Philosoraptor's Story - 24 (Big 3 + miconazole)

[philosoraptor]

The first couple of posts are from the blog section of the website.

I first noticed very slight thinning in temples Fall 07. It was just a casual observation and I did not think much of it. I had forgotten all about it until Fall 08 when I started to notice it again. I was working 50-60 hours a week and going to school full time so I thought it was stress related.

It got progressively worse in the following months and I started Finasteride, Minoxidil, and Nizoral on March 01, 2009. None of my follicles have stopped producing hair yet, but the temples are pretty thin and the frontal area has thinned some. Hoping early intervention can reverse the process so I can keep my already naturally high highline.

I am 23 years old and am bi-racial (black/white). The only male in my entire family (both sides) with male pattern baldness is my father. I currently have a NW1.5-2 and am thinning in a 3A-4A pattern with a greater degree of thinning in the temples.

 

[philosoraptor]

Re: philosoraptor (23/Big 3)

(Posted May 10, 2009)



Today is the end of 10 weeks on the Big 3. I have been very consistent with Finasteride and Nizoral. I occasionally skip an application of minoxdil inadvertently. I also do scalp exercises whenever I'm not busy and think about it.

It's hard for me to gauge shedding, because I cut my hair very short (1/2 guard - no guard) so I don't notice hairs falling out and I have to just check the density of my hair. At 7 weeks in I noticed what appeared to be a rather significant shed. But have since regained density.

My hair loss is most noticeable in my temples. When I started all my follicles were still producing hair but the amount of miniaturized hairs in the temples was great. This is still the case, but now I have a greater amount of thicker healthier hairs in my left temple. Some of the thinner hairs in this area have fallen out so I assume they will follow suit and thicken up when they regrow. My right temple so far has only maintained.

It's hard to tell whether I am making progress in my frontal area. There was only a little improvement to be had and I look at it everyday. If anything I have least maintained.

Side effects.

Finasteride: After week 2 I had a crazy high libido. That subsided by week 5. And then I thought I had ED and reduced semen volume and watery semen. I told myself the ED was psychosomatic after reading horror stories. Turns out it was! By the end of week 8 I was fine. Hard as always and getting up was no problem. The semen quality persisted though. Possibly as a result of the psychosomatic ED. Because in the past couple of days my semen quality is back to normal.

Minoxidil: for the first 2-3 weeks I would get slight headaches and tiredness immediately after applications. Since then the only effect is a white film on my scalp a few hours after application. Washes off easily with water.

Nizoral: Nothing. Doesn't make my scalp dry. Hair feels normal after use.

So far I am happy with what I have done. My hairloss accelerated rather quickly before start of treatment. So I feel I have stopped the problem for now. And I appear to be slowly reversing the progress. It's still early in my treatment and am still very hopeful. I am still young(23) and caught it relatively early.

I don't plan on posting pictures until I feel I have made significant progress either positively or negatively. I took my first pictures at around 5 weeks when my hair was probably at it's worst. I still have my naturally high (and crooked) Norwood 1.5-2 hairline intact.

Thanks for reading.

 

[philosoraptor]

Re: philosoraptor (23/Big 3)

And now for today (May 16, 2009)

I have mixed feelings. The area in which I am thinning looks overall worse since buzzing my head with no guard on the 13th. But my left temple has even more thicker hairs sprouting. I can only hope that what I lost in my thinning area has new thicker hairs to replace them.

I felt pretty down today about my hair. But, I am only 11 weeks into my regimen. So I can't expect results yet. I am still hopeful.

 

[decro435]

Re: philosoraptor (23/Big 3)

And now for today (May 16, 2009)

I have mixed feelings. The area in which I am thinning looks overall worse since buzzing my head with no guard on the 13th. But my left temple has even more thicker hairs sprouting. I can only hope that what I lost in my thinning area has new thicker hairs to replace them.

I felt pretty down today about my hair. But, I am only 11 weeks into my regimen. So I can't expect results yet. I am still hopeful.

