pbz' story. [hi-res pics]

[pbz]

Update: (15/3) Approaching two months with no sides.

Update: More pictures added to my hair-history.

Update: Added thumbnails for the pics in this first post.

Update: On Minoxidil 5% again since 21/1 2005 - which completes the Big 3

Update: On Finasteride 1mg since 20/1 2005

Update: My hair-history in pictures is posted on page 3

So; where do I begin?

I'm twenty years old (born 1984) and have been visibly thinning since the age of sixteen. Quite a lot could be added to the story, but probably most of the people on this board are already familiar with most of it, such as depressions and their treatments.

I thought today would be a good day to place my story-post in this forum, since I started using Minoxidil 5% today. I'm planning on getting on Propecia before the end of January, and have been using Fungoral/Nizoral 2% since Wednesday (one application hitherto).

A few months ago (this summer), my hair was still quite acceptable; and the thinning was not very evident. This probably had something to do with the fact that it was about 3 decimeters long; so it most likely concealed the thinning itself.

Now, it has been shaved since September; and when it had regrown to about 1 cm, I knew that the male pattern baldness had gone too far. Since I have darkish blonde/brown hair, it wasn't really very noticable in pictures _how_ far it had gone still, so I coloured it black to reveal the _true_ state of it; and it's not a very pleasant sight; especially not when you've just turned twenty and are in your second year of college.

Well, then. Here are my pictures. I used my bathroom as studio, due to the heavy lighting in there, which (together with the flash from the camera) does a good job of really showing how bad things have gone, which isn't as evident with less light.

(Oh, by the way - you'll, of course, have to click the images to view them in full size.)

Front:

Side:

Dry:

Wet:

Wet, slicked down:

As it looks quite a lot better when it's long enough to hide some of the thinning (and as I never wear mainstream haircuts anyway), I could do with maintaining, although it really won't look too good at all. Especially not since my crown area has begun to become disturbingly thin.

Does anyone think that I could thicken up this mess at least a bit? I'm thinking of trying the "Big 3" for a few years, and then revert to shaving it until the day we're all waiting for arrives (if ever) if I don't have any measurable improvements at all, and less hair.

The best of luck to you all, and thanks for making this a better board than hairsite.com's.

 

[WithTheLidOff]

Dude..I think I have some good news for you. My hair was/is almost the exact same pattern and everything. Hairlines still ok so the affected areas are where the treatments are good for. I'm 7 years older but the big 3 have worked wonders for me in 5 short months, I coldnt bear to look at myself in the mirror for like 4 years and now I can;t stop because my hair had improved so much and I didnt expect it to. I think that you probably have hair in what seems like those bald spots but its jusy very, very fine and thin and cant be seen or can even be seen through. Once these hairs thicken and coarsen up and the rest of the hairs on your head thicken up (maybe a thickening champoo will help too) you should notice a difference even without regrowing a single hair. Of course any hair regrowth would just be a bonus. That seems to be my case anyways. Oh ya..eat healthy (sucks, I know.) Best of luck!

 

[pbz]

Many thanks for that highly encouraging reply.

"I think that you probably have hair in what seems like those bald spots but its jusy very, very fine and thin and cant be seen or can even be seen through."

This is completely true. I still don't have any bald spots at all. As I said, I shot the pictures in extreme lighting, and with dark-dyed hair. In fact, if I run my hand through my hair, there's really no way of telling that it's thinning (although looking at it of course shatters this illusion within seconds).

I really hope that I'll get Propecia. Would any sane doctor deny me that?

Anyway; whatever the result may be - I feel better knowing that I'm finally doing something, even if it's only Minoxidil and Nizoral so far.

 

[KevinW]

You should have no trouble getting Propecia... the only concern is that some doctors are a bit hesitant to give it to young men, but the minimum age is 18.

You might experience shedding from beginning treatment. It doesn't happen to everyone, but it happens to most.

Personally (get other opinions besides mine) I would start on Propecia first, give that 8 months to a year, then add minoxidil. This is my course of action (I'm 1 month on Propecia). Keep the nizoral though.

Thanks for the pictures, remember to take monthly pics to track your progress!

 

[pbz]

I'd like to hear some opinions on KevinW's words. Should I get on Propecia and Nizoral first, or take immediate action with all three to save and regrow as much as possible?

Shedding is not a concern. I'll gladly shave it all off again in the meantime if it becomes unbearable to look at.

My real goal is to get a few more years out of (the sad remainings of what once was) my hair in my twenties. If it thickens up or if I can maintain it in its current state until I'm thirty - that's a great bonus.

If I'd fail - well, that'd suck. At least I'd have made the companies researching the products some money.

 

[jrg]

If you have not started minoxidil, I would say go on Propecia and nizoral first and see if those two work. But since you are already on minoxidil, I'll suggest you add Pro and nizoral.

 

[pbz]

I've only applied it once. Should I stop using it or stick with it?

 

[jrg]

Like I said earlier, I would just use finasteride and nizoral for a year and see what happens.

