Mixing Supplements/Minoxidil

[Rudiger]

At 28 and 4 years into using Regaine, I feel I've got what I could out of it, and would probably be completely bald now if it wasn't for it- that said, my hair is fairly thin from front to crown, and receded back a few inches from a normal hairline. I still think it has kept alive some follicles, enough to give me some hope of making a next step.

Recently I've been using Argan oil, of course I doubt it's really doing anything other than making my hair appear thicker and darker, if it is stimulating the follicles then great, but if not I don't mind using it before bed anyway, it doesn't hurt (though at some point I'll have to evaluate whether it's worth 20 bucks every 6 weeks or so).

Anyway, now I'm tempted to just go all out, the front "island" that my hair is developing is recently under threat from one side of being wiped out completely, it's beginning to just look like strands, in pictures under bright lights I'm practically bald altogether.

But I read somewhere it's not a good idea to "go all out", that keeping or growing hair is a process that requires balance to prolong your chances of keeping hair for years.

Anyway, recently what I've purchased in order of what I'm hoping could be most effective:

-Nourilox
-Pumpkin seed supplement (2000mg per day)
-Saw palmetto
-Biotin
-Groganics DHT Head full of treatment/Groganics DHT shampoo
-Panax ginseng (and other supplements which are similar but mainly focus on "improving alertness" etc. although some do use it for hair growth- very little research backs up its effectiveness)

If I don't notice any decent change in 6-8 months, I'm biting the bullet and finally getting propecia (and this frightens me).

I thought I had purchased more based on blocking DHT, any opinions on that?

Anyway, I'm wondering what I should take out of the above, I'm probably just going to go with it all because I'm getting to a desperate stage. It's not ideal of course but that's where we get to I suppose.

- - - Updated - - -

I should say as well that I'm a bit taken back how normal it is for everyone on here to use/recommend finasteride, are the reports of side effects blown out of proportion?

Considering "less serious side effects" lists things like impotence and shrinking genitals, uhm OK no thanks. Has everyone on here gone through finasteride treatment without these side effects?

 

[Agustin Araujo]

h.l.,

I'm sorry to tell you this if you're not aware, but nothing natural has ever been proven to help treat genetic hair loss. All the supplements you've purchased won't do anything to help, unfortunately. Getting on Propecia (Finasteride) is going to be the best current available treatment option to go for. I myself take Dutasteride, which is basically a stronger version of Finasteride, and I haven't gotten any side effects from it. Side effects from Finasteride are unlikely to occur and happen in about 2% of cases, and subside if treatment is stopped. Also from what you described about your hair loss, it seems like you've lost a lot of density, so I strongly recommend to get on Finasteride ASAP if you want to save the hair you have left, time is not on your side. I also strongly recommend to stay on Minoxidil and not get off that either.

 

[Rudiger]

Thanks for your response! I'm sitting here all afternoon wondering if I should start on all this crap.

As per the other thread you replied to, my further digging lines up with what you're saying and I'm more trusting now of it, I will start finasteride but maybe on a smaller dose? I don't know.

 

[Agustin Araujo]

Thanks for your response! I'm sitting here all afternoon wondering if I should start on all this crap.

As per the other thread you replied to, my further digging lines up with what you're saying and I'm more trusting now of it, I will start finasteride but maybe on a smaller dose? I don't know.

Taking all those supplements you ordered will be good for your health and well being, though won't do anything to help with hair loss. You can start Finasteride at smaller doses, such as some individuals take 1 milligram tablets, cut them into fourths, and take 0.25 mg daily, and still receive plenty of benefit from the medication. However, it's usually recommended to just simply take the full 1 milligram approved dosage of Finasteride daily.

 

[Rudiger]

Taking all those supplements you ordered will be good for your health and well being, though won't do anything to help with hair loss.

I do appreciate your posts but it feels like you may be being overly cynical, because surely health and well being are intertwined with healthy hair. I know I certainly shed more hair when I was stressed and not eating right when I was about 21, when I got myself together (eating right, running) it grew back without any treatment at all.

Well either you're being cynical or I'm being naive, but I've seen people on youtube grow hair by rubbing their friggen head, and with their lengthy detailed videos that only have a thousand views it doesn't make sense to me as to why they'd be lying about it. As well as other various videos promoting vitamins (however these did seem to be promoting certain products).

But anyway, healthy diet doesn't help at all? I'm not saying it gets concrete results, but maybe the reason there is no concrete proof is that it's hard exactly to pinpoint or measure what effect certain vitamins has on hair growth.

 

[Iopu]

If your not looking to go on finasteride. I would look into topical anti androgens. Such as: revivogen, daily keto shampoo, topical spironolactone, fluridil, RU58841 etc. I've used all of the above and believe them to be more effective than the supplement list you mentioned tbh.

 

[Rudiger]

Thanks, but I'm going to get some finasteride this week, not exactly sure what to go for. I could mix it with what you've suggested.

Could anyone point me to a thread about the choices for finasteride?

 

[Agustin Araujo]

Thanks, but I'm going to get some finasteride this week, not exactly sure what to go for. I could mix it with what you've suggested.

Could anyone point me to a thread about the choices for finasteride?

The choices for Finasteride? Well, what I recommend is to make an appointment to see a hair transplant surgeon and have them write you a prescription for Finasteride. Preferably generic Proscar, which are 5 milligram tablets of Finasteride, and are much cheaper than the 'cosmetic' 1 milligram tablets. Hopefully if you are able to get a hold of 5 mg tablets of the medication, what is commonly done for the treatment of male pattern baldness is that they're cut into fourths, and 1.25 mg daily is taken for hair loss.

 

[Rudiger]

Bumping this because I earlier came across all the supplements and sh*t that I bought at this time, and now it's like reading words from another person.

I am an aggressive promoter of finasteride, and that's not an easy thing to be, as it does screw over a small amount of people, and it's hard to deal with that idea. Of course the majority of people which it helps, we'll never hear from again, it's just going to be the (understandably) sob stories.

I went from almost being an "island" to re-growing my fringe and now my temples are beginning to fill in slowly for the past 6 months. I am nearly 30 now, and finasteride has bought me so much time to live a normal life looking like I have since I was early 20's.

If it wasn't for it, I'd have had a hair transplant by now, which is obviously something you should put off until as late as possible. I think I can hold out for another 2-3 years, finasteride will stop having it's efficacy in the next year, and then hopefully I can maintain.

Anyway, if anyone's reading this and in the same situation I was, I can't tell you how happy I am that I found this forum and took the jump towards a treatment that I thought was dangerous. There's every chance I could've bottled it when it comes to a hair transplant, and gave up treatments, and right now I'd look like the right hand side of my avatar.

Instead I am seen as a man with somewhat thin hair, but not a bald guy, and that's so important.