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Raz's story (Big 3: Norwood 3.5 diffuse --> Norwood 1.5ish)
Note: there's a lot of text in here, so I am using spoiler-tags pretty liberally to make for a more pleasant viewing experience!
Hey guys, Raz here! Thanks for checking out my thread. I'm a mid-20s caucasian male from Finland who has been doing the "big three" (Finasteride, Minoxidil, Ketoconazole) very successfully for a few years. Everything is explained in more detail under the spoiler tags. Feel free to comment and ask questions - all kind of feedback is welcome!
Intro:
Background Story:
Regimen in Detail:
Baseline Pics (Aug 2013) & Early Stages of Treatment (Jan 2014):
Note: the blonde hair colour in the 3 first pics is not my natural colour. Merely had it to mitigate balding issues with scalp/hair colour contrast lessening, but it didn't work out towards the end.
Recent Pics (September 2017 & July 2018 for the bleached ones):
Shedding Timeline (Minoxidil):
Misc. Info/FAQ:
Note: there's a lot of text in here, so I am using spoiler-tags pretty liberally to make for a more pleasant viewing experience!
Hey guys, Raz here! Thanks for checking out my thread. I'm a mid-20s caucasian male from Finland who has been doing the "big three" (Finasteride, Minoxidil, Ketoconazole) very successfully for a few years. Everything is explained in more detail under the spoiler tags. Feel free to comment and ask questions - all kind of feedback is welcome!
Intro:
At the time of originally posting this topic, I was a NW3.5v/NW4ish with additional diffuse thinning in the crown. (To be precise: I had a NW3 hairline with the vertex having a bald spot as is the case with NW3v, but I also had a lot of additional diffuse thinning which annihilated any density on the top and kind of destroyed the forelock and the NW3/4 area so badly that I looked closer to a NW4 in my opinion).
I researched every possibility for a long *** time before getting on any treatment - seeing as I noticed balding issues by 2009 and only got on treatments in 2013. It certainly didn't help me that people around me were either: "lol it's just hair, don't worry, be confident bro!!!", or telling me there was pretty much nothing to do and that I shouldn't care - and that everything is "snake oil".
Well, perhaps mostly everything is - but it's these kind of attitudes that made me lose a lot of time anyway. That is exactly what you do not want to hear. It can make you fall into depression and slowly accept there is nothing to do, because you don't know any better. Time is also everything in combating hair loss - the earlier you get on treatment, the better.
Therefore, a big f*** you to every individual, organization and institution who kept me in the dark with bad intentions. They should definitely teach about hair loss to young men (and women alike) at some point into the schooling system. This is devastating stuff indeed. Well, I hope my thread can help people in some capacity, whether it be giving hope or showing someone that there is something out there that one can do to combat hair loss.
So, that being said - I am currently doing a lot better (when it comes to my hair situation), so if you're interested in seeing how my quest for reclaiming my hair is going; read further into this thread and you'll see a link which links you to my most recent status update!
I researched every possibility for a long *** time before getting on any treatment - seeing as I noticed balding issues by 2009 and only got on treatments in 2013. It certainly didn't help me that people around me were either: "lol it's just hair, don't worry, be confident bro!!!", or telling me there was pretty much nothing to do and that I shouldn't care - and that everything is "snake oil".
Well, perhaps mostly everything is - but it's these kind of attitudes that made me lose a lot of time anyway. That is exactly what you do not want to hear. It can make you fall into depression and slowly accept there is nothing to do, because you don't know any better. Time is also everything in combating hair loss - the earlier you get on treatment, the better.
Therefore, a big f*** you to every individual, organization and institution who kept me in the dark with bad intentions. They should definitely teach about hair loss to young men (and women alike) at some point into the schooling system. This is devastating stuff indeed. Well, I hope my thread can help people in some capacity, whether it be giving hope or showing someone that there is something out there that one can do to combat hair loss.
So, that being said - I am currently doing a lot better (when it comes to my hair situation), so if you're interested in seeing how my quest for reclaiming my hair is going; read further into this thread and you'll see a link which links you to my most recent status update!
Background Story:
- Started balding at 19.5~, give or take a month.
- Went from a Norwood 1 to NW3v in 6-8 months, sporting a NW3-buzzcut on my 20th birthday (and having had a flawless NW1, effeminate haircut on my 19th...lol).
