20 Year old Male, new to all of this and very confused!

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obstacle_1

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I have suffered thinning hair since I was about 16. Both my grandads were bald, as is my father. Im now 20 and my hairline has receeded considerably, with the hair on top of my head extremely thin and dwindling :(

I went to the doctor about a year ago, where he basically told me theres only one thing he could prescribe me but it would cost £60 every 3 months and might make me infertile!? Something like that.

But now its become a constant source of misery and paranoia for me, I have started looking around this forum and Im inspired by the successes loads of you seem to be having.

My only problem is, I feel like theres TOO much information. Millions of products, technical terms, %s...im lost!

I really want to get this problems sorted but I dont know where to start. Im a student, so I cant afford expensive products or lotions..so do I realistically have any chance? Is ANYTHING available on prescription?

I guess what Im basically asking, is what are my best chances at regaining my hair?

I live in the UK, if this helps!
 
Chadman

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Where are you on the norwood scale now? Google around for images if you need to.

Most people will refer you to the so-called "big 3": Finasteride (Propedia, Finpecia, etc.), Minoxidil (Rogaine... called something else in the UK I think) and Nizoral (or more specifically the ketoconazole that's in it).

Nizoral is inexpensive, but Finasteride and Minoxidil can be pretty expensive. You can buy generic forms of finasteride online, some from Indian companies (e.g. finpecia). Many have claimed to have success, but I still use Propecia. There are generic forms of minoxidil available, but you'd have to check your local pharmacies.

I started losing in my 20s, and my top is pretty thin as well. I have no real results now after about 10 months of Propecia, but many have had outstanding success. The only way to find out how you'll respond is to try.

Also, finasteride will not make you infertile; however, there have been some impotency issues in a very small percentage of men. In the interest of full disclosure, I've had no such issues.

Good luck!
 
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obstacle_1

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Ive looked up the Norwood scale, and none of them really portray my individual situation but if I had to guess, id say i was close to IV :(
 
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dresden

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Chadman is about right in everything. Get in the big 3 and stay on it for at least an year to evaluate progress. nizoral and rogaine are pretty ease to find, finasteride is prescription only. You have 2 choices:

- go to a doctor, explain your problem, tell him you want to get into finasteride. Ask for a prescription for proscar which is really a lot cheaper than propecia, and has the same thing, finasteride, but each pill is 5mg instead of 1mg. you should take only 1 mg every day, so you should divide each pill into quarters (1.25mg) or into fifths (1mg).
- dont go to a doctor (not recommended since youre messing with your hormones) and get online some finasteride brand (propecia or proscar) or generic (fincar, finpecia) that are ridiculsly cheap.
 
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kar343

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finasteride in my view is completely safe..those side affects some claim is rare and temporary..this is the only drug which is most effective for now..u can add minoxidil also to ur regime..it can work great too along with finasteride...try to keep ur scalp healthy by shampooing with nizoral shampoo ..forget about all other hair loss or regrowth products available..they r just scams..if u have already lost a great amount of hair finasteride may have little effect on regrowth but it will definetlty postpone hair loss..
try it for an year and if loss is stabilised u can go for a transplant if u have good donor area..
 
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obstacle_1

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So...what exactly do I do? All these names and doses and combinations are truly confusing me!

Where can I buy these things from cheaply? And I take it once you start, you have to take them for the rest of your life?
 
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Knendell

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Go to inhouse pharmacy and by some finasterside 5mg pills. Its cheap. I would start by taking .5mg which is the one pill cut into approximately 8 pieces (rounding) with a razor. Take .5mg a day for a few weeks and if you do not get any sides go to 1mg a day from then on. Or start at 1mg and reduce if sides occur.

FYI. I started at 1mg and reduced to .5mg because of sexual sides and am soon to go to .25mg because of the same thing. Not as bad as when I was on 1mg but still noticeable. Hope this helps
 
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obstacle_1

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But dont I need to be taking other stuff with it too? :s everyone talks about taking 3 things together.

