New To Balding, Trying Everything. Please Respond

[Justin82]

Hi everyone,

I first noticed my hair loss about 4 months ago, but I know it's probably been going on for a bit.
I have hair loss on the crown and top of my head, with my hear line receding as well

I still haven't come to terms with it
It's hurt me emotionally a good deal

I'm trying to do whatever I can.. but there really doesn't seem to be much out there

I went on finasteride, then stopped due to side effects.. then started again a few weeks ago because I felt I had to do something.
I had PRP w/ acell done a month ago.. wasn't cheap. Can't say I have much faith in it either.. but trying whatever I can
I've tried Rogaine but it is SO hard to use. It gets in my hair and makes it look very unbecoming and very difficult to manage. And I'm scared as hell about the shed.. I honestly don't know if I can emotionally take a shed right now

Any input please chime in

I so much appreciate it!

Thank you

 

[spring15]

Pics or it didn't happen.

But in all seriousness minoxidil & especially finasteride are the only viable treatments right now. Transplant could also be an option as well

 

[Justin82]

Thank you so much for the response.
Would you recommend trying one at a time rather than together?
I was told I should try finasteride only first for 6 months or I wouldn't know which was helping?

Thanks again!

 

[chris alldridge]

Thank you so much for the response.
Would you recommend trying one at a time rather than together?
I was told I should try finasteride only first for 6 months or I wouldn't know which was helping?

Thanks again!

It really depends!
If your hair loss is aggressive go on everything, you want to keep what you have, not lose time faffing figuring out what works, target the hair loss from all angles.

Also, maybe think about the lasermax hair comb? It's another angle of attack.

Really it comes down to you, if you can find a nice dosage of finasteride that minimises side effects then the percieved benefits of hair retention may outweigh the sides.

The fact is you might get 5-10 years of good hair before you see any recession, and even then you could spend a few years "above baseline"... I'd hazard a guess that by then your "permanent solutions" will be more numerous and advanced so think of this as buying yourself some time

 

[Justin82]

Thank you for the reply, and a thorough one. I much appreciate it. I feel like it's hard to navigate this stuff and I feel like I'm on the clock So it's 1) being depressed from the hairloss 2) trying to figure out what to do, 3) trying to come to terms and take action as quick as possible. It's been a lot at once

I guess my thing with Rogaine is I haven't yet figured out how to apply it in a good way. Doing just once at night right now, and thats tough in and of itself. I'm using the foam and it gets all over my hair, only at night is an option rather than b4 work. And I'm SO scared of a shed.

Good input on the finasteride, .5 im sure is better than nothing. I'll see if I can ride out the side effects and then switch it up if I can't :/

Thank you so much, anything further is appreciated!!

 

[chris alldridge]

Sorry for the delayed response here.

It's natural to feel depressed about it, the thing is to remember that hairloss affects most men at some stage. If you try your best to stick with a treatment formula that suits you, you'll start to notice more and more that your friends around you are losing hair too, and it will become easier and easier to accept, as you maintain a fairly stable hair count for the foreseeable future while some of them begin to rapidly lose it.

Also, it's easy to get disheartened but certainly within the next 10-15 years there will be more options available, heck I am sure that going bald in the year 2030 will be a cosmetic choice. So, think about how good it will feel when the treatments finally come out (as early as next year) which reverse the balding process, you will feel a state of euphoria, and that time really is coming now. Think about this treatment plan as preparation, bridging the gap

You don't need to come to terms with going bald yet, you can explore and investigate your treatment routine (e.g finasteride dosage), come to terms with the fact that you are buying yourself a decent supply of time, we aren't living in the 1800s where when you saw your hair recede, that was game over.

Trust rogaine. It's difficult because it's a foam/liquid etc... and it doesn't show results immediately, but that's not to say it doesn't work, it really does for most people, stick with it. In terms of application, part your hair where it is thinning, and rub into in the scalp.

The thing is, the shed might be tough psychological, ( i'm currently shedding and it is hard) but all the areas of shedding are definitely going to grow back much stronger and thicker. It can be daunting but it's necessary. Get on 5% minoxidil foam, apply it twice a day (morning and night) and the effects will speak for themselves. I know it is a nuisance applying it in the morning but 2-3 months down the line when you begin boasting a thicker head of hair I think you will find it much easier taking the plunge in applying it twice a day.

