NEWBIE QUESTIONS

[mcpaulyb]

I have searched the site for input but would like some more input from you guys.

Yesterday, I was given the advice of starting out using nizoral, finasteride, and minoxidil.

1. How ofter should I use minoxidil? Should I use 5% twice a day, 5% in mrng, 2% at night? Should I skip a day here or there, or keep using it everyday? How much do you use for each application?

2. Same question regarding finasteride. How much should I use. I ordered 5mg Fincar tablets, what dosage should I start with? A fifth of a tablet? How do I divide the tablets?

3. How ofter should I use nizoral? Once every 3 days, and use T-gel or T-sal every 3rd time (i.e. nizoral - 3 days - nizoral - 3 days - tgel/sal - 3days -nizoral - etc)?

4. What is the best way to apply the topicals? I dry my hair with a blow dryer. Should I put them of before, or right after i dry my hair?

Also, when you start on any of these do you ever take a break for a few days so that your system doesn't build a tolerance to them. Should I skip a day here or there with the finasteride?

Also, how trustworthy are these overseas pharmacies as far as the quality of the generic products that they provide. Do you think that the generic finasteride is quivalent to the finasteride produced by merck?

Thank you so much for all of your input.

 

[straycat]

first off how bad is your hairloss? minoxidil only if you're bald or getting there fast. if you're only diffuse thinner, go for finast and nizoral.

1. minoxidil 2% if you ain't that desperate, twice a day, read the panflet for instructions. apply only on the bald, thinning spots, not on healthy hair. use it everyday. if you stop the treatment, the hair you gained will fall out again.

2. 0.5mg or 1mg does almost the same to your hair. buy a pill cutter or a razor blade and divide the tablet into fourths (1,25mg - higher chance of developing side effects like acne and hard-to-get erections) or divide it into eights (0,6mg - your libido will probably stay pretty much the same).
odd numbers are difficult to cut into.

3. rule of thumb: nizoral every 3 days, t-gel or j&j the other days. if you have oily scalp wash it everyday. rub the nizoral, take your bath, masturbate, whatever, make it last 5 minutes minimum, wash it out. nizoral again, wait 1 minute, rinse.

4. i think you can apply the minoxidil with dry or wet hair. read instructions.

don't skip days with finasteride or minoxidil. the body will adapt to the side fx (if any). although it will only harm you if you stop taking the drugs for at least 20 days or a month, i advise you to take it everyday,,, and be very patient. like wait results in 9 to 14 months.

there are good trusty sites that sell these drugs online very cheap. check old threads or ask bruce lee, rocky, stingray, richlocks,,,, the veterans.
generics are the same quality but cheaper. usually. i think so. ok, i don't really know this one.

late.

 

[mcpaulyb]

My hair is pretty much thinning all over the top of my head, it's most noticible in the area 1" to 3" behind my hairline in the front, and on the crown. My hairline hasn't receded at all though. I had very thick hair thankfully, and still have a good amount left. The hairs themselves aren't as thick anymore though. It seems to have thinned out a lot over the past 3 months or so. I first noticed my hairloss at 20, I'm 25 now, and I need to do someting about it while I still have some. Why do you say not to use minoxidil and just finasteride and nizoral? What will make my hairs thicker? What will make me regrow hair - if i'm lucky? What will help me maintain? Thanks.

 

[straycat]

i'm pretty much like yourself,,, intact hairline but diffuse all over the top and crown. i started to notice hairloss when i was 24, only two years after i started to take measures. i lost a lot of hair on the top (despite it's genetic, some serious depressions caused it to shed at a high rate in little time) and it was way noticeable to others.

now thing is, minoxidil is a growth stimulant, it doesn't solve the problem of blocking DHT. it is a life-time investment, if you stop taking it for example because of side effects that can include chest pains, heart beat acceleration, gyno (don't be alarmed, side fx don't affect everyone), the hairs that you've gained along with some other healthy hairs may shed permanently. so if you only need to maintain, finast and nizoral will be good for you. minoxidil only if you're very worried about it and want to regrow hair bad.

answering to your questions:

minoxidil will make your hairs thicker but expect sheds, possible side fx, another life time commitment.

if you're lucky, minoxidil can regrow at a higher chance rate than propecia but if your diffuse hairloss ain't much obvious, propecia may thicken what you alreday have, and sometimes that is all you need to have a decent look again (bear in mind when you're a diffuser, sometimes you have still a lot of your original hair but so thin and light that you can't see them. it was my case and propecia is thickening and growing 'em longer).

propecia works best on diffusers and will help you maintain.

now decide based on your desperation degree. propecia and nizoral or also minoxidil with a higher chance of regrowing but only advised if you really need to regrow. if you look in the mirror and it still doesn't look that bad, start with propecia and nizoral,,, after 1 year you can decide about adding minoxidil to your regimen.

 

[mcpaulyb]

Thank you, I'll go with your advice, plus it's a lot easier than having to deal with topicals everyday. I'll go w/ the finasteride and nizoral for now, give it time, see what happens.

As far as the quality of the finasteride from overseas phamacies, how is it? Are these phamacies, in India for example, legitimate? Is the generic finasteride comparable to the actual thing?

How much finasteride should I start w/?

Thanks a lot.

 

[straycat]

mcpaulyb, from what i've read, the generics are as good as the real thing,,, and i read on these boards about someone being happy about indian propecia too. it's your call. i live in portugal, i buy it in pharmacies with prescription, it's expensive but i can afford it and i never gave a f*ck 'bout money. as long as i feel good. if you're skeptical about generics, buy proscar, the original medicine (exactly same composition as propecia), it's much cheaper but they come on 5mg pills. so just cut them into 4ths and expect possible side fx (lack of libido, difficulty on erections - decide based on your love life) or in 8ths and be sure that your girlfriend doesn't complain. if you buy propecia or generic, they come in 1mg pills so take the whole mg a day.
and don't forget the nizoral (or tgel if nizoral makes your scalp itchy for too long), it helps finast do its work.
keep us posted.
best luck.