That's exactly what you need. Keepup the good work and the success will come!

 

[philosoraptor]

Re: Philosoraptor (23/Big 3)

May 24, 2009: Week 12

I have been growing my hair out a bit longer now, which for me is still incredibly short. My frontal area still feels a bit thinner than the rest of my head, but doesn't show much visible thinning at this length.

My left temple had a bunch of the hairs fall out to be replaced with thicker hairs. That whole area still looks a bit bad, but seeing this progress makes me incredibly hopeful. My right temple looks much of the same as always. Though it appears that it is starting what my left temple is going through now. It's hard to tell because of the direction the hair grows on that side.

Because of my new job I have stopped applying minoxidil in the mornings. Because my hair is so short it is incredibly obvious when I have it in. I forgot to mention previously that I am also taking a multivitamin and fish oil caplets every morning as well. But I had been taking those long before my regimen began.

I don't think I am close to the end, but seeing the progress on my left temple lets me know something is working and I can't wait to see my results at 6 months!

 

[philosoraptor]

Re: Philosoraptor (23/Big 3)

May 30, 2009: Week 13

3 MONTHS

Hair started looking bad at the longer length. So I thought things were getting better, because I could grow my hair longer before it looked bad. Then I cut my hair again and my entire frontal area just looks awful. Temples are getting better, but the overall thinning area seems to be suffering. That coupled with other areas of my life have kind of got me down.

I'd like to think that because I am seeing progress in my temples that eventually everything will turn around, but life seems to be determined on keeping me down right now. I guess I should be glad that I don't have any recession and that these regimens seem to work best on diffuse thinners.

I'm going to go spoil myself and spend some money that I have been saving up.

 

[philosoraptor]

Re: Philosoraptor's Story - (23/Big 3)

A little addition. If I rub my palm over my scalp firmly I sometimes find up to 3 hairs on it, but they are always thin hairs. Maybe 1 in 10 are thicker hairs. And I never see the hair bulb.

Is the fact that I only seem to be shedding shitty hairs a good thing?

 

[philosoraptor]

Re: Philosoraptor's Story - (23/Big 3)

June 7, 2009: Week 14

I have gone through a significant shed in the past week. My entire frontal area looks really bad. When I see hairs on my hand though, they are mostly really thin hairs with the bulb on the end. Is this a good thing?

My left temple seems to have thicker hairs growing and now I can be sure that my right temple is starting to follow suit because it is looking really bad as my left one did weeks ago.

I still have zero recession. and have diffuse thinning in a 3A-4A pattern. Lately I'm starting to think I have a little thinning in my crown in a small circle. It's hard to get a good view on it.

Hoping for some thicker hairs sprouting in the next month.

 

[Cassin]

Re: Philosoraptor's Story - (23/Big 3)

Hoping for some thicker hairs sprouting in the next month.

slow down...this takes time.

 

[philosoraptor]

Re: Philosoraptor's Story - (23/Big 3)

Hoping for some thicker hairs sprouting in the next month.

slow down...this takes time.

I'm not looking for regrowth as that sentence seems to suggest. I'm looking to thicken up existing hairs.

Let me hope.

 

[Cassin]

Re: Philosoraptor's Story - (23/Big 3)

Hoping for some thicker hairs sprouting in the next month.

slow down...this takes time.

I'm not looking for regrowth as that sentence seems to suggest. I'm looking to thicken up existing hairs.

Let me hope.

you will get thicker hair but expect it to take longer. Expecting thicker hair so fats will do nothing but disappoint.

 

[philosoraptor]

Re: Philosoraptor's Story - (23/Big 3)

June 13, 2009: Week 15

The past two weeks I saw a pretty epic shed. Though when I rubbed my scalp I only got thin hairs coming out. The only thick hairs I saw were because of breakage (no bulb). I guess this is a good thing. Haven't any shedding in the past couple of days.

More thicker hairs in the temples and the visibly thinning areas seem to be slowly creeping back down.

