Bryan,
I see what you mean with the finasteride. I knew that it was just a little more effective at the proscar dosage. I bite a propecia tablet in half every day (.5 mg). However, taking 2 proscars, by law of diminishing returns proboably is hardly any more effective than taking 1 proscar.
I feel quite certain there is an optimum dosage of proanthocyanidrins, but it hasnt been shown that one has to take more and more over time yet. This is kinda what I meant about minoxidil. Even if its one having to take more because baldness is "catching up to it and overtaking its effects", one still has to take more and more and moves into the realm of side effects. Ive also read on a site called hairloss-research. something (forget the domain) that there is an observed phenomena of "minoxodil-dependent hair" where guys regrow hair with the stuff, but then stop and not only lose what they regrew, but have a massive shed and lose some hair they had. Docs say the guys other hair had become "dependent" on its rejuvanitve effect. Its scared me off to an extent.
My whole aim in fighting male pattern baldness was that Im hoping for the possibility of better treatments in the future just like the "mission statement" in the regimine and treatments section of this website advises. I know science is working on it, and if I can just keep what I got for a few more years and stave off fibrosis, maybe there will be hope for me.
Tom Hagerty, who started to bald at 19, but has a nice head of hair at 73, has been something of an inspiration to me. I have his CD and perform his scalp excercise twice daily. I also try to get a good amount of vitamin B complex like he advises, eat flaxseed poweder in oatmeal, take .5 mg of propecia, use the product Crianagen (in hopes of inhibiting both types of alpha-5 reductase in scalp and facial tissue + the effect of the proanthocyanidrins + the anti fungal and anti bacterial effect of the tea tree oil thats also in the crinagen, there is also zinc and niacin in it which gives the scalp a good blood rush). Ive been sleeping with a tobaggan on and wiping my head with an absorbent towel about twice a day in case Armando is right. I dont see how this could hurt as our pillows dont hurt our donor areas. Ive been experimenting with a few 2 minute inversions standing to improve lymphatic drainage in case Steven is correct. Ive read a study that indicated that bald men had 2.6 times less blood flow than non male pattern baldness men in which 100 something subjects were used. The Japanese believe this, I think they are the smartest people on earth (northern Asiatic IQ's are highest) and respect their opinions. I work for a Japanese company so I know the meaning of tedious tenacity, let me tell you). Im only shampooing every other day because Hagerty believes that overshampooing may cause a little subclinical inflammation of the scalp in certain sensitive folks, I shampoo with nizoral once a week. Am considering a little scalp massage to stretch collagen fibers a bit to fight fibrosis and also considering a little emu oil as Ive heard its really good at staving off fibrosis. I scalp excersise for the hopes that Im promoting angiogenesis. Hagerty's site is full of info about this phenomenon and his belief that the SE promotes it. Im hoping to keep my microcapillaries alive up there, and fill em' with blood a couple of times a day naturally as if there is some great genetic therapy available in a few years, I dont want to have locked myself out of it by having a head full of fibrosis. This is pretty much what I do right now, other than manual stuff its just Propecia., crinagen, nizoral, flaxseeds, vitamin intake. Ive got a laser comb, but proboably only use the thing once a week. Kevin McElewe of Keratin.com thinks that long term that the lasers might hurt dermal papilla cells so this is a risk I suppose. Am also considering caffeine topically if Alpecin will come through with a little proof about their concoction.