- Gave up on my hair upon turning 20 and having to go to the army (conscription), wherein I would have to have short hair anyway.
- Realized the hair loss is not getting any worse (or better), despite the initial aggression of it.
- Spent ages 21, 22 and the start of 23 thinking if my hair loss was lifestyle/diet -related in all of my naivety (the famous "denial phase" - despite my family having a history of male pattern baldness).
- Realized I had only gone up by like 0.25 to 0.5 at worst on the Norwood scale, during ages 20-23, so while it hadn't been 5+ years of follical inactivity yet; I decided to start combatting hair loss.
- Started combating hair loss at 23.5~ years old, being a NW3.5~ diffuse thinner, after 4 years from the onset of male pattern baldness.
- Went from a Norwood 1 to NW3v in 6-8 months, sporting a NW3-buzzcut on my 20th birthday (and having had a flawless NW1, effeminate haircut on my 19th...lol).
- Gave up on my hair upon turning 20 and having to go to the army (conscription), wherein I would have to have short hair anyway.
- Realized the hair loss is not getting any worse (or better), despite the initial aggression of it.
- Spent ages 21, 22 and the start of 23 thinking if my hair loss was lifestyle/diet -related in all of my naivety (the famous "denial phase" - despite my family having a history of male pattern baldness).
- Realized I had only gone up by like 0.25 to 0.5 at worst on the Norwood scale, during ages 20-23, so while it hadn't been 5+ years of follical inactivity yet; I decided to start combatting hair loss.
- Started combating hair loss at 23.5~ years old, being a NW3.5~ diffuse thinner, after 4 years from the onset of male pattern baldness.
Regimen in Detail:
-Finasteride: (1.25mg per day): August 2013-October 2015 & September 2016-present. Hopped on this all guns blazing, meaning no "0.5mg a day" -slow starts or anything, just 1.25mg a day. No sides, except I needed to go pee all the time during the first 2 days or so. This eased up immediately thereafter, though I pee just slightly more often than before (maybe 1x more per day), but no waking up to pee at night or anything ridiculous, so I am more than fine. I quit Finasteride in late 2015, but it had nothing to do with the drug's efficacy or any side effects. Just didn't prioritize hair loss at the time due to familial events. I am back in the saddle now.
-Ketoconazole (Nizoral 2%; 2x~ per week): August 2013-present. I use this somewhat intuitively, every few days, depending on how my scalp/hair feels. Sometimes I've gone 5-6 days without nizoral, sometimes I use it every 2nd/3rd day for a week, then revert to doing it every 4 days or so. I guess I even out at 2 times ish a week, give or take. Comfortable enough without the "Nizoral-greed", but still keeping it up because it makes my scalp feel pretty good and it's a safe and cheap insurance component in my regimen. What if I stopped it and stuff went downhill? Not worth the stress - thus, using Nizoral.
-Minoxidil: 5% foam + 5% liquid (both 1x a day): May 2014-present. I use the 5% foam by Kirkland during the days, and 5% liquid by Kirkland at night. On days where I have a lot of social activities, or if I stay over somewhere etc. - I tend to use foam twice a day for the ease of use, but I feel like the liquid has a tiiiiny bit more oomph in terms of scalp penetration, and as it's also cheaper to use - so on "normal" nights I use the liquid at night. Then, in the mornings after I've showered, I put on the foam and style my hair after a few minutes - works out perfectly, because unlike the liquid, the foam dries fast and doesn't make your hair look wispy/greasy! The foam also kind of acts as a pseudo-hair gel or mousse, on top of the Minoxidil benefits. So it is a nice product to use to style your hair without any bad smell or adding a greasy look to your hair. Just remember to comb your hair thoroughly a few minutes after applying, so it doesn't dry up to be too clumpy. (But don't immediately comb, to ensure you don't essentially scratch off the product).
Some Notes:
I used to use Minoxidil 5% liquid only (no foam), when I started to use Minoxidil in May 2014, until September 2016, but since I have used the same strength all along (5%) - whether it be liquid/foam - and since I also use Minoxidil twice a day whether it is/was liquid or foam; I put the above paragraph as such to simplify it.
