Let The Journey Begin (long Term Documentation)

[baba_yaga]

Any reasoning behind doing that?

Just the fact that DHT takes around 7 days to go back to normal levels, I think it is fine to take 1.25 mg every 3 days. This way I can still preserve my hair and maybe alleviate side effects (which are not that bad, but less sides is favorable).

 

[shoegazing]

Update? @baba_yaga

 

[Ourkes]

@baba_yaga

Due to a bout of BDD I stumbled across this site a few years ago but never set up an account,

However, I feel so compelled to post a response to this thread that I have registered.

You are a very young man who has completely normal hair characteristics which you are confusing with male pattern baldness,

What I see non stop on here repeatedly is a lack of appreciation for normal hair and scalp attributes. Basically, anyone displaying scalp believes, or is told, they are thinning.

Where the hair changes direction, scalp will show. This is particularly even more true when hair is dark and scalp light in colour. Throw in grease, water, product, fine hair, straight hair and then add harsh lighting of a camera flash / exposure and the visual impact will be exacerbated further.

In addition, hair density appears different across all scalps because the skull is rounded and the light will reflect in an uneven manner making parts look wider in places as the skull curves. Take a look at the non balding head of a young woman and you will often see exactly the same thing.

Derms are often not reliable nor hairloss specialists and if a patient is certain they are balding, a Derm will often go with it.

You may wonder why I am taking the times to write this essay, but I genuinely feel that many of the young people on here, including yourself, are not balding at all. This is often why you see no real response to finasteride but believe this to be “maintenance”.

Calikid, CrownBalding are a few others who spring to mind who simply seem to be confusing natural hair characteristics with balding. Makes me sad that so many of you are suffering and taking hair loss medication when it would seem that you really don’t need it, nor need to worry about it.

 

[shoegazing]

@baba_yaga

Due to a bout of BDD I stumbled across this site a few years ago but never set up an account,

However, I feel so compelled to post a response to this thread that I have registered.

You are a very young man who has completely normal hair characteristics which you are confusing with male pattern baldness,

What I see non stop on here repeatedly is a lack of appreciation for normal hair and scalp attributes. Basically, anyone displaying scalp believes, or is told, they are thinning.

Where the hair changes direction, scalp will show. This is particularly even more true when hair is dark and scalp light in colour. Throw in grease, water, product, fine hair, straight hair and then add harsh lighting of a camera flash / exposure and the visual impact will be exacerbated further.

In addition, hair density appears different across all scalps because the skull is rounded and the light will reflect in an uneven manner making parts look wider in places as the skull curves. Take a look at the non balding head of a young woman and you will often see exactly the same thing.

Derms are often not reliable nor hairloss specialists and if a patient is certain they are balding, a Derm will often go with it.

You may wonder why I am taking the times to write this essay, but I genuinely feel that many of the young people on here, including yourself, are not balding at all. This is often why you see no real response to finasteride but believe this to be “maintenance”.

Calikid, CrownBalding are a few others who spring to mind who simply seem to be confusing natural hair characteristics with balding. Makes me sad that so many of you are suffering and taking hair loss medication when it would seem that you really don’t need it, not need to worry about it.

How about the thin strands he says to be growing all around his scalp?

 

[Ritchie]

if crownbalding and babayaga were naive they could potentially get off treatments and if their hair went downhill you would be responsible for it. Think before you say something like this. They know their own hair better than you do. BabaYaga is immune to a receding hairline but he can still diffuse thin. Norwood 1's can thin out too. He seems to be doing well with treatments and it could possibly stay this way as long as he stays on treatments. Dont take it away from him.

 

[Ourkes]

if crownbalding and babayaga were naive they could potentially get off treatments and if their hair went downhill you would be responsible for it. Think before you say something like this. They know their own hair better than you do. BabaYaga is immune to a receding hairline but he can still diffuse thin. Norwood 1's can thin out too. He seems to be doing well with treatments and it could possibly stay this way as long as he stays on treatments. Dont take it away from him.

@Ritchie

I don’t disagree with you, treatment should be considered if one feels they are losing hair.

However, certain hair types / attributes can certainly give the impression of balding and this is very often overlooked on this site.

There are a number of individuals on here who are young with great hair and I genuinely do not believe they are balding.

They will often confirm there is no genetic predisposition, but they shed a lot of hairs for 2-3 plus years with no real deterioration. Plus you will see a high hair to scalp contrast and fine straight here in many of these individuals taking photos under harsh lighting.

