Mr. P's Story - (25/The Quest to Defeat male pattern baldness)

[Mr. P]

I started a thread in January that detailed my story, but I've never officially shared it in this forum, so here goes:

- 25-year-old male
- Always had a high hairline/widow's peak. My temples have looked receded since I was probably 15 or 16, which made it difficult to tell if I was really losing or not.
- Hairline started thinning/receding slightly at 18 or 19
- Zero family history of hair loss (lucky me)
- On and off Propecia from August 2006 to November 2008
- Noticed more thinning at hairline and on top of head in August 2009

My current regimen:

- 1.25 mg Fincar daily (started 3/1/10)
- 5 ml Kirkland minoxidil twice daily (started 4/10/10)
- Nizoral 1% two-three times per week (started February 2010)
- Biotin daily
- MSM daily (started 5/9/10)

I also eat clean the majority of the time, including lean protein, green veggies, good fats, and minimal carbohydrates. I lift two-three times a week and try to get some sort of physical activity in each day.

Here's what I can share about my regimen so far:

- Fincar: Haven't noticed any sides. If anything, I seemed to experience a boost in sexual drive after I started taking it.

- Kirkland: Not as messy as some around here seem to think it is. I have shaggier hair, so perhaps that helps keep it from being too messy. I usually apply it in the morning and at night, though I've had a few days where I only got one application in. Never missed a day entirely, though.

I apply it with the dropper, focusing on the hairline, since that seemed to be my biggest problem. I then rub the minoxidil around my scalp with my fingertips, just to spread it about.

I've noticed some headaches and dark circles under my eyes, though I think the latter is more due to lousy sleep.

- Nizoral: Makes my hair look great some days. Not so much other days. It's been drying my scalp out a bit, so I'm looking for a good shampoo to use on other days.

So Far

A mixed bag. I'm not really sure what to expect, since most of my problem seems to be a thinning hairline. I've pursued the standard Big 3 regimen because it seems silly not to try the proven products. Naturally, I'm concerned with the downsides of these treatments, such as sides and shedding.

Even as my hair got thinner last year before starting treatments, I never noticed a lot of hairs in the shower. Really different story lately, especially in the month since starting minoxidil. I don't wash my hair every day (usually every other day), but I'm getting quite a bit of hair in my tub. I don't count them, but it's enough to create a noticeable visual in the tub after three or four days.

I'll say particularly that my hair has looked awful the last week. My hairline was the most noticeable thing before I started treatment, but it was usually possible to hide it at the front since my hair is longer. The front of my hairline is pretty much transparent over the last week. I'm assuming this is a result of the minoxidil. The density seems less than usual and the hairs themselves are getting pretty wispy.

All these things considered, I'd say I'm definitely going through a shed. I knew this was a likely thing and that it's often a sign that the treatments are working. Still not easy to look in the mirror.

Pictures

I've taken pictures of my hair at three points since joining HairLossTalk.com. Unfortunately, the angles and lighting have been a bit different each time. I'm still trying to find that uniformity that will be the most accurate gauge of my progress. Regardless, here are some snaps.

Things to note:

The first batch is from late January. Flash is used in some, but not others.
- The second batch is from April 24. Flash is used.
- The third batch is from earlier tonight. Flash is used. This was immediately after my night application of liquid minoxidil, so the results are pretty close to what my hair would look like when wet (the top shot, especially). The strands of hair themselves actually look a bit thinner in some because they're damp.
- From now on, I'll take some pictures before and after my minoxidil application.

Jan. 23, 2010
[attachment=6:3v0pk6qi]1-23-10a.jpg[/attachment:3v0pk6qi]
[attachment=5:3v0pk6qi]1-23-10b.jpg[/attachment:3v0pk6qi]
[attachment=4:3v0pk6qi]1-23-10d.jpg[/attachment:3v0pk6qi]

April 24, 2010
[attachment=3:3v0pk6qi]4-24-10a.jpg[/attachment:3v0pk6qi][attachment=2:3v0pk6qi]4-24-10e.jpg[/attachment:3v0pk6qi]
[attachment=1:3v0pk6qi]4-24-10c.jpg[/attachment:3v0pk6qi]
[attachment=0:3v0pk6qi]4-24-10d.jpg[/attachment:3v0pk6qi]

I'll post tonight's photos in a second post.

 

[Mr. P]

Re: The Quest to Defeat male pattern baldness

Here's tonight's batch. About what I expected, except for the top snap with the flash. I could see my scalp as far back as a year ago if I parted my hair in different spots, but the visual of the wet hair from the minoxidil, the intensity of the flash, and where my hair is at right now was pretty shocking. I actually felt a bit ill immediately after seeing the picture.

[attachment=5:47chpwt5]5-10-10 001.jpg[/attachment:47chpwt5]
[attachment=4:47chpwt5]5-10-10 003.jpg[/attachment:47chpwt5]
[attachment=3:47chpwt5]5-10-10 004.jpg[/attachment:47chpwt5]
[attachment=2:47chpwt5]5-10-10 005.jpg[/attachment:47chpwt5]
[attachment=1:47chpwt5]5-10-10 007.jpg[/attachment:47chpwt5]

So as you guys can see, I've got a ways to go. I'm hoping that the treatments can more or less restore the vertex. And the way my hairline is looking the last week makes me hopeful in a way that the minoxidil is working and I'll get some regrowth eventually. Tough times for now.

