The Road To Scalp And Hair Recovery

[Schitz Popinov]

I decided to start an official journal for my road to scalp and hair recovery. I'm 38 at a Norwood 2 with diffused thinning on top.

My hair became a primary source of confidence starting in my younger 20's. The faux-hawk style I had also marked the moment I broke out of my shell. As you can imagine the carnage that has taken place atop my dome has not been easy to deal with. My confidence has been in tatters for the last 5 years.

I purchased two dermarollers (a 1.5mm and a 0.5mm) that finally arrived last Friday. Tonight was my first night trying that out. I went with the 0.5mm and IMMEDIATELY noticed the crunching noise of the fibrosis/calcification up there.

Let's be honest - rolling tiny needles on your scalp isn't exactly going to feel good, but I got used to it pretty quickly. I haven't ordered the ingredients for my topical concoction yet, so tonight I simply used some rosemary oil. The feeling was so refreshing, especially since it was getting in there deeper.

I'll follow up with some baseline pictures tomorrow of what it looks like both wet and dry.

Other threads I've posted:
https://www.hairlosstalk.com/intera...ible-effects-on-male-pattern-baldness.103687/
https://www.hairlosstalk.com/intera...nd-anger-grows-with-every-passing-day.101860/
https://www.hairlosstalk.com/interact/threads/hair-loss-sinus-infections-and-blood-flow.99209/
https://www.hairlosstalk.com/intera...th-and-whats-with-this-shed-uggggghhhh.95040/
https://www.hairlosstalk.com/interact/threads/what-if-your-dht-is-low.71704/
https://www.hairlosstalk.com/interact/threads/diffusing-thinning-body-hair-and-dht.62474/
https://www.hairlosstalk.com/interact/threads/early-30s-and-fed-up-my-story-including-pics.62279/

 

[kj6723]

As a NW2 at 38, your diffusion must be pretty bad for you to be in the anguish you've described in other threads

I'm 28, ten years younger than you, and half my peers my age are NW2.5-NW3

 

[Schitz Popinov]

As a NW2 at 38, your diffusion must be pretty bad for you to be in the anguish you've described in other threads

I'm 28, ten years younger than you, and half my peers my age are NW2.5-NW3

The diffusion is the absolute worst man. I don't think I would mind the receding as much if I still had density up there - but it's thinned out a great deal. I can't leave the house without applying hair fibers and styling my hair in a way that covers up the thinning areas. Then I have to lock it up with an abundance of hairspray.

This past Saturday night some friends of mine kept trying to mess up my hair while we were out - I about lost my mind from the anxiety.

 

[Schitz Popinov]

So my scalp was a bit tender/sore from the dermarolling last night. Cosmetically speaking, I noticed my hair had more volume this morning. I imagine breaking up some of the calcification up there had something to do with that.

Strangely I'm feeling a bit lightheaded though.

 

[Schitz Popinov]

Alright, so as far as topicals are concerned, I plan on incorporating the following:

- Beta sitosterol
- Copper Peptides (perhaps Folligen) for fighting free radicals

I've also been keeping up with a gentleman who has been putting a concoction together with Rosemary/Coriander/Green tea. He pestles them all together, then applies water to it thru a strainer and rubs the juice on his scalp. He has had tremendous regrowth over the past year. I may go with the powdered version of each - seems like the only difference between it and fresh forms is the water content, but the powders are more concentrated.

This guy also juices religiously, which I believe may play a major role - so I plan on incorporating that as well. Everything I've read seems to indicate those herbs are great at reducing inflammation.

I also want to focus specifically on cleansing my liver. I have what's called "Gilbert's Syndrome" where my bile levels are always elevated. I feel as though that system is not operating efficiently right now. Then there are my awful sinuses, which I believe may or may not be contributing to some kind of lymphedema in my scalp.

For supplements:

- Selenium
- Rasberry Ketones
- Gelatin (too much of the protein in my diet has been from meat and shakes)
- Oral Castor Oil (not 100% on this yet, but may give it a shot)
- K2

 

[Schitz Popinov]

After day 2 of dermarolling I can say without a shred of a doubt that any topical you apply afterwards will absorb a lot more efficiently - to some extent "systemically". I'm still experiencing quite a bit of brain fog and my sinuses are acting up even worse than normal.

I may have to re-examine "when" I apply them. I believe I read somewhere that someone should wait for 24 hours, but I thought that was for the 1.5mm, which I haven't used yet.

 

[Schitz Popinov]

I meant to add that this set of shampoo and conditioner has helped me keep my shedding to a minimal over the last year and a half. I've tried scores of others and so far only this pair has worked for me.

Both contain Tea Tree Oil, Sea Buckthorn, and Rosemary (which ironically enough will be a part of my green topical). I typically massage the shampoo into my scalp while I'm in the shower and let it sit for 2-3 mins before washing it out.

 

[Schitz Popinov]

Alright so I've put together a batch of pictures.

All of them (except one) were taken last night after I showered, dermarolled, and applied castor/rosemary oil. It's always so hard for me to look at these - the nasty diffused thinning going on is something FIERCE and makes me so depressed. Norwood 6 isn't that far off.

