New to site -- not new to hairloss, need help with regimine

[juiceman311]

Hello all --

I am 23 years old, began noticing minor thinning around 19 or 20 years old, became a bit more noticably thin around 21, and now, at 23, have very noticable thinning. Most of the males on my mom's side are bald, as are the males on my dad's side (although my dad, in his mid-50s, in only starting to thin now, and not even noticably). My brother who is 18 is also thinning, a lot more accelerate than myself. My losses are on the top of my head + receding hairline. My temples are dipping back too. My hairloss accelerated two summers ago (2005) when I was studying for the MCATs for med school. Now that I've gotten into med school, it hasn't slowed down, so I've ruled out stress induced, and have faced the fact that this is a beast of genetics.

Anyways, I was prescribed propecia 1.5 years ago when I went to my physician about my hair loss, and I threw away the prescription -- I did not want to take anything oral, and I still do not.

Right now I am using Rogaine Foam 2x daily, since about Christmas time. I started at only 1x a day, and noticed I was not losing anymore hair in the shower. About 3 weeks ago I began using it 2x daily, and have noticed a lot more loss in the shower now. However, from accounts I've read on this site, shedding at first is about par, so I'm sticking it out. Also, my current shampoo is Nioxin level 6. I've been using it since June.

What else can I do? My 3-mo Rogaine will run out nxt month, should I stick with Rogaine brand, or switch to another? Any vitamins or shampoos I should throw into the mix? I would like to stop this and beat it?

Thanks in advance for all your help and suggestions. I will post some pics sometime this week.

 

[WorldofWarcraft]

Topical spironolactone, apple poly

 

[dietcola]

keep up with the foam, you might as well stick to one product to see how it really works. and you won't know for a few months at least.

 

[MPBWarrior]

without propecia, there will be little u can do to keep yourself from going bald (unless your male pattern baldness slows down). u should try it, it's a pretty safe drug. even if u get sides, u can just go off of it and everything will be back to normal. also, tell your brother to get on propecia too. minoxidil will do nothing to stop or slow your hair loss... lastly, congratulations on passing your mcats!!!

 

[Johnny24601]

re:

If there is a strong history of male pattern baldness in your family and you are showing clear signs of male pattern baldness before the age of 25, then you must use finasteride or your will be bald sooner rather then later. There is the outside chance that spironolactone may work for you but there remains very little information on the effectiveness of spironolactone.
IMO, if someone has agressive male pattern baldness (like you) then topicals just do not give you much bang for your buck. The situation would be different if you were say a 35 year old male who had a small amount of recession and not much history of male pattern baldness in his family.
I am not overly excited to have to take a pill that could result in negative side effects, but I wanted to keep my hair for a few extra years so it was worth it. You have to simply decide how important your hair is to you and whether you will have any regrets if you decide to not use finasteride. Also, remember that you can start with a reduced dosage of finasteride and work your way up. Either way, good luck.

 

[Guest]

Nizoral shampoo or the soon to be sold Revita.

Apart from that I strongly advise you to take Finasteride as well. It will definetly help you and you have a powerful regimen to tackle male pattern baldness. Good Luck on whatever you decide....

 

[SkipTracer]

Nurse he needs Finasteride stat!

 

[abcdefg]

you could just go bald. The sad fact is I really doubt anything will stop it other then propecia. There really isnt any reliable topical treatments which is the main problem still.

 

[juiceman311]

I appreciate the input everybody. I have been doing more research on finasteride, and may consider popping pills after all. I'm only 23 for crying out loud!

*Where are good sources ($) to purchase finasteride from?

 

[Johnny24601]

re:

Get a script for proscar and cut it into fifths. Assuming you have insurance, then this will cost you maybe $100 for the year. Otherwise, compare the price of a propecia script vs. buying generic finasteride over the internet. I believe propecia has reduced in price recently.