Hang in there, stem cells are a new thing, and only in 2012 did we really make some groundbreaking progress, now is the time to rejoice, I really don't think you and I will ever have to go bald, we are just bridging the gap now in the (5-10) years before the truly incredible treatments come into play.

 

[Justin82]

Sorry for the delayed response here.

It's natural to feel depressed about it, the thing is to remember that hairloss affects most men at some stage. If you try your best to stick with a treatment formula that suits you, you'll start to notice more and more that your friends around you are losing hair too, and it will become easier and easier to accept, as you maintain a fairly stable hair count for the foreseeable future while some of them begin to rapidly lose it.

Also, it's easy to get disheartened but certainly within the next 10-15 years there will be more options available, heck I am sure that going bald in the year 2030 will be a cosmetic choice. So, think about how good it will feel when the treatments finally come out (as early as next year) which reverse the balding process, you will feel a state of euphoria, and that time really is coming now. Think about this treatment plan as preparation, bridging the gap

You don't need to come to terms with going bald yet, you can explore and investigate your treatment routine (e.g finasteride dosage), come to terms with the fact that you are buying yourself a decent supply of time, we aren't living in the 1800s where when you saw your hair recede, that was game over.

Trust rogaine. It's difficult because it's a foam/liquid etc... and it doesn't show results immediately, but that's not to say it doesn't work, it really does for most people, stick with it. In terms of application, part your hair where it is thinning, and rub into in the scalp.

The thing is, the shed might be tough psychological, ( i'm currently shedding and it is hard) but all the areas of shedding are definitely going to grow back much stronger and thicker. It can be daunting but it's necessary. Get on 5% minoxidil foam, apply it twice a day (morning and night) and the effects will speak for themselves. I know it is a nuisance applying it in the morning but 2-3 months down the line when you begin boasting a thicker head of hair I think you will find it much easier taking the plunge in applying it twice a day.

Hang in there, stem cells are a new thing, and only in 2012 did we really make some groundbreaking progress, now is the time to rejoice, I really don't think you and I will ever have to go bald, we are just bridging the gap now in the (5-10) years before the truly incredible treatments come into play.

Thank you so much for the reply. Your positivity is amazing. I hope I can adopt a small amount of that.
I've been quite beaten down.
Unfortunately I haven't been able to apply Rogaine in the morning.
I use the foam which I read is more manageable than the liquid
But it makes me hair unmanageable (and unattractive) prior to work
There is a chance I'm using too much? It gets all over my hair.. and the end result is stiff and sticky.. like using real bad hair spray
Thoughts?
And again, thank you so much for taking the time to reply

 

[pegasus2]

You're very lucky to be going bald now. You won't have to deal with this problem for long if you can afford the new treatments coming over the next few years. In the meantime you have several options to maintain your hair until then. Finasteride works really well even in microdoses. Try taking .25mg/day. Minoxidil alone can maintain you for years.

 

[Justin82]

You're very lucky to be going bald now. You won't have to deal with this problem for long if you can afford the new treatments coming over the next few years. In the meantime you have several options to maintain your hair until then. Finasteride works really well even in microdoses. Try taking .25mg/day. Minoxidil alone can maintain you for years.

Only .25? I'm taking 1mg right now. Does this give the same benefit with less side effects?

 

[science_d]

Hi everyone,

I first noticed my hair loss about 4 months ago, but I know it's probably been going on for a bit.
I have hair loss on the crown and top of my head, with my hear line receding as well

I went on finasteride, then stopped due to side effects.. then started again a few weeks ago because I felt I had to do something.

I've tried Rogaine but it is SO hard to use. It gets in my hair and makes it look very unbecoming and very difficult to manage.

I recommend using the Rogaine (or generic) Foam, as that is less messy and won't mess up your hair as much. Also, make sure that when you start a treatment, you stay on it at least six months before making a judgment as to whether or not it is working. Most doctors say it takes at least 3 - 6 months before any noticeable results appear. I concur with the advice to add finasteride if possible. If side effects are bothering you, you can try taking a smaller dose, as studies have shown that even 0.2 mg/day of finasteride is effective (http://www.jaad.org/article/S0190-9622(99)80052-8/abstract). That means you could cut the dosage in half or even in quarters and try that out.

