[Norwood 5] Had a FUT hair transplant on finasteride - But I can't take it any more

[Devop911]

Hello there, I am 29, heading 30 this year.
My hair loss kicked in very very early, my hairline was receding as I was 18 and I headed to a Norwood 4 as I was 22.

In my first picture (2015), I was 23 and thought I would hit a Norwood 6 soon.
Some years later I decided to do something about it and begin to read in Forums, so I started Finasteride in the 2017, the results were not amazing, at least the hair loss does not continue. But I had heavy sides, ED, Low Libido, which I can cope with.
But the heaviest sides have been the Brain Fog and low Vision, which is really really heavy to overcome, but I did continue.... for Hair...


In 2018 I finally had my 5200 FUT surgery which turned out pretty good, I am pleased with the results, I felt happy at this time, and for me, this was the time to quit finasteride,
to get rid of the brain fog. I recovered pretty fast and life seems to be worth living again (You can't Imagine how brain fog damaged my life before...).

This year I encountered, a bit of slighter density in my crown and panicked, I still don't have the feeling of excessive balding like in my 20th.
So I read a lot on Forums again, watched a lot of youtube videos, and most guys say:
If you loosing your hair very aggressively as you are young and have a hair transplant it is a big mistake to avoid Finasteride.

I understand this point, so If I am heading to a Norwood 7 in my 40ths, I will have a big donor scar and an island on my top head.
Because of this I tried to get my *** back on finasteride, just for maintenance, this time I had good plan:
Microdosing to avoid sides, and hell I tried a lot, 0.25mg to 1mg in different frequencies like EOD, Mo/We/Fr. But no matter what I do, the brain fog comes back and it is really heavy.

I asked Joe Tillman and he recommends I either try dutasteride (1x 0.5mg a week in first month, then 2x0.5mg a week in the second month, and finally 3x) or get on topical Finasteride (which is not easy to get in my country, only off-labels like regrowth labs).

Before I tried RU5841 which leaves me with no sides, but for me, this is not a proven thing...

I would love to hear some suggestions from you as this whole topic is bringing me very down at the moment.











Timeline:
1. 2015 (No finasteride)
2. 2018 (until Operation 1 years on finasteride)
3. Today (No finasteride since 2018)
4. Some weeks ago

 

[Vinc2097]

do you still have grafts left for a second tranplant

 

[Devop911]

do you still have grafts left for a second tranplant

3000 plus, I went to one of the best FUT clinics beside Hasson & Wong.
But I fear, if I am going down the Norwood 6/7 road, 3000 Grafts is nothing to fight against it.

 

[trialAcc]

If money isn't an problem, do the 2nd FUT and try topical finasteride or dutasteride. Topical dutasteride is supposed to not go systematic to the extent that finasteride does because the molecule sizes are larger. From there, there are several topical AAs and new treatments on the horizon that you will probably have access to within the next 5-10 years. Closest one would probably be CB, however effective that will be it is supposed to not have the same side profile as 5ARs. Try also looking into fluradil (brand new Eucapil or something) as a topical AA. I don't know how well it works but it does work for some.

You can literally get anything online so not being able to source topicals shouldn't be a problem.

Also, probably less appealing but if you make the front look legit and connect the mid-sides you could always go down the partial hair piece route. I know nothing at all about these but I do know that the main concern with them is that the hair-line is tough to look natural, but the back is no problem.

 

[No me la contes Rey]

Try alfatradiol, it's a weak 5AR inhibitor, but it will help you to at least slow it down and it has no sides.

 

[Devop911]

Thank you for your answers, an additional question to this:

As I started to losing my hair very aggressively 6 years according to the first Image when I was 23 and the third picture now with almost 30 years old, I don't see a big difference, is it even possible, that my hair loss is complete with 30 years and it could stay as it is and not go any further?
Unfortunately I don't know any of my native family members, so ists hard to compare.

 

[figuringitout90]

Hey man. I’m in a similar boat. Extremely sensitive to finesteride that no matter how much I microdosed the brain fog, sexual side effects and just depression (you’re so tired and feel basically very hung over all the time), was absolutely not worth it. I’m 32 I’ve had two hair transplants probably 6500 total grafts. What’s been great for me :

propidren: mix of natural 5 ars on Amazon. You still get ED and sliiight brain fog sometimes (taking zinc and other things takes u out of that) but yeah man I can tell within hours even on my transplanted hairs they are much thicker appearing and my hair looks substantially better.

ecklonia cava - just got this one a month ago. This works on gaba receptor similar to Xanax apparently without the side effects of xan, so I would take 600 MG at night and pass out. Def works (it’s a 5 AR and has studies if u just google it) but it seems to give me side effects so I stopped taking it and will mess with dosing when my GF is not around me 24/7 (gotta f***, bro ) but yeah this one still up in air

propidren and also krill oil (google it’s 5 AR mechanism)

That’s it man. U r so sensitive to finasteride and 5AR blockers like me, I would bet natural ones work for u. There are so many on Amazon so try em on.
Regarding the hair transplants as I was a early balder like u. It’s been a life changer. Got my confidence back got a smoking hot GF who I’ll probably marry. Gave me the confidence to move up the chain at companies and job is way better than I deserve, even if I have to shave it off like joe Rogan in my 40s I wouldn’t change a thing how we attacked this my brother. Got our youth back man. Cheers and good luck!!

 

[Selb]

I second topical dutasteride. 0.5% every week to ten days. Or 0.1% every other day. @Mustang can speak to the effectiveness of it without going too systemic.

If not that, maybe Zix is a good idea for you too.

 

[Manochoice]

Thank you for your answers, an additional question to this:

As I started to losing my hair very aggressively 6 years according to the first Image when I was 23 and the third picture now with almost 30 years old, I don't see a big difference, is it even possible, that my hair loss is complete with 30 years and it could stay as it is and not go any further?
Unfortunately I don't know any of my native family members, so ists hard to compare.

The thing is every hair follicle that is genetically predisposed to be sensitive to DHT will eventually go as long as you produce DHT. So if you ran out of sensitive follicles, yeah that's a possibility but if your hairs continue to get thinner then they will eventually go without intervention.

 

[Devop911]

Thank you for all your answers, I am trying out the recommended way from Joe Tillman (the dutasteride way), which does not seem legit to me, but I am trying anything possible. Next trial if dutasteride not works: topical finasteride.


If there would be a guarantee that if in the age of 45+, I can maintain something like this without 5ar-inhibitors:

I would really give no sh*t anymore.