Please assess my hair loss and help out!

[rogik22]

Hey guys, I started noticing my hairline looking thinner and thinner this year (February 2011) when under light...

I immediately got an organic shampoo and some castor oil as I started reading about this stuff.

at the end of May, going into the shower - I freaked the hell out when I saw lumps of my hair just falling out... this was during the same time when a few days before my scalp all of a sudden had this really sensitive pain..

Over the summer hair continued to fall off - and I had no way of seeing anyone about it as I was overseas.

The moment I came back home I checked with the doctor, all the tests all normal..and then I saw a dermatologist who told me my worst fears...

She prescriped Nizoral 2% Rogain Foam, Biotin, but I declined Propecia as I read about it and don't feel comfortable just yet.

I have really long hair, and have had it for a long time - it's just a look I prefer. I have basically the Johnny Depp look..and my hairline - now actually looks just like Depp's, I style my hair the same way so the temples aren't visible.. however, whereas I feel Depp just has a mature hairline like that, I fear that (and since the doctor confirmed it) that I may have male pattern baldness..

I just turned 25..

I took a pic of my crown, and I'm freaking out..

My hair still sheds, and it's not helping me mentally... I've started reading a ton about this "disease" and I'm not sure if I've caught this early and if there's a way I can stop the shedding..

I've ordered some spironolactone right now, and I'm going to get Revivogen...

I still haven't gotten the Rogaine foam...

Should I start that up too? or should I just get a shampoo that has minoxidil in it...

either way, what should I be doing at this stage??

 

[Joe-1991]

Is that it? you are not going bald. I have seen crowns of that density on 10 year old children.

 

[rogik22]

My hair has shed excessivley over the past half a year. When the dermatologist looked at my hair, she thought it was male pattern baldness.. and I considerably can see how thin my hair is.. it definitely does not have the volume I have had 2 years ago, let alone just in the last december.

I have tingling in my scalp every once in a while, and my hair sheds - I am trying to tackle this thing before it gets any worse...

should I listen to my dermatologist, or go for a second opinion or whatnot??

if I start using things like Rogaine, or any of the shampoos recommended on this site, is my hair going to get worse if ITS NOT male pattern baldness???

is there a certain "Hair Loss Test" that a doctor can do that confirms if I have Alopecia or not.. My fam. doctor did some blood tests on me and said I'm fine, the dermatologist ordered two more tests done on vitamin deficiency which I have yet to go do...

please help!

 

[cs2]

Your crown still have a lot of hair.

Do you have pic of your hairline?

 

[twenty.five]

Yes, you've caught it early. Ignore the insensitive dickhead who has commented above. They're clearly only used to bald spots and receding hairlines. Have you got diffuse thinning? Is it all over or just on the top? If it's affecting the back and sides, I'd definitely get more tests done because that's usually not an male pattern baldness zone for men.

Clumps of hair falling out sounds more like telogen effluvium than androgenetic alopecia. Do you have a family history of hair loss?

If I were you, I'd use the nizoral and the minoxidil for now and consider other causes.

 

[twenty.five]

As for your second post, no, using rogaine when you don't have male pattern baldness doesn't worsen your hair. People with Telogen Effluvium use it too.

There's some kind of genetic test for male pattern baldness called hairdx which you can google.

 

[ivangennaro]

You're not going bald as seen from the photo posted above.

 

[twenty.five]

Oh FFS, I think he's in the best position to say whether his hair is thinner than it used to be or not.

 

[Joe-1991]

He put a picture up to get opinions. This guy isn't losing his hair.

 

[Rawtashk]

He put a picture up to get opinions. This guy isn't losing his hair.

I guess the fact that he said this means nothing?

My hair has shed excessivley over the past half a year. When the dermatologist looked at my hair, she thought it was male pattern baldness.. and I considerably can see how thin my hair is.. it definitely does not have the volume I have had 2 years ago, let alone just in the last december.

But, I suppose that a 20 year old former finasteride user probably knows more than a doctor or the person that can tell a difference in their own hair.

Rogik22, listen to Joe, he's obviously very wise.

 

[Joe-1991]

Hahahahaha.

Obviously only he knows himself. I was just saying that his hair looks fine based on that photograph. If you are thinning all over then you should stick to the doctors because that might not even be male pattern baldness mate. If it's male pattern baldness then you are inevitably going to come across 'the big 3' which is finasteride, minoxidil and nizoral. Be sure to look into side effects before starting any regimen.

Good luck.

 

[deadlocks]

I agree with Joe, that the only one who knows if your hair is thinning is you. But so far you seem to be fine. Just inform yourself about the 'Big 3' and see if your up to the fight.

 

[dinosaur_sr]

:agree: (with both)

Sounds similar to my situation, I've lost some density recently. Your crown looks normal, and if your hairline's the same as Johnny Depp's is now, most people won't even notice it even if you don't hide it with hair.

If you can still grow your hair long (I can't without it looking a bit whispy) sounds like you've caught it at an early stage (if it is male pattern baldness). Shedding and an itchy scalp is fairly normal with male pattern baldness, not that I'm saying it is that necessarily. Nizoral is supposed to help calm your scalp down, so might be worth looking into that, it's only a shampoo after all.

