Finally Doing Something About It

[RichProducer]

Hi everyone,

I'm 23 years old and first noticed my hairline was receding about five years ago. I started taking Rogaine for my temples, but didn't stick with it very long at all. Probably less than a month.

Now, my hairline has receded farther back and is thinning in the front and the top. It's gotten to the point where I know I have to do something now or lose all the hair on top of my head in the next few years.

So, I started using Rogaine Extra Strength twice a day about three weeks ago. I have also been using Propecia for about a week.

My scalp itches like crazy so I am also going to pick up some Nizoral Shampoo.

I'm wondering if there's anything else you think I should be using in addition to the Big 3 right now.

I am so glad I'm finally doing something about this. I'm graduating in a month and if I could have thicker, fuller hair by this time next year, I'll be very happy.

Glad to be aboard this discussion group and will post pics shortly.

 

[The Gardener]

You are on top of it. You are starting a regimen of treatment that is pretty much the best that modern medicine has to offer, and is statistically shown to be effective in regrowing hair for a very large majority of people who use it if you are diligent in your treatment and give it time to work.

Most people go through a temporary hair shed during the first 2-3 weeks on minoxidil. If you do, you are lucky, it is a sign that your follicles are responding to the medicine and are prematurely ejecting hairs that are on your head but in resting state to accelerate the way for the regrowth that the chemical is programming them to start.

Glad you are here... good luck!.. and keep us posted.

 

[RichProducer]

Well, I decided to "towel dry" my hair this morning with a white T-shirt and, sure enough, I found a few dozen hairs on it when I was done. Could this be shedding?

I don't really notice shedding when I comb my hair. It does appear to be a bit thinner, but maybe that's just because minoxidil is making it harder to style

 

[Bob_Marley]

Rich Producer , If it's rich as in money, send me some will Ya. They call me Poor Producer around deez parts.

Anyway, nobody's going to be able to give you a definitive answer to wether 12 hairs on your towel is a shed or not. They say 100-150 is normal every day "shedding" and that you just become more aware of those shedding hairs once you notice balding.

My advice. Well you've already taken the right steps towards combatting loss with propecia and regrowth with minoxidil. Forget about shedding because it does no mean sh*t, just look at the MOP very carefully now. Study the temples, middle, crown(take pictures if need be) and then forget about it until a year. If your hair has gone to sh*t, then start to worry. But I'm sure you will be fine.

No worries MON, it just perpetuates the process.

 

[blue]

I agree with Bob on this one
Alot of people around here are scared of the word"shed" and lot have even quit minoxidil because they thought it would never get any better.

My advice stick with your regimen,even if you start to question it.In a couple of months if you dont see results then think about using a different regimen or even adding something to your current one.

 

[Kramer3]

Anyway, nobody's going to be able to give you a definitive answer to wether 12 hairs on your towel is a shed or not. They say 100-150 is normal every day "shedding" and that you just become more aware of those shedding hairs once you notice balding.

My advice. Well you've already taken the right steps towards combatting loss with propecia and regrowth with minoxidil. Forget about shedding because it does no mean sh*t, just look at the MOP very carefully now. Study the temples, middle, crown(take pictures if need be) and then forget about it until a year. If your hair has gone to sh*t, then start to worry. But I'm sure you will be fine.

Everyone always claims that losing 100-150 hairs a day is normal and that we just become hyper-sensensitive to it when we realize were balding. I just can't imagine this being true. The only reason I knew I was balding was because one day I noticed I was losing hair while styling it. I know for a fact that when I wasn't balding I was maybe only losing 2-5 hairs while vigourously styling my hair. All and all I would have to estimate I maybe lost 20-40 a day when I didn't have male pattern baldness. Now I lose 50-75 on good days. 100-150 on shedding days. Certaintly that can't be normal. There is no way that my friends with their thick mane of hair wake up with hair all over their pillow or find hairs all over their clothing.

If you ask me normal shedding equates to 20-50 hairs a day.

 

[Bob_Marley]

Kramer3,

Well "THEY" still say 100-150 is normal. More shedding occurs in fall/spring, so that could have explained why you might have noticed more SHED hair.

But I definatley agree that 100-150 does seem like a suspect number.

I noticed my loss by thinning at front center, and never associated with shedding more hair. I used to shower, dry hair and go. Now I fiddle around look at my hair, at the comb, my hands etc so I notic e hairs that are being shed. Every single little one of them.

 

[Kramer3]

If I was open about my hairloss I'd ask some of my friends with thick hair if they ever notice themselves shedding hair. It'd be interesting to compare and try to figure out what the "true" normal is.

It seems like allot of people don't notice their hairloss until thinning is visible. I must be the exception because if I had wrote it down I would have been able to tell you the exact day I began balding. This alone should have gave me an advantage since I'm such a pro-active person and naturally sought treatments. If only I had found this site sooner, before I became desperate I might still have a good set of hair.