anyone try 12.5% or 15% minoxidil? & my life of hell..

[hairlossblows]

Has anyone tried 12.5% or 15% minoxidil? Just curious if it's worth the time/money investment..

I don't know how much longer I can deal with baldness.. it seems as if one morning I woke up and suddenly realized I was in trouble.. it really progressed in the past 3-4 months like crazy.. I'm thin on top and close to hairless on the rear/crown area.. I just started avodart .05mg, minoxidil 5% and nizoral 2% about 2 months ago.. I'm waiting for any sign of results.. I believe I stopped shedding but my hair is razor short from shaving about 3 weeks ago.

Man the devestation involved with baldness.. I've contemplated suicide several times and it's still a thought that crosses my mind.. I can't begin my career I've studied for, I can't go out without wearing a hat.. I was at a club I've attended daily for the past 3 years back in November, I go out very little now.. an acquaintance of mine grabbed my hat off my head not realizing I was balding.. even in the darkness of the club it was clearly obvious..

I was asked to go to another night club a few weeks later by a different set of people I know.. I had heard good things about it and so I decided to go.. at the door, they advised me of a dress code "no hats".. none of my acquaintances knew I was balding so I simply asked them for the keys to their car claiming I was going to put my hat in it.. they went inside and had a good time occasionally calling to see where I was.. I had to make up some lame excuse about how someone I knew needed my immediate assistance and I had to get going.. I had to call someone else and ask them to come pick me up since I didn't drive.

And if these werent humiliating experiences enough, I occasionally do research on public terminals at local county courthouses... one day an individual I was working with had asked me if I wanted to sit in traffic court claiming it was rather humorous to do so.. now I was almost sure hats wouldnt be allowed and I was hesitant to say yes.. but first I asked if there was a "dress code" hinting I wasnt really dressed to enter the court room.. I was told "no, not at all".. so I said sure why not.. when they opened up the court room, the court room sheriff's allowed me to enter with my hat on.. everyone took their seats including the bailiffs.. while I was sitting about midrow back in the courtroom, I happened to make eye contact with one of the bailiffs up front as we were waiting for the judge to arrive.. he pointed at my hat.. I just shook my head yes hoping to god he liked what I was wearing but it was obvious what he was indicating.. he again pointed at my hat.. the individual I was with said "oh you cant wear hats in here, you have to take it off" .. I was frantic I didnt know what to do, I couldnt not obey the bailiff.. so I removed it but I darted out of the court room and into the bathroom stall to hide myself.. I dont think Ive ever been so humiliated in my entire life, that was cause for suicide right there.. I had so many people looking at me, just staring.. my hair was short but it was still clearly obvious I look fairly young and I was balding as if I was 40.. to this day this court event still mentally depresses me...

the only positive side to this situation is I dont ever have to see those people in the court room again.. and I'm sure they've all long forgot about me.. but this is the kind of bullshit I deal with day in day out.. I cant take it anymore.. I dont deserve to be bald, noone in my family is bald.. this is bullshit.. baldness is a VERY serious problem and it goes researched as if its all about cosmetic appeal.. its about dignity, pride, self respect, respect in general, and statement.. researchers should be doing 10x more than what they are to cure this deficiency..

I used to love wearing hats when I was younger.. if I had the choice I would never wear a hat again.. shaving your head is always an option but I dont maintain the body mass or facial apperance to look good with a shaved head.. I dont look goofy but I dont think im very appealing..

im screwed.. i cant blame hair researchers for my condition but I can blame them for not curing it fast enough.. its been decades with no real cure.. theres no real effective treatment either.. lets face it, minoxdil doesnt work that well.. most people are lucky to see vellus hairs but even so, it doesnt work on frontal balding which I've personally never understood..

well guys thanks for listening to me.. i hope a cure is found soon.. i hope a cure is found real real soon..

thanks again

 

[Humpty Dumpty]

Well, lose the bloody hat for a start. :roll:

 

[youngguy_uk]

hey mate what age ru? im also scared of looking really bald young. although im not so far gone down the baldness path i can relate to some things ur saying. like i wont feel like going out or to a club lots of the time bcos my hair looks crap at the time etc. but hang in there..what treatments ru on or have u been on? if u need to regrow fast just get on minoxidil and stick with it for a year. use propecia too if u havent been. if i were u, id shave my head, not razor but down to v fine stubble. ur baldness will b hard to detect i think and, if u feel people r looking at u weird bcos ur a young bald guy, they wont nemore. go to the gym and workout, itll give u a different kindof pride in ur appearance. find a gym partner. stick to it. give it a year and if ur hair problems havent gotten much better ull have a good body, and short, normal-looking hair for a young guy, and wont b so unconfident i hope. best of luck man.

