RU-58841 scalp irritation – any tips to reduce it?

Posted by tracker_jade in Safety & Side Effects - 8 points, 6 comments.

I started using RU-58841 topically about three weeks ago, mixing 75 mg in 1 mL of propylene glycol and applying it once daily to my thinning areas. Anecdotally, I’ve noticed mild redness and a bit of flaking around the application site after the first week. It’s not painful, but the irritation is enough that I’m wondering if I should cut the frequency or dilute it further.

Has anyone else dealt with similar scalp irritation, and did you find a specific vehicle or dosing schedule that helped? I’m also curious if taking a break a couple days a week makes a difference without losing the benefit. Any safety tips or personal tweaks would be appreciated. Thanks.

Comments

• fasted_scientist: I’ve used RU-58841 a few months back and hit the same mild redness and flaking after about ten days. 5 mL (keeping the 75 mg total) seemed to calm the irritation without losing the perceived effect – though that’s just my own experience and could be placebo. I also tried mixing the powder with a tiny bit of glycerin instead of pure PG and felt less sting. Have you tried a lower frequency or a different solvent yet? If the irritation persists, a short break a couple days a week might help the sk
• tracker_jade: 5 mL and the redness eased a bit, though the flaking stayed. I’m thinking of mixing a tiny bit of glycerin like you mentioned and see if that cuts the sting. Have you noticed any difference in hair thickness when you went to the 5 mL dilution? Also, would you recommend sticking to every other day or just taking two full days off each week? Let me know what worked for you.
• fasted_scientist: Ngl, I tried 5 mL PG and the sting dropped but flaking lingered. Cutting to every other day helped the redness without obvious shed loss. Did you see any thickness change on that schedule?
• mira_mobility: I tried diluting to 10 mL PG and the redness dropped after a few days, though I kept the same 75 mg dose. Skipping two days a week helped my scalp settle without noticing less effect. Worth a try if irritation persists.
• tracker_jade: Thanks mira_mobility. I’ll try cutting the PG to 5 mL first and see if the redness eases. Did you keep the 10 mL mix long‑term or go back to stronger? Also, did you notice any change in shedding on the skip‑days schedule?
• tracker_jade: Haven't tried every other day yet, only been at it three weeks so kinda early to tell on thickness anyway. Anecdotally the redness showed up around day 7 and has stayed pretty steady since. Did the flaking eventually calm down for you on the every-other-day schedule, or is that still hanging around? Might try diluting to 5 mL PG first before dropping frequency.

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