ResearchSafe

RU-58841 scalp dryness after ~3 weeks, anyone else get this?

Posted by ethan405 in Safety & Side Effects - 2 points, 4 comments.

Hey all, new to this stuff so bear with me.

I started using RU-58841 about 3 weeks ago, 50mg/ml, applied once daily to the crown and hairline area. The first couple weeks felt totally fine, maybe a tiny bit of itch the first night but it went away.

This past week though my scalp has been noticeably flaky and kinda tight, especially around the temples where i applied more. Not red or inflamed looking, just dry and a bit uncomfortable. Fwiw i shampoo every other day with a pretty gentle stuff.

Is this a normal adjustment thing or am i probably reacting to the vehicle/solvent? I read the profile here and scalp irritation is listed as a known side effect, so not totally surprised. Just wondering if anyone pushed through it and had it calm down, or if i should take a break and let the skin recover first.

Also, is there a rough rule for how often to apply per week to keep some of the benefit without frying my scalp? Would rather go slow than wreck my skin barrier lol. Any input appreciated 🙏

Comments

  • scientist_ethan: For me the dryness kicked in around the same time, week 3 was exactly when my scalp started feeling tight and flaky. Mine settled down once I switched from daily to 4x a week and started using a fragrance free moisturiser on the off days. The vehicle is usually the culprit more than the active itself, PG and high alcohol carriers can be rough on the barrier over time. If yours is compounded in oil or lower alcohol that might be gentler. If the tightness keeps building or you see any redness spr
  • ethan405: Interesting that yours kicked in around the same week 3 mark, that's reassuring honestly. I'm using a standard PG/ethanol mix so probably part of the problem. Dropping to 4x a week sounds doable. Did you keep the same concentration when you cut frequency, or did you also lower it? And the fragrance free moisturiser, you apply that on the same day as RU or just off days only? Will hold off if I see actual redness, yours didnt progress past the dry/tight stage right?
  • curious_paddles: Yeah same boat here, week 3 was when mine went dry as anything. Cutting back to 4 or 5 days a week sorted it for me too. The alcohol base is a bit savage on the skin if youre hitting it every day, even the gentle stuff adds up. Worth trying a lower alcohol carrier if yours isnt already, mine was night and day when i swapped.
  • ethan405: Yeah the alcohol base thing makes sense actually. Mine is in ethanol/prop glycol I think, havent checked the label closely tbh. So you dropped from 7 days to 4-5 and the flakiness cleared in how long roughly? Week? Couple weeks? Just trying to gauge if i should power through daily for a bit then taper, or cut back now and play it safe. Fwiw i dont wanna lose progress on the actual hair side while sorting the skin out.

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