 

[king-]

Re: The Quest to Defeat male pattern baldness

i have a feeling this is gonna turn out good for you
hang in there

 

[Mr. P]

Re: The Quest to Defeat male pattern baldness

Thanks for the support. I think this place is great for the support systems it offers among people going through a superficial, yet still extremely depressing series of events.

This place has definitely made me a bit more paranoid, but that's trumped by the wealth of knowledge to be found here. Certainly going to get it everything I have. Worst case scenario is still no worse than what happens if I do nothing to treat it at all.

 

[armandein]

Re: The Quest to Defeat male pattern baldness

Hi Mr, P:

Can you take a photo of sides in the same form as the last photo posted (spiked, flash and minoxidil)?

Have you differences in hair density between top or sides of head?

Armando

 

[Mr. P]

Re: The Quest to Defeat male pattern baldness

I'll take such a snap later tonight after I apply my evening dosage of minoxidil.

I can't say I've noticed much difference in density between the top of my hair and the sides. I've had pretty fine hair since I lost a ton of weight while in high school, so it's not like there's been a huge drop in hair quality since starting minoxidil.

 

[Mr. P]

Re: The Quest to Defeat male pattern baldness

As promised, side shots immediately following my nightly application of liquid minoxidil. Flash on.

[attachment=1:1afgxam0]5-11-10 001.jpg[/attachment:1afgxam0]
[attachment=0:1afgxam0]5-11-10 002.jpg[/attachment:1afgxam0]

Not sure if this has always been the case, but my right temple looks worse than the left.

At any rate, my temples have been close to that look for seven or eight years, so I don't really expect much to happen there. I'm mostly looking to restore density at the front of the hairline and vertex.

 

[armandein]

Re: The Quest to Defeat male pattern baldness

Thank you Mr. P

I think that your goal is mantain the hair you have now,

Armando

 

[Mr. P]

Re: Mr. P's story - (The Quest to Defeat male pattern baldness)

Maintaining is obviously a goal, but I'm hoping my regimen can restore the density that's been lost at the front of the hairline. I don't really expect much to happen with the temples, since my hairline has naturally looked like that most of my life. I'll be adding a perma roller to the mix soon, since that's supposed to help accelerate growth generated by minoxidil.

For what it's worth, I picked up a new shampoo to use on the days when I don't use Nizoral: Pantene Pro-V Ice. Also grabbed a once-a-week replenishing mask for the hair, also made by Pantene Pro-V. Both of these products contain amounts of Panthenol, which is apparently the key ingredient in Philip B's Hair Restoration Treatment (YouTube the video; pretty amazing). I can't afford the Philip B product, but heard Pantene products could have a somewhat similar effect.

I just used both products and the initial results are pretty impressive. I don't have thick hair to begin with, but after a light blow drying, my hair is shiny and incredibly soft.

Something to consider for the folks out there looking for a shampoo to use on the non-Nizoral days.

 

[armandein]

Re: Mr. P's story - (The Quest to Defeat male pattern baldness)

I desire you a lot of luck, but cosmetics are cosmetics...
hair transplant is the only method to regain tha hair lost some years ago.

Don't be obssesed.

Armando

 

[Mr. P]

Re: Mr. P's story - (The Quest to Defeat male pattern baldness)

I'm not. I said it'd be nice to get some temple regrowth, but I don't expect it. I'd like more density at the hairline, which isn't unreasonable, since that's something I've had within the last year or so. The hope is that lost density is a case of dormant hair.

 

[Mr. P]

Re: Mr. P's story - (The Quest to Defeat male pattern baldness)

I'm going to post new pictures once a month, but update this thread once every couple of weeks.

I got a haircut last Friday, which has made a lot of difference. It's about as short as I've had it in the last six or seven months. I wasn't sure what to expect, given my apparent minoxidil-induced shed. If anything, the closely trimmed sides and shorter top has balanced my overall look. I'll definitely be keeping it like this for the foreseeable future.

As for the quality of my hair, not a ton has changed. The front of the hairline and probably the front third of the vertex is pretty transparent when I have my hair spiked. Again, this has likely been amplified by my treatments. It was like this prior to treatment, though maybe not to this extent.

Still, my haircut and the maintenance of my regimen is keeping me optimistic. Also, I've noticed quite a bit of peach fuzz in the left temple. That surprised me, because most of that area has been smooth for many years. Who knows if the hair will become terminal, but there's a noticeable difference in peach fuzz now compared to even two weeks ago. My right temple has some peach fuzz, though that's lagging. I finally realized that my right temple is noticeably weaker than my left. The right side of the front of my hairline is also the weakest in terms of hair density. Though it's not as noticeable, I've got a decent amount of peach fuzz extending across the front of my hairline, too.