 

[ShedMaster]

please excuse my fragmented sentences and improper word order, for I am hungover, yet choose to answer posts this mornign.

12.5% and above minoxidil from dr. lee is very expensive. I would hold off on that especially since you think you have stopped shedding. If you have stopped the shedding after only 2 months of treatment, that is a very good sign. This is the 1st sign in treatment that the regimen is working.


The other positive thing I get out of your post is that you started rapidly losing 3-4 months ago. This means that you are starting early enough to reverse the hair loss and even regrow lost hair. The avodart is somewhat contraversial because of the side effect concerns. In theory it should be better then propecia because it inhibits both types of DHT, however, some have reported it destroying their hairline. The same goes for 12.5% minoxidil. It is very powerful stuff and I would wait until you see if you get results from the 5% before trying it. It is 50/50 whether it is going to mess up your hairline or stimulate major growth because it is so strong. 5% minoxidil does in fact work on the front. just not quite as well as the top and back.

 

[VoRteX]

Man, you sound really depressed about your male pattern baldness

First of all, you need to take up some exercise or activity to elevate your mood and take your mind off male pattern baldness. Jogging, weight lifting etc. Eat healthy and get lots of rest.

Secondly you need to finish up whatever avodart you have left and get on propecia. Avodart is way too strong to start with and likely wont product better results. Additionally, avodart eliminates ALL dht in your system and can likely produce side effects including depression.

use nizoral, propecia, and minoxidil 5% for at least a year. You will see good results. dont stress about your hair. Just get a good haircut, style it the best you can, and be bold.

Lastly, I'd be willing to bet you perceive your hairloss WAY worse than others do. When i first noticed I was balding, I was sure that I was a big baldy and everyone was staring. It wasnt till later that I saw a picture of myself and realized my hair looked basically normal with traces of thinning. Additionally, most people could give a sh*t less if you are thinning. Yeah some shallow chicks might reject you, but most girls dont give a crap if you are an outgoing, well dressed guy. Its funny how a little thinning can make us feel like we look like a diseased cancer patient but in reality we look quite normal to others. Dont look in the mirror all the time and obsess over it.



hope this helps man.

 

[bombscience]

To answer the question about minoxidil, I would give the 5% solution at least 6 months before you make the determination that it isn't working for you. Then I would try the 12.5% creme or 15% solution if you dont see results.

Secondly, like Vortex said, jumping right into Avodart is crazy! Try propecia for a year and see how it goes before making that decision. It may save you money, side effects and more depression.

Thirdly. I have delt with depression in my life for a while now. Way before the hairloss thing I had a run-in with a suicide attempt. This has only made my struggle with hairloss more difficult. I know how you feel about your job, being in public, and hope for the future. What you need to realize and what I constantly remind myself of is that this hairloss crap does NOT define who you are. There is this level of confidence that you can gain and convey to others that will outweigh your balding any day of the week. When other people see this confidence in you, that you are who you are and you full love yourself as a person, they wont be paying attention to what's on your head at all.

Is it better to be bald? I dont think so. Hairloss sucks, it will always suck, but it seems to me like you're a good person at heart and that's why this is bothering you so much. So realize that and try to gain confidence in that fact. When others see that, hairloss matters a lot less.

 

[Stingray]

If you'll take your life because you are losing your hair, then you have much deeper issues than hair loss. There is a reason why vanity is a sin. It causes you nothing but trouble. Keep on your regimen for a while to see how it goes, if it doesn't work then get a piece. NO ONE will hate you for it... or even laugh at you about it. I walk down the streets and see dozens of businessmen with toupees every day and I see no problem with it. It's just a cosmetic enhancement to make up for a lack of something. I see no real difference between a hair piece and breast augmentation. Same principle, different application.

It's never bad enough to take your own life. And if it is, then the problem is deeper than just the skin.

 

[Guest]

Re: anyone try 12.5% or 15% minoxidil? & my life of hell

Has anyone tried 12.5% or 15% minoxidil? Just curious if it's worth the time/money investment..