 

[Guest]

Hi,

I would give Propecia and Nizoral 6-12 months before adding anything else.

You have posted pics at the start of your regime, keep these, take some more at 6 months then 12 months to assess progress.

Distressed.

 

[pbz]

Well, I just phoned my doctor. She said that they would have to test me for everything else before even considering male pattern baldness, even though I have male pattern baldness-genes from both sides in my family, a brother who was bald by the age of 23, two uncles who were bald by 18 and an uncle who is bald at 21.

After taking all of these tests (which will be two months from here) I'll have to wait for the results (according to her, ~2 months); and THEN she MAY refer me to a dermatologist, and IF that would happen I'd have to do another month of waiting before seing him/her/whatever.

Judging from the progress of the last five months, five months from now my hair will be.. horrible. What should I do?

 

[jrg]

What is everything else!? See another doctor, get a second opinion. Or go straight to a dermatologist.
Continue whatever you are doing right now. you can always stop the treatment if it is confirm you do not have male pattern baldness.

 

[pbz]

What is everything else!? See another doctor, get a second opinion. Or go straight to a dermatologist.
Continue whatever you are doing right now. you can always stop the treatment if it is confirm you do not have male pattern baldness.

My only alternatives are to see a private practicing doctor or dermatologist, and I'd never be able to afford that, being a student. I'm not really doing anything right now, after being recommended not to get started on Minoxidil before a year on Finasteride.

 

[be001g]

Ok

I think your doctore sounds a little too careful here. Time is of the essence. Could you go to another doctor? Not a private practice one, just another one? Are you in Canada?

By the way - you can always order Proscar(finasteride) on the internet and cut it up into little pieces. I think that NHS in Canada (that's what they call the national health plan) does not pay for Proscar (finasteride) anyway.

I would not discontinue treatment. Every hair that goes out is gone forever. Maintaining is the name of the game.

 

[pbz]

I'm in Sweden; and I'll have to pay more to see another doctor than the one they've chosen for me.

The last thing I heard from her was that she probably won't prescribe it to me since I'm younger than 30.

I can't afford even buying it over the Internet either, since we have a "roof" for the costs here. The maximum you pay for prescribed medicine here is $180 every year; everything over that limit is free. And even that is too much, so I'll have to borrow money during the years that are left of my education.

 

[phantom2x]

2 months wait those not make it worse.

 

[pbz]

So - today I finally got to see my doctor. She examined my hair and stated that it indeed was thinning.

She also said that she'd never prescribe Propecia to someone under 40 and called it "chemical castration".

Yay.

 

[Trent]

no one under 40??? the damn trials for propecia i think were for 18-41 year olds. So technically, it is only clincially proven safe for these age groups. that is ridiculous. get a second opinion, on second thought, just go get a non-idiotic opinion.

you are 20, this is who propecia is for.

 

[Buffboy]

Well, I just phoned my doctor. She said that they would have to test me for everything else before even considering male pattern baldness, even though I have male pattern baldness-genes from both sides in my family, a brother who was bald by the age of 23, two uncles who were bald by 18 and an uncle who is bald at 21.

After taking all of these tests (which will be two months from here) I'll have to wait for the results (according to her, ~2 months); and THEN she MAY refer me to a dermatologist, and IF that would happen I'd have to do another month of waiting before seing him/her/whatever.

Judging from the progress of the last five months, five months from now my hair will be.. horrible. What should I do?

Order Propecia online - doesn't require a prescription. After looking at your pictures, I'd say that you need the Big 3. You NEED some regrowth, and considering the agressive nature of male pattern baldness in your family, a single treatment isn't likely to solve your problem. If I were you, I'd read this WHOLE article - sure did help me to realise that I NEEDED to attack male pattern baldness from various angles: http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/willbrink15.htm

Conclusion from the article: "If you have mild hair loss, any one of the above products might do the trick, but if you have heavy to moderate (that's you, red.) hair loss, than I assure you, you will need to attack it with multiple products and from various angles."

Good luck anyway! There's hope!

 

[Trent]

while buffboy's post is right, if you really want regrowth then you do need to attack it from many angles. you said in your initial post that you could LIVE with maintaining. so the question you simply need to ask yourself is: what is more important to me. Living with maintenance and using just propecia and nizoral (possibly getting some regrowth too). or living with taking minoxidil for the rest of my life, and having a better shot at some regrowth. its totally up to you man. but like buffboy said, if you know where you are headed based on family members, it might be a good idea to nip this thing in the *** now with the big three. again, your choice.... seriously though, dont get scared by propecia being castration. i've been on propecia for 5 months. no side effects, except my balls did fall off at month 3 and grew back at month 4 only a little smaller.

 

[pbz]

Thanks for your replies. As I stated earlier - I can't afford getting a second opinion. And my only way to afford Propecia is getting a prescription for it. Not even purchasing it over the Internet is going to help me.

And, yes. I could live with maintaining. Those pictures are extreme; and in normal lighting conditions the thinning is barely noticeable when the hair is shoulder length.

Or - well, I could've lived with maintaining. Now I'll have to survive without.