There's not much of a difference between the same strength liquid/foam (liquid might be a tiny bit better for absorption), aside from the ease of use and drying times. But since I have used 5% strength Minoxidil twice a day since May 2014 regardless - with some months of once-a-day experimentation during my liquid-only use of Minoxidil - I simply put the regimen paragraph above this footnote to state that I have used the 5% strength twice a day from May 2014.
My personal recommendation is using liquid at night and foam during the mornings, for optimal results and maximizing efficiency of use and minimizing cost relative to the amount of compromises you have to make in your life to use Minoxidil.
Why do I say this? Well, liquid is a tiny bit better for absorption/scalp penetration, but it takes ageeees to dry (2-3h until you can comb your hair and have your hair look passable). Therefore, liquid is kind of terrible to apply before you want to do anything for the day. On the other hand, foam is much more expensive than liquid to use in the long run - therefore using it twice a day can be a bit costly. So, to maximize bang for your buck and absorption of the products, without compromising your schedule/activities, it's the best to use liquid before going to bed at night for that cheapness and slightly more oomph - and then use foam for its fast drying and nice hair mousse-esque effects in the morning, with the ability to instantly to go out afterwards.
Trust me, you don't want to lose out on Minoxidil applications. It is possible to maintain gains with once-a-day use, but it can result in minor deterioration too. If you only use the liquid variant, you will at some point start to despise it since you have to wait for it to dry, so you literally have to live like a slave to the products, or go out looking like a clown with greasy yet clumped up hair (emphasizes thinning). So if you're on liquid-only, it is tempting to use it once-a-day, but that has its risks. Foam alone can be expensive, so alternating between the two as described is literally as perfect as it gets for Minoxidil use. You get the results, don't use as much money, yet you don't feel like a slave, since foam dries up immediately and can be used fast.
-Ketoconazole (Nizoral 2%; 2x~ per week): August 2013-present. I use this somewhat intuitively, every few days, depending on how my scalp/hair feels. Sometimes I've gone 5-6 days without nizoral, sometimes I use it every 2nd/3rd day for a week, then revert to doing it every 4 days or so. I guess I even out at 2 times ish a week, give or take. Comfortable enough without the "Nizoral-greed", but still keeping it up because it makes my scalp feel pretty good and it's a safe and cheap insurance component in my regimen. What if I stopped it and stuff went downhill? Not worth the stress - thus, using Nizoral.
-Minoxidil: 5% foam + 5% liquid (both 1x a day): May 2014-present. I use the 5% foam by Kirkland during the days, and 5% liquid by Kirkland at night. On days where I have a lot of social activities, or if I stay over somewhere etc. - I tend to use foam twice a day for the ease of use, but I feel like the liquid has a tiiiiny bit more oomph in terms of scalp penetration, and as it's also cheaper to use - so on "normal" nights I use the liquid at night. Then, in the mornings after I've showered, I put on the foam and style my hair after a few minutes - works out perfectly, because unlike the liquid, the foam dries fast and doesn't make your hair look wispy/greasy! The foam also kind of acts as a pseudo-hair gel or mousse, on top of the Minoxidil benefits. So it is a nice product to use to style your hair without any bad smell or adding a greasy look to your hair. Just remember to comb your hair thoroughly a few minutes after applying, so it doesn't dry up to be too clumpy. (But don't immediately comb, to ensure you don't essentially scratch off the product).
Some Notes:
I used to use Minoxidil 5% liquid only (no foam), when I started to use Minoxidil in May 2014, until September 2016, but since I have used the same strength all along (5%) - whether it be liquid/foam - and since I also use Minoxidil twice a day whether it is/was liquid or foam; I put the above paragraph as such to simplify it.
There's not much of a difference between the same strength liquid/foam (liquid might be a tiny bit better for absorption), aside from the ease of use and drying times. But since I have used 5% strength Minoxidil twice a day since May 2014 regardless - with some months of once-a-day experimentation during my liquid-only use of Minoxidil - I simply put the regimen paragraph above this footnote to state that I have used the 5% strength twice a day from May 2014.
My personal recommendation is using liquid at night and foam during the mornings, for optimal results and maximizing efficiency of use and minimizing cost relative to the amount of compromises you have to make in your life to use Minoxidil.