I hear what you are saying about being responsible for someone coming off treatments when they shouldn’t and I certainly would want this. On the flip side, taking finasteride from a young age without clear balding, is not ideal either.

I’m just trying to highlight that some individuals may be confusing hair loss with other factors. There are young people on here who may have BDD when they should be care free.

 

[Ritchie]

@Ritchie

I don’t disagree with you, treatment should be considered if one feels they are losing hair.

However, certain hair types / attributes can certainly give the impression of balding and this is very often overlooked on this site.

There are a number of individuals on here who are young with great hair and I genuinely do not believe they are balding.

They will often confirm there is no genetic predisposition, but they shed a lot of hairs for 2-3 plus years with no real deterioration. Plus you will see a high hair to scalp contrast and fine straight here in many of these individuals taking photos under harsh lighting.

I hear what you are saying about being responsible for someone coming off treatments when they shouldn’t and I certainly would want this. On the flip side, taking finasteride from a young age without clear balding, is not ideal either.

I’m just trying to highlight that some individuals may be confusing hair loss with other factors. There are young people on here who may have BDD when they should be care free.

he says he has a lot of minuatirzation on his scalp. Normal ranges of thinner hairs should be 10-15% because these hairs are in the natural growth cycle but he says he has a lot more than this. Also you are probably referring to bluecyclone aswell, his hair seems to be slowly going downhill too for whatever reason whether its a rare form of male pattern baldness or something else. Members with bdd are like siisid and alexander shenton but they are not on treatments. The only members i can think of from the top of my head who are on some treatments who i am certain do not have male pattern baldness are @Northface32 and selb.

 

[Ourkes]

he says he has a lot of minuatirzation on his scalp. Normal ranges of thinner hairs should be 10-15% because these hairs are in the natural growth cycle but he says he has a lot more than this. Also you are probably referring to bluecyclone aswell, his hair seems to be slowly going downhill too for whatever reason whether its a rare form of male pattern baldness or something else. Members with bdd are like siisid and alexander shenton but they are not on treatments. The only members i can think of from the top of my head who are on some treatments who i am certain do not have male pattern baldness are @Northface32 and selb.

@Ritchie

Yep, all true points.

I like bluecyone, I feel he is a misunderstood character. Personally I think he has great hair but may have upset the balance with taking so many different approaches to addressing his shedding. I don’t see male pattern baldness at all in his case. Again, just the normal hair to scalp contrast seem on certain situations.

siisid and Mr Shenton, agreed, no balding!

Northface - Incredible hair.

 

[baba_yaga]

These two pics sum it all. The fact that there is clear difference in density is a confirmation that I am diffuse thinning.

 

[Ritchie]

These two pics sum it all. The fact that there is clear difference in density is a confirmation that I am diffuse thinning.

you will be able to maintain as long as you stay on treatments i think. I dont think you have to worry about finasteride losing efficiency like a lot of people. Your hairline wont recede and your situation isnt bad.

 

[baba_yaga]

Update? @baba_yaga

Nothing worth mentioning honestly. Other than the fact that I did not feel "safe" on 1.25 mg every 3 days. So I increased the dose back to 1.25 mg EOD around a week after I posted here the transition to 1.25mg/3 days dosage. I would say I felt better on the lower dose, but nothing that major.

 

[shoegazing]

Nothing worth mentioning honestly. Other than the fact that I did not feel "safe" on 1.25 mg every 3 days. So I increased the dose back to 1.25 mg EOD around a week after I posted here the transition to 1.25mg/3 days dosage. I would say I felt better on the lower dose, but nothing that major.

And what about your hair in general? More density, or you just maintained?

 

[Ourkes]

These two pics sum it all. The fact that there is clear difference in density is a confirmation that I am diffuse thinning.

Again, this can be somewhat of an illusion created by the direction of growth on different parts of the scalp and differences in hair / skin contrast.

When my sister and wife part their hair, the parting looks more densely packed towards the front where the hair lays flat and grows forwards. However, towards the mid Scalp and crown areas where hair points up and out in different directions, under close scrutiny, the coverage looks less dense. Both women have dark hair, light scalps and are in no way suffering from female patterned hair loss.

In my humble opinion this could very well be the case with your hair. While you certainly could be diffusing, from what I can see you have very good hair and if you take a look at the hair of others (discreetly!) who have similar hair characteristics, I am confident you will see similarities.

Like it has been highlighted here before, you obviously know your hair best. However, I think others have also questioned whether you have male pattern baldness.

