What Is Your Current Hair Loss Treatment Regimen?

[Eren]

I would go to oral straightaway. There's very little evidence that topical finasteride works, and even if it were to work it is most likely only due to the portion of it that has been absorbed into the bloodstream.


Thanks. Yeah it is basically true that the sooner you start treating it, the better your chances are of success. There's no time to be lost when it comes to male pattern baldness.


I went straight for Dutasteride. I consider myself a bit of a risk-taker by nature, so I thought I might as well just go straight for the most powerful thing out there and see how it goes. Turns out it has given me great results so I'm happy with the choice I made.


Have you thought about switching to dutasteride (assuming it is available where you live)? It looks like now is the time to consider it in your case.

Does dutasteride really give you better results than finasteride? If so, I could give it a go I think.

 

[AnxiousAndy]

AnxiousAndy, I think a lot of it is managing expectations. I was just hoping to maintain what I had. It seems the vast majority of regulars on hairloss forums are looking for regrowth or don't take finasteride/dutasteride.

IMO the reason for the disparity in results between people using dutasteride/finasteride and everything else is because effectiveness drops from 90% to nearly zero. Unlike most conditions there's only 2 FDA treatments. A damn shame for how common hairloss is, but our reality.

While I feel for the guys without enough donor to get hair transplant, I wish everyone else would just do it. I've spent so much time researching, buying crap, going to doctor, etc... If I had been working those hours even at minimum wage I would have the money to get a hair transplant.

I actually had low expectations, i expected it to at least slow down my loss but instead it just ate away at my hairline, since being on loniten it is coming back but Ive not recovered from my shed yet so it still looks worse than from when i started the min. I'll give fina until i hit month 6 on loniten to see if it has started helping yet, but i doubt it.

@Balding Virgin What sucks is im in almost the same situation as you! I have retrograde alopecia on the sides of my head and poor donor too. my family history on my mothers side is pretty bad, half going bald in 20s and the other half in 30s. My dads side is somewhat better with it happening mostly in the 50s. Im 20 just now and a Norwood 2.5 with no thinning except in my retrograde alopecia zones. what age are you?

 

[Balding Virgin]

I actually had low expectations, i expected it to at least slow down my loss but instead it just ate away at my hairline, since being on loniten it is coming back but Ive not recovered from my shed yet so it still looks worse than from when i started the min. I'll give fina until i hit month 6 on loniten to see if it has started helping yet, but i doubt it.

@Balding Virgin What sucks is im in almost the same situation as you! I have retrograde alopecia on the sides of my head and poor donor too. my family history on my mothers side is pretty bad, half going bald in 20s and the other half in 30s. My dads side is somewhat better with it happening mostly in the 50s. Im 20 just now and a Norwood 2.5 with no thinning except in my retrograde alopecia zones. what age are you?

early 20's too

 

[phamboy24]

Quick question guys!

So these past years I have been losing a big amount of hair. Special at winter/autumn and every year it freaks me out but last year and this year I have been taking a blood test at my doctor. He tells me that my D-vitamin is low, so now I have been using oils; Rosemary, Lavender, peppermint oils and taken d-vitamin and I no longer shred anymore like I used to do. I used to lose around 20 hairs everytime I touched my hair (+ inflammation) and now maybe 1-5 at the morning and night (no inflammation). The funny thing is that I have the M-shape but I have had it for over 3 years now and it had not receded further since? Could the lack of D-vitamin cause hairloss?

And if your father and uncles on your father's side are bald, does it then mean you are going bald?
How can I regain the lost hair these past years? by biotin shampoo?
Can I treat thinning hair?

Btw my older brother has high temples too but his hair is thick as f***? (M-shape), so my last question is does M-shape always mean baldness?

thank you!

 

[AnxiousAndy]

Quick question guys!

So these past years I have been losing a big amount of hair. Special at winter/autumn and every year it freaks me out but last year and this year I have been taking a blood test at my doctor. He tells me that my D-vitamin is low, so now I have been using oils; Rosemary, Lavender, peppermint oils and taken d-vitamin and I no longer shred anymore like I used to do. I used to lose around 20 hairs everytime I touched my hair (+ inflammation) and now maybe 1-5 at the morning and night (no inflammation). The funny thing is that I have the M-shape but I have had it for over 3 years now and it had not receded further since? Could the lack of D-vitamin cause hairloss?

And if your father and uncles on your father's side are bald, does it then mean you are going bald?
How can I regain the lost hair these past years? by biotin shampoo?
Can I treat thinning hair?

Btw my older brother has high temples too but his hair is thick as f***? (M-shape), so my last question is does M-shape always mean baldness?

thank you!

M shape does not always mean baldness. If your hair recedes beyond norwood 2 or starts thinning then you can be sure its baldness.

 

[phamboy24]

M shape does not always mean baldness. If your hair recedes beyond norwood 2 or starts thinning then you can be sure its baldness.

Thank you for your answer, andy! My name is andy too lmao XD
What is Norwood 2?

