I visited a dermatologist today. I am 21 and she said I was about a NW1 but probably starting the journey downhill. I definitely agree because I have seen the temples recede over the last few months and have had a lot of itchiness all over the scalp, particularly around the hairline and crown. She recommended minoxidil and possibly finasteride. However the side effects of finasteride scare me a lot and I don't want to gamble my future away. My question is should I fight the hairloss or let it be and eventually move on to hair systems? Thanks.
Looking Some Advice For Someone Beginning Their Hairloss Journey
- Thread starter Cmck97
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That decision is yours to make. The chances of you getting side effects are low and permanent side effects are even lower. However, it is up to you if you are willing to take any risk at all. If you are only NW1 then it makes sense to me to try both the options the dermatologist suggested. Or you could just try minoxidil. However, once hairloss progresses past a certain point there really is no going back unless you get a hair transplant which is quite costly and most likely will require multiple to make it look good.
Noah
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I tried Finasteride and had some scary sides. These are not lightweight drugs - they are interfering with some of your most basic bodily characteristics as a male. I wouldn't put you off trying them, but monitor your reaction carefully, and if you start to get the side effects come off them without delay.
Hey Cmck97, from my (extremely positive experience with finasteride) I would say absolutely get on it right now. If you are a Norwood 1 you have a great chance of maintaining what you have for many years. Some people do have negative reactions but they are definitely in the minority (roughly 1% according to Merck). I have had an incredible 9 years maintaining a great head of hair on Finasteride, it is only now that the drugs are failing that I am looking in to other options. Act swiftly though- I can't emphasise enough how important this is. If you are worried about sides just buy one box of Propecia (only ever use brand name) and test it out. Maybe visit a dermatologist to weigh up risk/ reward with them- steer clear of a regular GP though- they know very little about this drug in general. Please do message me privately if you need any further advice on the drugs- this is something I have a lot of knowledge on- just beginning to explore the system route. Good luck!
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