Lookin' for input

[jasmcfarland]

Greetings!
I'm in my mid-30s and have recently realized that I've finally started losing some hair. I've always had a high hairline and distinct temples, even as a teenager, which is why I've had a hard time deciding if I'm losing hair or just worrying too much. I also have fine wavy/curly hair, and the curls/waves tend to subtly change direction every once-in-a-while. Yes, strange. I know. But it's another reason why I couldn't decide if my hairline was truly receding. (Right now the hair on my left temple curls away from the temple while the right has a weird little cowlick.)
Well, I don't think I can fool myself any longer. My hairline at the top of my forehead is still where it was 15-years ago, but my temples are rounding out and possibly receding a bit. The change is not drastic, and my hair is still full and thick (though fine). But I don't think I can honestly say that I haven't lost hair.
So...I do have a few questions. Most of the talk I've seen here has been by guys who started losing hair very early. Well, I'm not early. I'm 35 with a still [relatively] full head of hair. But I want to keep my full head of hair. I'd love to regain some of what I've lost, but I'm more concerned with maintaining.
I understand that maintenance means Propecia, and I'm trying to decide what kind to get and where to order. One question is whether or not I should get the go-ahead from a dermatologist first. Any thoughts on that?
Next question is whether I should go ahead and try Rogaine or just do Propecia for a while. In all my reading, I don't have a firm grip on whether or not Propecia will regrow hair or just keep what one has. And whether or not Rogaine simply speeds up the process.
As far as I can tell, I don't really have a lot of shedding. Maybe I'm paranoid, and this is simply what happens to all guys, even those who have lots of hair. But I don't want to wake up in 10 years and regret not getting started sooner!

 

[jasmcfarland]

Well, I was really hoping to hear from some of you guys. Too bad. So this is sort of a bump with an extra question.
I read somewhere on this forum—or, rather, inferred from what I read—that Rogaine may regrow hair, but if you stop using it, even while still using Propecia, then you'll lose what you've gained. Is that true? If so, why? That doesn't make sense to me since Propecia helps you keep what you already have. If you've regrown hair, don't you already have it?
And I know this is a restate of a question I've already asked, but does Rogaine simply speed up what Propecia, in time, will do?
Hope to hear some input.

 

[Hoppi]

heya man

Basically, it's all down to a hormone called DHT. DHT is Dihydrotestosterone and it binds to the hair follicles at the root and makes them go dormant and eventually die.

Therefore, taking Propecia (Finasteride) which inhibits some DHT is great and it often drops the level low enough so it doesn't effect hair as much, as do other things with the same property, such as Ketaconazole or possibly Reishi mushrooms, amongst others. Problem is, your DHT levels haven't changed at any more fundamental level, they're just lowered at the final link in the chain. So the second you stop taking Finasteride... your DHT shoots up to where it was and you lose your hair! :shock:

Rogaine (Minoxidil) I know less about, and to be honest I don't think ANYONE fully understands how that stuff works (on Wikipedia and that it says the method is still largely unknown) but again the effects are short term, it doesn't change anything fundamentally in your scalp or body, so the follicles will start to become dormant again.

It all makes it a bit tricky, and I am new to this too so I am considering many possibilities.

A good diet and low stress levels help as both end up increases SHBG, a glycoprotein that binds to free sex hormones such as free testosterone, and stops them from being converted to DHT. Don't overdo any foods that will raise your insulin or IGF-1 hormone levels too high, which are basically all the unhealthy foods! lol Eat lots of fruit and veg, stuff like that B vitamins are good for hair, as well as good blood flow, so I take multivitamin and omega 3 tablets daily now

Another factor here is genes, as it's a good start to think about your parents and grandparents and what happened to their hair. If they lost it... then maybe things like Finasteride are the best to control this one as obviously naturally your DHT will be high.

Good luck anyway, and I hope this answers stuff I've been doing a LOT of research into this recently as I want to give myself the best chance too!

Mike

 

[jonsie150]

The most ideal situation is to have your dermatologist write you a prescription for Proscar. Proscar is used to treat the prostate, but its the exact same thing as Propecia (they're both finasteride drugs). Whereas Proscar comes in a 5mg dose, finasteride usually comes in a 1 mg dose. Most of us recommend getting proscar because it'll save you a significant amount of money if you buy it and cut each pill up into 4-5 pieces (to match the 1mg dosage of propecia). If your derm won't give you proscar (and I don't see why he'd refuse, because you're old enough to take it) you can go with propecia, though it'll probably cost you about $60-70 a month.

There are also a lot of people out here who buy different brands of finasteride from online pharmacies. But, you can never be 100% sure that these drugs are legit. I have faith in them. But for peace of mind I just go get my propecia from the pharmacy (my derm wouldn't prescribe me proscar).

It doesn't sound like your loss is going very fast. Considering this, it's probably wisest to do finasteride for a year and see how it goes. Don't think about minoxidil until then. And do NOT worry about stuff like diet/exercise/supplements and whatnot. Sure, its good to eat right and exercise regularly, but if you're looking for them to have a significant affect on your hair then you're barking up the wrong tree.

 

[Britannia]

And I know this is a restate of a question I've already asked, but does Rogaine simply speed up what Propecia, in time, will do?

Yes and No. They both work in massively different ways, but the net result (i.e. more hair!) will speed up and be more effective if you use both.