Looking to start treatment and need some advice..

[Mark90210]

Hey everybody. Looking for some advice here as I debate about starting on some hair loss treatments. I started noticing hair loss at 19, however my dermatologist told me that : 1. I wasn't losing my hair, and 2. Even if I was, there was nothing I could do about it. Well 3 years later I've come to the conclusion that she was worthless and wrong about both. I've had noticeable thinning and hair loss in the crown (granted, not a lot, but still noticeable) and hearing all these stories makes me think I have a chance to grow some (if not all) of it back.

So what I'd like to know is, which treatments did some of you take and how effective are they. I know this is rather an open question that has been answered in several topics in this forum..but I'd just like a quick overview. I'd like to know basically if anybody has had great success with certain ones or little success with others, and I guess my biggest question is, can taking minoxidil or Propecia actually worsen my situation (which is what probably my biggest fear is)? Thanks for any and all replies..

 

[Cornholio]

If you have male pattern thinning the best way to prevent progression seems to be attacking DHT... Oral supression with finasteride is the most proven... see http://www.propecia.com for information. It can be bought more afforably by using proscar 5mg (or generic finasteride) and cutting it into quarters. I took finasteride (proscar) alone for about 5 years and generally maintained with no regrowth. When things got a little bit worse I added some other treatments.

Many poeple say that minoxidil should be added if you hope for regrowth. If your situation isn't too bad you might try one or the other for 6-9 months to see if it's working... If you have a lot of ground to make up there is no harm in starting both. Just remember that treatments only work while you take them... If you stop treatments you will, over a few months, revert to the level of hair loss you would have been at if you never took treatments... not worse than you would have been, but to the point you would have been. I added minoxidil and noticed some filling in at the temples and vertex thickening. Not a lot, but encouraging.

Since you use shampoo every day anyway you might try nizoral 1% shampoo a few times a week... It seems to help (but isnt an adequate treatment on its own)

In summary, propecia and/or minoxidil depending on how motivated you are... and nizoral.

 

[HairlossTalk]

Great advice. Only thing I would add is that Nizoral is mandatory.... and to answer your other question, no, neither make hair worse. They can cause shedding, but this is just the first stage in stopping hair loss. It grows back.

HairLossTalk.com

 

[Mark90210]

What is it about Nizoral that makes it mandantory? Isn't that the same stuff used to stop dry scalp?

also, generally speaking, what are the side effects of finasteride/Propecia and do most people in their early 20's see results? I'm sure there are old specific topics that could probably answer these questions, but I'm just looking for quick answers of the top of anybody's head who may be reading this that I can use to base my decision on going to see a dermatologist.

Any comments/advice/answers to questions is very much appreciated!

Great advice. Only thing I would add is that Nizoral is mandatory.... and to answer your other question, no, neither make hair worse. They can cause shedding, but this is just the first stage in stopping hair loss. It grows back.

HairLossTalk.com