some advice if you would be so kind

[splint]

hi,

I am 20 years old and have just started on finasteride, I am considering to start minoxidil as well but am unsure, I am thinning quite badly around the vertex area, I have no recession but my hair on top even towards the front is getting thinner. Do you think I should start on 2%, 5% or hold off minoxidil untill I have been on finasteride for longer (only been 3 days!), my main concern is the vertex area as the hairloss is very noticable.

Also Does anybody know where to get cheap finasteride and minoxidil from the uk? I ordered from inhousepharmacy but my finasteride cost me £75!! Does any one know how long 3 bottles of minoxidil will last? I'm thinking a bottle lasts a month?

I went to http://www.qhi.co.uk/list.asp?r=900 and found finasteride to be only £35 for 28 tablets! I am not sure if this is 'Merk' brand tho as it is not stated anywhere, has anybody ordred from here before? I really need to keep the costs down, but I dont want to buy some cheapo stuff that will do nothing. At the moment if that qhi website is for real I am looking at £50 for 3 months of minoxidil and £35 for about 5 months of finasteride, still expensive for a poor student

Any help appreciated,

Splint

 

[The Gardener]

Howdy splint.

First off, you might want to give the finasteride some time before contemplating minoxidil. minoxidil is a more difficult 'habit' to add into your lifestyle, and if in time your hairloss is abated with finasteride alone, then a daily pill is a far easier and cheaper regimen to maintain that is finasteride plus minoxidil. I would hold off on the minoxidil until you reach a point where you believe your hair is suffering some significant impending baldness.

I can't really help you with finding an economical source of minoxidil in the UK, but I can address your second question. All 5% minoxidil is equally effective, whether it be the original 'Rogaine/Regaine' brand or a generic. As long as you are buying it from a domestic outlet, I am sure that UK laws ensure the substance must carry the labeled 5% minoxidil content as they do here in the US. Many people here use generic 5% minoxidil with great effect, so don't be afraid to use a cheaper generic for yourself if it suits your budget better.

You here many folks here state a preference for certain specific kinds of minoxidil, some prefer the original Rogaine, and some prefer other more expensive brands of minoxidil, such as Doctor Lee's. This preference is not a function of relative efficacy or dosage of the minoxidil, rather, it is a preference in the different characteristics of the vehicle substance that the minoxidil is suspended in. Rogaine is known to be a bit more greasy, it takes more time to dry, but it drips less. Doctor Lee's is more thin in viscosity, dries faster, but drips more. This is more a matter of experimenting with the various kinds of 5% minoxidil and finding a brand that has a good 'feel' to you on your scalp. All of them, if labelled as 5% minoxidil, contain 5% minoxidil.

 

[gonna_win]

I am currently on finasteride and I have decided to wait a year to see if there are any results then I will commence minoxidil, reason being I want to know if any improvement post minoxidil is due to minoxidil finasteride or both.

 

[Hotlegs]

http://qhi.co.uk/ sell Merck branded Proscar, which is a 5mg finasteride pill, Propecia is a 1mg finasteride pill.

Buy the Proscar, divide the pill (as accurately as you can, not too important to be 100% accurate) and take 1 fifth each day which will be equivalent to the 1mg of finasteride in Propecia.

_______________

28 PROSCAR PILLS = 140 DOSES (around 5 months supply)

28 PROSCAR PILLS cost €46.32 euros (£31.90p)

That's £6.38p a month

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This is one of the cheapest way to get Merck branded finasteride.

I use QHI, and have done for 18 months, they are a reliable and helpful company.

Minoxidil (Rogaine) in the UK is expensive, slow drying (2-4 hours) and greasy, I suggest using Dr Lee's formula, it is dry in 10-15 minutes, contains slightly more minoxidil (5.5% to Rogaines 5%) the bottle is slightly bigger (65ml to Rogaines 60ml) and is much cheaper (£8 to Rogaines £29.99) it is also non-greasy.

The one to go for is Dr Lee's standard minoxidil (product 500) which can be bought at Xandrox.com. Also coming from the UK you will not have to pay the consultaion fee. Delivery from the USA to my door was 4 days!!!

A 60ml standard Rogaine bottle lasts 1 month with two applications a day.

 

[splint]

hey,

Thx for the replies guys, I think I will hold off on the minoxidil for now, seems bit of a hassle applying it and waiting for it to dry, that and I cant really afford it at the moment seeing as it damn expensive here in the uk. I will deffinatley order from qhi next time and save myself £40.. oh well least I have actually started something to combat my hairloss which makes me feel slightly better after having paid so much for the finasteride from inhousepharmacy! Anyways will see how the next few months go and will report back if I notice any change (for the better hopefully!).

Splint