Hopefully this is a sign of things to come. I know a lot of people experience the peach fuzz, but it's encouraging to see I'm responding a bit to my treatments.

 

[Mr. P]

Been a while, so I'm updating. I got my hair cut shorter last month, but haven't cut it since, so it's back to looking like it did in the pictures already posted.

I've been noticing the front of my hairline looks a bit wispy the last couple of weeks after I had stopped noticing such a look. Perhaps it was the shorter hair. At any rate, it was enough to get me to take some quick snaps to add to the thread.

Couple of things to note:

1) As most people who take these types of pictures know, it's tough to get the same exact angles with the same lighting, etc. every time out. I'm doing my best to hopefully capture the same angles under the same conditions each time.
2) All of these are with a flash (as are most of the pictures in this thread)
3) A couple of these are with very slightly damp hair, since I thought the dry hair may be a bit misleading (my last round of pictures came directly after a nighttime minoxidil application).

[attachment=5:a7w6izut]7-15-10a.JPG[/attachment:a7w6izut][attachment=4:a7w6izut]7-15-10b.JPG[/attachment:a7w6izut]
[attachment=3:a7w6izut]7-15-10c.JPG[/attachment:a7w6izut]
[attachment=2:a7w6izut]7-15-10e.JPG[/attachment:a7w6izut][attachment=1:a7w6izut]7-15-10f.JPG[/attachment:a7w6izut][attachment=0:a7w6izut]7-15-10g.JPG[/attachment:a7w6izut]

 

[Mr. P]

And just so there's no need to reference the first page, here's more or less the same angle from April, May and today (July 15). Please note that the April one is with completely dry hair, while the May picture is post-minoxidil application and today's is with slightly damp hair. Looking at the three, I'm surprised to see that the dry hair one actually looks the worst.

[attachment=3:2j10i7yl]4-24-10e.jpg[/attachment:2j10i7yl]
[attachment=2:2j10i7yl]5-10-10 003.jpg[/attachment:2j10i7yl]
[attachment=1:2j10i7yl]7-15-10f.JPG[/attachment:2j10i7yl]
[attachment=0:2j10i7yl]7-15-10g.JPG[/attachment:2j10i7yl]

For the record, here's my status with my regiment:

- Nizoral: 5 months
- finasteride: 4 months
- minoxidil: 3 months.

 

[litcII]

I think your hair looks thicker in the new pics. Good job!

 

[Mr. P]

It's been a while, so I figured an update was an order.

I've been plugging away with the Big 3 for more than a year. I haven't noticed anything remarkable in terms of regrowth. Given that the front of my hairline was the area most in need of regrowth, however, I guess I can't be all that surprised. Also, I'm not expecting any real hair regrowth in the bare temples since I never really had hair there to start with. I saw some pictures of me as a toddler the other day and I noticed that even though my hair was down in the front, there was already bare skin visible in the temples.

I grew my hair out a bit on top and have been keeping it short on the sides. It's actually getting too bushy on the sides right now, so I'll have to drop back in with new pics when I get my hair cut again.

I go through ups and downs with my hair. Wearing it long on top and short on the sides has made me focus less on my thin hairline, though there are still times when for whatever reason, my hair looks finer and I get a bit down about it.

Still, I know I'm lucky to have what I do and it doesn't appear I've experienced any further loss since starting the regiment, which is something I won't take for granted.

I took a lot of snaps tonight in the hopes of giving the most accurate portrayal of my hair possible. This is about an hour after a minoxidil liquid application (2 ML), so it's still a bit damp in the front.

[attachment=6:1k9wrusw]41411b.jpg[/attachment:1k9wrusw]

[attachment=5:1k9wrusw]41411c.jpg[/attachment:1k9wrusw]

[attachment=4:1k9wrusw]41411d.jpg[/attachment:1k9wrusw]

[attachment=3:1k9wrusw]41411e.jpg[/attachment:1k9wrusw]

[attachment=2:1k9wrusw]41411f.jpg[/attachment:1k9wrusw]

[attachment=0:1k9wrusw]41411i.jpg[/attachment:1k9wrusw]

[attachment=1:1k9wrusw]41411a.jpg[/attachment:1k9wrusw]

 

[Mr. P]

And to clarify:

Nizoral (Once a week): 14 months
1.25 Generic finasteride: 13 months
Kirkland minoxidil (about 2 ML/day): 12 months

I also take about 12 grams of fish oil a day, though that has less to do with hair and more for health.

I'm probably going to try the foam pretty soon. I'm getting way too many flakes with the liquid minoxidil.

I only actually wash my hair about once a week. I'll wet it in the shower once or twice a week besides that. My hair just looks thin and lifeless if I actually shampoo multiple times a week.

 

[kthxbi]

hairline looks a lot better to me, closer to a V than a U now which can't be a bad thing. also had a lil thickening and definitely maintained. congratulations man, here's to many more years of success

 

[andysutils]

Well for one, I can definitely see a huge difference on the front of your hairline and the temple areas have put you back to more of a widows peak than a big U type.

I agree with the above post.

 

[armandein]

Congrats