All, new here, but wanted to share my experience for any others because it seems somewhat unique...only found a couple other threads similar and they hadn't been active for a while.
Bottom line up front: Using minoxidil 5% + 2x/day nizoral on entire top of scalp for 4-5 months. Minor regrowth on temples & crown, moderate shedding on entire head.
Background: I'm 30, started balding around 27. I have male pattern baldness in nearly every male on my mother's side. At 25-35 they start losing hair on the top of their head quickly and have hair left only on the sides (sry sure there's proper term for this) after roughly 5 years. At 27 I saw the loss around my temples & crown. By 30 it was more pronounced at the temples and crown, and the vertex had receded by about an inch. Additionally, the entire top had thinned out considerably. You could easily see the scalp with a 1/2" cut across the entire top of my head. That's when I started minoxidil/nizoral.
Treatment Summary: At 30 I started a 2x/day 2ml Kirkland 5% minoxidil + 1x day nizoral treatment on the entire top of my head. I had to shave it pretty close in order to stay away from the greasy look. At around 1 month I noticed minor shedding on the entire top. At 3 months I noticed new hair growth in the temples & crown. Hard to tell if the new hair growth is all over the top because I still cut it to about 1/2" and the new hair growth was thin and roughly 1/5". At 4-5 months I noticed considerable shedding across the entire top. Every time I would apply minoxidil or nizoral I would see 40-50 hairs and my hands. I kept up the treatment and at 5 months I noticed the shedding had seemingly stopped and the small hair regrowth had continued at the vertex and crown. All-in-all I have less hair on the top, the balding is more noticable, but I'm hopeful for the small areas of hair regrowth and hope they're also on the top where I can't see as well. I'm at 5 months today and also started taking saw palmetto 160mg a week ago. In another week I'll go to 320 mg/day and stay there for at least a year. If, after a year from today, I don't see considerable regrowth, I'll shave my head for good.
Hope this was helpful to someone out there. Hairloss has affected my confidence as I've been a successful dude who's never had problems with girls, and even today make 6 figures, have an MBA and a gf, but the confidence is slipping. Didn't take any pictures when I started but happy to take some now if this thread gets any interest. Best wishes my brothers in battle.
Bottom line up front: Using minoxidil 5% + 2x/day nizoral on entire top of scalp for 4-5 months. Minor regrowth on temples & crown, moderate shedding on entire head.
Background: I'm 30, started balding around 27. I have male pattern baldness in nearly every male on my mother's side. At 25-35 they start losing hair on the top of their head quickly and have hair left only on the sides (sry sure there's proper term for this) after roughly 5 years. At 27 I saw the loss around my temples & crown. By 30 it was more pronounced at the temples and crown, and the vertex had receded by about an inch. Additionally, the entire top had thinned out considerably. You could easily see the scalp with a 1/2" cut across the entire top of my head. That's when I started minoxidil/nizoral.
Treatment Summary: At 30 I started a 2x/day 2ml Kirkland 5% minoxidil + 1x day nizoral treatment on the entire top of my head. I had to shave it pretty close in order to stay away from the greasy look. At around 1 month I noticed minor shedding on the entire top. At 3 months I noticed new hair growth in the temples & crown. Hard to tell if the new hair growth is all over the top because I still cut it to about 1/2" and the new hair growth was thin and roughly 1/5". At 4-5 months I noticed considerable shedding across the entire top. Every time I would apply minoxidil or nizoral I would see 40-50 hairs and my hands. I kept up the treatment and at 5 months I noticed the shedding had seemingly stopped and the small hair regrowth had continued at the vertex and crown. All-in-all I have less hair on the top, the balding is more noticable, but I'm hopeful for the small areas of hair regrowth and hope they're also on the top where I can't see as well. I'm at 5 months today and also started taking saw palmetto 160mg a week ago. In another week I'll go to 320 mg/day and stay there for at least a year. If, after a year from today, I don't see considerable regrowth, I'll shave my head for good.
Hope this was helpful to someone out there. Hairloss has affected my confidence as I've been a successful dude who's never had problems with girls, and even today make 6 figures, have an MBA and a gf, but the confidence is slipping. Didn't take any pictures when I started but happy to take some now if this thread gets any interest. Best wishes my brothers in battle.