8 years of denial - what should i do? pics of my Androgenetic Alopecia progression

[Dikek]

Hi guys,i'm a 27 year old balding since 19-20

My story is pretty simple, I did absolutely nothing to stop my clearly balding progression, somehow convinced myself it wasn't happening, now i'm crushed, I don't have any healthy social life anymore and i'm not confident enough to react well, i can't do something productive, I'm losing my mind and even if i can still hide my Androgenetic Alopecia pretty well without any massive comb-over, if i go out i feel nervous and look at other people head and hairs all the time, if I see a reflective surface i have to check my head in order to hide my balding spot.
After I took a haircut last month where i could not see myself in the mirror anymore with my vertex destroyed, i decided to react and read what solutions emerged in this years with a sad surprice... the same "big 3" treatment people had 10 and 20 years ago.

I took some pics over the years of my head, in the last two years all my top thinned and in the last 6 months my vertex become really bad with visible balding spot everywhere

My Androgenetic Alopecia progression went this way
16-17: dandruff, Androgenetic Alopecia inflammation start to hit
17-18: itching and dandruff continue but still 0 sheding
18-19: less dandruff, read about nizoral and start using it for a month or two then i stop
20-22: begin to shed lot of hairs in the shower, i denied something wrong was happening, still lot of hairs to cover my scalp
22-25: some people begin to tell me about my thin hairs in the vertex, others tell me nothing is happening, my hairdresser tell me to start do something i read about medication but did nothing. hairs quality drop
25-26: my vertex under sunlight is visible, but i can still cover it pretty well, 2-3 inch of thinning crown
Last year-now: massive shedding, my vertex begin do be very thin, i lost 0.5-1cm of temple hairs, all the top begin to thin pretty fast

I didn't win the genetic lottery, I am very sensitive to medications and my cardiovascular system according to my family history isn't the strongest so i've never tried finasteride or minoxidil before but i need my hairs for at least the next 5-6-7 years, i just started to use nizoral, and 0.700g PSO/0.150g serenoa crap supplement just to start doing something, i read the DR "trial" you guys did (and the sad ending) but i think i'm denying again my bad situation and i have to start take medications but i fear the sides and the early shedding (expecially minoxidil)
Anyway i made a selection of pics i took over the years, i have to style them forward to cover most of the scalp, what you guys think should i do? Try the "alternative" way or start using medications? I dream my 2011 hairs :sad:, please give me some advice

 

[winnyblues]

bro you need to get on finasteride and minoxdil asap!!!!!
seriously finasteride can work wonders (if you look at the success thread) and it'll at least maintain or halt your hair loss!
minoxidil can possibly regrow hair and together with finasteride can work wonders! seriously man don't believe the crap about side effects of finasteride, I've been taking it for 2 months now and I've only had water semen as a side effect, but thats a small price to pay for me to regain or at least maintain my hair!

side note: you say you are worried about side effects, seriously are you kidding me its not that bad man and the chances of getting serious side effects are minimal. taking something which can only help your hair and your social life/confidence/self-esteem/etc it has MINIMAL side effects and you worry about shedding from minoxidil, in the long term it will benefit you. Either you are going to have to accept you are going to shave your head to the skin and be done with it, or fight the baldness and you still have hair on your head so things can get better! have faith

You'll surely benefit by getting on Finasteride + minoxdil, I recommend you go to your doctor and get a script for finasteride ASAP, because its clear to me that your hair loss has affected you (as it has done the same for me). Definitely get a script for finasteride (get the 5mg one which you can cut into quarters and not brand name propecia because its alot cheaper and does the same thing), and get on minoxdil as well!
and possibly save up for a hair transplant in the future if you want to save your hair.

 

[Dikek]

thx for your words and your time, hairloss hit like a truck and it's a oneway ticket to sadness, in every single shower you see piece of yourself going in the sink and change you in just few weeks, i have to do what i have to do now

 

[winnyblues]

thx for your words and your time, hairloss hit like a truck and it's a oneway ticket to sadness, in every single shower you see piece of yourself going in the sink and change you in just few weeks, i have to do what i have to do now

Bro if you get on Finasteride and minoxidil now, and save some coin for a hair transplant when you are say 28-30 you will be fine for at least 5-10 years. I plan to get a hair transplant at 28 so don't worry man its not the end of the world, and I'm only 23 turning 24
but i do agree with you, it is a oneway ticket to sadness its ****ed

but save money for a hair transplant! think of it as a medium to long term investment which will pay off in spades

 

[hellouser]

Get a girl and marry her while you still have a chance. Once your hair gets any worse... well, you'll see. In the meantime, finasteride, minoxidil, ru58841 and CB-03-01 are your only options... well, perhaps you could say a prayer for researchers to quit monkeying around with mice and start work on humans instead. Good luck.

 

[Dikek]

Get a girl and marry her while you still have a chance. Once your hair gets any worse... well, you'll see. In the meantime, finasteride, minoxidil, ru58841 and CB-03-01 are your only options... well, perhaps you could say a prayer for researchers to quit monkeying around with mice and start work on humans instead. Good luck.