I don't know how much longer I can deal with baldness.. it seems as if one morning I woke up and suddenly realized I was in trouble.. it really progressed in the past 3-4 months like crazy.. I'm thin on top and close to hairless on the rear/crown area.. I just started avodart .05mg, minoxidil 5% and nizoral 2% about 2 months ago.. I'm waiting for any sign of results.. I believe I stopped shedding but my hair is razor short from shaving about 3 weeks ago.

Man the devestation involved with baldness.. I've contemplated suicide several times and it's still a thought that crosses my mind.. I can't begin my career I've studied for, I can't go out without wearing a hat.. I was at a club I've attended daily for the past 3 years back in November, I go out very little now.. an acquaintance of mine grabbed my hat off my head not realizing I was balding.. even in the darkness of the club it was clearly obvious..

I was asked to go to another night club a few weeks later by a different set of people I know.. I had heard good things about it and so I decided to go.. at the door, they advised me of a dress code "no hats".. none of my acquaintances knew I was balding so I simply asked them for the keys to their car claiming I was going to put my hat in it.. they went inside and had a good time occasionally calling to see where I was.. I had to make up some lame excuse about how someone I knew needed my immediate assistance and I had to get going.. I had to call someone else and ask them to come pick me up since I didn't drive.

And if these werent humiliating experiences enough, I occasionally do research on public terminals at local county courthouses... one day an individual I was working with had asked me if I wanted to sit in traffic court claiming it was rather humorous to do so.. now I was almost sure hats wouldnt be allowed and I was hesitant to say yes.. but first I asked if there was a "dress code" hinting I wasnt really dressed to enter the court room.. I was told "no, not at all".. so I said sure why not.. when they opened up the court room, the court room sheriff's allowed me to enter with my hat on.. everyone took their seats including the bailiffs.. while I was sitting about midrow back in the courtroom, I happened to make eye contact with one of the bailiffs up front as we were waiting for the judge to arrive.. he pointed at my hat.. I just shook my head yes hoping to god he liked what I was wearing but it was obvious what he was indicating.. he again pointed at my hat.. the individual I was with said "oh you cant wear hats in here, you have to take it off" .. I was frantic I didnt know what to do, I couldnt not obey the bailiff.. so I removed it but I darted out of the court room and into the bathroom stall to hide myself.. I dont think Ive ever been so humiliated in my entire life, that was cause for suicide right there.. I had so many people looking at me, just staring.. my hair was short but it was still clearly obvious I look fairly young and I was balding as if I was 40.. to this day this court event still mentally depresses me...

the only positive side to this situation is I dont ever have to see those people in the court room again.. and I'm sure they've all long forgot about me.. but this is the kind of bullshit I deal with day in day out.. I cant take it anymore.. I dont deserve to be bald, noone in my family is bald.. this is bullshit.. baldness is a VERY serious problem and it goes researched as if its all about cosmetic appeal.. its about dignity, pride, self respect, respect in general, and statement.. researchers should be doing 10x more than what they are to cure this deficiency..

I used to love wearing hats when I was younger.. if I had the choice I would never wear a hat again.. shaving your head is always an option but I dont maintain the body mass or facial apperance to look good with a shaved head.. I dont look goofy but I dont think im very appealing..

im screwed.. i cant blame hair researchers for my condition but I can blame them for not curing it fast enough.. its been decades with no real cure.. theres no real effective treatment either.. lets face it, minoxdil doesnt work that well.. most people are lucky to see vellus hairs but even so, it doesnt work on frontal balding which I've personally never understood..

well guys thanks for listening to me.. i hope a cure is found soon.. i hope a cure is found real real soon..

thanks again

Professional counseling first. Hair loss issues to follow. Get some help with the whole depression/suicide thing and THEN worry what's on top of your heard.

Good luck

 

[Diddy]

first of man you need to get some proffesional help, beyond what people on this board can offer. You clearly have developed some extreme anxiety over the whole thing.

I'm guessing you are around 21-25 because you say you finished your degree or whatever. (If you are much older i strongly stress seeking the help...)

furthermore you cannot be extremely bald, because if you have some much anxiety over the whole thing, you unlikely are like a NW6, because you would probably would have freaked at NW2-3 (Which i figure you somewhere are)

Get rid of the damn hat man. You gonna live your whole life under a hat? go to job interviews with a hat? If you don't get a hold of yourself you are going to soon find yourself unemployed with no friends! Of course you will probably post that baldness has made people not like you, and no one will hire you - NOT TRUE! its because you act like a WEIRDO when people ask to hang out with you! Why would people want to hang out with a guy whos all sketchy and is constantly making up odd excuses?

