How Long Does RU58841 Take to Work? What Happens Each Month, With Real Photos

Short answer: expect a shed in the first 6 to 8 weeks, new growth from months 2 to 3, and proper density by month 6. That's if you use it every day.

I've put RU58841 on my own head every day for over four years. So when people ask how long it takes, I don't give them the polished sales pitch. I tell them what actually happens. The good, the ugly shedding phase, and everything in between.

Below is the month by month timeline, with real customer photos from our results page at 4 weeks, 8 weeks and 4 months.

First, what RU58841 can and can't do

RU58841 sits on the receptors in your scalp and stops DHT binding to your hair follicles. DHT is what shrinks them. Block it and the shrinking stops.

It can only work on follicles that are still alive. If you've got thin hairs, peach fuzz or thinning areas, there's something to work with. If an area has been smooth and shiny for years, those follicles are gone. Nothing you put on your scalp brings them back.

New to it? Start here: What Is RU58841?

The timeline, month by month

Hair grows slowly. Follicles work in cycles. Resetting those cycles takes time. Here's what to actually expect.

Weeks 1 to 8: the shed

This is the part that scares people off. You start, and somewhere in the first 6 to 8 weeks your hair looks worse. More hair in the plughole. More on the pillow. You panic. You want to stop.

Don't.

Weak, shrunk hairs that were already on their way out get pushed out early so stronger ones can come through. Minoxidil does the same thing. It pushes resting follicles into a new growth phase early (Messenger 2004), which is why a shed at the start is so common.

Not everyone gets one. Some people sail through. Others lose enough to clog the drain. Both are normal. The worst thing you can do is quit halfway through it. Then you've shed for nothing.

What helps most is seeing other men go through it. Inside our private Skool group, someone's always a few weeks ahead of you. When you post "is this normal at week 6?", you get answers from men who were there a month ago and can show you what happened next.

Months 2 to 3: first signs

The shedding slows down or stops. Your hair might feel a bit thicker when you run your fingers through it. Fine new hairs start showing along the hairline or in the thin areas.

It's subtle. You might not see much in the mirror. You will in a photo taken in the same spot as day one.

This is where consistency matters most. Skipping days, or doing it every other day, shows in your results. The full routine is here: How To Use RU58841.

Months 4 to 6: visible progress

By month four, most people who respond well are seeing real changes. Thin spots start filling in. The scalp shows through less. The new hairs get thicker and darker.

This is where before and after photos really start to tell a story. It's also where adding minoxidil and a weekly dermastamp pays off. In one study, weekly 1.5mm microneedling plus minoxidil grew far more hair in 12 weeks than minoxidil alone (Dhurat 2013). More on stacking: RU58841 and Minoxidil Together.

Month 6 and beyond: density, then keeping it

Six months is the point I tell everyone to aim for. By now you'll know how well it works for you.

After that, it's about keeping what you've got and letting it thicken. A lot of people keep improving into the second year. I maxed out at about two years. You don't just keep growing forever.

I'll be straight with you. Not everyone gets the same result. Some people see massive changes. Some see a moderate improvement. A few don't respond as well as they'd hoped. Genetics and how far gone you are when you start both play a part.

RU58841 results timeline at a glance

What to expect when you use RU58841 every day

When	What happens	What to do
First 6 to 8 weeks	A shed is common. Weak hairs fall out.	Keep going. Take photos.
Months 2 to 3	Shedding settles. Fine new hairs.	Compare with your day one photo.
Months 4 to 6	Thin spots fill in. Less scalp showing.	Keep the weekly dermastamp going.
Month 6 onwards	Proper density for people who respond well.	Keep applying every day.
Year 2	Most people level off.	Daily use keeps what you've grown.

How well does each one work?

How fast you see it depends on what you use. Here are the real numbers from the studies, each one linked so you can check it. Every study measured things a bit differently, so read each line on its own.

• RU58841 on the scalp: strong. In bald monkeys, RU58841 5% raised growing follicles by 103% and turned 26% of thin hairs into thick ones. The finasteride pill got 88% and 12% in the same study, and RU did it with no hormone change. On real balding human scalp grown on mice, 28% of follicles started a new growth cycle with RU, against 7% without it. (Uno monkey study, not on PubMed; same team: Pan 1998, De Brouwer 1997)
• Minoxidil 5%: good. 393 men, 48 weeks. 5% beat the dummy and grew 45% more hair than 2%. It doesn't touch DHT, so it works best next to a DHT blocker. (Olsen 2002)
• Dermastamp (microneedling): a big boost. 100 men, 12 weeks. Weekly microneedling plus minoxidil: hair count up 91.4. Minoxidil alone: up 22.2. 82% said their hair was more than 50% better, against 4.5% on minoxidil alone. (Dhurat 2013)
• Finasteride pill: strong. 1,553 men. After two years, men on finasteride had 138 more hairs in a one inch circle on the crown than men on a dummy pill, who kept losing hair. It cuts the DHT in your blood by about 71%, which is why some men get side effects. (Kaufman 1998, Drake 1999)

Short version: stop the DHT first, then grow the hair. That's a DHT blocker plus minoxidil, with a dermastamp once a week. RUstim+ does the first two in one bottle.

