Lost Cause?

[Iwanttoregrowhair]

Hi everyone! I am new to these forums but not new to hair loss. I'm 39 years old and began losing my hair at around age 24. It was very slow process for years. A few times early on I tried minoxidil, but never stuck with it because it was messy and I was impatient. When the foam came out I was intrigued, tried it for a little bit and that just fell by the wayside for whatever reason as well. I never tried finasteride because like many, as a young and sexually active male I was horrified by the possible side effects. So life went on, I got married and became complacent in just being fat, bald and happy for the rest or my life. Well, over the last 2-3 years the loss of hair has really sped up. I'm now divorced, have recently been getting back into shape and want to hit the dating scene again soon. Of course with hair comes confidence, but that's not to say that I am not confident being bald. I have a great outlook on life and just want to see about getting hair again if I find a good regimen and stick to it. I recently went out and bought a $20 one month supply bottle of minoxidil that I've used for two days and have been using Nizoral for about a week. After reading up lately, I see that finasteride seems to also be part of what's called the Big 3. Still a little leery about it but may be open to taking a smaller dosage as I've read a lot of people are doing successfully with both results and no ill side effects.

I've attached some pictures from Monday and yesterday and here are my questions:

1. As the title of my thread my asks, is this a lost cause for me? Am I too for gone on the Norwood scale?

2. Does minoxidil grow hair on the top of the head? I have very fine, light baby hairs in the spot where it appears completely bald on the top and
can feel them when I rub my hand on my head. In different lights you can see them. Will the Nizoral and minoxidil eventually make these stronger/darker?

3. Is it worth me also biting the bullet and getting on some finasteride? If so, which one and what dosage do you recommend?

Thank you so much for your time and I look forward to responses. And please be honest. If with your experience you feel that my next $20 should be spent on a pair of clippers, well then please say (write) so.

 

[The Far Side]

The area (crown) you're concerned with is considered the area which responds the best to treatments (including minoxidil). Judging by the 4th picture you have something to work with and might get really impressive results, but who knows what will happen. You have a surprising amount of hair to the front and side of the bald(ing) area. I think the fact things only got a lot worse in the past couple of years and that you're concerned about the crown are positives. Hell it's the kind of area that you can spray fibers onto if you get some moderate results from treatments.

Things will no doubt get worse before they improve but it's almost no asthetic risk since the area looks 99% bald from a distance already.

 

[Iwanttoregrowhair]

Thank you Korlibus. I'm thinking of getting some finasteride on-line rather than through an Rx. Do you think that would be a bad idea?
Can anyone confirm if inhousepharmacy.com is legit? Thanks!

 

[bob3]

I hate to seem blunt, but yeah, it's a lost cause. I can't imagine you'd regrow enough hair to come back from that. Save your time, money and risk of sides. I guess you could get really, really lucky and it grows back, but most likely, if you gain anything, you're still gonna be "bald". Why hassle? I really think treatments are for nw2 guys looking to maintain or nw3 guys trying to hold on long enough for a hair transplant. After nw3, I figure bald is bald.

If you really want hair, I'd suggest you hop over to the hair system forum. I've read/seen good things about them. That'd be the best looking, safest and most stress-free option.

 

[Iwanttoregrowhair]

Cool, thanks bob3 for your input. I will take a look on those forums as well.

 

[HatHostage]

The fact that you let it progress to the point it's at now, without fighting tooth and nail, pretty much says that losing your hair wasn't/isn't nearly as traumatic for you as it was/is for a lot of us. Good for you...sincerely.

You'd likely see some results from a combo of meds, but sometimes all that does is make you greedy for more!

Yes, inhousepharmacy.biz is legit. Order my Fincar there, no hitches yet.

If you decide to carry on, save yourself some $ and order Kirkland liquid minoxidil on Amazon. A 6 month supply for under $30, a lot messier than foam but still not too bad to apply with hair as short as yours. At least consider this option for your nightly application.

 

[Notcoolanymore]

I was pretty close to where you are now when I jumped on the big 3 and it did make a difference. Am I back at NW1, no, but I have regrown some and I am only 9 months into treatment. You just have to manage your expectations and at this point mine are just to keep from going slick. Treatments are also pretty cheap so you really have very little to lose.

 

[Iwanttoregrowhair]

I was pretty close to where you are now when I jumped on the big 3 and it did make a difference. Am I back at NW1, no, but I have regrown some and I am only 9 months into treatment. You just have to manage your expectations and at this point mine are just to keep from going slick. Treatments are also pretty cheap so you really have very little to lose.

Thanks man. I order some Fincar on-line and am hesitant to start using it. What kind do you use and how much/often do you take it?

 

[I.D WALKER]

It's reassuring to learn you have an overall "positive outlook on life". This is your saving grace. What ever treatment, oral or topical, you decide to incorporate into your regimen be sure you are consistent with usage and adhere as much as you can to it's specific instructions. finasteride. for now may be the exception because I think there are convincing enough testimonials from users who have received benefits by starting it on a lower than recommended dosage. With the option to slowly increase your dosage strength in an increment manner. This approach may potentially minimizes the chances of adverse side-effects. Some users claim noticeable benefits at even .25 mgs. Always run your health concerns past a qualified and respected physician before proceeding with a plan of action. All the best and thanx for sharing.

 

[Notcoolanymore]

Thanks man. I order some Fincar on-line and am hesitant to start using it. What kind do you use and how much/often do you take it?

I started on the full 1mg dose from my local pharmacy. I now use fincar from inhousepharmacy and take 1/4 of a pill every day. If you are concerned about sides, then start off with a smaller dose. Many people start off by microdosing and work there way up until they are at the full 1mg/day.

 

[Iwanttoregrowhair]

I started on the full 1mg dose from my local pharmacy. I now use fincar from inhousepharmacy and take 1/4 of a pill every day. If you are concerned about sides, then start off with a smaller dose. Many people start off by microdosing and work there way up until they are at the full 1mg/day.

Ok thanks again. I also got my fincar from inhouse, so that makes me feel a lot better! I'll definitely start with a low dose, like under 1mg a day or every other day. Like you, I've lost a lot and am starting late but hopefully will have some positive results.

 

[andywill]

Hi, you dont mention anything about your nutrition, which i believe is a massively overlooked area of hairloss. I also dont believe it's ever a lost cause. I lost every hair on my body within 2 weeks and according to the doctor had pretty much a 0% chance of getting my hair back,


This was me in may 2012

And right now


I now have most of my hair back apart from at he back. I appreciate our cases are quite different as yours has been happening over a long period of time and mine happened very quickly, however the point is to never stop looking for solutions. Personally im not a fan of putting chemicals on my head and i believe most forms of hair loss are internal issues and can be treated by fixing the problem on the inside.

I managed to treat my alopecia totalis after reading a mayo clinic study showing the effectiveness of large doses of zinc, i initially too 100mg zinc piclonate per day for 3 months which had a dramatic result. I'm not saying that Zinc will would work for you, but it's cheap and easy and has to be worth a shot. You could also try MSM, garlic capsules, apple cider vinegar and grape seed extract.

It would also be worth making sure your diet is in check and your getting a good balance of nutrients from your food. You may have a vitamin / mineral deficiency that is contributing to you hair loss.

I'll be putting all my findings and links to research studies on my blog if you're interested - www.curealopecia.co.uk