minoxidil brands worth looking at that don't have any PPG: Duelgen & maxus5, perfect hair doesn't disclose if it uses PPG or not.
If you're lowering minoxidil % for some heart/health reasons (Minoxidil isn't responsible for most sides as it naturally lines our artery/vein walls. PPG is the culprit.)
Lipogaine 3% minoxidil for women with sensitive scalp (has a few DHT blockers/stimulants/Zero PPG in the solution, good reviews on the non-irriation side of things.)
minoxidil brands worth looking that have low levels of PPG: DNC-L (I've just started on this and so far so good.) & if perfect hair does have PPG it's very low.
(it contains copper peptides + procyanidin B2 among the extensive list of other impressive ingredients-I used to use Apply poly topical spray and it actually helped my hair a lot but it costs a lot and doesn't contain minoxidil just P-B2, to use both this and minoxidil was just too expensive. So I know that P-B2 actually has a positive effect on hair regrowth.)
Here's what they look like: (I haven't used any of them except DNC-L, so my reasons for choosing these particular brands is based on good reviews and ingredients lists of solutions.)
I'm always surprised that most guys just jump on finasteride and don't even try adding any other natural DHT blockers to fortify their routine...
Nettle root actually binds to the receptor sites as well as blocking DHT as well as increasing micro-circulation. That way most of the DHT that you don't block at least can't bind to the follicle that effectively.
Resveratrol is apparently 6X more powerful than finasteride but only lasts 30 mins in the blood stream before the body effectively breaks it down. It is a very potent anti-inflammatory and antioxidant.
Black tea also is proven to block DHT a little more effectively than finasteride (again it doesn't last very long in the body)
(unfortunately it causes the body to absorb nutrients less effectively as it stains the stomach lining. I heard that from the chick behind the counter in a health food store. The English have a problem with vitamin deficiency and they drink black tea a lot...makes sense)
finasteride has a half life somewhere between 4-8 hours so it can remain effective in the body for 12 hours or longer. That would explain why it can cause some serious sides-it has a long time to mess up the balance.
There are a lot of other stimulants and herbs that can stimulate hair growth in general:
Ginko biloba: increases blood circulation
Ginseng: great for hair and health, it's a mild stimulant
He shou wu (fo-ti): one of the most powerful hair growth herbs in chinese medicine, great for general health also.
Even rinsing your scalp with some apple cider right after you wash your hair really helps (I do this almost every day). There is no smell after btw.
I hope you already realise that you need to throw everything you can at hair loss, just look at other member's that use more than you've listed in their own regimens and even they're still struggling unless there's someone that reached NW1 that I haven't heard of... (excluding those that have extremely mild hair loss)
Never just take one treatment: use as many as you can while "maintaining a healthy compromise between results and sides" (quoting another member on this forum somewhere)
If you want scientific journals backing the ingredients that I've listed... I don't have any, I just do a lot of research on the internet trying to find the most natural and most effective way to beat my hair loss, that being said I'm still trying... but facts are facts and it's better than nothing.
I've even heard that emu oil can activate dormant hair follicles/very powerful anti-inflammatory (PGD2 inhibitor) & increases collagen production in the skin.
Grape seed oil is resveratrol in the form of an oil
pumpkin seed oil is an Alpha 5 reductase enzyme inhibitor + it's high in zinc (another great DHT blocker)
I mix these oils together and apply them when it's convenient (unfortunately that's not as often as I'd like). I can really feel a difference in the condition of my scalp and I got mild regrowth for a while but then it wore off. Unfortunately so far the big3 is the only thing that can hold off hair loss for the longest time apparently. It doesn't hurt to add other things though. (I don't use finasteride btw, saw palmetto is as far as I go with A5 blockers)
If you're after the 'long story short' answer my suggestions is...
Use: finasteride (you know your dose) + (0/low PPG) 5% minoxidil 2x daily+ 1-3% nizoral 1-2x week (it can dry out the skin a lot-use a moisturiser or something after) + any of the suggestions above: Nettle root (daily around 500-800 mg) would be my first choice
Long post I know, but male pattern baldness isn't easy to conquer it seems... so I figure the more the better. Good luck
