Recommendation for hairline thinning

[CliffLee]

Hi all,

I have been on finasteride (generic 1.25mg) and minoxidil (5% lipogaine) for almost 2 years with decent success. My hair was thickened considerably and I'm very happy with the results. However, I do still have thinner hair at the very centre of my hairline that I'm not sure will be restored on my current routine. It may be that this will never be restored, but I'm hoping to fix my hairline and would appreciate any suggestions.

Here are some things I'm thinking of adding to my routine.

minoxidil 10% or 15%: Purchasing a higher concentrate of minoxidil
Switching/ adding dutasteride: Either adding 0.5mg of dutasteride, say once a week, or switching to dutasteride completely and stopping finasteride
spironolactone
Derma rolling

What would you guys think would be the best option for me to improve this area of my hair?

 

[dusty]

Honestly if finasteride has been working for you so far just stay on finasteride because dutasteride is not for regrowth. I think the best thing for you would be to get a larger concentration of minoxidil and applying that to your hairline but the only problem with that is that it isn't something you can just grab over the counter and if your supply is cut off you are going to go through a massive shed on your hairline. Topical spironolactone will not do anything for regrowth and most say it is too weak for maintenance. Unless you want to have more feminine features do not take oral spironolactone. derma rolling might work but there are many health implications as described by the admin of this forum that make it risky
My opinion is that you should look into hair transplants.

 

[nyjrb]

Your hairline reminds me of my own. I have a thinning forelock as well. I wonder why most guys seem to keep their forelock up until they reach a high norwood, while a few, like us, seem to lose it right way.

 

[CliffLee]

Thanks for the response guys.

So my best bet would be to try a higher concentrate of minoxidil? I was thinking that as my main option.

As a side note, I think I will be introducing dutasteride regardless, simply because I think it is the best strategy for keeping my hair as is, for the longest amount of time possible. I will probably go for dutasteride once a week, finasteride 6 times a week.

 

[CliffLee]

Would anyone know whether RU could help with the hairline hairs?

 

[CliffLee]

The pics are a bit old, recovered a decent amount more since then (pics attached). No way was it a NW4 though! I have always had a large forehead.

I considered spironolactone as a topical only but after reading it seems very weak, close to useless. Also with mid-length hair it would be difficult to apply and apparently leaves the hair very oily.

 

[abovedagame]

What the heck your hairline looks totally different in these last pics as if u made a huge recovery. How much time in between the two sets of pics?

 

[Agustin Araujo]

CliffLee,

Here's what I suggest: If Finasteride has already been working really well for you, just stay on it. If you want to promote possibly better maintenance of all your hair and specifically your hairline, you can give Dutasteride a try, though like I previously stated if Finasteride has already been working really well for you, just stay on it. With Minoxidil, simply stay with using the 5% concentration, no need to go higher. If you need a potent topical anti-androgen that will legitimately help with your hairline hairs, definitely go for using RU58841. I use RU58841 myself and it does help even with extremely sensitive frontal hair follicles, for extra strength, use a 10% solution of the treatment which I'm also on. With topical Spironolactone, it's weak at doing anything and the scientific evidence if it even helps treat Androgenic Alopecia is vaguely anecdotal. Oral Spironolactone is extraordinarily risky and I personally do not recommend it.

If you need your regimen to be as anti-androgenic as possible as long with it being the safest route, go for taking 0.5 mg of Dutasteride daily and using a 10% solution of RU58841 daily, that's what I'm on and it's strong, and I haven't had any side effects.

 

[ahmadsabry]

Go for transplant

If finasteride and minxodil don't really affect this front area that means hair routs there are dead or don't exist anymore, so you need to transplant some.

 

[CliffLee]

What the heck your hairline looks totally different in these last pics as if u made a huge recovery. How much time in between the two sets of pics?

It was roughly 6 months. Yes made a decent recovery but my hair was much worse when I started the treatment at 30 - I was thinning on top. I'm now 32. Just using the big 3.

I think you should just stick with finasteride, and drop spironolactone and dutasteride. Not that those won't work, but I wouldn't want to even think of the side effects. Use the 15% minoxidil on your forehead three to four times a day. Finasteride is more known. It's true your DHT levels won't be erased, but maybe people need DHT for muscle development. In fact, the same might be true for both sexes. Women go through menopause, but still produce testosterone. So, you might be saving your hair with the spironolactone, but it could be making your enjoyment in other areas very bad.

Thanks for your response. I was tempted to use a higher concentration of minoxidil and I'm considering all options. If I do add dutasteride, I will monitor any sides but honestly, I try not to thnk about sides as I do think placebo plays a role for some people.

CliffLee,

Here's what I suggest: If Finasteride has already been working really well for you, just stay on it. If you want to promote possibly better maintenance of all your hair and specifically your hairline, you can give Dutasteride a try, though like I previously stated if Finasteride has already been working really well for you, just stay on it. With Minoxidil, simply stay with using the 5% concentration, no need to go higher. If you need a potent topical anti-androgen that will legitimately help with your hairline hairs, definitely go for using RU58841. I use RU58841 myself and it does help even with extremely sensitive frontal hair follicles, for extra strength, use a 10% solution of the treatment which I'm also on. With topical Spironolactone, it's weak at doing anything and the scientific evidence if it even helps treat Androgenic Alopecia is vaguely anecdotal. Oral Spironolactone is extraordinarily risky and I personally do not recommend it.

If you need your regimen to be as anti-androgenic as possible as long with it being the safest route, go for taking 0.5 mg of Dutasteride daily and using a 10% solution of RU58841 daily, that's what I'm on and it's strong, and I haven't had any side effects.

