kosmo's story

[kosmo]

today is my one year mark since starting propecia....

when i was 19 i started noticing my temples were receding gradually. my family has a history of hairloss that usually starts in mid 20's but happens very slowly. about a year and a half ago i started noticing more hair on my towel when drying off after a shower. i also started to get a irritation/itch on my crown. one day last december after showering my hair was still a bit wet and i looked in the mirror and saw that my hair was thinning and i was able to see some scalp. i freaked out and lost it. this was the first day i realized i was losing my hair.

i had been under a huge amount of stress that year. my best friend died in a car accident in may, i had moved to australia by myself for university in july, and in november i found out that my girlfriend of almost 4 years had cheated on me and was now dating the guy (she had not told me that last part until i came home for christmas). and on top off all that i was now starting to go bald!

i did some research and decided to start propecia at the end of january. when i started i was somewhere between a Norwood 1.5 and Norwood 2. my hair was still very thick and i was hoping for maintenance and maybe a little regwrowth.

after about 6 weeks i started noticing a huge amount of hair that was falling out in the shower, on my pillow, on my hands when i would style my hair, and all over my floor. i was also starting to get really bad acne on my face and body. i decided to cut my dosage in half around the middle of march. this helped the acne a bit but i was losing alot of hair.

i went to the doctor at the end of april and got a prescription for minocin to control the acne. i then starting taking the full 1mg propecia dose again. i also started with 2% nizoral to try and control the scalp itching/irritation.

the next few months were pretty rough. i was still shedding a lot of hair and was not seeing any positive results. my hair was looking worse and worse and i was unable to spike it up anymore. nizoral didnt help with my itch and actually seemed to be irritating my scalp more when i would use it. i tried using t/gel but it left me with red bumps all over my scalp.

by the end of august my hair was looking terrible. the girl i was dating commented to me one day that it looked like i was balding. this really made me feel terrible. i shaved my head and decided to add 5% minoxidil. i hated how i looked with a shaved head and it made my self-confidence even lower.

i did start to see some growth on my hairline and temples after about 2 months on minoxidil. but i was also getting really bad side effects. my skin was really oily, my pores were huge, it made me grow a lot more body hair, my beard became so thick that i could never get a close shave, and my scalp was so irritated that it was almost painful.

i decided to stop minoxidil after 3 months due to the side effects. after stopping i had a massive shed. its been about 2 months since then and my hair has gone to $#iT. i have really bad diffuse thinning, my hairline and temples look terrible, and i almost have a bald spot now. i cant do anything with my hair as its too thin and just sticks flat to my head.

this whole experience has only added to the depression and anxiety i was already experiencing. i never go out or see my friends cause im so embarrased about my hair. i dont have a girlfriend. i have lost a lot of weight and i really feel terrible. i really dont like my life right now and im under so much pressure and stress i cant take it.

i think i probably would have been better off not starting propecia and just letting nature slowly take its course. i just turned 24 and im now a Norwood 3 or Norwood 3.5 with really bad diffuse thinning. my brother is 5 years older than me and started losing his hair around the same age. however he is still only a Norwood 3 so in a year my hair has thinned worse than his.

i have an appointment with a dermatologist on Feb.28 to evaluate my hairloss. propecia was really my only hope since minoxidil gave me side effects so i really dont want to stop it. but it has been a year and my hair is getting worse everyday. i have tried every kind of shampoo but my scalp itch/irritation wont go away. and i have seen no positive results from propecia. i hate my hair and wish i had the guts to shave it off but i really dont like the look of it.

at this point im really at a loss. i have started to see a psychologist and will probably start antidepressants. im hoping the dermatologist will give me some hope or something positive but i think im pretty much screwed.

i really dont know what to do anymore. but from the moment i open my eyes to the moment i fall asleep hairloss is all i think about.

thats my story.....

 

[kosmo]

i was using nizoral about every 3 days. it really dried out my hair and didnt seem to help much. i havent been able to find the 1% nizoral in canada so i dont know if it would work any better.

 

[Aplunk1]

Damn Kosmo,
I really admire a person with as much fortitude as you. I understand how difficult things can be, and, although you're going through these tough times, there are different ways to combat this condition.

Have you considered a hair transplant? There are numerous doctors out there that can restore your hair.

In any case, I know you know what you're doing, and I won't try to suggest anything. I'm sorry you lost your friend, and a number of other terrible things happened. You have my respect, and I know you'll pull through alright.

Goodluck,

 

[Johnny24601]

re:

Hair growth comes in cycles and it is for this reason that one has to dedicate themselves to a treatment long term and not react to the highs and lows of male pattern baldness treatments. Clearly your body is sensitive to medication, but I recommend using finasteride at whatever the highest dosage (maxing out at 1 mg of course) that your body can take and then dedicating yourself to taking the finasteride everyday for a year. No breaks no dosage changes, just take it for a year and see where you are at. Then you can consider adding in something else or getitng a transplant. In the mean time try to wear a hat and surround yourself with friends who are balding or are supportive of your anxiety towards hairloss.
Rememeber male pattern baldness is something that has effected you even though you had no choice and no control over the situation. Since you had no control, anyone who judges you for not having a perfect hairline is just an ignorant *** and is not worth your time. I for one am much very impressed with a dudes who have the courage to accept their hairloss and still love life and no I am not gay. Also look around you, you will see that many young men are balding and you are not alone.

 

[Siberian]

Awl cosmo, I'm sorry it's been so rough on you. That's a LOT to deal with for such a young kid. You gotta fight two wars right now: hair loss AND self-esteem. I know it sucks, I know we don't want to hear "it's just hair!" when we're the ones losing it, but it's important to find an emotional balance here too. It's all too easy to make this our life's quest and forget our perspective. I mean heck, shaving one's head is practically a fashion statement these days! And like other's have said, it doesn't reflect YOU, or anything you did, or your character. If people judge you by your hair count... I mean... come on! F' em. Find people who love you for who you are.

The dermatologist appointment is an excellent step. Make sure he knows all about the stress involved. If you're prone to sudden sheddings, make sure he knows - that part may not be from male pattern baldness, but could be from any number of things. Review your diet. Zinc and copper intake. Etc.

There's also Avodart (dutasteride) as an option. Difficult to get prescribed, but SEEMS to be more effective than Propecia.

But tackling the stress involved, and learning to laugh at this whole thing a bit... you can cry now and then too, but SOMETIMES you gotta just laugh... is also important.

Hang in there kid

 

[kosmo]

thanks for the responses guys! i really appreciate the support.


i guess im just feeling a bit down cause its been one year and i havent seen any results yet. its hard sometimes to stay positive and be patient. im really trying to work on my self-esteem and not let my hair bother me so much. life has been a bit difficult the past few years and im really hoping things start to get better soon.


Johnny24601, you're right my body does seem to be pretty sensitive to medication. maybe my dosage is too high and thats why i havent seen results? should i try to reduce my dosage or stay consistant with 1mg/day?