Honstly i don't think being bald prevent you from having a wife and a decent life, at least you get rid of all the superficial b****s who will ruin your life soon or later, I need my hairs for myself, i know my limit, my lack of confidence and hairloss will stop me from being successful in the near future, but i still have faith in this world

 

[hellouser]

Honstly i don't think being bald prevent you from having a wife and a decent life, at least you get rid of all the superficial b****s who will ruin your life soon or later, I need my hairs for myself, i know my limit, my lack of confidence and hairloss will stop me from being successful in the near future, but i still have faith in this world

I used to be naive like you.... but like I said, you'll see.

 

[Makeveli12]

I didn't take finasteride for 4 years because of concerns of side effects. I have diffuse thinning on top of my scalp. Now I have been on it a month and haven't had a single issue. I finally decided to try it knowing that the possible improvement in my life was worth the risk. Even if it doesn't work at least I will have tried. If you do the same, do not analyse every little aspect of your life, just do your normal thing and forget you are taking anything, the placebo effect is a very powerful thing, and I believe could be a reason for issues some people see.

 

[Dikek]

Can i take only fina and nizoral or minoxidil is essential?
Sometimes i have 1-2 days of ball ache, maybe my right testicle have a light varicocele, what can happen if i take fina? Can this be a serious issue?

 

[winnyblues]

no just take it and minoxidil if you value your hair

 

[MEVOYACURAR]

Please go to see a dermatologist and talk with him about your worries and your varicocele. Your confidence is worthy but your health is worthier, besides you have said that being bald is compatible with having a good life, be married and so. If you really believe that be patient and talk with doctors first.

I would give only minoxidil a try first if you want, don´t be afraid of temporal shedding, didn´t you say that being bald...?
And talk with your doctors about finasteride. It is suppossed that inhibiting 5alfa reductase has nothing to do with varicocele, but who knows. Also though finasteride is on average more succesful than minoxidil, it is also more tricky: think deeply.

I think Minoxidil and Nizoral are a good regimen while you have a dermatologist appointment.

 

[DENI3D]

Please go to see a dermatologist and talk with him about your worries and your varicocele. Your confidence is worthy but your health is worthier, besides you have said that being bald is compatible with having a good life, be married and so. If you really believe that be patient and talk with doctors first.

I would give only minoxidil a try first if you want, don´t be afraid of temporal shedding, didn´t you say that being bald...?
And talk with your doctors about finasteride. It is suppossed that inhibiting 5alfa reductase has nothing to do with varicocele, but who knows. Also though finasteride is on average more succesful than minoxidil, it is also more tricky: think deeply.

I think Minoxidil and Nizoral are a good regimen while you have a dermatologist appointment.

Beware for a significant percentage minoxidil alone only makes things a lot worse. For some it will work alone but for a lot of people it wont, myself included.

 

[GoldenMane]

Hairline looks good still, finasteride and minoxidil will sort out your thinning. I think you'll be fine, you could have acted much later. You didn't catch it super early or super late, many people caught it much later than you and made full recoveries. You probably won't even need a hair transplant.

 

[Baylad]

Can i take only fina and nizoral or minoxidil is essential?
Sometimes i have 1-2 days of ball ache, maybe my right testicle have a light varicocele, what can happen if i take fina? Can this be a serious issue?

Go on for x days, then stop Y days, then go on for x days. If pain comes when your on it check with Doctor but red light should be flashing rather lose my hair than my balls.

 

[MEVOYACURAR]

Beware for a significant percentage minoxidil alone only makes things a lot worse. For some it will work alone but for a lot of people it wont, myself included.

I said minoxidil and Nizoral only the time while he waits for his doctor appointment. I think he doesn't like minoxidil.

However, we cant forget he has: medication allergys, possible cardiovascular problems and possible varicocele. I don't know what treatment can kill him faster...

Joking apart, the truth is that you Dikek would need to consult a doctor before starting any treatment. Keep on ketoconazol shampoo meanwhile because though it is the least effective it is the safest of the big 3. I believe finasteride could be compatible with varicocele, but don't risk, it is better to solve that first. And minoxidil? Check your cardiovascular system to be sure.

Ask your doctor and tell us.

 

[Dikek]

I will see a Doctor in the next weeks, i'm looking for a good one in my town and it's not so easy(they are expensive 100-150 euro the first time so i really don't want a ****ty one)... anyway i have zero allergy, i usually need very little dose of medication to see results, and i dunno if i can't tell to the Doctor "i could be affected by a large number of disease according to 10 years of internet" the Doctor will never give me anything lol, i will eventually check everything in the next months if i feel something wrong
My plan is simple, even if i'm freaking out this days and i will try to be objective about my sides, i will take 0.25mg for some weeks, max 0.5, seems to be a correlation between the amount of mg and sides, if i'm lucky and i have no serious sides at the end of the year my vertex should be better, we will see
No minoxidil for now, i don't want my hairs be slave of a lotion 2 time a day every day for the rest of my life, I can eventually stop and use propecia again with no crazy shedding if i get sides and want my body to rest a little

Am i wrong?

 

[MEVOYACURAR]

Sensible decision.

Keep on Ketoconazol while you see the doctor. Ask him about varicocele/ testicular ache you have and when it is adviceble to start finasteride.
And regarding finasteride I think it is right to start 0,25mg every now and then, check how you feel and little by little increase dosis and frequency.

Good luck!