Don't panic if it is male pattern baldness, it isn't the end of the world - loads of men bald and get on with it just fine, treatments or no. It usually takes a while to get serious, too. Finasteride's your best bet to keep what you've got as a DHT inhibitor. If Revivogen and spironolactone work for you that's awesome, but they don't have the same evidence behind them that finasteride does, so there's a chance they could be a waste of time - don't feel pressured to take finasteride though, get medical opinion and make your own decisions.

Rogaine goes through shedding cycles itself, so I wouldn't bother unless you really feel your hair looks bad and needs thickening up. It doesn't stop DHT attacking your hair either, so by itself it's not the greatest. If you don't have male pattern baldness and want to thicken your hair, I'd look into Toppik (or Nanogen etc) or a volumizing shampoo before using Rogaine, less of a hassle.

Hope that helps! It's all advice I've got from others and information found on this site/around the net, so I'd have a look around yourself too. Take everything anyone says with a pinch of salt too!

 

[rogik22]

Yes, you've caught it early. Ignore the insensitive dickhead who has commented above. They're clearly only used to bald spots and receding hairlines. Have you got diffuse thinning? Is it all over or just on the top? If it's affecting the back and sides, I'd definitely get more tests done because that's usually not an male pattern baldness zone for men.

Clumps of hair falling out sounds more like telogen effluvium than androgenetic alopecia. Do you have a family history of hair loss?

If I were you, I'd use the nizoral and the minoxidil for now and consider other causes.

My grandfather, supposedly according to my mom and my grandmother had good hair, nobody had a family history of "baldness" - my grandmother shed some hair when she was young but she's 80 now and a perfect hairline and relatively good hair thickness for her age (but thinner)

my mother thinned out some hair, hairline is fine, she's 48, thin hair - but not too great. You couldn't tell it unless you were dissecting it.

My uncle had thick hair when he died at 55, nice hairline.

my cousin however is showing signs of male pattern baldness, he's 30, but the crown is a bit thin and so is his hairline just a tad.

My hairline thinned just a bit and my temples too (I have about Johnny Depp's hairline right now) and I've had that type of hairline for a while actually, it's just noticeably thinner.

the top area thinned, kind of diffused, but still thick.

I still have two tests to go through on vitamins, and I'm going to go for a second opinion.

 

[WillNotLetItHappen]

I would post some more pics.

Other than that I think you should in any case stick with your doctor rather than a bunch of guys in the twenties (or thirties) that try to judge your situation from one picture.

I agree that the pic you posted doesn't look like you're balding, but it may be the beginning. Especially if your Doctor said so. You have plenty of options and still some time. Either you take pics and watch it for some time to be sure or you get on a treatment regimen.

People here mostly use the Big 3. In your case you could start with a small dose of finasteride and Nizoral shampoo maybe? Just my two cents.

 

[Joe-1991]

Good call Rogik22. You shouldn't be too worried anyway because even if things progress over the next few years, you have still caught it very early on compared to your average joe.

With regards to finasteride side effects- it is very unlikely that the first physician you come across will be aware of just how dangerous the drug is, so you should do your own research.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SZsgCQ2-ZS8

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zZqDkI37CcU

 

[WillNotLetItHappen]

On a more positive note:
http://www.bernsteinmedical.com/medical ... nt-photos/


Also regarding the study of the above post...listen to Spencer Kobren's show where he interviews the author. Maybe puts things into perspective.

 

[rogik22]

My dad also isn't bald either.. so I'm just really perplexed. I'm going to go do more tests and consult with my primary physician about how to figure out what's causing this.

I have gotten Nizoral 2% that the Doctor prescribed, and I have been using it for a second week now.. it's been three times now that I've applied it. It's very dry and has no lather - I try not to use too much as the bottle of it is small anyway.. I just use the conditioner afterwards.

I was thinking of also getting Head & Shoulders Endurance just for now while I figure it all out.

 

[song.s]

Hey man, I can tell you that tingly or itching does not mean that your experiencing male pattern baldness. If you also had tellogen effluvium, you would have thinning all over your scalp. I have threads posted on this forum/pictures of my scalp. The density of my hair thin dramatically over 6 months. I have thought that at first I was experiencing male pattern baldness and used monoxidil and propecia. Do not use monoxidil even though you have Telogen Effluvium. Monoxidil will dry up your scalp and your recovery from Telogen Effluvium will be slow. Do not stress about your hair and just ride the shed out. After 7 months, my hair has thicken dramatically after quiting monoxidil at month 6!

 

[rogik22]

Is diffuse thinning when it's happening all over your top area? I think I noticed my sides getting thinner, however my back is thick.. and the top suffered the most.

should I start applying Rogaine %5 foam along with Nizoral %2.. I'm hesitant about finasteride...for obvious reasons.

I've started applying spironolactone S5 cream for a week now, I do it twice along hairline and try to get it on top - has anyone used the cream and felt various sensations around the scalp after? It's kind of tingling, sometimes warm..is thjis normal?