WhereDaHair
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I have been aggressively diffusing, the whole top of my head. It is now really getting to the point that it bothers me. It's killing my self-confidence and all I try and do is hide it. So maybe I am obsessing but it's just the way it is. I'd rather do something about it than keep taking pictures of the top of my head and comparing and observing people's hair everywhere I go. But it sucks to realize 9/10 people, even twice my age have SO MUCH more density.
I was taking 1mg finasteride on and off (mostly on) for about 2 years. It was really helping my hair but I had sides like a lot of people. I know that's always debated, but i'm not looking to get into that here. So, I stopped taking it. That's another story.. Now just minoxidil foam twice day, most days.
Anyway what I would truly just freaking love to know more than anything is if there are alternative products that work, just locally on my scalp. I know, it's probably a common question but everything I have read through on the forums doesn't really point to a clear answer, so i'm asking based on my understanding:
finasteride
Works because Inhibits 5ar2 enzyme that converts T to DHT. That's great for my hair follicles but doesn't DHT play a major role in what it means to be a male? Suppressing it drastically doesn't seem like a good idea. Anyway finasteride does that and that means that it helps to prevent the miniaturization process and so forth. If i'm getting this wrong then let me know.
So, I want to prevent DHT from binding to AR at my follice, not reduce it's existence in my overall body.
Do any of these products:
RU, CB, ASC, Equol, BIM, AHKl, the new Loreal Stuff, etc..
...offer an alternative? My understanding is that those products are Anti-Androgens and rather than inhibiting 5ar2 creating DHT, they rather block, or compete with DHT from binding to AR. Therefore, DHT would still be present in my system, as it is intended to be.
Result would be the same as finasteride? What's the difference if there is less DHT in my scalp or less binding to AR's at the hair follicle in regard to hair loss?
So, if I am desperate, which I clearly am, could I get benefit from these products without the risk of sides? Are there other diffusers that have had success with them (without finasteride)? Or, will there be some adverse systemic effect throughout my body? Do people get sides from these topicals? I just think of it as I am wearing a nicotine patch on my arm right now, and that is clearly a systemic effect.
I just wanted to get some feedback if there have been those that have had results, without sides.. Seems like such a simple question, I have no idea how I just wrote 5 paragraphs to ask it. But, remember it's pretty aggressive diffuse thinning.
Thanks guys. There's a lot to learn to be on level with all you guys. Coming in at square one is intimidating. I have a full-time job, trying to keep a family together, a 1 year old child, significant other who works the opposite shift as me; it's really hard to find the time to sit down -uninterrupted-. Much less actually absorb what I'm reading without going on information overload.
I was taking 1mg finasteride on and off (mostly on) for about 2 years. It was really helping my hair but I had sides like a lot of people. I know that's always debated, but i'm not looking to get into that here. So, I stopped taking it. That's another story.. Now just minoxidil foam twice day, most days.
Anyway what I would truly just freaking love to know more than anything is if there are alternative products that work, just locally on my scalp. I know, it's probably a common question but everything I have read through on the forums doesn't really point to a clear answer, so i'm asking based on my understanding:
finasteride
Works because Inhibits 5ar2 enzyme that converts T to DHT. That's great for my hair follicles but doesn't DHT play a major role in what it means to be a male? Suppressing it drastically doesn't seem like a good idea. Anyway finasteride does that and that means that it helps to prevent the miniaturization process and so forth. If i'm getting this wrong then let me know.
So, I want to prevent DHT from binding to AR at my follice, not reduce it's existence in my overall body.
Do any of these products:
RU, CB, ASC, Equol, BIM, AHKl, the new Loreal Stuff, etc..
...offer an alternative? My understanding is that those products are Anti-Androgens and rather than inhibiting 5ar2 creating DHT, they rather block, or compete with DHT from binding to AR. Therefore, DHT would still be present in my system, as it is intended to be.
Result would be the same as finasteride? What's the difference if there is less DHT in my scalp or less binding to AR's at the hair follicle in regard to hair loss?
So, if I am desperate, which I clearly am, could I get benefit from these products without the risk of sides? Are there other diffusers that have had success with them (without finasteride)? Or, will there be some adverse systemic effect throughout my body? Do people get sides from these topicals? I just think of it as I am wearing a nicotine patch on my arm right now, and that is clearly a systemic effect.
I just wanted to get some feedback if there have been those that have had results, without sides.. Seems like such a simple question, I have no idea how I just wrote 5 paragraphs to ask it. But, remember it's pretty aggressive diffuse thinning.
Thanks guys. There's a lot to learn to be on level with all you guys. Coming in at square one is intimidating. I have a full-time job, trying to keep a family together, a 1 year old child, significant other who works the opposite shift as me; it's really hard to find the time to sit down -uninterrupted-. Much less actually absorb what I'm reading without going on information overload.