mr_sparkle
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I've already posted before about my struggle with regaine but I'll post it again and see if anyone has any advice...
Just to start off I just turned 20...
I've been thinning on top for quite a while now - been an issue for 2 years or so. My family and me always thought I had a pronounced crown and hoped the problem would go away but that stage of denial lasted too long and we realised my hair WAS thinning and so last May I started regaine (Uk name for rogaine).
I went travelling around mid June and cut my hair very short to make life easier. I had the expected shed beforehand (after 2 weeks) and wasn't worried as I knew it would happen and got on with it. During these travels as my hair grew back I realised it was thicker.
Upon my return in July/August (so 2-3 months) it was noticeably thicker A lot thicker. Happiest times of my life. I re-visted my trichologist who was stunned by the results and even suggested I wouldn't need to use it 2x a day. Of course I do - that's just there to show the extent of re-growth after only three months as he said that.
So that was great. A great summer of thick hair and was about to start uni looking great. During this time I didn't apply the regaine EVERY morning and night - I would most times but occasionally I'd go round to a girls and not want to bring the stuff with me and so miss an evening's application . I don't think I ever missed both a mornign AND night dose - but I would get a little sloppy, and just point the stuff on my head and spray it, rather than spend ages carefully applying it and rubbing it in...I also started uni and sometimes I couldn't apply at night as I shared a room and it was embarrassing but I did most days...(I've got my own room now)
Around September/October time my hair still looked ok - but wasn't getting any thicker. It was quite long by this point though but still looked good, but in October I got it cut, but not that short, just a little bit off to keep the style going, and afterwards it looked SO thick.
But by November time it grew long again and I noticed it seemed a little thinner. And it kept getting thinner as it got longer. I started to panic and so made sure I religiously applied it EVERY day. As November and December went by I saw little improvement, and so virtually all the hair gained through the summer seemed to dissapear. November saw shedding after brushing or styling, but this went by December time.
My hair was very long then. And I recently got it cut very short hoping to make it thicker. It looks so thin now - and a lot of the regrown hair has gone. So I'm 9 months in and after 3 months it regrew amazingly, by 6 monthswas thinner, and 9 months a lot of it has gone.
What should I do? Why has the regaine stopped effectively? Someone suggested because I wasn't consistent - but since October time I have been religious with it- and when I was inconsistent I was only slightly.
Could it be the fact that my hair was fairly long, intercepting any minoxidil that needs to get to the scalp? Or can minoxidil just stop working? I can't see my being a non-responder to it because the thickness of it in the summer proves i responded really well!
Has anyone experienced this? It's such a radical change and rapid growth and loss it's scary? I'm hoping with short hair the minoxidil will easily get to the scalp and regrow thicker like the first time I got it cut, but aren't so sure.
I'm beginning to consider finasteride. I'm petrified too though as 20 is very young to f*** around with hormones and there's the side effects and it frightens me - I was hoping to use it as a last resort but should I just go for it now...?
Please help. I was so happy before - and a better person with thicker hair as I used my confidence for good not arrogance - and I'm miserable again!
I'd appreciate anything. It's bad enough not having the treatment work, buit to have it work amazingly and then for it to stop within 6-9 months is just cruel... :cry:
Just to start off I just turned 20...
I've been thinning on top for quite a while now - been an issue for 2 years or so. My family and me always thought I had a pronounced crown and hoped the problem would go away but that stage of denial lasted too long and we realised my hair WAS thinning and so last May I started regaine (Uk name for rogaine).
I went travelling around mid June and cut my hair very short to make life easier. I had the expected shed beforehand (after 2 weeks) and wasn't worried as I knew it would happen and got on with it. During these travels as my hair grew back I realised it was thicker.
Upon my return in July/August (so 2-3 months) it was noticeably thicker A lot thicker. Happiest times of my life. I re-visted my trichologist who was stunned by the results and even suggested I wouldn't need to use it 2x a day. Of course I do - that's just there to show the extent of re-growth after only three months as he said that.
So that was great. A great summer of thick hair and was about to start uni looking great. During this time I didn't apply the regaine EVERY morning and night - I would most times but occasionally I'd go round to a girls and not want to bring the stuff with me and so miss an evening's application . I don't think I ever missed both a mornign AND night dose - but I would get a little sloppy, and just point the stuff on my head and spray it, rather than spend ages carefully applying it and rubbing it in...I also started uni and sometimes I couldn't apply at night as I shared a room and it was embarrassing but I did most days...(I've got my own room now)
Around September/October time my hair still looked ok - but wasn't getting any thicker. It was quite long by this point though but still looked good, but in October I got it cut, but not that short, just a little bit off to keep the style going, and afterwards it looked SO thick.
But by November time it grew long again and I noticed it seemed a little thinner. And it kept getting thinner as it got longer. I started to panic and so made sure I religiously applied it EVERY day. As November and December went by I saw little improvement, and so virtually all the hair gained through the summer seemed to dissapear. November saw shedding after brushing or styling, but this went by December time.
My hair was very long then. And I recently got it cut very short hoping to make it thicker. It looks so thin now - and a lot of the regrown hair has gone. So I'm 9 months in and after 3 months it regrew amazingly, by 6 monthswas thinner, and 9 months a lot of it has gone.
What should I do? Why has the regaine stopped effectively? Someone suggested because I wasn't consistent - but since October time I have been religious with it- and when I was inconsistent I was only slightly.
Could it be the fact that my hair was fairly long, intercepting any minoxidil that needs to get to the scalp? Or can minoxidil just stop working? I can't see my being a non-responder to it because the thickness of it in the summer proves i responded really well!
Has anyone experienced this? It's such a radical change and rapid growth and loss it's scary? I'm hoping with short hair the minoxidil will easily get to the scalp and regrow thicker like the first time I got it cut, but aren't so sure.
I'm beginning to consider finasteride. I'm petrified too though as 20 is very young to f*** around with hormones and there's the side effects and it frightens me - I was hoping to use it as a last resort but should I just go for it now...?
Please help. I was so happy before - and a better person with thicker hair as I used my confidence for good not arrogance - and I'm miserable again!
I'd appreciate anything. It's bad enough not having the treatment work, buit to have it work amazingly and then for it to stop within 6-9 months is just cruel... :cry:
