years back, but I can encourage other women not to wait as long as I did.

Trudy Temple