Why do I say this? Well, liquid is a tiny bit better for absorption/scalp penetration, but it takes ageeees to dry (2-3h until you can comb your hair and have your hair look passable). Therefore, liquid is kind of terrible to apply before you want to do anything for the day. On the other hand, foam is much more expensive than liquid to use in the long run - therefore using it twice a day can be a bit costly. So, to maximize bang for your buck and absorption of the products, without compromising your schedule/activities, it's the best to use liquid before going to bed at night for that cheapness and slightly more oomph - and then use foam for its fast drying and nice hair mousse-esque effects in the morning, with the ability to instantly to go out afterwards.
Trust me, you don't want to lose out on Minoxidil applications. It is possible to maintain gains with once-a-day use, but it can result in minor deterioration too. If you only use the liquid variant, you will at some point start to despise it since you have to wait for it to dry, so you literally have to live like a slave to the products, or go out looking like a clown with greasy yet clumped up hair (emphasizes thinning). So if you're on liquid-only, it is tempting to use it once-a-day, but that has its risks. Foam alone can be expensive, so alternating between the two as described is literally as perfect as it gets for Minoxidil use. You get the results, don't use as much money, yet you don't feel like a slave, since foam dries up immediately and can be used fast.
Baseline Pics (Aug 2013) & Early Stages of Treatment (Jan 2014):
Note: the blonde hair colour in the 3 first pics is not my natural colour. Merely had it to mitigate balding issues with scalp/hair colour contrast lessening, but it didn't work out towards the end.
Recent Pics (September 2017 & July 2018 for the bleached ones):
Shedding Timeline (Minoxidil):
This is only pertaining Minoxidil-use because I didn't have any noteworthy sheds while on Finasteride alone. Partly due to the fact I had nothing left to shed.
Month 1: Moderate shedding.
Month 2: Moderate shedding into the beginning of results.
Month 3: Incredible amounts of regrowth and cosmetic improvement in hair.
Month 4: Incredible amounts of regrowth and cosmetic improvement in hair.
Month 5: Mostly stable, minor improvement/shedding here and there.
Month 6: Minor shedding early on into the month, followed by moderate shedding. Cosmetic appearance still mostly the same.
Month 7: Moderate to pretty heavy shedding. Mild hit to the cosmetic appearance.
Month 8: Heavy shedding in the first two weeks of the month. Slowed down to moderate shedding on the third week, whilst alternating between minor shedding and moderate shedding on the last week, with the minor shedding -days outweighing the moderate ones increasingly more often. Cosmetic appearance of hair at its worst after the heavy shedding, with probably 35-40% of the previous gains lost. Slowly rebounding thereafter, cosmetic appearance getting back to the pre-shed with pending regrowth/thickness, it seems. We will see.
Month 9: No shedding or minor shedding throughout. Rebounding from months #6 to #8, whilst also having cut my hair short. This made observing minor shedding harder however.
Month 10: No shedding throughout the month. Regaining ground from months #6 to #8. Hair is still short, but growing long enough to notice hairs falling. Practically no shedding, though.
Month 11: No shedding throughout the month - regained density. Started using minoxidil once a day instead of twice a day, like 1 week before month 11 ended. Will keep you updated on how it goes.
Month 12: No shedding throughout the month - no improvements to speak of, either. This was the first month of me using minoxidil 1x a day, so with that in mind, all is going well.
Month 13: No shedding, stable. Might have regained some ground. (Still probably 10-15% worse off than during peak results of month 5, but waaaaaay above baseline, naturally).
Month 14: No shedding, to minor shedding at times.
Month 15: Minor to moderate shedding.
Month 16: Moderate shedding.
Month 17: Moderate shedding, mild cosmetic hit.
Month 18: Minor shedding to no shedding, with some regained density. (Similar to month 13 in terms of appearance).
Month 19: Started using Minoxidil twice a day again. Thanks to that - or in addition to that, I don't know - I also regained what I still hadn't regained from the initial big sheds (months 6 to 8), and the other smaller sheds. I think I achieved peak results during this time, similar to month 5 or a little bit better. I would probably have gotten these results by months 13-14, if not for using minoxidil once a day instead. So realistically, after the initial growth/shed phases and potential further smaller growth/shed phases - I would say it is reasonable to expect to reach peak results in roughly a year.
