RU‑58841 scalp irritation at 50 mg ml – how to minimise it?

Posted by greg208 in Safety & Side Effects - 3 points, 6 comments.

I started using RU‑58841 50 mg in 1 ml vehicle a couple of weeks ago to try and stop my hair miniaturising. For the first few days it felt fine, but then I began to notice a lot of itching and a rash around the edges of the application area. It’s a pretty mild irritation, not a full blown eczema flare, but it’s annoying enough to make me doubt whether to keep going.

I didn’t think it was a big deal at first because I’ve always been good with topical stuff, but the itch stopped when I switched to a lighter, non‑alkalised lotion under the application and watered the scalp with a 2 % aloe gel after each dose. I also cut the dose back to 35 mg in 1 ml and let it sit for 30 minutes before washing, which definitely reduced the redness. I’m curious if anyone else has had similar skin reactions and what tricks they use to keep the scalp calm while still blocking DHT. Also, would you ever check a routine blood panel for this kind of topical use, or is that overkill?

Comments

• liam_sleepnerd: I’ve had a similar itch when I first tried RU‑58841 at 50 mg ml, tbh it felt fine for a day then the scalp started to tingle. I dropped the strength to 25 mg ml and switched to a vehicle with more propylene glycol and less ethanol, which cut the irritation almost right away. A thin layer of aloe after each application helped calm any residual redness, just like you found. I never bothered with a blood panel for topical use unless I noticed systemic symptoms like fatigue or hormone shifts, but a
• hank_m: Tbh i did the same – cut to 25 mg/ml and swapped the solvent for a lower‑ethanol mix, the itch faded within 24 h. I also tried diluting the vehicle with 70 % mineral oil which made it feel smoother. Do you notice any scalp dryness after a few weeks?
• grace_sleepnerd: Imo, cutting the dose and tweaking the vehicle helped me too. The aloe fixed the redness fast. If you’re still using it long-term, maybe a quick blood check isn’t a bad idea just in case.
• greg208: Thanks for the tip, I’ll line up a blood panel in the next couple of weeks. Which markers did you run? I’m keen to know if you checked thyroid, liver enzymes or even prolactin, as those can all bite off‑balance in this kind of topical therapy. Also, have you noticed any change in regrowth once you cut the dose?
• greg208: Not gonna lie, cutting to 25mg/ml worked for you? I went 35mg and it still flared a bit. Your mineral oil tip, never tried that. Does it help with the itch or just the irritation? Also, did you notice any dryness over time? My scalp’s been a bit tight lately even with the aloe.
• greg208: Not gonna lie, your drop to 25 mg and the PG‑rich vehicle really helped me cut the itch – I was sitting at 35 mg and still had that nagging tingling, so I’m going to follow your lead. About the blood panel – if you think a CBC and lipid every three months is sensible, I’ll do that. Thanks for the solid tips, mate.

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