slowing down vs not responding

[artvandaley]

I just wanted to know if it's really possible to tell the difference between whether a treatment has slowed down your hairloss or whether you're not responding to the treatment at all. I think it's very hard to distinguish between the two since hairloss is such a slow process to begin with.
Anybody have thoughts on this?

 

[flux]

Without good pictures or one of those machines that measure scalp hair density (that hair loss clinics use), well unless the loss is obvious then its certainly hard to tell, and definitly subject to misinterpretation based on hope or anxiety. It can also be just as hard to notice positive results. However, if it IS hard to tell the difference in your hair from one year to the next, then odds are youre at least doing something

 

[Kramer3]

Your right it is almost impossible to tell sometimes. I guess you just have to be intuitive to how much you were shedding before compared to how much your shedding now. Most of the time it's all really relative and if your in the intial phases of your treatment slowing down could signal eventual regrowth/maintenance.

 

[HairlossTalk]

Time is usually the indicator. You have to give it a good 3 to 6 months and see if the shedding slows down or if it just continues... and make sure you take photos so your brain doesn't play tricks on you.

HairLossTalk.com

 

[Guest]

My thoughts:

Well first, hairloss is not always a slow process. I've seen some good men go down fast. Nw2-nw7 in a matter of 2 years, not even. Kramer is right, it's intuitive, but it has nothing to do with shedding. It is really how fast your hairs are miniturizing, that is what counts.

Family history can sometimes indicate a lot. For instance, if you are following your dads pattern, then you might(very big might) also be following his timeline. Not only that, but you could also tell by how fast you were losing your hair before. It's normally pretty progressive, unless you are one of the lucky ones that hits a Nw2 and stops.

I always ask myself. Is it the propecia helping? Or is my hairloss naturally slowing/stopping? Who knows. Again it comes to intuition.

 

[artvandaley]

I guess that's whats so hard when it comes to deciding if medication is working for you or not. For me my hairloss has been gradual over the past few years (thinning along the hairline). I started propecia a little over 9 months ago and my hairloss has not been stopped, but i can't really tell if it has been slowed down. It seems like it's possible my hairloss would have gone at this rate even if I wasn't on propecia, but that's something i'll never know. I guess it's time to start with minoxidil very shortly.

 

[Guest]

Art,

Man are you ever in the boat I was at nine months. Little advice. Stick in there brother, good things can happen in the next few months and then BAM, complete stabilization. Wait a little while to see if this happens before you take the minoxidil plunge. Try lifestyle changes, scalp exercises/massaging etc etc. Then if you feel at 12 months you need the 5% fix, go for it. That is if you have been trying to avoid minoxidil as long as possible.

Good luck