I feel bad for you, but you are on a very solid regimine, and if crown loss is your main thing, your chances for success are good. Stick with it.
Finally live your life. Why the hell were you typing this post on new years eve????

I'm sorry to sound harsh, but you have to realize that baldness is nothing to kill yourself over, 25% of the world is in the same boat as you.

 

[someday]

i hear ya man..

3 and a half years ago, i never wore a hat. i knew i was starting to bald. At 18 years old. Combing the Gel out of my hair at the end of the day or whenever it happened to be was so depressing. I was 18 and i was stairing at 200 hairs in the sink. Think dark hairs. very upsetting. I couldnt accept this. But it went a year maybe a lil more, i grew very self concious. I had to change my hair style. to help hide the balding. Now, i always wear a hat. I dont go places i cant ware my hat. To make things worse, when your at the bar, ure hiding under your hat..terrified if someone steals it. Then when your protective over it, it only make you more of a target! lol...but yea..its not fun. i get hit on quite a bit..but..always thinking..what will they think if they know. its very depressing. i was on propecia for a year and half...no regrowth. and cant say for sure if it held on to what i had. so i stoped, for 3 months. I decided to try Xandrox 5% niteday/ nizoral/ and finasteride. been on these for 1a and a half months, and the other stuff about 3 and half weeks.

...im a lil scared to say, as if ill jinx it or somrthing..but i think im starting to see some postive signs... on my hair line of all places..where i dont really need it. *crosses fingers* but if its werking there..

id be lieing if i said i didnt think about suicide a few times, never seriously, but right now, it seems unbearable to live a life bald. i can relate to what u say. And to make us pay for these drugs is sick. baldness goes far beyond cosmetics.

 

[beast]

i feel your pain. i've had embarrising situations were my hat had to come off. hair loss sucks but you got to just keep on living. i always were hats, not just to cover my balding, but because i like the way i look in a hat and have worn one most my life. i recommend you start working out. it does wonders for your self-esteem.

good luck.

 

[johndekay]

I used to wear a hat all the time also

to work, to uni, the few times i went out with friends

I dreaded seeing hair on the desk, on my shoulders, in my fingers, on the pillow, on my books, everywhere.

trust me mate - shave your head. It is a MUCH better option than wearing a hat everywhere to cover up yourself. Or trying to cover it up with a disgusting balding hair style. You will look clean, crisp and confident.

Don't be afraid, and dont be suicidal - be nice to people and friendly, positive. You will be much easier to talk to and others will see THAT.

In the end mate, its only hair - not your life. Many men are bald, many people enjoy the company of other men, balding or not. Lets not be realistic though, many will joke behind you, or not really accept you - but thats JUST THE WAY IT IS. You are a man, pick yourself up and move on, dont let it defeat you - like me, like many here you are unlucky enough to be forced to accept balding early, but it is YOU who is forcing yourself to lead a tragic life.

I would wish the world that this did not happen. I have a million reasons why this SHOULDNT be happening. But it IS. I can imagine what everyone will be saying, what everyone will be thinking - OK so you have ONE problem that is visible to the world - carrying on like that will only make it OBVIOUS TO THE WORLD.

Look at it like this:

balding does not kill you
balding does not impair ANY physical functions
balding does not inhibit ANY mental functions
balding does not require expensive, costly and risky surgery (unless you want it to)

Ever been to emergency ward? Ever been in a serious accident?

I'm not saying that what you are experiencing is easy. But try and look at the bright side of things - corny as it may sound there ARE many wonderful things in this world - you have friends that call you out and want to be around you. Don't give that up by making the problem of hairloss so big. What you need to realise is that people have enough problems of their own. Don't try and make this THEIR problem also, and expect people to give you special treatment. Be friendly and you will see that people are more accepting because you offer many other attractive qualities. Moan and mope and people will only remember you as a strange, unapproachable person, that they feel awkward to be around.

Enough. I am going bald also, but despite my ramblings I often find myself afraid of what will become of me. It is not fair, but is neednt be the end.