Reviv or spironolactone to further tackle DHT if already on Propecia?

[doggfather]

Been taking Propecia for about 12 months and I've maintained my Norwood 2 hairline with maybe some very slight recession. I've heard Propecia doesn't inhibit all DHT from getting to the scalp so I was wondering what would be more effective in further saving my hair follicles from DHT. spironolactone or Revivogen? (I don't want to have to apply both cuz that would be a real pain) Revivogen's statistics of inhibiting type I and II 5ar 90-98% are pretty impressive although I don't know how true they are. Plus I would only have to apply Revivogen once a day which I would do at night so that would be quite convenient. In addition, Revivogen has some ingredients like Grape Seed Extract that could spark some regrowth. But then Revivogen and Propecia are inhibitors so I'm curious to know if Revivogen can really inhibit more DHT on top of the DHT Propecia is already inhibiting. spironolactone on the other hand seems to have more data backing it and is an antiandrogen as opposed to a DHT inhibitor, but then I would have to apply it twice a day to achieve maximum effectiveness, right? Also, the 5% cream is a b**ch to apply once a day let alone twice so in general spironolactone seems more of a nuisance to use and to me less hassle is always a good thing. Any opinions would be appreciated.

 

[socks]

double post

 

[socks]

Just some quick info:

Finasteride blocks 85%-90% of type 2 DHT. The left over DHT is the little type 2 that gets through and the type 1 that isnt blocked.

Bryan Writes:

"There have been separate trials in both humans and stumptailed macaques which showed that specific type 1 inhibitors like MK386 had no noticeable effect on male pattern baldness..."


That isnt to say that type 1 DHT doesnt have any effect... Just that it appears that type 2 DHT is the major player... Something that Finasteride does a pretty good job at blocking.

The thing to keep in mind is there is likely other factors involved in Androgenetic Alopecia other then just DHT.

Another likely factor is the autoimmune response to the DHT altered hair follicle.

You may want to consider adding the anti-inflammatory shampoo Nizoral 2% to your routine if you're not using it already. You might also look into copper peptides such as Folligen.

Finally, there is always minoxidil to help strengthen things up a little...

Just a few thought... Blocking any more DHT then you're already blocking with Finasteride may be an over kill... The reports I hear on Dutasteride (which does a good job at blocking both types of 5a-reductase enzymes) doesnt really provide that much more of a benefit then Finasteride....

Anyhow, those are my thoughts.

 

[doggfather]

Well I am using Nizoral and Tricomin so i have the inflammation side covered but I thought that the 85-90% of type II DHT that Propecia blocks is inside the body (serum level) and the percentage of scalp DHT it blocks is lower than that. Would that matter then?

 

[socks]

Well I am using Nizoral and Tricomin so i have the inflammation side covered but I thought that the 85-90% of type II DHT that Propecia blocks is inside the body (serum level) and the percentage of scalp DHT it blocks is lower than that. Would that matter then?

It would indeed matter!

To form DHT your body's 5a-reductase enzyme converts free roaming testosterone into type 1 or type 2 DHT inside the hair cell follicle. The DHT then binds to the hair cell receptor and causes it to atrophy or shrink. Eventually your hair follicle stops producing hair and you loose that follicle.

As you can see the main concern in male pattern baldness is the DHT that is being produced inside the cell of the hair follicle.

I'm not 100% positive if there is a differential between the serum levels in your body and the levels in the scalp.

I would hypothesize that it should be very similar.

 

[socks]

It sounds like you have the anti-inflammatory angle well cover. You also have been using Finasteride for 12months. The only thing really to do is either give minoxidil a shot and/or enhance the level of DHT protection in your routine.

As I said, it seems type 2 DHT is the major player in hairloss... However, type 1 likely plays some role... perhaps more significantly in some individuals then others...

Have you had blood work-up done to ensure there is not an underlying medical condition that may be magnifying the male pattern baldness?

 

[doggfather]

Yah, I took a blood test before and everything checks out ok. So you say try Minoxidil and/or enhance DHT protection, what route do you think would be more effective to enhance DHT protection: Revivogen or spironolactone? Plus, I've heard that you are not supposed to apply Revivogen after spironolactone but if I applied spironolactone in the morning and Revivogen at night even though I'm applying Revivogen in the morning that surely would be enough time between applications for Revivogen and spironolactone not to negatively react with each other right?

 

[doggfather]

HairLossTalk.com, Bryan? Anyone else have any suggestions about this? Add Revivogen or spironolactone to a Propecia regimen?

 

[Bismarck]

I'm not 100% positive if there is a differential between the serum levels in your body and the levels in the scalp.

I would hypothesize that it should be very similar.

Where did you get that idea from? In fact there is a huge difference.

bis

 

[Bryan]

I'm not 100% positive if there is a differential between the serum levels in your body and the levels in the scalp.

I would hypothesize that it should be very similar.

Where did you get that idea from? In fact there is a huge difference.

There was a recent study by a team of heavyweight dermatologists which found that both serum and scalp levels of DHT were reduced very similarly with finasteride usage.

Bryan