BackInTime's Story

[backintime]

I decided to start this topic as kind of a journal of my treatment experience as well as to gain input from others. I am a diffuse thinner, receding sides and really bad on crown. I am a little over 3 weeks on Rogain Foam (5% - 2x daily) and Nizoral (2% every other day) and day three of Finax (generic finasteride/1mg - 1x daily). I do not remember my exact start date and wish I had a better baseline photo, because as of last night looking in the mirror it seems I have shed quite a bit. I was HORRIFIED by the size of my bald spot. I have not been able to take another photo because the first was was in sunlight and want to keep them consistent (it's been cloudy here for three days). At what point did you start shedding on minoxidil and to what extent? My baseline photo is below. I plan on taking monthly photos and putting them here to track my progress. I would also be interested to hear from other diffuse thinners who have had success with the Big 3 and at what point they noticed results.

 

[backintime]

btw not sure why my crown looks so blurry in this pic. That's why I say I wish I had a better photo as this doesn't show the extent of my balding in that area.

 

[Moosetache]

I too have diffuse thinning. I started my treatment 1 week ago but I'm only on 5% minoxidil as I think it should be enough for me. So I really cant comment on the big 3 from personal experience.

I do want to give you some encouragement though. You more or less still have full coverage and, even though it's hard to tell on that birdview shot, your temples don't seem too bad. I think you have a great shot of getting some descent regrowth.

Good luck and keep us posted. :salut:

 

[backintime]

Thanks. Was just reading your story...alot of similarities. I also had alot of aprehensions about finasteride, but wanted to attack my hairloss from every angle possible. I just seems that my loss has accelerated so much over the past year and a half that I didn't want to wait any longer. I used to always have my hair longer, but realized that as of just a few months ago as I ran my fingers through my hair, I couldn't "grab" any hair with my hand on the crown, or at least not as much as everywhere else...REALLY scared me. Anyway I buzzed it short three weeks ago to (a) make minoxidil easier to apply and (b) thought it would be a better look (it isn't - lol).

Anyway I appreciate your encouragement and also wish you good luck. Check in from time to time and let us know your progress.

 

[backintime]

Month one complete...30 days on Rogain 5%/2x daily, Nizoral 2% every other day and two weeks on finasteride 1% daily. As you can see by the pictures below, I have shed quite a bit, which I'm hoping is a really good sign of things to come. Haven't noticed any side effects from anything. Maybe lower libido from the finasteride, but that could just be all in my head. After reading some negative posts regarding Finax, I ordered Finpecia this time from United Pharmacies. I have two weeks of Finax left, then gonna start on Finpecia. Does anyone know...is it ok to switch between generics like this?

 

[backintime]

Here are some progress pics. Newest ones are of this morning (June 8, 2012). I'd appreciate any opinions to verify that I have in fact gone through some heavy shedding (I hope so, as this would indicate my regimine is working!) I know a couple of them were not taken with consistant lighting. Gonna try to be more consistant going foward. Also, I have ordered Lipogaine and will start replacing my evening treatment of Rogaine Foam with that and still keep the foam only in the mornings. Any comments regarding Lipogaine experience would also be appreciated.

 

[antman]

it looks like your hair is getting thicker and darker in some places and thinner in other. it think in the coming months your darker and thicker hair will spiral towards your crown until it is filled in. keep it up

 

[backintime]

Thanks for your comments. Yeah, I thought it was getting darker, too. Since the pics were taken in different lighting, I couldn't really go by that...thought maybe was just wishful thinking. Actually, maybe not getting darker, but could it be that all the weaker, thinner, light-colored hairs have been shed so now just the darker ones remain?

 

[andersonlynch]

I suggest try to shave your hair so it will not be too obvious, and i suggest you use virgin coconut oil or calamansi before taking a bath.

 

[backintime]

I suggest try to shave your hair so it will not be too obvious, and i suggest you use virgin coconut oil or calamansi before taking a bath.

Thanks for the suggestions. I have, on a few occasions, buzzed my entire head to #1 length. Everyone always says it does NOT suit me (my 13 year old son said it looked horrible lol). But yes, that is always my reason for cutting it short (to make it "less obvious"). I plan on growing my hair another inch or so and keep the sides and back short. I'll decided whether or not to shave it (perhaps for the last time) after my next couple of haircuts.

Just a short update: I'm noticing my hair the past few days has been SUPER soft, even after applying the Rogaine Foam. No apparent changes other than that my crown area still appears to be shedding or may have stopped shedding but still looks horrible under harsh lighting. When I feel the hairs at top of my head with my fingers, they all feel the same quality as hairs on the rest of my head...leading me to believe that the hairs I have shed there were crappy hairs that I would have lost soon anyway.....A GOOD sign, from all I've read on this forum.