Month 20 And Beyond: Not a lot of data. As mentioned before, the transition to using minoxidil twice a day again had helped me reach my peak potential (and maintaining that). At this point of use of products, I notice my hairs have quite decent growth cycles and they seem to be kind of "natural" in the sense that my Minoxidil-grown hairs don't really synchronize cycling that much. Meaning, I don't have any reoccurring sheds or growth cycles, but a little growth here and there, and mini-sheds, just like for anyone who has "normal" hair.
In comparison, once a day usage seemed to have triggered shorter hair cycling, therefore I noticed losing hair more - and then having those hairs regrow later after a brief period of looking a bit more diffused. It is never nice to have even small sheds though, so I am sticking to twice-a-day usage. So far I have not seen any deterioration of results, and I am closing in on Month 40 as of making this edit.
A future consideration of mine is using a dermaroller for absorption boosting purposes. I will make an edit to this if I do try that out.
Month 1: Moderate shedding.
Month 2: Moderate shedding into the beginning of results.
Month 3: Incredible amounts of regrowth and cosmetic improvement in hair.
Month 4: Incredible amounts of regrowth and cosmetic improvement in hair.
Month 5: Mostly stable, minor improvement/shedding here and there.
Month 6: Minor shedding early on into the month, followed by moderate shedding. Cosmetic appearance still mostly the same.
Month 7: Moderate to pretty heavy shedding. Mild hit to the cosmetic appearance.
Month 8: Heavy shedding in the first two weeks of the month. Slowed down to moderate shedding on the third week, whilst alternating between minor shedding and moderate shedding on the last week, with the minor shedding -days outweighing the moderate ones increasingly more often. Cosmetic appearance of hair at its worst after the heavy shedding, with probably 35-40% of the previous gains lost. Slowly rebounding thereafter, cosmetic appearance getting back to the pre-shed with pending regrowth/thickness, it seems. We will see.
Month 9: No shedding or minor shedding throughout. Rebounding from months #6 to #8, whilst also having cut my hair short. This made observing minor shedding harder however.
Month 10: No shedding throughout the month. Regaining ground from months #6 to #8. Hair is still short, but growing long enough to notice hairs falling. Practically no shedding, though.
Month 11: No shedding throughout the month - regained density. Started using minoxidil once a day instead of twice a day, like 1 week before month 11 ended. Will keep you updated on how it goes.
Month 12: No shedding throughout the month - no improvements to speak of, either. This was the first month of me using minoxidil 1x a day, so with that in mind, all is going well.
Month 13: No shedding, stable. Might have regained some ground. (Still probably 10-15% worse off than during peak results of month 5, but waaaaaay above baseline, naturally).
Month 14: No shedding, to minor shedding at times.
Month 15: Minor to moderate shedding.
Month 16: Moderate shedding.
Month 17: Moderate shedding, mild cosmetic hit.
Month 18: Minor shedding to no shedding, with some regained density. (Similar to month 13 in terms of appearance).
Month 19: Started using Minoxidil twice a day again. Thanks to that - or in addition to that, I don't know - I also regained what I still hadn't regained from the initial big sheds (months 6 to 8), and the other smaller sheds. I think I achieved peak results during this time, similar to month 5 or a little bit better. I would probably have gotten these results by months 13-14, if not for using minoxidil once a day instead. So realistically, after the initial growth/shed phases and potential further smaller growth/shed phases - I would say it is reasonable to expect to reach peak results in roughly a year.
Month 20 And Beyond: Not a lot of data. As mentioned before, the transition to using minoxidil twice a day again had helped me reach my peak potential (and maintaining that). At this point of use of products, I notice my hairs have quite decent growth cycles and they seem to be kind of "natural" in the sense that my Minoxidil-grown hairs don't really synchronize cycling that much. Meaning, I don't have any reoccurring sheds or growth cycles, but a little growth here and there, and mini-sheds, just like for anyone who has "normal" hair.
In comparison, once a day usage seemed to have triggered shorter hair cycling, therefore I noticed losing hair more - and then having those hairs regrow later after a brief period of looking a bit more diffused. It is never nice to have even small sheds though, so I am sticking to twice-a-day usage. So far I have not seen any deterioration of results, and I am closing in on Month 40 as of making this edit.