In my personal experience, the best person to see is a well regarded hair loss transplant surgeon. I myself saw one and the difference compared to a dermatologist was night and day.

Equally, if you’re certain you’re balding and you’re happy with you treatment regime, my viewpoint is irrelevant.

 

[baba_yaga]

And what about your hair in general? More density, or you just maintained?

According to photos, no change. But i can tell my right temple has thinned a bit. Also I feel my hair being thinner overall, but it is likely to be incorrect. Until the photos tell otherwise, I am maintaining just fine.

Again, this can be somewhat of an illusion created by the direction of growth on different parts of the scalp and differences in hair / skin contrast.

When my sister and wife part their hair, the parting looks more densely packed towards the front where the hair lays flat and grows forwards. However, towards the mid Scalp and crown areas where hair points up and out in different directions, under close scrutiny, the coverage looks less dense. Both women have dark hair, light scalps and are in no way suffering from female patterned hair loss.

In my humble opinion this could very well be the case with your hair. While you certainly could be diffusing, from what I can see you have very good hair and if you take a look at the hair of others (discreetly!) who have similar hair characteristics, I am confident you will see similarities.

Like it has been highlighted here before, you obviously know your hair best. However, I think others have also questioned whether you have male pattern baldness.

In my personal experience, the best person to see is a well regarded hair loss transplant surgeon. I myself saw one and the difference compared to a dermatologist was night and day.

Equally, if you’re certain you’re balding and you’re happy with you treatment regime, my viewpoint is irrelevant.

From my understanding, the density should be the same on top of the head. The front should not be thinner than the middle/vertex and vice versa (excluding the crown).
Also, the difference in the two pics can be explained by different angles/lighting. However, in real life I can easily tell the difference in density using my hands. Even my dad, who is the biggest denier of my hair loss, has noticed the difference.
And if I ever was to loose hair, it would be diffuse thinning most likely (according to family history). And this type of thinning is hard to spot in early stages. I do not remember how my hair was when I was younger, but what I know for a fact that it is thin. When putting my hair in a bun, there would be several empty “lines” exposing my scalp.
Add to that, hair strands shed (I shed a lot) specifically from the top, thinning region are miniaturizing. The strand gets progressively thinner and lighter towards the roots.
Earlier photos posted in this thread show a lot of small, colorless, <1 cm hair strands spread all over my head => miniaturization.

Going off all that evidence and signs, I am mostly certain that I am loosing hair. Although I would certainly prefer not using treatments that affect my sexual life, being bald is not something I can accept easily. Hopping on treatments was a no brainer for me.

Hope this clears things up for all.

 

[Will Be an Egg in 5 years]

Clearly diffuse thinning, don't fool yourself. The problem is, diffuse pattern doesn't mean you won't lose your hairline. Mine started receding in February after months of diffuse thinning. Right side first, and now my left temple. I lost it literally in a matter of days. A juvenile temple to a 35yr old guy temple in a week.

 

[Ritchie]

Clearly diffuse thinning, don't fool yourself. The problem is, diffuse pattern doesn't mean you won't lose your hairline. Mine started receding in February after months of diffuse thinning. Right side first, and now my left temple. I lost it literally in a matter of days. A juvenile temple to a 35yr old guy temple in a week.

you just lost all your credibility. no way you lost hair that fast. Babayaga also isnt fooling himself if youve read his posts, hes on treatments. He is also immune to a receding hairline.

 

[Ourkes]

Clearly diffuse thinning, don't fool yourself. The problem is, diffuse pattern doesn't mean you won't lose your hairline. Mine started receding in February after months of diffuse thinning. Right side first, and now my left temple. I lost it literally in a matter of days. A juvenile temple to a 35yr old guy temple in a week.

@babayaga

According to photos, no change. But i can tell my right temple has thinned a bit. Also I feel my hair being thinner overall, but it is likely to be incorrect. Until the photos tell otherwise, I am maintaining just fine.


From my understanding, the density should be the same on top of the head. The front should not be thinner than the middle/vertex and vice versa (excluding the crown).
Also, the difference in the two pics can be explained by different angles/lighting. However, in real life I can easily tell the difference in density using my hands. Even my dad, who is the biggest denier of my hair loss, has noticed the difference.
And if I ever was to loose hair, it would be diffuse thinning most likely (according to family history). And this type of thinning is hard to spot in early stages. I do not remember how my hair was when I was younger, but what I know for a fact that it is thin. When putting my hair in a bun, there would be several empty “lines” exposing my scalp.
Add to that, hair strands shed (I shed a lot) specifically from the top, thinning region are miniaturizing. The strand gets progressively thinner and lighter towards the roots.
Earlier photos posted in this thread show a lot of small, colorless, <1 cm hair strands spread all over my head => miniaturization.