Another thing, my regimen appears to be rounding out my temples. My hairline always met my temples at a point and now it is slightly lower and rounder. It appears I am growing hairs I have never had or at least not since I was much younger.

The last couple of weeks I was pretty down about my situation, but now I starting to feel a lot better about it.

 

[Fanjeera]

Re: Philosoraptor's Story - (23/Big 3)

Minoxidil is probably doing the job for your hairline and finasteride shedding the rest. How do you feel yourself mentally? How's your mood? Are you able to socialize like you were used to and be as clever, witty and humorous? Are you able to concentrate the mind and study?

 

[philosoraptor]

Re: Philosoraptor's Story - (23/Big 3)

Minoxidil is probably doing the job for your hairline and finasteride shedding the rest. How do you feel yourself mentally? How's your mood? Are you able to socialize like you were used to and be as clever, witty and humorous? Are you able to concentrate the mind and study?

Well I never really was the social butterfly, but I don't feel my interactions with people have changed at all. Sure my hair is a thought in the back of my head, but I'm still me.

I have always been a believer that the only person that can change your mood is yourself. Sure sometimes I let my emotions get the best of me, but for the most part I am a happy individual.

 

[philosoraptor]

Re: Philosoraptor's Story - (23/Big 3)

June 20, 2009: Week 16

I took some close up pictures today. When looking in the mirror my entire frontal area looks awful, but the pictures show thick hairs and a bunch of 2-3 hair groups. I just have low density. I am hoping that those are the hairs I have shed in the past couple of weeks and will grow back in thicker soon.

Also, when taking pictures I have noticed a nickel sized area on my crown that appears to show early thinning signs. Kind of bummed about that because I figured taking finasteride would have stopped any further progression by this point. I guess I will start minoxidil on that area too.

Zero recession still. Just diffuse thinning. Apparently treatment works well on people in my scenario. Still waiting it out, and in the meantime buzzing my head with zero guard.

 

[philosoraptor]

Re: Philosoraptor's Story - (23/Big 3)

June 27, 2009: Week 17 (almost 4 months)

Not much to report. Hair is worse that it has ever been. Noticeable shedding has stopped. Hoping to see those shed hairs be replaced with thick hairs by the end of July if I have my hair phases correct. If not I'll stay on my regimen and see what happens through out the rest of the year. In the mean time I'll be buzzing my head every 4-5 days.

 

[LosingTouch]

Re: Philosoraptor's Story - (23/Big 3)

Good luck Philosoraptor, I hope it works out for you!!

 

[philosoraptor]

Re: Philosoraptor's Story - (23/Big 3)

July 3, 2009: Week 18

Some good news. Shedding has definitely stopped as I can't even pull hairs out anymore with a hard tug. Some of the vellus hairs in my right temple(which has always been higher pre-hairloss) have thickened up. Nothing major, but those hairs were never there before.

Some bad news. After taking a couple of close pics I am having minor thinning in the crown. Hair up front still looks bad. Feels like it is worse than last week but I really have no idea. And I don't know if this is good or bad but for awhile now my chest hair has been really easy to pull out and in the past couple of weeks my eyebrow hair.

Nothing is slick bald yet, so I am still hopeful. The lowering of my right temple lets me know that something is working. Considering purchasing some dutasteride and going every other day with that and 1.25mg finasteride.

Now off to enjoy my 3 day weekend.

 

[philosoraptor]

Re: Philosoraptor's Story - (23/Big 3)

July 11, 2009: Week 19

Nothing much to report. Hair is a bit longer now(long for me). Seems like I may have started shedding again, but, all of those hairs are bad. I haven't seen a single thick hair on my hand. Can't really tell if I have had any thickening up yet. I don't seem to be getting any worse though.

I don't think about my hairloss as frequently as before. I don't know if it is because I am getting used to it or that I am just way too busy to think about it.

That's about it. Until next week...

 

[diffuse propecia]

Re: Philosoraptor's Story - (23/Big 3)

A reptile suffering from hair loss?