I need advice from you guys!

[amthello]

Hi there

I would like some advice on rogaine minoxidil especially from those who already use it.

My story is this.. I am 23 years old and am currently Norwood stage 2-3.. Most of my family members have thin hair including myself and both my father and brother are bold.. so I assume its quite normal that I must go through this balding proces..

However I want to try and keep what I have.. I have been on propecia for the last 3 months now and did not notice any visable significance. Now I know that this medictation needs time so I am not worried about it..

Recently I have shed quite noticeably on my crown. dont know why and was considering to start rogaine foam! I have read that the best effective results are by combining these two. However I have also read from numerous sources that young men should not start using minoxidil while on propecia... is there a reason?!

Please, I'm looking forward for your precious advice cos I am quite confused right now!

 

[nydheart]

First of all, the shed you are experiencing on your crown can be due to the propecia. Propecia does cause you to shed your hair periodically in order that newer stronger hair comes back so this is probably a good thing for you!

The reason why some people say not to use minoxidil with propecia when you are younger is that often propecia is enough to halt and sometimes reverse hairloss if caught early on. The fear is if you use minoxidil when you are young that you will end up using it for howerver long untill something comes out to cure hairloss.

The above being said, you are young and may benefit significantly from propecia alone so maybe wait a year to see what your results are from it before adding minoxidil. I don't know the degree of your loss so you also may want to add minoxidil. That is a decision you have to make for yourself. Hope this helps.

 

[amthello]

Thx nydheart

I think I m going to wait for the six month mark on propecia and see the results...

one other question.. is it true that rogaine foam isn't as good as liquid?? If I had to buy between these two which one would you guys suggest?!

thx again!

 

[OverMachoGrande]

Well you will find mixed reviews on this. I personally was on rogaine 5% liquid for 3 1/2 years with good results, switched to foam for a few month's and was not happy, started losing hair fast. It could have just been a shed but I got scared and switched back and have not lost any more hair. Everyone responds different, Libertine had great results on foam. Hope this helps.

 

[treeshrew]

Crown shedding at 3 months on propecia is typical for many people - one sure sign of a shed is if the shedding occurs in non-male pattern balness areas (i.e. back of head, sides of head etc)

One thing I did notice is that before I started using finasteride I had tons of premature gray hairs all over my head which were extra visible when my hair was cut short - now they have all but disappeared.

If your temples are in good shape I would hold off on minoxidil, as propecia works best on the crown area and could very well be all you need - ride out the shed, give it at least 12 months before you decide if its working or not - and posting some pictures would help us to better understand your situation.