A future consideration of mine is using a dermaroller for absorption boosting purposes. I will make an edit to this if I do try that out.
Misc. Info/FAQ:
Everything in here has been either asked in the thread, or people have sent me private messages about this stuff. So, I am including things people have asked me in here, in case a curious new reader has something they want to know! (Don't hesitate to ask me in this thread, or to send me a PM!)
Family history of hair loss?: I answered this question on a certain page into the thread. See here for the specifics.
Did you get any side effects from Finasteride?: As I briefly stated in the OP - I haven't gotten any sides to speak of. In the first few days of starting Finasteride, I needed to pee more, but this might have had to do with anxiety/hyping myself up over starting something which people have written horror stories on. A lot of this can be in your head. Of course, there's stuff like your prostrate getting smaller, so I guess it can explain the peeing thing a bit, but yeah, after a few days, my peeing returned to around the norm anyway (with the same amount of fluid intake per day).
In addition to this, I got very, very mild ball ache a few times in the first two weeks of starting the pill. Nothing drastic, nothing truly painful - just a dull ache that usually subsided within 5 minutes of starting (and only in my left testicle). This is absolutely normal when your body adjusts to things. This ache subsided completely by the 3rd week of being on Finasteride, 1.25mg every day.
Aside from that, I haven't noticed anything. Be it "brain fog" or lower libido, or anything. I guess my semen is a bit more watery, but that hardly matters if the quantity is the same and your overall libido and orgasms are on par. Which they are. Curiously, after resuming Finasteride after a break - my semen quality seems to be so far unaffected (i.e. it is not watery). The first time I got on Finasteride, the stuff turned watery very quick, so I guess that's a bit curious but not a bad thing. I don't care either way.
I also very infrequently feel like my nipples feel a bit more perky (no gyno though), but that is with tight-fitting shirts which have logos or something rubbing on my nipples anyway, while I have been physically active etc., so it can at least partially be in my head. Could it be Finasteride makes my nips a bit more perky? I guess. But there has been zero growth in my breasts over the period of 2+ years, and I haven't noticed this "perkiness" more often than once or twice a month or so, if even that, so it's all right. Do not overanalyze everything!
How about Minoxidil? Any sides?: None whatsoever. I guess my skin flaked a little bit or felt a little dry at first - just resist the urge to scratch, your scalp will get adjusted to things. To ease things, you could look into stuff that mitigates this (I am not very knowledgeable, but there are some things), or you could consider swapping around your Minoxidil product in favor of another one with a different formula. Trial and error, and lots of research is key.
What kind of Finasteride do you use?: I use the Finnish generic variant of Finasteride, which goes by the name of Gefina. I am not sure if this is available elsewhere, but it's a Finasteride-product among all the others. It has worked well for me. The pills I am using are 5mg pills, packaged in 100-pill packs. These pills are then cut into quarters with a pill cutter.
Where did/do you get your Finasteride?: Being a Finnish guy, I have to get a prescription for Finasteride legitimately (meaning, ordering online is impossible). That means, going for a public or a private doctor's appointment. Private GPs and dermatologists are much more likely to agree with your demands and write a prescription for you in the first place than the random docs you're exposed to in the public healthcare sector, at least here in Finland - so the price to pay for a private appointment is definitely worth it.
So that being said, you should probably call your nearest private health care center/hospital/whatever, and tell them of your predicament. Then, they'll give you a time - usually within the same day or the next two or three days. Then, you'll go meet up a Doctor and argue with them for a while likely (because most of them don't know jack sh*t about hair loss), until they give in to your demands.
Most doctors are ignorant about hair loss and the medication pertaining it, so if you come across as being knowledgeable, they will usually not be stubborn, but will instead write a prescription for you - at least the private ones, whom you paid for a lot more than you would in the public sector (less than 100 euros still) . MAKE SURE TO ASK FOR A PRESCRIPTION OF GENERIC FINASTERIDE, ACCOMPANIED BY THIS "EDUCATION" OF THEM ABOUT HAIR LOSS! I can not stress this enough. You will be paying thousands of euros a year if you use the brand name Propecia, whereas you can get by with 50 euros for a 400 days' dose if you go for generic Finasteride. (Because most generic pill packages come in 100-pill packs, which you cut into quarters, resulting in 400 doses if used every day at a dosage of 1.25mg/day).
