Hi everyone,
I signed up to this forum because I'm looking for advice. I'm looking to start a regimen to treat my male pattern baldness. I would really appreciate thoughtful advice. Here's my situation so far:
I'm 22, will be 23 in a few months. I've already been losing my hair for the best part of a decade - looking back at photos I guess it started when I was 13 years old. I've been quite lucky because my hair loss has been very slow - even now I can still style my hair so it's not really noticable.
However, in the last couple of months I've realised I can no longer just accept my hair as it is. While I can still style my hair satisfactorily, I've realised it's starting to thin just behind my widow's peak, which leaves a gap in the fringe that usually conceals my receded temples. This is the first time my hair has thinned from within the hairline, rather than the hairline just slowly creeping back. I've also just had a haircut that's waaaay shorter than I wanted, which has stopped me styling it how I usually would. These two factors have convinced me that I've got to act before the damage goes too far.
Basically, I'll be happy to just keep the hair I've still got. It's not perfect, but it's acceptable. If I can get on a regimen that maintains my hair as it is for the next ten years or so, I'll be very pleased. Ideally I would like to re-thicken the thinning behind my widow's peak, but that's not essential.
I've done my reading and my initial plan was to get on Finisteride. I've found a website that will import Proscar which I can then split, so I don't have to break the bank. I was going to get 4 months, try it out to make sure the website is reputable and to see if I get any side-effects, and then go from there. However, reading around this forum I've seen a lot of discussion about side-effects, way more than the "2%" figure I'd expect. The side-effects room of this forum seems considerably busier than the success stories section, which is worrying. I've also read a couple of horror stories about permanent impotence and terrible hormone disruption. I'm 22, I've got a lot to live for and I really do not want to ruin my junk or damage my body when there could be other options. I'm active and healthy, I work out a few times a week, I have low body-fat etc.
I've been seeing adverts for Regaine, which I guess is what they're marketing Rogaine as in the UK. This is the whole point of advertising, but seeing it on prime-time TV suggests it's a more reputable product, and the side-effects seem less severe. However, it's been my impression that Rogaine isn't as effective, and it's more expensive.
I'd appreciate any advice based on my situation and what I'm looking to achieve, and I guess I also have the following questions:
1. It's often said Rogaine doesn't work on the hairline. Does this mean my hairline could continue to recede even when using it, or will my hairline simply not grow back?
2. I style my hair with product, and on most of my head it's still normal thickness, possibly even thicker than average (a few barbers have commented on its thickness, and they often take the thinning scissors to it). The thinning is only really on one patch of my head so far. How easy will it be to apply Rogaine? Will I have to wash out all the product at night before applying the second daily dosage?
3. Realistically, would a 4-month trial of 1.25mg Proscar be safe? Would I have a good idea of side-effects and could I pull out in time if I had adverse effects? I don't want people flat-out denying the existence of severe side-effects - they clearly exist and are a risk. However, I have a suspicion it's a bit like the drug Ecstacy - there are well-publicised horror stories about people dying on E, but the odds are actually very low indeed and the negative press is disproportionate.
Anyway, sorry for the long post. One last thing - the only thing I'm taking for my hair right now is folic acid supplements to grow my hair back more quickly after this nightmare haircut. I'm also going to get some biotin tomorrow.
Thanks in advance.
I signed up to this forum because I'm looking for advice. I'm looking to start a regimen to treat my male pattern baldness. I would really appreciate thoughtful advice. Here's my situation so far:
I'm 22, will be 23 in a few months. I've already been losing my hair for the best part of a decade - looking back at photos I guess it started when I was 13 years old. I've been quite lucky because my hair loss has been very slow - even now I can still style my hair so it's not really noticable.
However, in the last couple of months I've realised I can no longer just accept my hair as it is. While I can still style my hair satisfactorily, I've realised it's starting to thin just behind my widow's peak, which leaves a gap in the fringe that usually conceals my receded temples. This is the first time my hair has thinned from within the hairline, rather than the hairline just slowly creeping back. I've also just had a haircut that's waaaay shorter than I wanted, which has stopped me styling it how I usually would. These two factors have convinced me that I've got to act before the damage goes too far.
Basically, I'll be happy to just keep the hair I've still got. It's not perfect, but it's acceptable. If I can get on a regimen that maintains my hair as it is for the next ten years or so, I'll be very pleased. Ideally I would like to re-thicken the thinning behind my widow's peak, but that's not essential.
I've done my reading and my initial plan was to get on Finisteride. I've found a website that will import Proscar which I can then split, so I don't have to break the bank. I was going to get 4 months, try it out to make sure the website is reputable and to see if I get any side-effects, and then go from there. However, reading around this forum I've seen a lot of discussion about side-effects, way more than the "2%" figure I'd expect. The side-effects room of this forum seems considerably busier than the success stories section, which is worrying. I've also read a couple of horror stories about permanent impotence and terrible hormone disruption. I'm 22, I've got a lot to live for and I really do not want to ruin my junk or damage my body when there could be other options. I'm active and healthy, I work out a few times a week, I have low body-fat etc.
I've been seeing adverts for Regaine, which I guess is what they're marketing Rogaine as in the UK. This is the whole point of advertising, but seeing it on prime-time TV suggests it's a more reputable product, and the side-effects seem less severe. However, it's been my impression that Rogaine isn't as effective, and it's more expensive.
I'd appreciate any advice based on my situation and what I'm looking to achieve, and I guess I also have the following questions:
1. It's often said Rogaine doesn't work on the hairline. Does this mean my hairline could continue to recede even when using it, or will my hairline simply not grow back?
2. I style my hair with product, and on most of my head it's still normal thickness, possibly even thicker than average (a few barbers have commented on its thickness, and they often take the thinning scissors to it). The thinning is only really on one patch of my head so far. How easy will it be to apply Rogaine? Will I have to wash out all the product at night before applying the second daily dosage?
3. Realistically, would a 4-month trial of 1.25mg Proscar be safe? Would I have a good idea of side-effects and could I pull out in time if I had adverse effects? I don't want people flat-out denying the existence of severe side-effects - they clearly exist and are a risk. However, I have a suspicion it's a bit like the drug Ecstacy - there are well-publicised horror stories about people dying on E, but the odds are actually very low indeed and the negative press is disproportionate.
Anyway, sorry for the long post. One last thing - the only thing I'm taking for my hair right now is folic acid supplements to grow my hair back more quickly after this nightmare haircut. I'm also going to get some biotin tomorrow.
Thanks in advance.