23 y/o, NW3, Advice sought

[el_camino]

Hey guys,
I'm 23 and reckon I'm at NW3. Looking for some advice on how to slow down, stop or even reverse (this one might be a bit hopeful ha) the hair exodus that's happening on my head. Here are some pictures:






Bit of family history:
Father's side: dad's 60 and is NW6, so are two uncles. The other one has a full head of hair. Grandad was NW6 from what I've heard. My dad's hair was fairly much at my stage at my age. So that's a bit of a bad omen eh?
Mother's side: Grandad in his 80s and is technically NW3 I guess, but has that overall diffuse loss (as I think most men that age do?) so it's kinda hard to categorize. No actual bald uncles on this side, but there are one or two in their 50s that are NW3 now.

General: Had noticed the receding since about age 20 but didn't think to do anything about it (didn't think there was anything I could do actually... oops). Recently went through some bad stress and it may have kicked the hairloss up a notch, but that said, I still only notice about 30 hairs in the shower. Also, I seem to have broken out in spots on my head recently which hasn't happened in a few years, so my first stop might be a dermatologist before I start meds or something. Maybe there's something else going on too.

What I'd like: To be realistic, if I could even maintain or slow down the hairloss until I hit about 27/28, I'd be delighted with that. I don't mind keeping it shaved (think my headshape/build is ok), and (and I know it's easy for me to say this right now) but I don't mind going bald later on. I'll probably end up looking just like my dad, which actually isn't the worst fate in the world lol.
But, from what I've been reading here, the "big 3" that people seem to go with actually cause some hairloss initially, so seems to be more of a high risk/reward approach. Is this at odds with what I want to achieve?

Basically, what would you guys recommend I try from here?

 

[Abercrombie]

I would recommend you get on the big 3 as everyone who suffers from male pattern baldness and want to maintain their hair should do. The big 3: Minoxidil (Rogaine) Finasteride (Propecia or Proscar) and Nizoral.

 

[SuprisedGuy]

No one can guarantee your loss will be stopped or slowed with Big 3 but it's very, very likely your hair will improve. Your hairloss is pretty aggressive so you have to be on a DHT blocker if you want to save you hair. I'd first start with propecia then add rogaine later on. Nizoral won't do anything appreciable by itself.

 

[el_camino]

Thanks for the replies . So, are my options basically: 1. Get on Finasteride or 2. Wait to go bald? I'm a bit worried about taking Finasteride tbh. I think I'll do a bit of research first. Going bald sucks, but I don't like the idea of mucking up my health to try and fight it...

 

[wangho75]

There is the highest probability that finasteride will NOT mess up your health. Get on finasteride.

 

[LawOfThelema]

What I'd like: To be realistic, if I could even maintain or slow down the hairloss until I hit about 27/28, I'd be delighted with that.

Let me tell you now, you wont be delighted with further hair loss when it happens then

 

[el_camino]

Let me tell you now, you wont be delighted with further hair loss when it happens then

lol, yea even when writing the op I had a feeling those words would one day come back and bite.
So, I've done some reading and some thinking, and I'd like to try Finasteride. It seems though there are three main ways of taking this: 1. Propecia, 2. Proscar cut into 1/4s, or 3. Generic Finasteride (Finpecia). My preference would be for Finpecia seeing as it's cheaper than Propecia but doesn't require the cutting of Proscar. Are there any drawbacks to Finpecia compared to the other two?
Also, just checking: I'd need a prescription for this, wouldn't I?
Thanks for all the help so far

 

[Thom]

I started it at 24 and besides a slightly-reduced drive nothing major. I still have hair now two years later, although I've lost a little in the past couple years.

 

[anxious1]

lol, yea even when writing the op I had a feeling those words would one day come back and bite.
So, I've done some reading and some thinking, and I'd like to try Finasteride. It seems though there are three main ways of taking this: 1. Propecia, 2. Proscar cut into 1/4s, or 3. Generic Finasteride (Finpecia). My preference would be for Finpecia seeing as it's cheaper than Propecia but doesn't require the cutting of Proscar. Are there any drawbacks to Finpecia compared to the other two?
Also, just checking: I'd need a prescription for this, wouldn't I?
Thanks for all the help so far

the patent on finasteride 1mg or propecia hasnt yet expired, so u cant get generic propecia yet, whereas the patent on proscar , finasteride 5mg has expired so u can get generic finasteride 5mg.

so wat im saying is finpecia IS generic proscar (finasteride 5mg, so u WILL hav to cut it up until 2016 i believe when propecia patent expires, and u WILL need a prescription unless u order it online, but this can be untrustworthy.

 

[hairplz]

I would recommend you get on the big 3 as everyone who suffers from male pattern baldness and want to maintain their hair should do. The big 3: Minoxidil (Rogaine) Finasteride (Propecia or Proscar) and Nizoral.

Those aren't the big 3.

I'd recommend you getting on the right BIG 3:
1) Finasteride (propecia or proscar);
2) Dutasteride (Avodart);
3) Spironolactone.

Then you can actually expect regrowth.

Finasteride alone won't help jack ****.

 

[ChrisW1980uk]

Isn't spironolactone far more likely to give sides? Not sure I'd like to take a drug used for gender reassignment :/

 

[hairplz]

It 100% will give sides, but the sides cannot compare to the fact of losing hair.

 

[ChrisW1980uk]

What are the sides though? I'm sure I read some pretty scary stories a while back. I wouldn't want to become feminised, definitely would rather be bald. Thankfully never had any major sides from finasteride and it seems to do the trick for me

 

[hairplz]

Worst case is impotance, lowered libido will be. Then there is gyno, which is pretty much treatable.

Impotence isn't that bad, because whatever good comes from being horny? A horny bald guy is not getting laid anyway.

 

[ChrisW1980uk]

Why not get yourself castrated then? Think I'd steer well clear of something like spironolactone if those are the sides :/

 

[hairplz]

Because there is a chance that duta+spironolactone will not get you totally castrated yet regrow hair. Castration is final solution.

 

[ChrisW1980uk]

Aren't they both drugs which do the same thing though? So you're kind of doubling up DHT blocking?

 

[hairplz]

Yes, but there are different types of DHT. You have to kill DHT in your body to stop hair loss and regrow hair. You have to go full force.

 

[jgray201]

Get on big 3 - give it at least a year and a half. Your hair-loss is pretty aggressive and yes there are stronger treatments out there but I would suggest starting with safer more widely used methods, there is every chance you could halt/slow down hair-loss with the big 3.

 

[dinosaur_sr]

The big three is finasteride, minoxidil, and nizoral, and I would use a combination of those. Personally I only use finasteride and nizoral once a week and I've maintained my hair for about a year now, with a little regrowth at the temples. Minoxidil causes dormant hair cycles to grow, giving you thicker hair, so you don't need it but if it works for you it'll improve your hair. Finasteride has about a fifty fifty chance of regrowing lost hair if it works for you. Both have about an 85% success rate, so pretty good.

Nice to see someone with a good attitude about it! I've always suspected it's slightly easier to take when you have close family who are balding. Finasteride's side effects are almost entirely scaremongering, that's not to say there aren't people who experience them, but it's rare and almost always stop once you get off the pills. There are horror stories, but there are horror stories for all sorts of different things that are very rare.

Anyway if I were you I'd try the three, or you can try just finasteride and nizoral if you're just looking to keep what you have. Good luck!