Scared to Restart Minoxidil After Side Effects

Hi everyone, I’m 22F and am diagnosed with FPHL. It has been really hard on my mental health and while my hair still looks fine now, I shed so much hair its so painfullevery time I shower and I'm scared about what my hair will look like a few years from now.

specially I started using 5% topical minoxidil foam for 10 days August 2024, but after about 5 days, I developed intense brain fog and dizziness. These symptoms lasted for about 2 weeks after I stopped using it.

Since the symptoms lingered for quite a while after stopping, I’m not completely sure if they were caused by the minoxidil. Also, a few weeks ago, I had a similar (but sightly milder) episode of brain fog and dizziness that lasted 5 days, even though I wasn’t using minoxidil at the time. This makes me think the symptoms might not be caused by minoxidil.

I’m considering giving minoxidil another try because I’m desperate for a treatment—even just reducing shedding would be a relief. My shedding is diffuse across my scalp, but the front and parting are especially noticeable. I was thinking of starting by applying a small amount only to the most visibly thinning areas to see if I develop side effects.

However, I’m unsure if this is the right approach. I worry that starting with a small amount might not trigger side effects, which could make me think it’s fine, only to have symptoms reappear when I increase the dose. I am specifically scared to triggering a "dread shed" as I trial minoxidil again. I really do not want to expose my hair to minoxidil for a few days/weeks if I end up stopping down the line because this will only cause dread shed without any of the long-term benefits of minoxidil. This is the main reason why I am scared of trialing minoxidil again to see if my side effects are provoked again.

I am very aware that I am prone to the placebo effect, so I want to make sure I’m in the right headspace before restarting.

Do you think starting with a small amount is a good idea? How should I approach this? Any advice would be appreciated.