Hair loss is getting worse

[m1411]

I recently got my hair cut real short with #1 guard clipper. It looked good for a week or so, and now that my hair is growing back out my sides are visibly thicker. While the top has little thin hairs scattered, and the top of my scalp is really visible. Seeing this is making me reconsider my treatment and prevention options. I don't notice any shedding in the shower or loose hairs in the pillows, but it's obviously going somewhere or it's just now growing back. Right now, between a NW4 and NW5 and diffused.

I have been washing my hair with Regene Pure DR and other shampoo that supposedly block DHT, taking multivitamins, Zinc, and vitamin B, and I just started taking NU Hair DHT blocker pills this week. I am afraid that if I am really going to stop this and maybe get some regrowth, I will need to get on minoxidil or something similar.

What should I start out with (safe and effective) if I go with minoxidil or finasteride, will I need to basically need to take it forever? If I stop taking it, will the hair being to fall back out with no hope of regrowth?

I know this has probably been discussed 1000s of times, but are side effects more common than not? I don't to end up becoming impotent or end up looking 15 years older because it affects my skin and ages it. I'd love to have more hair, but I am not going to destroy my body over it. I am 30 and hair loss run in the family, so is there any hope for me? Or would I be wasting my time only to gain a very slim amount of regrowth and prevention.

I am looking for some suggestions from you all that have seen positive results, and could give some recommendations to someone just starting hair loss prevention.

 

[TheHandsomeLurker]

None of the "treatments" you listed have any clinical validity for treating hair loss.

Finasteride and minoxidil are the only hair loss treatments found effective by the FDA. Yes, you have to keep using both of them to maintain the results you get from them.

Minoxidil has very low rates of side effects, and what it does have isn't very concerning. See here.

Finasteride is a different story. Most people don't report side effects, or at least serious side effects, but some have reported very troubling effects. At this point, medical science doesn't know what finasteride does to a person who takes it for thirty or forty years because that's never been studied (finasteride was originally approved to treat men, usually old, with prostate problems, and it just so happened that scientists noticed it had an effect on hair).

The most important point: if you are concerned about hair loss, which is a medical problem, seek the counsel of a doctor. Please do not rely on internet sources of questionable provenance for your medical advice, or else you end up with a bunch of snake oil treatments like "NU Hair DHT blocker pills."

 

[swingline747]

if you decide to go with finasteride, get your levels checked. Go get your testosterone checked and DHT levels.

I would say if you are a high testosterone guy (like I was) you might get some sides, I did.
If you are in the average range then you should be fine.
Ill say the finasteride DID grow the hair, but shrunk the balls..... I think I could have dealt with shrunk balls though if I didnt get actual physical pain from it to.