Advice On Balding When Medicine And Dermatologist Don’t Help

[Avital]

Hi!
I’m new here and English is not my native language, so if words or sentences looks weird that’s the reason.

I have been to 2 different dermatologist (independent of each other) and said that I want to have a hair transplantation. I have saved money for a while so I’m absolutely ready. Now both dermatologist claims that I don’t have male pattern hair loss. It’s obvious that I have, I don’t need to be a dermatologist to see that.

Maybe they try to be nice to me since I habe psychiatric problems and take a lot of medicine. I got the impression that they told me that it’s fine, it’s 2 swirls or cow licks, it’s my dark hair against my pale skin, it’s because of my medicines, to make me not freak out. That’s super strange because I freak out because of the dishonesty!

Anyway I wanted to ask you, who I have more trust in than the dermatologists, I have been reading here a while and the opinions here feels very honest and not trying to cover up or be scared I freak out like if it was in real life in an office (not that I would freak out, I not aggressive or anything)

For about 13 months I have been using minoxidil x 2 together with finasteride. I have a kidney disease too and my doctor have recommended against finasteride in my case. So I had to see different doctors to find one who finally gave me finasteride.

I didn’t take pictures before finasteride and minoxidil, but I’m very ocd so I would notice any changes. I spend many hours a day watching the mirror in good light conditions. So a slightly increase or hair or decrease would not be unnoticed. I don’t have any side effects really except that I’m aware that it collide/hurt with my kidney treatment but I’m not even close to consider shaving my hair off or buzz cut.

More important for me is to KEEP my hair, I’m not 20 anymore but over 40, and I have had buzz cut super short for the last 14 years, and I don’t want that at all ever again.

So as you can see on the photos my crown area is bald while the rest of the hair looks somewhat okey. Is there ANYTHING that I can do? Change finasteride? Increase the dosage? Use minoxidil more than 2 times a day? Keep try to find a dermatologist who CANT read my journals and make a hair transplant?

You see that I can cover my baldness with a combover together with a blow dryer on some of the photos, I know that it’s not relevant that I can try to hide that I’m bald under the hair, but I wanted to show the reason why I don’t want to clean shave or buzz cut since hiding it can work sometimes (going out eat, drive car, walks when it’s not much windy etc) This is only to show that even if I’m bald crown, my appearance from other angles can mask and make the impression that my balding is not too much visible.

I’m happy for any advice because I feel stuck in this.

Some photos shows decent hair, but that’s my attempt to hide my baldness underneath.

(My age is over 40 and all photos are from August to October 2019)
(Edit the post million times because bad spelling)

 

[Jakejr]

I see your issue. You have very good hair generally speaking. Doctors are correct from an average male they wouldn’t recommend hair transplant. You have thinning slightly in crown area. This is what’s bothering you.
So you can cover it up in a minute or attempt to thicken thinning area.
You could:
1) increase minoxidil to 15% strength w) Azaelic acid.
2) Start Spirolactone at 25 mg increasing to 150 mg if you decide.
3)Research other anti-androgens if you like.
Massage, microneedling, supplements, etc are often ineffective but don’t hurt

 

[Avital]

Thank you so much for your suggestions!
Most of the times this is bothering me very much. Some people have said that it doesn’t look as bad as I think when I have tilted my head to show them. I take it as people want to be kind and not say anything that they think would make me upset, even if a totally honest opinion would be better.

I can have days when I think that I should be happy for the hair I have, considered I’m being over 40 years old.

I will take your advice and increase my minoxidil dose and see if I can find other anti androgens.

I have to say that I’m a little bit surprised that minoxidil morning and evening together with finasteride for over a year haven’t had any noticeable effects. But I guess it’s individual. When I started using them I never noticed any shedding. I have read that some people experience that when starting with that treatment initially.