ThunderTurd's Story, 32 yr Old 10 years into loss

[ThunderTurd]

Hello all, my name is Andy. I have been "lurking" on this site for about 2 years now and finally decided to get involved. I am quite intimidated by some of the people on here as they seem to know quite a bit about male pattern baldness, more than doctors it seems, and a lot of these discussions go way over my head. However I am hoping that some of the experts here can help guide me in the right direction, that is if I even have a direction to go in. I am 32 years old and have been losing noticeably for about 10 years. Started with a receding hairline at the temples young, maybe 19. My dad went bald in his 30's. However, with exception to the temple recession, I have had a non-pattern loss in the male pattern baldness area. (Thinning all over the "horseshoe" area but no real pattern.) I am now about a Norwood 5-6. I have peach fuzz on my entire scalp, temples included and a few stragglers in different places. I have tried minoxidil and it always made me feel terrible. I never tried propecia 'cus a doctor told me it would not work for my type of balding (temple recession). Now a days i fear for the sides and I have a breastfeeding mother at home. I am using 1% Nizoral EOD and trying (with extreme doubt) the Aloe Vera route. I have a feeling that with my advanced loss I am pretty much SOL but I thought maybe someone here is in a similar situation and may have some advice. I recently went to a doctor for unrelated issues and he stated that my symptoms were textbook for thyroid problems. I'm having blood work done this week to check for that. I know my male pattern baldness is most likely genetic but perhaps pre-mature due to the thyroid? If it is Thyroid does that mean I have a better chance at re-growth, atleast until male pattern baldness runs its "natural" course? Any ideas or support would be greatly appreciated.
As I have just joined this forum, I am going to try and post a couple of pics from over the years showing my loss. (I am not sure I am doing this right so if no pics show up i'll try again!)

This is from college circa 1995:

This is from July 2001:

These are from 2003:

And these are from summer '07 to present:

Most Recent Pic 5-08:

Thank you to anyone who takes the time to read my story and reply!

 

[Avery]

That's a pretty classic male pattern baldness pattern. It's likely genetic.

You're very far along. Unless you're considering a hair transplant, you really don't have any regrowth options that will give you a cosmetic difference (if any difference at all).

If it makes you feel any better, I don't think you look bad without hair. Your have a good head shape. My advice is to keep it cut short.

 

[Hubert Gruber]

Hello there.
Your male pattern baldness is very much unlikely to be related to the thyroid...its just androgenic alopecia and it isnt pre-mature at all, believe me.
It seems that you are a NW5. You should have taken finasteride (propecia) as soon as you noticed you were balding as it would slow, stop or even regrow some hair.
Propecia works best for vertex thinning hair but it works also with frontal hairloss (receding temples), I wouldnt be very happy with that doctor of yours :nono:
Your male pattern baldness is very advanced but there are amazing recoveries, you should browse the success stories section.
Anyways, you could start taking finasteride and I definitely advise you to start minoxidil, try looking for Rogaine Foam 5%, its the most well spoken way of using minoxidil.
As for the Nizoral, a lot of people will tell you to continue using it.I dont like it very much, its very harsh on the scalp, it dries it way to much. Try a milder version of it.

You can pull the bald look really well keep your hair buzzed like the 6th photo.

Good luck on your treatments.

 

[philly]

...

 

[Hubert Gruber]

... and I definitely advise you to start minoxidil, try looking for Rogaine Foam 5%, its the most well spoken way of using minoxidil.

What a terrible waste of time and money.

Thunder, if I were you I'd get on Proscar cut in 4 or 5 and then wait a year. You might also want to add Nizoral every three days. Then go see a hair transplant surgeon (Feller, Wong, etc.). They will probably give you a full head of hair as you seem to have quite some donor hair! Good luck!

ZOmg! give hima full head of hair with transplants? lmao
minoxidil will thicken his peach fuzz he says he as all over.
And the usual nizoral tip...nizoral wont regrow your hair, and he doesnt seem to have any scalp disorder like seb. derm., thats useless.
He can have the hair transplant after some time on meds, that would be the best option imo.

 

[Fanjeera]

Lots of heavy minoxidil would do something. I don't know if theres a point in taking finasteride anymore. You got kind of thick temples.

 

[ITNEVERRAINS]

I'd say go w/ hair transplant. your donor in the non buzz pics seemed really good, but of course check w/ Doctor. If you could get 5-7k grafts out of your donor, you'd have a pretty healthy mane.

 

[treeshrew]

hey man, if you want to try, and have some money to burn, i'd say get on propecia ($70/month with prescription) and rogaine foam ($30 or so/month) - you might go through more than 1 can a month of foam (the recommended dosage) because you'll want to rub it all over your head.

these treatments take time - 5+ months - so it's a hefty commitment and very well might not be worth the time and money seeing as you do sport the hairless look well, keeping it buzzed short.

at the same time it might be an interesting experiment just to see.. you never know.. you might be one of those freakish responders who regrows a ton of hair.

i wouldn't go the hair transplant route... it's some pretty serious surgery (look up FUE surgery - follicular unit extraction - on youtube), won't do much for you, and very costly.

hope this helps!

 

[Hubert Gruber]

hey man, if you want to try, and have some money to burn, i'd say get on propecia ($70/month with prescription) and rogaine foam ($30 or so/month) - you might go through more than 1 can a month of foam (the recommended dosage) because you'll want to rub it all over your head.