 

[AnxiousAndy]

Thank you for your answer, andy! My name is andy too lmao XD
What is Norwood 2?

Funny that eh Look up the norwood scale on google. The norwood scale shows the different degrees of hairloss.

 

[phamboy24]

Funny that eh Look up the norwood scale on google. The norwood scale shows the different degrees of hairloss.

Seems I have had under norwood 1 with baby hairs for years now. Still think I'm going with the oil for strong, thick and healthy hair
Thank you again Andy

 

[Maxxorr]

Thanks so far for all your answers! I am really looking forward to read more treatment regimens!

 

[Michael1986]

Does dutasteride really give you better results than finasteride? If so, I could give it a go I think.

Yes, dutasteride gives significantly better results as has been shown in clinical trials in which it grew more hair than finasteride. The greater effectiveness of dutasteride is due to its more complete removal of DHT from the body.

 

[Finjunkie]

Yup, there's a few different 5A reductases and finasteride doesn't block all of them. That's why it lowers DHT around 70% but not much more if you increase the dose. dutasteride blocks all of them, and is approved for hairloss in Japan.

My guess is the FDA was hesitant to approve something for hairloss that blocks all of a hormone. That's also the reason I'm not that worried taking finasteride. I still have some DHT floating around to do whatever, if anything, it normally does besides make you go bald

 

[BaldyBalderBald]

Yup, there's a few different 5A reductases and finasteride doesn't block all of them. That's why it lowers DHT around 70% but not much more if you increase the dose. dutasteride blocks all of them, and is approved for hairloss in Japan.

My guess is the FDA was hesitant to approve something for hairloss that blocks all of a hormone. That's also the reason I'm not that worried taking finasteride. I still have some DHT floating around to do whatever, if anything, it normally does besides make you go bald

I would always be surprised to see how people underestimate the role of hormones on the body and brain

 

[Maxxorr]

My guess is the FDA was hesitant to approve something for hairloss that blocks all of a hormone.

I can understand that! Disrupting the hormonal balance is dangerous...

 

[phamboy24]

Is it normal that my hair thins out at the root??

So depressed.. I literally cried in the bathroom yesterday..

 

[MorningGlory]

finasteride 1mg every day.

Works great, maintained everything for over five years now.

Not changing anything, might be able to get some regrowth by going crazy with a regiment but maintaining is fine for me and I like the simplicity.

Hoping to keep maintaining with finasteride alone for another decade at least, until I'm old and ragged enough to not give a crap.

I think many guys overcomplicate things. I maintained with finasteride and it took years to be sure. Some people change regiments every 6 mos or more, not sure how you could see if anything was working at that rate.

Have you seen any regrowth?

 

[MorningGlory]

Started finasteride 1mg on 20th May. Had an initial shed but nothing major and no side effects thus far. I wash my hair daily with Alpecin, I like the thickening effect it seems to have on my hair. I think finasteride has improved the overall quality of my hair and some people have commented to that effect.

I am considering adding Nizoral shampoo to my regimen soon. Minoxidil will be the last thing I add (if at all) because it seems like a pain to apply every day.

I am hoping to regain my crown area and overall density. I will consider a hair transplant in future as my donor area is strong.

 

[Finjunkie]

Have you seen any regrowth?

No. That's why it took me years to be sure finasteride was working. I had a dermatologist with a lot of guys on it once he said that's typical. You're pretty lucky if finasteride gives regrowth that's plainly visible.

 

[Finjunkie]

Started finasteride 1mg on 20th May. Had an initial shed but nothing major and no side effects thus far. I wash my hair daily with Alpecin, I like the thickening effect it seems to have on my hair. I think finasteride has improved the overall quality of my hair and some people have commented to that effect.

I am considering adding Nizoral shampoo to my regimen soon. Minoxidil will be the last thing I add (if at all) because it seems like a pain to apply every day.

I am hoping to regain my crown area and overall density. I will consider a hair transplant in future as my donor area is strong.

You could get lucky, some guys seem to continually regain hair on finasteride albiet slowly. Even if you just stabilize, it makes you a better hair transplant candidate. I'm considering a small hair transplant down the road just to stick a fork in my hairloss. Being stable on finasteride for a long time has eased my fears that an hair transplant would be in vein

 

[MorningGlory]

You could get lucky, some guys seem to continually regain hair on finasteride albiet slowly. Even if you just stabilize, it makes you a better hair transplant candidate. I'm considering a small hair transplant down the road just to stick a fork in my hairloss. Being stable on finasteride for a long time has eased my fears that an hair transplant would be in vein

What’s your age and Norwood stage, if you don’t mind sharing? I’m 33 and approximately a NW3v with diffused thinning. Very thick back and sides.

 

[Finjunkie]

What’s your age and Norwood stage, if you don’t mind sharing? I’m 33 and approximately a NW3v with diffused thinning. Very thick back and sides.

30 at NW2 but I got there by 24. I would probably be beyond salvaging by now if I wasn't on finasteride.