- Reaction score
- 10
I started noticeably losing my hair when I was in my late 20's although I've had the standard "widows peak" since I was about 25. I used 5% minoxidil for a few months and didn't see any results (because I didn't use it for nearly long enough) so I stopped using it altogether. When I was 31 I shaved my head in solidarity with my niece who was fighting cancer and realized that I looked much better with a shaved head than I did with thinning hair so I continued to razor shave my head for the next 5 years. In that time it's been difficult to tell how much worse my balding has gotten as I normally razor shave my head every couple of days but I'd say I'm a Norwood 2/3 in my temple area and an early Norwood 3 in my crown area (very little thinning). Around 6 months ago my general practitioner recommended I start taking a natural DHT blocker to help protect against future prostate issues and after a bit of research I decided on a supplement that contains Pumpkin Seed Extract, Saw Palmetto and Pygeum (3 natural DHT blockers have to be better than 1, right) and started taking the recommended dose religiously for about 6 months. At around the 6 month mark I didn't shave my head for about a week since I was on a stay-cation and really didn't feel like it. The first day I shaved my head again I noticed tiny little blond hairs sprouting from the previously barren landscape of my temple area so I researched what the potential catalyst was and confirmed my suspicion that it was the DHT blockers. At this point, as more of an experiment than anything else, I decided I wanted to see if it was possible to thicken up my existing hair and regrow the hair I had lost. I jumped in with both feet and began using 5% minoxidil again, increased my dose of Saw Palmetto to the maximum safe dose, began taking other supplements for hair/scalp health (this is where the Beta Sitosterol and Biotin came into play), explored different shampoo options (which was strange since I didn't have to think about shampoo for 6 years) and decided on Hair Surge shampoo (which contains Saw Palmetto and a small amount of Ketoconozole) and purchased a significantly cheaper, yet nearly identical, version of the $3,000 272 diode Capillus laser cap. I've been using this complete regimen religiously for about 2 months and the super fine white hairs around my temples have started to become thicker and are increasing in number. They started to become thicker where my hairline ended before I began this process and seem to be creeping downward toward my forehead/temple area. I'm really happy and excited about the progress I've already made but I'm wondering if there's more I can be doing. I briefly explored the idea of taking Propecia but working in the medical field and already having stuffed my body with pharmaceuticals my entire life due to my asthma I decided against taking a chemically based DHT blocker mainly because I don't want to risk the potential side effect of never wanting or being able to have sex while I'm taking it. I've used varying strengths of tretinoin cream for about 15 years for acne breakouts and wrinkle prevention so I recently started rubbing a small amount of my .025% on my scalp (especially my temple area) after I get out of the shower and then applying 5% minoxidil about 30 minutes later but I've only been doing this on the days I don't use my laser cap to avoid potential burning or blistering since tretinoin increases photosensitivity. I've read a few things on dermarollers and I actually own one and use it on my face every night but I can't find enough information on using it to treat hair loss to be able to make an informed decision on whether I should try it or not. I've considered asking my doctor for a prescription for 2% ketoconazole shampoo and rotating it in with my Hair Surge shampoo since the Hair Surge only contains 0.2% ketoconazole but since the Hair Surge also contains Saw Palmetto and also blocks DHT in the scalp I'm not sure if using a stronger ketoconazole shampoo would be beneficial. I also recently purchased one of those scalp massagers that looks like an anorexic octopus to help stimulate blood flow to my scalp. Even if that doesn't treat my balding it feels AMAZING to use. I'm not entirely sure if it's a great idea or not but I've also been using a single additional drop of 5% minoxidil around my temple area after I use my laser cap. Since the idea behind the laser cap is to increase blood flow to the scalp I figure it sort of preps my scalp to absorb more of the minoxidil. Anyway, what I'm basically inquiring is whether or not there are additional natural supplements I can be taking (I actually take many more supplements but I'm not sure if any of them are used to treat Androgenetic Alopecia), topical treatments or homeopathic treatments I can be using. I've read about the onion juice thing but I really don't feel like walking around with a smelly head. Any advice would be great! Thanks in advance!