Going off all that evidence and signs, I am mostly certain that I am loosing hair. Although I would certainly prefer not using treatments that affect my sexual life, being bald is not something I can accept easily. Hopping on treatments was a no brainer for me.

Hope this clears things up for all.

@baba_yaga
Whatever the situation, your hair looks good bud. Certainly no clear deterioration.

Two of my friends experienced diffuse thinning right across the top, crown to hairline. Happened very fast in their late 20’s. Both shaved hair down to grade number 1 / 2 and look absolutely fine. In fact, they’re both very successful individuals. Very charismatic. I don’t even notice their lack of hair. Don’t think anyone else does either!

If you do experience unpleasant sides with finasteride. You could try the topical version. I also see a lot of very positive feedback about topical dustasteride but there has been speculation and loss of fertility, so you’d need to probably consult a specialist for an informed view.

 

[Ourkes]

@babayaga

@baba_yaga
Whatever the situation, your hair looks good bud. Certainly no clear deterioration.

Two of my friends experienced diffuse thinning right across the top, crown to hairline. Happened very fast in their late 20’s. Both shaved hair down to grade number 1 / 2 and look absolutely fine. In fact, they’re both very successful individuals. Very charismatic. I don’t even notice their lack of hair. Don’t think anyone else does either!

If you do experience unpleasant sides with finasteride. You could try the topical version. I also see a lot of very positive feedback about topical dustasteride but there has been speculation and loss of fertility, so you’d need to probably consult a specialist for an informed view.

Sorry didn’t intend to include the quotes, was just trying to respond to your post @baba_yaga
PS. Telogen hairs can be confused with miniaturised hairs, especially when hair strands are dark - they loose pigment towards the root as they approach the resting stage which makes them look thinner / tapered. Mine have looked like that for years and my hair hasn’t changed.

all the best

 

[Will Be an Egg in 5 years]

you just lost all your credibility. no way you lost hair that fast. Babayaga also isnt fooling himself if youve read his posts, hes on treatments. He is also immune to a receding hairline.

Yes you do. Of course the very begning thinning process isn't that fast, but the final stage is. My right temple recession was slow. But the left one was pretty quick. Probabbly it was already thinning and I didn't notice,but it looked fine. Than the shedding and now I'm a NW2 on both temples.

"you just lost all your credibility". LOL. I don't care.

And not, his not immune to a receding hairline, we don't know yet. DIffuse thinners DO lost their temples but usually keep the forelock.

 

[baba_yaga]

@babayaga

@baba_yaga
Whatever the situation, your hair looks good bud. Certainly no clear deterioration.

Two of my friends experienced diffuse thinning right across the top, crown to hairline. Happened very fast in their late 20’s. Both shaved hair down to grade number 1 / 2 and look absolutely fine. In fact, they’re both very successful individuals. Very charismatic. I don’t even notice their lack of hair. Don’t think anyone else does either!

If you do experience unpleasant sides with finasteride. You could try the topical version. I also see a lot of very positive feedback about topical dustasteride but there has been speculation and loss of fertility, so you’d need to probably consult a specialist for an informed view.

I dont doubt someone can be sucessful without hair. However, if I was ever to be in that position, I would be a successful man but not the man who I want to be and look like. And I wil never let that happen.

I am experiencing sides with finasteride, but i am determined to live with them if i have to. Thank you for the suggestions btw

Also, i can discern the difference between Telogen phase strands and miniaturizing ones. As you can tell, I have medium length hair (by women's standards) each strand would be around 15-20 cm. half of that length would be thinning, so no way it would be telogen induced.

Yes you do. Of course the very begning thinning process isn't that fast, but the final stage is. My right temple recession was slow. But the left one was pretty quick. Probabbly it was already thinning and I didn't notice,but it looked fine. Than the shedding and now I'm a NW2 on both temples.

"you just lost all your credibility". LOL. I don't care.

And not, his not immune to a receding hairline, we don't know yet. DIffuse thinners DO lost their temples but usually keep the forelock.

my left temple is the one thinning faster, just like you. But it still isnt noticeable that much. finasteride should slow down things, hopefully.