RU-58841 scalp irritation after a few weeks, what helped you push through?

Posted by tracker_jade in Safety & Side Effects - 3 points, 6 comments.

Started RU-58841 about a month ago, mostly as a hedge since I started noticing more shedding in the shower. Mixed it in a standard vehicle and apply daily to the front and crown. First two weeks were totally fine, no real issue. Around week three my scalp got itchy and kinda flaky, and one spot near my hairline got red and a little tender. Not bad enough to quit but it's annoying.

I'm anecdotally seeing people say this is pretty common in the first month or so and it calms down once your skin adjusts. Others say it means the concentration is too high or the vehicle is wrong.

Curious what others actually did. Did you drop the dose for a couple weeks and ramp back up? Switch the vehicle? Take a few days off? Also wondering if applying it less often at first, like every other day, gives the scalp time to adjust without losing progress. Hair stuff feels like such a slow game so I don't wanna derail the first thing that actually seemed to help with the shedding.

Comments

• elle_z: I tried RU-58841 a few months back and hit the same itchy patch around week three. I dropped to every other day for about ten days, kept the same mix, and the redness eased off. Then I went back to daily and the irritation didn’t come back, though I did notice a tiny bit more flaking when I skipped a day. For me the vehicle (propylene glycol + ethanol) seemed fine, it was just the frequency that needed a taper. Have you tried cutting the dose in half instead of skipping days? Just wondering if
• practical_experiment: I had similar itch and found cutting the amount in half while keeping daily application helped the redness fade without losing coverage. Did you notice any difference in shedding when you tapered vs half dose?
• humblequinn: Cutting frequency to every other day made a heap of sense for me too when my scalp got a bit ratty, and the skin did settle after that. I haven't tried halving the dose yet though, that's a good shout. Steady coverage without the irritation sounds like it'd be worth a crack before I mess with the vehicle itself. Appreciate the tip, mate.
• tracker_jade: Good to hear every other day worked for you too. I've been thinking about the dose reduction angle you mentioned. 7ml a few days ago and the tenderness on that one spot near my hairline already feels less angry. Still itchy but the redness is backing off. How long were you running daily before you pulled back? Wondering if the irritation coming on around week three is a pretty standard timeline for most people.
• tracker_jade: I haven't tried the half dose approach yet but I'm definitely gonna test it this week. Anecdotally my shedding hasn't gotten worse since the irritation started, it's been pretty stable which is honestly what I was hoping for. I was worried it'd spike if I backed off at all. How long did it take for the redness to actually calm down after you dropped to half? I'm sitting here with a tender spot near my hairline that I'm hoping is just a matter of time.
• tracker_jade: The week three timing lining up with your experience makes me feel less like I'm doing something wrong. That's reassuring honestly. Cutting the dose in half instead of skipping days is a I hadn't considered. Less gap in coverage while still dialing back the insult to the skin. I'll probably try that before going full every other day. How was the coverage at half strength, did you feel like you were still getting enough product to the area?

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