Now you can see my need for hair fibers and hair spray to lock everything in. From the back of my head you can see how if I ever opted for FUE - I'd have plenty of donor hair. I used to get teased when I was younger, as there was so much hair back there that it mushroomed out. Who knows, maybe it'll be my savior if I can't find a regimen to regrow some of the density on top.

 

[Bklyn_23]

The diffusion is the absolute worst man. I don't think I would mind the receding as much if I still had density up there - but it's thinned out a great deal. I can't leave the house without applying hair fibers and styling my hair in a way that covers up the thinning areas. Then I have to lock it up with an abundance of hairspray.

This past Saturday night some friends of mine kept trying to mess up my hair while we were out - I about lost my mind from the anxiety.

You sound just like me. But I'm probably more in the NW2.5ish range with diffuse thinning all over (including the side and back. Like you, if the hair I still had was dense, it would be fine. But it's not. It's thin and wispy, and there is nliterally NO good style for it with its current density. I apply a ton of concealer to make it fuller, and then style it. Like you, I'm wracked with anxiety when people touch it or there are strong winds lol.

 

[Schitz Popinov]

You sound just like me. But I'm probably more in the NW2.5ish range with diffuse thinning all over (including the side and back. Like you, if the hair I still had was dense, it would be fine. But it's not. It's thin and wispy, and there is nliterally NO good style for it with its current density. I apply a ton of concealer to make it fuller, and then style it. Like you, I'm wracked with anxiety when people touch it or there are strong winds lol.

That anxiety is the worst man. Most days It's impossible to get out of my own head because of it. It's still crazy to me how thick everything else is, but then that male pattern baldness shape is just absolutely ravaged.

As an aside - I've decided NOT to derma roll tonight. My scalp is still a little tender from the last two nights.

 

[Schitz Popinov]

My scalp has really adjusted to the .5mm dermaroller. It doesn't hurt at all and I'm thinking I may need to start using the 1.5mm instead.

I really don't like how the rosemary oil is making me feel. I just get too much brain fog.

 

[Schitz Popinov]

With the weather being nice - I finally got some time in by the pool this past weekend. I was quickly reminded of how much better my hair feels afterwards. Thinking off adding in a laser/light therapy of some kind.

 

[michel sapin]

what is your current regimen ? are you still using ùinoxidil and propecia ?

 

[Schitz Popinov]

what is your current regimen ? are you still using ùinoxidil and propecia ?

I'm not using any of the big pharma drugs - just not worth the risk at this point, especially since I believe I may have some kind of hormonal imbalance going on.

• At the moment I'm dermarolling (with both a .5mm and 1.5mm).
• Juicing rosemary, coriander, and green tea to use as a scalp topical
• Taking Vitamin K2 and plan to add in Taurine into the mix
• Massaging scalp while in the shower

 

[Schitz Popinov]

So wanted to note something very interesting. In a previous post I complained about the persistent sinus issues I've experienced over the years - especially the last two or three: https://www.hairlosstalk.com/interact/threads/hair-loss-sinus-infections-and-blood-flow.99209/

It got so bad a few weeks ago that I finally went to a doctor. As it would turn out I had a major sinus infection and ear infection (to the point where it could've ruptured my ear drum). I've been on antibiotics for about 12 days now and believe it or not it has had a positive affect on my hair. It's been looking healthier and most definitely feels thicker. The acne on the back of my scalp has also cleared up.

 

[Schitz Popinov]

- The last week or two so my hair quality had dipped back to crap status again. Lots of events going on meant I was out with friends having a wild time and not getting enough sleep. The constipation was really bad too. Whenever that happens my hair quality deteriorates fast.

- Added Taurine into the mix yesterday.

- Also went the extra mile yesterday on my scalp with a massage session and moved up to my 1.5mm dermaroller. Afterwards I used my new inverted table for about 3mins. It's wild how much better my hair feels after that. I need to stay consistent with these three.

- I'm doing a lot of reading into lymhpatic drainage and I'm convinced that is also a part of the larger problem for me.

 

[Schitz Popinov]

It's kind of curious to me that when I roll with the 1.5mm I almost never draw any blood. Only time I have seen it is in the front on my forehead - even that's only a slight speckle here and there.

I'm putting a fairly decent amount of pressure on there.

 

[Grasshüpfer]

I think it depends how long you roll. When I stamp the first round there is no blood, but it comes after 15 or so minutes of stamping. I'm not using a roller though, but a stamp. I think a roller is faster.

 

[ItsAllOnYourHead]

Why not just get on finasteride and stop wasting time with all these quack remedies that have no evidence behind them?
Pop a pill that works and get on with your life.

 

[Schitz Popinov]

Why not just get on finasteride and stop wasting time with all these quack remedies that have no evidence behind them?
Pop a pill that works and get on with your life.

Ya, let me play Russian roulette with man tits and erectile dysfunction. P-A-S-S.

Last thing I want to do is pop a big pharma pill in my mouth when they can't tell me exactly why some people end up with embarrassing life-long side-effects causing them even more distress. Sounds fantastic.