Switching your shampoo to 2% (or 1%) ketoconazole shampoo (known as Nizoral in some places) and using it 3-4 times per week could also be helpful. This shampoo has shown to slightly reduce the main cause of male pattern baldness (http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0306987703002640).

Adding low-level laser therapy MIGHT help as well, as some studies seem to have shown (http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/dsu.12200/abstract). You could buy a laser comb or a laser helmet. It couldn't hurt to try it out, as it may enhance your treatment slightly.

This last part is important: make sure that once you begin a treatment or combination of treatments, stay on the treatments for six months, and then assess whether or not they are working. Rather than getting worried, be consistent and diligent, and stay the course even if you don't see results right away. Those results aren't even supposed to appear right away.

 

[pegasus2]

Only .25? I'm taking 1mg right now. Does this give the same benefit with less side effects?

Yes, many people tolerate that better, and the results are still pretty good.

 

[Tim Smith]

You're very lucky to be going bald now. You won't have to deal with this problem for long if you can afford the new treatments coming over the next few years. In the meantime you have several options to maintain your hair until then. Finasteride works really well even in microdoses. Try taking .25mg/day. Minoxidil alone can maintain you for years.

Hi what new treatments are coming in the next few years ?? .thanjs

 

[pegasus2]

Hi what new treatments are coming in the next few years ?? .thanjs

Shiseido in Japan has a treatment scheduled to hit market next year that is expected to completely halt hair loss and give at least 10% regrowth. RIKEN institute in Japan is working on hair multiplication that they hope to have ready to market in 2020, which will be a complete cure. There is at least a light at the end of the tunnel now. When I started balding there was nothing even close.

 

[Tim Smith]

Shiseido in Japan has a treatment scheduled to hit market next year that is expected to completely halt hair loss and give at least 10% regrowth. RIKEN institute in Japan is working on hair multiplication that they hope to have ready to market in 2020, which will be a complete cure. There is at least a light at the end of the tunnel now. When I started balding there was nothing even close.

Shiseido in Japan has a treatment scheduled to hit market next year that is expected to completely halt hair loss and give at least 10% regrowth. RIKEN institute in Japan is working on hair multiplication that they hope to have ready to market in 2020, which will be a complete cure. There is at least a light at the end of the tunnel now. When I started balding there was nothing even close.

I really don't no what to do been on monoxide for 6 months now I feel it's eaten a way a bit of my hairline and shreds come and go but it's receded about half a centimetre in total but can't loose anymore will finasteride work on a receding hairline ?

 

[pegasus2]

I really don't no what to do been on monoxide for 6 months now I feel it's eaten a way a bit of my hairline and shreds come and go but it's receded about half a centimetre in total but can't loose anymore will finasteride work on a receding hairline ?

Yes, Finasteride works on your entire scalp. Minoxidil doesn't work for everyone, but it could just be that your hair loss is too aggressive for minoxidil to work alone. I would try Finasteride or RU in combination with it, and see how things look after six months.

 

[Tim Smith]

Yes, Finasteride works on your entire scalp. Minoxidil doesn't work for everyone, but it could just be that your hair loss is too aggressive for minoxidil to work alone. I would try Finasteride or RU in combination with it, and see how things look after six months.

Yes was looking at Ru before but can u use Ru for as long as u will have to use finasteride ? Think I will get finasteride ....have u taken finasteride ? Any sides ? Thanks

 

[pegasus2]

Yes was looking at Ru before but can u use Ru for as long as u will have to use finasteride ? Think I will get finasteride ....have u taken finasteride ? Any sides ? Thanks

I took Finasteride for a short while, and I got more sides than from RU, but nothing bad. Finasteride is cheaper, and it may work better for you, everyone is different.

 

[Tim Smith]

I took Finasteride for a short while, and I got more sides than from RU, but nothing bad. Finasteride is cheaper, and it may work better for you, everyone is different.

Did u stop taking finasteride then ?? What u on now ?

 

[pegasus2]

Did u stop taking finasteride then ?? What u on now ?

Yes. I just do minoxidil, dermarolling, and estrogen. I respond well to minoxidil alone though.

 

[Tim Smith]

Yes. I just do minoxidil, dermarolling, and estrogen. I respond well to minoxidil alone though.

how long before u saw results of minoxidil ?