Got a question? Ask, and I'll answer and include the information here if relevant. You can also PM me if you want to remain discreet.
Family history of hair loss?: I answered this question on a certain page into the thread. See here for the specifics.
Did you get any side effects from Finasteride?: As I briefly stated in the OP - I haven't gotten any sides to speak of. In the first few days of starting Finasteride, I needed to pee more, but this might have had to do with anxiety/hyping myself up over starting something which people have written horror stories on. A lot of this can be in your head. Of course, there's stuff like your prostrate getting smaller, so I guess it can explain the peeing thing a bit, but yeah, after a few days, my peeing returned to around the norm anyway (with the same amount of fluid intake per day).
In addition to this, I got very, very mild ball ache a few times in the first two weeks of starting the pill. Nothing drastic, nothing truly painful - just a dull ache that usually subsided within 5 minutes of starting (and only in my left testicle). This is absolutely normal when your body adjusts to things. This ache subsided completely by the 3rd week of being on Finasteride, 1.25mg every day.
Aside from that, I haven't noticed anything. Be it "brain fog" or lower libido, or anything. I guess my semen is a bit more watery, but that hardly matters if the quantity is the same and your overall libido and orgasms are on par. Which they are. Curiously, after resuming Finasteride after a break - my semen quality seems to be so far unaffected (i.e. it is not watery). The first time I got on Finasteride, the stuff turned watery very quick, so I guess that's a bit curious but not a bad thing. I don't care either way.
I also very infrequently feel like my nipples feel a bit more perky (no gyno though), but that is with tight-fitting shirts which have logos or something rubbing on my nipples anyway, while I have been physically active etc., so it can at least partially be in my head. Could it be Finasteride makes my nips a bit more perky? I guess. But there has been zero growth in my breasts over the period of 2+ years, and I haven't noticed this "perkiness" more often than once or twice a month or so, if even that, so it's all right. Do not overanalyze everything!
How about Minoxidil? Any sides?: None whatsoever. I guess my skin flaked a little bit or felt a little dry at first - just resist the urge to scratch, your scalp will get adjusted to things. To ease things, you could look into stuff that mitigates this (I am not very knowledgeable, but there are some things), or you could consider swapping around your Minoxidil product in favor of another one with a different formula. Trial and error, and lots of research is key.
What kind of Finasteride do you use?: I use the Finnish generic variant of Finasteride, which goes by the name of Gefina. I am not sure if this is available elsewhere, but it's a Finasteride-product among all the others. It has worked well for me. The pills I am using are 5mg pills, packaged in 100-pill packs. These pills are then cut into quarters with a pill cutter.
Where did/do you get your Finasteride?: Being a Finnish guy, I have to get a prescription for Finasteride legitimately (meaning, ordering online is impossible). That means, going for a public or a private doctor's appointment. Private GPs and dermatologists are much more likely to agree with your demands and write a prescription for you in the first place than the random docs you're exposed to in the public healthcare sector, at least here in Finland - so the price to pay for a private appointment is definitely worth it.
So that being said, you should probably call your nearest private health care center/hospital/whatever, and tell them of your predicament. Then, they'll give you a time - usually within the same day or the next two or three days. Then, you'll go meet up a Doctor and argue with them for a while likely (because most of them don't know jack sh*t about hair loss), until they give in to your demands.
Most doctors are ignorant about hair loss and the medication pertaining it, so if you come across as being knowledgeable, they will usually not be stubborn, but will instead write a prescription for you - at least the private ones, whom you paid for a lot more than you would in the public sector (less than 100 euros still) . MAKE SURE TO ASK FOR A PRESCRIPTION OF GENERIC FINASTERIDE, ACCOMPANIED BY THIS "EDUCATION" OF THEM ABOUT HAIR LOSS! I can not stress this enough. You will be paying thousands of euros a year if you use the brand name Propecia, whereas you can get by with 50 euros for a 400 days' dose if you go for generic Finasteride. (Because most generic pill packages come in 100-pill packs, which you cut into quarters, resulting in 400 doses if used every day at a dosage of 1.25mg/day).
Got a question? Ask, and I'll answer and include the information here if relevant. You can also PM me if you want to remain discreet.
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