Matt's Story (23 years old)

[Anders88]

Matt's Story (23 years old) - 9 month update!

I'll keep it short.

I'm 23 years old, I started noticing my temples receding about a year ago. It was bothering me, so I figured why not give treatments a shot.

Here's my TIMELINE so far:

JAN 5, 2011 - Start FINPECIA 1mg a day and REGENEPURE DR every 3 days

JAN 18, 2012 - Begin ROGAINE twice a day on temples ONLY.

FEB 20, 2012 - Begin generic MINOXIDIL all over scalp (along with Rogaine foam on temples).

The pictures I have here are from Jan 18, 2012.

I appreciate all input!!










UPDATE 10/15/12







UPDATE 11/29 ( Off Propecia since 10/15)





I'm curious, where am I on the Norwood scale?


Thank you!!!

 

[Anders88]

^^thanks for the reply

Unfortunately I don't think I have pictures originally before I started finasteride, but I'm quite certain that I haven't lost any more hair since then. I haven't experienced any shedding. I never find loose hairs in the shower, and I know I did before. I haven't experienced any side effects.

I'm using Regenepure, which has ketoconazole just like Nizoral. I had read that people felt that Regenepure had more beneficial chemicals, so I decided to use it.

 

[lapsedpacifist]

Good luck on your battle with hairloss, looks like you still have great hair.

Do you know what % of ketoconazole is in Regenepure? I've looked online but can't seem to find it. I was thinking of replacing Nizoral with Regenepure. Would you recommend it? Thanks!

 

[fodandahalf]

Your hairline looks to be norwood 2 but your slight crown loss and miniaturization at the front looks like it might get worse if you weren't on meds. Your hair looks great too! If mine was naturally that good I'd probably put in some effort to keep it as opposed to just getting MHT.

 

[Anders88]

Thanks for the replies people!!

As for Regenepure DR, I believe it's 1% ketoconazole. I bought it on amazon. I like it, it always makes my hair feel nice and thick after showering. I never tried Nizoral so I can't compare the two.

 

[Anders88]

9 month UPDATE

Alright guys, it's been 9 months now. My results have been pretty awesome to say the least. Everyone I know has commented on how much thicker my hair is. It has also gotten a lot darker with minoxidil, which I'm okay with I guess. (I liked my original hair color, but whatever).

However, there's a catch. I started noticing sexual side effects with finasteride over the summer. There was about a 10 day period in which my libido dropped drastically. My sexual desire became non-existent, I wasn't getting morning wood, and when I would try to get it up I could still function but I'd have weak erections and a low volume of very watery semen. However, after that week it went back to normal, and figured it was just an aberration.

But then about 6 weeks ago it happened again, and lasted longer, this time for over 2 weeks. I found myself more anxiety-ridden than ever before, and decided to just stop finasteride altogether.

It took about a week or so for my libido to return, and wow, it feels stronger than everbefore. My sex drive feels stronger than I can remember - morning wood, random wood throughout the day, stronger ejaculations, etc - which is leading to believe that the sexual side effects were real. Furthermore, it leads me to the possibility that my libido may have been effected ever since I started taking finasteride in Jan 2011, and I might simply not have noticed aside from the aforementioned times in the recent past. Just a thought.

10/15/12

10/15/12

10/15/12

11/29/12 (Off of Finasteride since 10/15)


I decided to go with the buzzed look. I'm still using minoxidil and Regenepure. Since being off finasteride, I think my hairline has moved back from like a norwood 1.5 to a 2. Bah. Whatever.

I think my finasteride days are over for good. Whether the sexual side effects were truly related to finasteride or not, I think I was worrying about it too much, scouring the net and reading horror stories. I don't think it's worth that anxiety. I think all my hair regrowth has been due to minoxidil anyway.

APPRECIATE any feedback!!

 

[fighting-baldness]

Why not try lowering the dose or only take it once every 2 or 3 days?

 

[Anders88]

^^^Thanks for the reply. I was so freaked out by the side effects that I didn't even consider that.

I might be interested in doing that, but I think I'd like to get some kind of bloodwork done before hand just so I can actually have some real evidence in case I get the side effects again.

Anyone else have any feedback? I'm curious, where am I on the norwood scale, a 1 or 2?

Appreciate any feedback!!

 

[Benjamin36]

Finasteride is supposed to prevent you from losing your hair and minoxidil (as far as I know) only regrows the hair. So if you don't take the Finasteride any hair you have grown from using minoxidil, as well as the hair that you had prior to using it, stands a pretty good chance of being lost, so you may want to reconsider starting it again.

 

[Anders88]

^^^I see.

I'm just very wary of messing around with my hormones for merely the sake of vanity, especially now given the clear sexual side effects I endured and how scary they were.

If minoxidil regrows hair, then won't it probably maintain the hair that I have to a certain degree?

 

[Benjamin36]

I understand, I just wanted to give you a heads up. I don't know everything about minoxidil, but it is my understanding that it is primarily a growth stimulant, and therefore will not prevent further hair loss because you need a DHT fighter.

 

[Anders88]

I understand, appreciate the replies.

I guess I'm banking on the idea that hopefully my hairloss will be slow, and with minoxidil + anti-DHT shampoo (Regenepure) even slower. My brother, who is 12 years older than me, really started to lose his hair in the crown around 32 or 33, and at age 36 now he's probably around a norwood 3 or 3.5 - so not completely bald, he's got some crazy looking john c reilly style hair. He's never used treatments, he never cared about his hair.



I'm open to trying finasteride again at a lower dose, as I'm already noticing my hairline starting to recede a little bit since I've been off it. If I still have side effects the 2nd time I'm definitely giving it up though.


These are my two questions:

1. Where do yall think I am on the norwood scale, 1.5? 2?

2. Has anybody had side effects with finasteride, and has then successfully eliminated those side effects by lowering their dose? If so, what was that dosage?

- - - Updated - - -

 

[Lumpy]

I'm not too good with the scale thing,,

My experience with propecia is this. I took 1 pill per day for a week. Notices all the sides you described having right away so I stopped. Like you, I thought I would give it another try at a lower dose. I'm taking half a pill everyday, 2 weeks in and ZERO sides.

I know it's only been 2 weeks but just thought I would share. Good luck!