aussie's story - GREEN TEA EXTRACT QUESTION

[aussie]

Greetings all,
Long time reader, first time poster
Started losing my hair at around 22 and like most of us i just denied it and didnt want to think about it. Gradually got worse and people started to notice which then made me fall into a pretty deep depression. I do have a liver condition called Gilberts Syndrome which means my bilirubin levels are higher than normal it also means my liver doesnt function like everyone elses and takes quite a while to process things like alcohol, hence my 3-4 day hangovers lol. GS has also been linked to foggy brain, depression, anxiety, jaundice, all of which i suffer from. So i thought that the GS could be a reason behind my hairloss, still a little curious as to whether its a factor :dunno: What are your thoughts on this??

Anywho im 25 now and have been on Rogaine for 18 months, 12 of which were the liquid but i now use the foam (sooo much better!!). Also take multi vitamins, fish oil and Nizoral twice a week.

Started to get pretty thin on top aswell as my hairline creeping further and further back. Finally got the balls to shave it off last July and it has made me less conscious about it, big relief! Id say im a Norwood 2.5 . I do believe the Rogaine etc has slowed my hairloss down, but i think its time to start kicking some DHT ***! So im wanting to get onto Propecia, probably .5mg a day. I am a little concerned about it hurting my my liver but. Im really wanting to get abit more thickness happening aswell as try and recover my hairline.

Would love to hear your thoughts

Pics
Sorry ive havent been that strict with taking photos over the months, but you get the idea of where im at.

 

[growffs]

Re: Hello from the Land of Oz

I would defiantly talk to a doctor before getting on propecia!
Looks like you've had some rewgrowth from rogaine, or maybe the light is different.

Good luck!

 

[aussie]

Re: Hello from the Land of Oz

Thanks mate! Yeah it definately has gotten abit thicker especially at the front, but its very light coloured so its hard to tell. Went through a HUGE shed changing from liquid to foam, but it came back after a few months, wont be growing my hair longer but.

Yep, i think i will go to the doctors, i want to get some extensive blood tests done to see if i have a deficiency of some sort. Havent felt healthy in the head or body for a LONG time, which is another reason i dont want to start taking anything else.

 

[RaginDemon]

Re: Hello from the Land of Oz

looks like male pattern baldness to me, consult with a doctor to see if you can take Propecia

 

[aussie]

Re: Hello from the Land of Oz

looks like male pattern baldness to me

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!! :thumbsdown: lol


lol yeah i know, thats what i reckon too. Just wondering if the poor health is a contributing factor aswell

 

[Dogs3]

Re: Hello from the Land of Oz

well if it male pattern baldness poor health wont have all too much to do with it. Considering your liver problem your'll want to go to the docs before getting propecia. But do it, could make a big difference, looks like rogaine helped you too, buzzed head now looks better than it did on your first pic. good luck.

 

[RaginDemon]

Re: Hello from the Land of Oz

It does look like minoxidil helped you thicken up your exisiting hair.

 

[Dogs3]

Re: Hello from the Land of Oz

in what way do you think foam was better than liquid?

 

[aussie]

Re: Hello from the Land of Oz

in what way do you think foam was better than liquid?

application is a hell of alot easier thats for sure, drys in like 1 minute. Having a shaved head makes it even easier and quicker.
So yeah, basically application, plus i noticed it improved the thickness around the frontal area where as i dont think the liquid helped at all.

 

[RaginDemon]

Re: Hello from the Land of Oz

foam dries super fast.

 

[aussie]

Re: aussie's story - (age 25, Hello from the Land of Oz)

Ok so i'm now seriously thinking about getting onto the last stage of the Big 3, Propecia. As i've seen some results from the Rogaine and Nizoral i really think i need that extra something to help out. I think the rogaine has definitely slowed things down, but i can't see that using just those two will make my hair look any better or thicker.

So do I really need to go to the doctor to get a proscription? Reason i ask is that i have a small liver disorder called Gilberts Syndrome, nothing major but. What are some other supplements other than multi vitamins and fish oil that i could take?

Have i left it too late? Ive seen people come back from worse situations than me so im trying to keep positive that the Propecia will help

 

[aussie]

Re: aussie's story - (age 25, Hello from the Land of Oz)

S'more

Im trying to take shots without the flash anymore so the comparison photo may be abit misleading

 

[aussie]

Re: aussie's story - More pics, more help P.2

anyone? :dunno:

 

[iamnaked]

Re: aussie's story - More pics, more help P.2

With propecia I reckon you have a good chance of maintaining what you got, and thickening up a bit. I would consider dutasteride though. In for a penny, in for a pound I say. I've used it for nearly three years now with no ill effects.

I don't want to sound too pessimistic, but DHT inhibitors don't have too good a record for producing regrowth in frontal/tempral thinning. You shouldn't expect a lower hairline IMO, but a bit of thickening, and a one-shot burst of thickness and regrowth from the minoxidil that will gradually become less and less noticeable.

Good luck!

 

[aussie]

Re: aussie's story - More pics, more help P.2

Cheers mate! So what are the differences in Propecia and dutasteride, why would choosing dutasteride over Propecia be better for me?
Sorry, bit of a noob about the meds :whistle: lol

The frontal area has thickened up a fair bit, its just that the hairs are very light in colour and dont show up in the pics, if i dyed my hair it'd look alot better, but i aint gonna do that haha

 

[iamnaked]

Re: aussie's story - More pics, more help P.2

There are two types of DHT that affect your hair, simply speaking. Propecia reduces one, but not the other. Dutasteride reduces both, and IIRC a 0.5mg dose per day reduces DHT levels by 90% or something. It's the daddy of DHT inhibitors, basically.

The downside is it's more expensive. It has a longer half-life, which is good because you won't feel much of an effect if you accidentally miss out a few days dosage. It's not so good if you suffer from bad side effects though (although only an unlucky minority suffer from this).

 

[Dogs3]

Re: aussie's story - More pics, more help P.2

In for a penny, in for a pound I say.

haha, thats a good quote, I reckon your not from the US are you?

 

[aussie]

Re: aussie's story - More pics, more help P.2

Cheers iamnaked!

So what i dont understand is why doesnt everyone use dutasteride if it blocks both types of DHT? is it purely because of the price?? Ive just ordered some Biotin so hopefully that will help out by keeping my hair healthier

 

[iamnaked]

Re: aussie's story - More pics, more help P.2

Yeah- price is an important factor. dutasteride comes in caplets that you can't split (unlike proscar pills that people are fond of splitting into 5 or whatever). It is definitely more expensive, especially if you're plumping for the official branded stuff (avodart).

Secondly, there is some hysteria regarding sides. I've never experienced the slightest ill effect from taking dutasteride, but it isn't approved for hairloss purposes like Finasteride is, which causes doubts in some peoples' minds. If you are in the unlucky minority which experience sides, the higher halflife of dutasteride would mean that any potential sides would last longer.

Finally, there are those that believe that DHT fulfils some kind of useful purpose, and that drastically reducing it will wreak havoc. Like I said, I haven't experienced any negative effects from nigh on 3 years of taking the stuff, but as with all pharms, your mileage will vary. And of course I could be back on this forum with a penis growing out of my forehead sobbing about my mistakes in 5 years time

 

[iamnaked]

Re: aussie's story - More pics, more help P.2

In for a penny, in for a pound I say.

haha, thats a good quote, I reckon your not from the US are you?

no i am a brit