Are the companies which manufacture these pills really safe? What if they screw up your organs in 20 years time?! Seems weird that a doctor didnt mention the three things everyone is talking about on this site to me..
 
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tchehov

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The doctor was probably talking about Propecia when he mentioned something that might make you infertile - but it doesn't do that. It can cause erectile dysfunction in a small percentage of users, but it is temporary and ceases when you stop treatment.

Norwood 4 is pretty advanced for your age - you need regrowth. Like the poster above said, the Big 3 are your best shot.

Propecia (or Proscar cut into fifths).
Rogaine/Regaine - best regrowth agent available (check out the foam version - quick drying and easy to apply).
Nizoral - an anti-inflammatory, anti-fungal shampoo which can help.

If you want it back these meds are the only way to go. Give them a couple of years - if you're not happy or don't get the results you want at least you can say you tried to save your hair. That counts for something.

Good luck.
 
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obstacle_1

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Whats the difference between propecia and proscar? Do I take all three of these things daily?

Also, if it does work does this mean I have to keep taking them for life?

Howcome nobody has answered my question about long term damage? You hear stories about pills bought on the internet all the time, that theyre unsafe and mess your organs up etc!
 
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tchehov

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obstacle_1 said:
Whats the difference between propecia and proscar? Do I take all three of these things daily?

Also, if it does work does this mean I have to keep taking them for life?

Howcome nobody has answered my question about long term damage? You hear stories about pills bought on the internet all the time, that theyre unsafe and mess your organs up etc!
Click to expand...

Propecia and Proscar are just different doses of the same substance - finasteride. A Propecia pill contains one milligram of Finasteride, a Proscar pill contains five milligrams of Finasteride. So obviously you can buy the Proscar and cut it into five one milligram pieces. Of course if money is not a problem for you it's best to go for Propecia, proscribed properly by your doctor. That way you don't have to worry about fake pills from online pharmacies.

You take one milligram of Propecia everyday and use Rogaine twice per day. Use Nizoral shampoo two to three times per week.

No-one know about long term damage. Rogaine has been in use for twenty years and there are no reports of damage. Propecia has been in use for over ten years with no real reports of damage either.

At the end of the day it's up to you. But don't let the scaremongers affect your decision - do a bit more research and you'll find the mature answer.

Yes, you're on them for life, or until a better treatment turns up.
 
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obstacle_1

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So Im ready to start my regime of the 'big 3'

Can people from the UK PLEASE tell me where to ge evetrtything fromt , tttttttttfromt c rteliablet yet cheap source?
 
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Nickie

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I say, stick to rogaine, propecia, nizoral/tgel for a while and you'll be ok. (at least for some time)
 
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Pondle

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boots is a goddamned ripoff from everything i can tell. people can save lots of money by buying the sh*t on their own if they're not going to go to a GP or whatever.
 
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Pondle

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JayMan said:
boots is a goddamned ripoff from everything i can tell. people can save lots of money by buying the $#iT on their own if they're not going to go to a GP or whatever.
Click to expand...

Yeah you're right, it's an expensive programme. But you do get discounts on other products as part of the deal. I personally use Dr Ashcroft. You get proper Proscar, and 15 months supply is £120, about $238US. That's £8 per month, <$16US.
 
TheOliviaTremorControl

TheOliviaTremorControl

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Do Nizoral and Neutrogena T-Gel have the same effect?
I've used T-Gel... it smells like tar. Is Nizoral better-smelling?

Also, question about rogaine:

I've read/heard that its only effective for around 2 years, and then those rogaine-dependant hairs start falling out again, but this time they won't respond to anything other than Rogaine. (meaning if a better treatment comes along, it won't do anything. The only viable option at this point is to switch to 5% Minoxodil/Rogaine).

Perhaps I've been misinformed, but it seems like using Rogaine is burning a few bridges down the road.
 
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