Minoxidil can produce temporary fine vellus hair regrowth before terminal hair emerges, and tracking this texture transition with myhairline.ai documents whether those early soft hairs are progressing into thicker, permanent strands. Many users mistake the vellus phase for a poor treatment response when it is actually the first sign that the medication is working.
Understanding the Vellus-to-Terminal Transition
When Minoxidil reactivates a miniaturized follicle, the first hairs it produces are typically vellus: thin, soft, sometimes colorless strands that look and feel different from your existing hair. This is normal and expected.
The transition from vellus to terminal hair follows a predictable pattern:
| Phase | Timeline | Hair Characteristics | What It Means |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial shedding | Weeks 1-4 | Increased hair fall | Weak hairs pushed out by new growth cycle |
| Vellus emergence | Months 1-4 | Thin, soft, light-colored | Follicles re-entering anagen phase |
| Intermediate growth | Months 4-8 | Thickening, gaining pigment | Follicles strengthening |
| Terminal maturation | Months 8-12 | Near-normal thickness and color | Full treatment response |
Not every vellus hair completes this transition. Some remain fine indefinitely, while others never emerge at all. Your tracking data captures the percentage of vellus hairs that progress, giving you a clear picture of your overall treatment response.
Step 1: Document Your Pre-Treatment Texture
Before starting Minoxidil, take a baseline scan with myhairline.ai and note your current hair texture in the tracking log. Describe:
- Overall thickness (fine, medium, coarse)
- Any areas of visible miniaturization (where hair is already thinning and softening)
- Hair color and whether you notice lighter strands in thinning zones
- Scalp visibility through the hair
This baseline gives you a reference point for identifying texture changes that are caused by Minoxidil rather than by ongoing miniaturization from hair loss.
Step 2: Log Texture Observations Monthly
Starting from your first month on Minoxidil (5% topical, applied twice daily is the standard protocol), add texture notes to each monthly density scan.
Use a simple scale for consistency:
| Texture Score | Description | Visual Indicator |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mostly vellus (very fine, soft) | Barely visible, scalp clearly visible |
| 2 | Mixed vellus and intermediate | Some thickening visible, scalp partially visible |
| 3 | Mostly intermediate | Noticeable body and length, less scalp visible |
| 4 | Near-terminal | Close to normal thickness, minimal scalp visibility |
| 5 | Full terminal | Matches unaffected hair in thickness and color |
Photographing the same areas each month under identical lighting creates a visual record that complements your density numbers. Texture changes that feel subtle in person are often clearly visible when comparing photographs side by side.
Step 3: Separate Texture Tracking From Density Tracking
Density and texture are different metrics. Density counts the number of follicular units per cm2. Texture describes the quality of the hair those follicles produce.
A patient can have improving density (more hairs) but poor texture (all vellus). Another patient might have stable density but improving texture as existing vellus hairs transition to terminal.
Your myhairline.ai scans capture density automatically. Adding texture notes manually ensures you track both dimensions of your treatment response. See the full scientific Minoxidil tracking protocol for structured methodology.
Step 4: Identify Zone-Specific Patterns
Minoxidil does not affect every area of your scalp equally. The crown (vertex) typically responds better than the frontal hairline. Texture improvements may appear in the crown months before the front shows any change.
Track at least three zones separately:
- Frontal hairline: Often the slowest to respond
- Mid-scalp: Moderate response rate
- Crown (vertex): Typically the strongest response area
If your crown shows a texture improvement from score 1 to score 3 by month 6, but your frontal hairline remains at score 1, this is a normal response pattern, not a sign that Minoxidil is failing.
Step 5: Set Realistic Texture Expectations by Timeline
Based on the Minoxidil efficacy data (40-60% of users experience moderate regrowth), here is what texture progression looks like for a responding patient:
| Month | Density Trend | Texture Trend | Patient Perception |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1-2 | Possible slight decrease (shedding) | No change or slight softening | "Is this working?" |
| 3-4 | Stabilizing | Vellus hairs appearing | "I see tiny hairs but they look weak" |
| 5-6 | Increasing | Vellus beginning to thicken | "New hairs are getting stronger" |
| 7-9 | Continued increase | Mix of intermediate and terminal | "Visible improvement in coverage" |
| 10-12 | Approaching plateau | Mostly terminal in responding zones | "Texture feels close to normal" |
Patients who stop Minoxidil during the vellus phase (months 1-4) because they think it is not working often miss the transition period that would have delivered visible results. Your tracking data keeps you committed through the awkward phase by showing that follicles are responding.
When Texture Does Not Improve
If your texture scores remain at 1-2 after 12 months of consistent Minoxidil use, the follicles in those areas may be too miniaturized to recover with Minoxidil alone. This is useful data for your dermatologist, who may recommend:
- Adding Finasteride (80-90% halt loss, 65% regrowth) to address the hormonal component
- PRP therapy ($500-$2,000 per session, 30-40% density increase) to stimulate follicles
- Evaluating transplant candidacy for zones that do not respond to medication
A 12-month texture and density record from myhairline.ai gives your dermatologist objective data to guide these decisions rather than relying on a single clinical snapshot. Check Minoxidil results tracking for ongoing monitoring guidance.
Start Documenting Your Texture Changes
Get your baseline scan at myhairline.ai/analyze before starting Minoxidil or at any point during treatment. Monthly texture logging alongside density scans gives you the complete picture of how your follicles are responding.
This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Consult a board-certified dermatologist for personalized treatment recommendations.