What decides how good your results are

1. Every day, no breaks

This is the big one, and it's the one you control. RU only works while it's on the follicle. Miss days and DHT gets back in. The men who apply daily get the best results. Every time. Once a day, morning or night, any time that suits you. 1ml. 60 seconds.

2. How early you start

Someone with early thinning will do far better than someone who's been going bald for ten years. The earlier you catch it, the more follicles you've got to work with.

3. Genetics

Your genes decide how hard DHT hits your follicles and how well they respond. You can't change that. You can stack the odds by starting early and being consistent.

4. The weekly dermastamp

The men who stamp once a week at 1.5mm tend to see faster results than the ones who skip it. Two minutes a week. Then wait 24 to 36 hours before your next application. The dermastamp.

5. Not quitting during the shed

This is where most men drop out. Don't be one of them.

How to photograph your progress

Most people don't take proper photos. Two months in they think they can see a difference but can't be sure. Do it properly:

• Same light every time. The bathroom light is fine. Use the same one.
• Same angles every time. Front, top down, both temples, crown.
• Same hair state. Always dry, or always wet. Wet hair looks thinner.
• Every two weeks. Not every day. You'll drive yourself mad.
• Keep a dated folder. At three months, put day one next to today.

Got good photos at day 90? Send them in. That's how the results page gets built.

Frequently asked questions

How long does RU58841 take to work?

New growth usually shows from months 2 to 3. Proper density by month 6. Give it at least six months before you judge it.

When does RU58841 shedding start and stop?

Usually somewhere in the first 6 to 8 weeks. It's temporary. If you're still shedding heavily after that, have a look at your routine and message me.

Is the shed a bad sign?

No. Weak hairs are being pushed out so stronger ones can come through. Not everyone gets one.

Can RU58841 regrow hair on completely bald areas?

No. If an area has been smooth and shiny for years, the follicles are gone. RU works on follicles that are still there, even if the hairs are tiny.

Do I need to use it forever?

Yes. Stop, and DHT goes back to work on the same follicles. You're renting your hair. Stop paying rent and you lose it.

Will my results look like the photos online?

Maybe, maybe not. Genetics, how early you start and how consistent you are all matter. I'd rather set honest expectations than have you disappointed. See real, unfiltered examples on our results page.

Ready to start?

Give it at least three months. That gets you through the shed and into the part where you can see it working. The RUstim+ 3 month bundle gives you three bottles plus the dermastamp and scalp massager free. Prefer the DHT blocker on its own? RU58841 5%.

Take your day one photos before you start. Got questions? Message me. I answer them myself.

Sources

1. Messenger and Rundegren (2004). Br J Dermatol. Minoxidil pushes resting follicles into a new growth phase early. PubMed 14996087
2. Dhurat and colleagues (2013). Int J Trichology. Weekly 1.5mm microneedling plus minoxidil against minoxidil alone, 100 men, 12 weeks. PubMed 23960389
3. Uno and colleagues. Conference abstract, Wisconsin Regional Primate Research Center. Follicular regrowth with 5α reductase inhibitor (finasteride) or androgen receptor blocker (RU58841) in the bald scalp of the stumptailed macaque. Not on PubMed. Same team's published RU58841 paper: Pan 1998, Endocrine
4. De Brouwer and colleagues (1997). Br J Dermatol. Balding human scalp on mice: 28% of follicles started a new growth cycle on RU58841, 7% without. PubMed 9415227
5. Olsen and colleagues (2002). J Am Acad Dermatol. 5% minoxidil grew 45% more hair than 2%. PubMed 12196747
6. Kaufman and colleagues (1998). J Am Acad Dermatol. 1,553 men: finasteride 1mg gave 138 more hairs than a dummy pill after two years. PubMed 9777765
7. Drake and colleagues (1999). J Am Acad Dermatol. Finasteride 1mg cut blood DHT by about 71%. PubMed 10495374

Customer photos are the same ones shown on our results page. Results vary. I'm not a doctor and this isn't medical advice.