Thanks Agustin for the reply, I appreciate your input.

I have a prescription for dutasteride and my plan was to add 0.5mg once per week while staying on finasteride ED. Maybe looking to increase dutasteride to 2/3 times a week and eventually replacing finasteride with dutasteride. What are your thoughts on combining finasteride and dutasteride? My thinking is that I would like to add something that blocks both type 1 and type 2 5AR, but keeping finasteride as it has been paramount in the recovery of my hair.

I have considered RU but I am concerned about sourcing this relatively unknown substance from China. I do note a few forum members using it successfully so I am considering it.

If finasteride and minxodil don't really affect this front area that means hair routs there are dead or don't exist anymore, so you need to transplant some.

I think finasteride and minoxidil can help the hairline, even if it is more of a difficult area to improve. I still have hair across the hairline so I'm hoping that this will make it easier to recover, as it tends to be much harder to start regrowth from a smooth area of scalp.

The new pics I added don't show it properly due to poor-ish lighting and quality but there are a few hairs that are 25% thinner than my other hair, and also their growth seems to be capped at about 3/4 inches. So if I slick my hair back, these hairs really stand out. It may be that these never recover and only a hair transplant will help.

- - - Updated - - -



dutasteride pres just arrived. Actually a little scared of taking a dose now that it's here and it's a reality, haha.

 

[Agustin Araujo]

Thanks Agustin for the reply, I appreciate your input.

I have a prescription for dutasteride and my plan was to add 0.5mg once per week while staying on finasteride ED. Maybe looking to increase dutasteride to 2/3 times a week and eventually replacing finasteride with dutasteride. What are your thoughts on combining finasteride and dutasteride? My thinking is that I would like to add something that blocks both type 1 and type 2 5AR, but keeping finasteride as it has been paramount in the recovery of my hair.

I have considered RU but I am concerned about sourcing this relatively unknown substance from China. I do note a few forum members using it successfully so I am considering it.

You might as well just make the switch to Dutasteride and quit Finasteride altogether. It might help taking both, but their really is not point. Dutasteride does everything Finasteride does plus more, so like I previously stated their's no point in taking both, it would be like opening an umbrella when you're already under a roof.

You probably don't need RU58841 if being on a 5-alpha-reductase inhibitor is already maintaing your hair well, especially your hairline.

 

[CliffLee]

You might as well just make the switch to Dutasteride and quit Finasteride altogether. It might help taking both, but their really is not point. Dutasteride does everything Finasteride does plus more, so like I previously stated their's no point in taking both, it would be like opening an umbrella when you're already under a roof.

You probably don't need RU58841 if being on a 5-alpha-reductase inhibitor is already maintaing your hair well, especially your hairline.

Ok thanks. How would you switch, just literally stop finasteride and start dutasteride ED or taper off finasteride/ taper on dutasteride?

 

[dusty]

Ok thanks. How would you switch, just literally stop finasteride and start dutasteride ED or taper off finasteride/ taper on dutasteride?

I was told by other members when switching just to go straight into dutasteride because it has such a long half life that it builds up in your system fast so that losing any maintenance from finasteride would not happen

 

[ThatHairStruggle]

Honestly if finasteride has been working for you so far just stay on finasteride because dutasteride is not for regrowth. I think the best thing for you would be to get a larger concentration of minoxidil and applying that to your hairline but the only problem with that is that it isn't something you can just grab over the counter and if your supply is cut off you are going to go through a massive shed on your hairline. Topical spironolactone will not do anything for regrowth and most say it is too weak for maintenance. Unless you want to have more feminine features do not take oral spironolactone. derma rolling might work but there are many health implications as described by the admin of this forum that make it risky
My opinion is that you should look into hair transplants.

What do you mean dutasteride is not for regrowth?

 

[Swoop]

RU58841 holds the hairline extremely well as anecdotal experience often shows. Restoring a hairline is extremely hard though. A hair transplant will help obviously.

 

[CliffLee]

I was told by other members when switching just to go straight into dutasteride because it has such a long half life that it builds up in your system fast so that losing any maintenance from finasteride would not happen

Great thanks, when I start dutasteride, I will simply drop finasteride.

RU58841 holds the hairline extremely well as anecdotal experience often shows. Restoring a hairline is extremely hard though. A hair transplant will help obviously.

I think I will start looking into RU, probably my best shot at recovering my hairline. Thanks Swoop.

 

[dusty]

What do you mean dutasteride is not for regrowth?

dutasteride like finasteride is for maintenance and anybody expecting anything but maintenance on dutasteride and finasteride are likely to be disappointed.

 

[shookwun]

Nobody should be on dutasteride until they run a course of finasteride. Only then can you evaluate whether or not you should go the next route. dutasteride is the final nail in the coffin for oral treatment.

 

[CliffLee]

Nobody should be on dutasteride until they run a course of finasteride. Only then can you evaluate whether or not you should go the next route. dutasteride is the final nail in the coffin for oral treatment.

How would you define this? The 2 year mark?

 

[dusty]

Nobody should be on dutasteride until they run a course of finasteride. Only then can you evaluate whether or not you should go the next route. dutasteride is the final nail in the coffin for oral treatment.

It is kinda sad that there are only two real options for oral hair loss prevention. Hoping that Seti is successful so I can add that to my regimen in hopefully 5 years. Damn that feels like a long *** time to wait and I could easily be slick bald by then.

- - - Updated - - -

How would you define this? The 2 year mark?

I made the decision after one year but that is because I have aggressive diffuse thinning.