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I'm 18 years old male. I've been experiencing hair loss ever since I was 16, particularly at the crown and the top of the scalp. It hasn't been very bad so far, but the loss in density is clearly visible. I was so frustrated due to it that I decided to treat it with anti-androgens.
Seven months ago, I started doing a lot of research about the different treatments and different types of anti-androgens. I read about Finasteride, Dutasteride, Spironolactone, Cyproterone Acetate, Flutamide and RU on the Internet and took the research to a level that I was even struggling to find every research data collected after clinical trials of the medications for different conditions.
Six months ago, I finally made my mind to get on Finasteride (1mg/day) and Spironolactone (100mg/day). I knew that an initial shedding phase is quite normal, and that's what happened. I started shedding almost 150-200 hairs a day from the second week. There were no side effects.
But three months ago, I found out that the shedding hasn't stopped. I decided to go for a stronger approach and therefore added Bicalutamide (25mg/day) to my regular regimen. I knew that 12.5-25mg Bicalutamide is alone sufficient for MTF HRT. Moreover, I selected it because it's supposedly the most powerful and the safest anti-androgen.
Two months ago, the hair shedding phase was still prevailing. I couldn't understand what could be the possible reason for this. Then, I came to a conclusion that maybe the electrolyte imbalance caused by Spironolactone is the culprit. It had given me a muscle spasm in the third month. Plus, there was some cognitive dysfunction that could've come due to Finasteride as well as Spironolactone. This made me reluctant to continue these drugs, and therefore, I went on 50 mg Bicalutamide per day. I was well aware of the fact that it's very strong and I'll soon have gynecomastia. I was right. Within two weeks, I acquired a very painful gynecomastia. This was not acceptable. I didn't want to get back on Spironolactone, and I didn't want to leave Bicalutamide. But I was helpless. I had to do something. Therefore, I added 20 mg Tamoxifen per day to my regimen. It turned out to be a wise decision. My gynecomastia and breast tenderness and pain vanished within ten days.
Currently, I take 50 mg Bicalutamide and 20 mg Tamoxifen daily. My hairs have be growing out pretty quickly, but the shedding hasn't stopped. I still shed around 150-200 hairs a day. Moreover, the hairs that I've shed in the past six months haven't really turned out to grow back. The current condition is not very bad everywhere, but my crown is definitely very thin. And there's a section above my left temple that has thinned out (which was already thin to begin with). My hairline is still kinda good (NW0 or sometimes it appears like an inverted U-shaped female hairline which is pretty low particularly in the temple areas). But my hair stands are of superfine texture. I don't really care about getting a coarse texture, but restoring the density is really important for me. The only improvement I've seen so far is the increase in density along the mid split and the side split (went from stage 3 to stage 1 or 1.5 on Ludwig scale, within the past four months).
In my opinion, the hair loss that I currently have (after starting Bicalutamide) is not androgenic alopecia. It, in fact, looks like DUPA and might be a temporary hair loss. My diet and lifestyle haven't been very healthy in the past few months, so there are chances of nutritional deficiencies, but I don't know anything for sure. I can't visit a doctor because my dad is allowing me to visit a dermatologist or a trichologist. My dad doesn't allow me to use minoxidil and laser comb, for some mysterious reason. Even I don't want to use minoxidil, because I'm can't stay committed to it.
So, I have a few questions:
1. Is the profuse shedding, that lasted for six months, normal?
2. What could be the possible reasons for no regrowth of lost hairs?
3. What can I do to stimulate hair regrowth, without any clinic-based treatments or minoxidil/laser combs? (I'm planning on starting dermarolling and castor oil + rosemary essential oil blend.)
4. What possible amendments would you recommend to my current regimen?
The possible reasons of my hair loss that I could think about:
1. Iron deficiency or anemia
2. Hypothyroidism
3. Protein deficiency
4. Vitamin deficiency
5. Stress
But it really doesn't matter if anyone isn't able to figure out the correct reason to explain it. All that matters is the treatment. Just that I can't stay regular at topicals.