CURRENT REGIMINE:
1mg Finpecia daily
1 capful Rogaine Foam over entire top of head every morning
1ml Lipogaine on crown area every night; .25ml at front hairline
Nizoral 2% every other day

Just recieved an order of Fincar which I will quarter and take 1.25mg a day when I run out of Finpecia (in about two weeks).

@andersonlynch: what are the benefits of using virgin coconut oil or calamansi? Where can I get them and what is the cost and is one better than the other?

 

[backintime]

backintime's story (2 month progress pics)

Photos as of this morning (June 22, 2012). Was gonna patiently wait til the 25th before taking any more pics, but got anxious to see how I'm progressing.







I may have finally stopped shedding -- not sure. I'd appreciate an objective analysis. This is just about 2 months into treatment as follows:

Nizoral Shampoo 2% EOD
Rogaine Foam 5% Mornings
Lipogaine Evenings
Finpecia 1mg Daily (6 days left then starting 1.25mg Fincar Daily)

 

[Northman]

I have similar diffuse thinning but also long term temple recession which hit hard in my early 20's but kept a fairly slow pace over the last 15years. I'm just about 2.5 months into my regimen on the big three (though only 1% Nizoral). While I haven't had any real noticeable shedding (I've generally kept my hair buzzed between 1/4" and 1/8" for the better part of 3 years), I do feel like the mid to crown region of my head has increased in density a visible amount. I also have some hairs filling in the upper area of the temples. For the first time in years I'm feeling like I may be able to soon experiment with growing it back out slightly. Of course, I'll likely hate it and buzz it again but I'm feeling real optimism with the progress I hope for in the coming months. It does look like you have had some shedding, which is a good sign as I understand it.

 

[backintime]

I have similar diffuse thinning but also long term temple recession which hit hard in my early 20's but kept a fairly slow pace over the last 15years. I'm just about 2.5 months into my regimen on the big three (though only 1% Nizoral). While I haven't had any real noticeable shedding (I've generally kept my hair buzzed between 1/4" and 1/8" for the better part of 3 years), I do feel like the mid to crown region of my head has increased in density a visible amount. I also have some hairs filling in the upper area of the temples. For the first time in years I'm feeling like I may be able to soon experiment with growing it back out slightly. Of course, I'll likely hate it and buzz it again but I'm feeling real optimism with the progress I hope for in the coming months. It does look like you have had some shedding, which is a good sign as I understand it.

Thanks for your reply. It's nice to see another guy my age, with similar hairloss and on pretty much the same regimine me. I read your Treatment Story and agree that it's hard to be patient! I find myself periodically obsessing over my hair throughout the day (every time I'm in front of a mirror, like everytime I use the bathroom or public restroom lol). Just a side note: I purchased some biotin capsules (5000mcg) today and plan on taking one a day.

 

[backintime]

3 MONTH UPDATE. Lots of peach fuzz around my temples. Crown appears to have no change. Hair is getting darker. Comments?

 

[Quadzilla99]

Time spent in the sun more than anything affects my hair color. Maybe you're just not getting out as much lately? I am unaware of the meaning/relevance of hair color changes in terms of hair loss/hair growth phases etc. Could be wrong.

 

[JohnnyBBald]

Looks like some progress. Keep us updated. I'm on 1mg Finpecia too.

 

[Northman]

Definitely getting density back. Nice.

 

[JohnnyBBald]

good stuff

 

[backintime]

Thanks for the encouragement. However, a coworker (and close friend) made a comment today on my thin hair. It was very discouraging because I feel that I have only improved over the past few months and have actually been waiting for someone to ask, "Has your hair gotten thicker?" Damn, I thought I was looking good. lol. In all fairness tho, I used to constantly wear and hat and when I wasn't my head was shaved really short so it could just be that my male pattern baldness is a tad more apparent now that it's getting longer. I have definately noticed that I can style it now and it looks way better than it did before I started buzzing it. If my hair had looked this good, this long, before I started treatment, I never would have cut it short. At the length it is now (about 1 1/2 inches) it was VERY whispy and just looked crappy in general. Now it looks healthy and I actually look forward to styling it in the morning before work. I've also been on 5000mcg of biotin for two months so maybe that has helped. I haven't really noticed any regrowth in my crown area...I don't check often, but tonight I looked very closely using two mirrors and the only hairs in that area are about 1 inch long. So, I'm guess I'm just waiting for whatever hair I shed there to reappear healthier and thicker. Maybe by month four?

 

[backintime]

Is this temple regrowth?

I haven't taken a full set of pictures yet this month, but wanted to share this and get some feedback.

To what degree do you think the little white hairs will become terminal? I can't really be sure, but it seems like I have a "new hairline" beginning to grow! I've always had shorter hairs than ran along my hairline in the temple area, but they have never really been this long or dark. Feedback, please. I want to know that it's just not wishful thinking that I may actually be restoring my hairline to some extent.

I'm going out of town early next week but will upload better and more comparison photos toward the end of this month (will mark the fourth month of treatment and the start of month 5!)