Good Lord, where do you buy your propecia? You're being ripped off.

 

[ThunderTurd]

thank all of you for your replies! I kinda figured I am up a creek but hey, you never know. I really appreciate all the positive words and compliments! It truely does help. I doubt I am going to go nuts with a hardcore regimen due to the fact that it more than likely will be a total waste of time and money. I know, I know, positive outlook and all but I would rather just live life than be a slave to a hair restoration regimen. I was at the pediatrician's office the other day with my son and this little kid was there, had to be about 3. He was in a wheelchair and appeared to be suffering from M.S. or something. I thought to myself what did this kid do to deserve that? Then I went on to think about how ridiculous I am when get pissed about my "luck" with hairloss. I mean, it cold be soooooo much worse. I truely have a great life, wonderful wife, and a beautiful son, a great job, and really no reason to complain. I guess what bothers me about hairloss the most is the lack of options with hairstyles. I mean I could go all David Crosby and all but I would look like a fool. Not that I would wear my hair long anyway, but I would like to be able to choose for myself. I like to change things up from time to time. I've thought about hair transplant, not sure I'm ready for that big of a step. Let me ask you guys this: IF, and I mean a big IF here, Follica, Intercytex, etc.... (those that are working on the gene, cell, abrasion techniques) actually ever come to market would someone with my advanced loss be a candidate for those types of procedures? Hell, should I just jump on the dermabrasion bandwagon with those guys in the other thread and see what happens? I have plenty of room for experimantation! Thanks again guys, if nothing else, you have boosted my self esteem!

 

[treeshrew]

Good Lord, where do you buy your propecia? You're being ripped off.

ya, i guess the wal-mart pharmacy is really working me on this one!

 

[IBM]

the big three can do something. Just try and see.

 

[k3nn7i]

give it a try man, the big 3.

hope it works

 

[tgates209]

I would go with the head buzz if I were you. I would do it if I could get away with it, but I look goofy. You look much better with the buzz than hair trying to figure out some sort of style. You'll never need shampoo again too - think of all the money you're gonna save!!

 

[wotsthedeal]

Let me ask you guys this: IF, and I mean a big IF here, Follica, Intercytex, etc.... (those that are working on the gene, cell, abrasion techniques) actually ever come to market would someone with my advanced loss be a candidate for those types of procedures? Hell, should I just jump on the dermabrasion bandwagon with those guys in the other thread and see what happens? I have plenty of room for experimantation! Thanks again guys, if nothing else, you have boosted my self esteem!

Like you said, it's a big IF, but yes, if those treatments pan out you'd probably be a fine candidate for those procedures. You may want to look into a product called Acell. It's supposed to hit the market anytime now (like, in the next week) and there's a lot of people theorizing that it could be a huge boon to hair transplant transplants. The product basically repairs wounds, which would allow a doctor to do a strip transplant, apply Acell, and have all the donor hair that was taken out grow back - pretty much an unlimited donor supply. Like a lot of these new treatments, it is a long shot but it certainly has caught a lot of attention in the bald community.

Here are some photos from Acell's testing phases. Granted, these are all done on animals but the results seem very, very promising: http://www.acell.com/vetcasestudies.php

 

[f999]

Bud, If I knew my head would look that good shaved, my hair would be shaved off tomorrow and ide be on with my life. Why bother with anything...the shaved head looks better.

 

[mj9]

got on to finasteride, minoxidil and nizoral.... you still have hair although very few but i have seen the big 3 do wonders on guys who still have a few hair...

dont waste your time trying one at a time and get straight onto all three... i think you might get some success...

 

[Lucky_UK]

Hi TT

You look like my friend at work, he has exactly the same pattern of hairloss as you, I have known him since we were 17 (we are both the same age) we are now 35, his and your hairloss is quite aggressive, my friend's problem is he wont buzz his hair and he looks worse for it whereas I think you sport a buzz cut very well and so would he.

I would agree about trying minoxidil and finasteride but I wouldn't hold on to much hope, success is normally for the younger guys where their follicles may still be dormant, but over time the follicles die off, finasteride is more suitable for trying to maintain what you have got, but eitherways if you do decide to give the big three a go I wish you all the best.


Lucky

 

[ThunderTurd]

Thank you all for your encouraging words and compliments! Now if y'all were the female population of Baltimore I'd be set! LOL, just kidding. Seriously, the confidence I have gained from reading the replies here has given me a new outlook on life. I don't think I am going to put any more money and time into my hairloss, except of course reading these forums, waiting for that "magic cure 5 years away." I am one of the believers and truely feel science is almost there. If I can have my hair back before I am 40 I will be happy. I'm actually very encouraged by Baccy's "success" and I may hop on that bandwagon If more people start having those type of results. Anyway, thanks again to all of you, and best of luck to the younger guys that have a reasonable chance. I know how hard it is.

 

[HairDont]

Just move on. You really pull off the shaved look well. (No weird warts, moles, blisters, freckles...)

You can save yourself alot of grief, money and time NOT looking into a transplant which will never give you all your hair back.
Plus once you spend too much time on these boards, you begin to get BDD (Body Dysmorphic Disorder) which will really f*** you up.

If anyone in the future says you are losing your hair, just say
"no I am not, I just trim it this way on purpose".
This answer always confuses everyone.