Seven months ago, I started doing a lot of research about the different treatments and different types of anti-androgens. I read about Finasteride, Dutasteride, Spironolactone, Cyproterone Acetate, Flutamide and RU on the Internet and took the research to a level that I was even struggling to find every research data collected after clinical trials of the medications for different conditions.
Six months ago, I finally made my mind to get on Finasteride (1mg/day) and Spironolactone (100mg/day). I knew that an initial shedding phase is quite normal, and that's what happened. I started shedding almost 150-200 hairs a day from the second week. There were no side effects.
But three months ago, I found out that the shedding hasn't stopped. I decided to go for a stronger approach and therefore added Bicalutamide (25mg/day) to my regular regimen. I knew that 12.5-25mg Bicalutamide is alone sufficient for MTF HRT. Moreover, I selected it because it's supposedly the most powerful and the safest anti-androgen.
Two months ago, the hair shedding phase was still prevailing. I couldn't understand what could be the possible reason for this. Then, I came to a conclusion that maybe the electrolyte imbalance caused by Spironolactone is the culprit. It had given me a muscle spasm in the third month. Plus, there was some cognitive dysfunction that could've come due to Finasteride as well as Spironolactone. This made me reluctant to continue these drugs, and therefore, I went on 50 mg Bicalutamide per day. I was well aware of the fact that it's very strong and I'll soon have gynecomastia. I was right. Within two weeks, I acquired a very painful gynecomastia. This was not acceptable. I didn't want to get back on Spironolactone, and I didn't want to leave Bicalutamide. But I was helpless. I had to do something. Therefore, I added 20 mg Tamoxifen per day to my regimen. It turned out to be a wise decision. My gynecomastia and breast tenderness and pain vanished within ten days.
Currently, I take 50 mg Bicalutamide and 20 mg Tamoxifen daily. My hairs have be growing out pretty quickly, but the shedding hasn't stopped. I still shed around 150-200 hairs a day. Moreover, the hairs that I've shed in the past six months haven't really turned out to grow back. The current condition is not very bad everywhere, but my crown is definitely very thin. And there's a section above my left temple that has thinned out (which was already thin to begin with). My hairline is still kinda good (NW0 or sometimes it appears like an inverted U-shaped female hairline which is pretty low particularly in the temple areas). But my hair stands are of superfine texture. I don't really care about getting a coarse texture, but restoring the density is really important for me. The only improvement I've seen so far is the increase in density along the mid split and the side split (went from stage 3 to stage 1 or 1.5 on Ludwig scale, within the past four months).
In my opinion, the hair loss that I currently have (after starting Bicalutamide) is not androgenic alopecia. It, in fact, looks like DUPA and might be a temporary hair loss. My diet and lifestyle haven't been very healthy in the past few months, so there are chances of nutritional deficiencies, but I don't know anything for sure. I can't visit a doctor because my dad is allowing me to visit a dermatologist or a trichologist. My dad doesn't allow me to use minoxidil and laser comb, for some mysterious reason. Even I don't want to use minoxidil, because I'm can't stay committed to it.
So, I have a few questions:
1. Is the profuse shedding, that lasted for six months, normal?
2. What could be the possible reasons for no regrowth of lost hairs?
3. What can I do to stimulate hair regrowth, without any clinic-based treatments or minoxidil/laser combs? (I'm planning on starting dermarolling and castor oil + rosemary essential oil blend.)
4. What possible amendments would you recommend to my current regimen?
The possible reasons of my hair loss that I could think about:
1. Iron deficiency or anemia
2. Hypothyroidism
3. Protein deficiency
4. Vitamin deficiency
5. Stress
But it really doesn't matter if anyone isn't able to figure out the correct reason to explain it. All that matters is the treatment. Just that I can't stay regular at topicals.
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