When To Throw In The Towel And Move On??

[thinlid]

Hey All,

I am now almost 38. Been in battle since I was 18.
I did have great results from 18-25.
By habit, I am still on the Big 3 regimen.
From the age of 26 to today I have been in a big time decline.
Top of my head is very thin(Well very, very thin). I have been able to manage using dry shampoo, and a bit of concealer.
But I hate still being on finasteride if it is not helping (never had a side). Doctor sends me for tests yearly before subscribing to make sure levels are all ok.

Question I have is, Does finasteride have a reverse affect after awhile?
Or is it time for me to just throw in the towel..

Thanks

 

[Retinoid]

No Finasteride does not have the reverse effect.

Three things you can do to jump start your routine:

1) Take Duasteride .5mg twice a week and take the Finasteride the other 5 days.
2) Add derma rolling once a week 1.5mm.
3) Take low dose oral Minoxidil (like 2.5mg/day, split up into two doses).

 

[thinlid]

I have always thought about using dutasteride.
I know my Doctor would def not prescribe it.
May have to look online.
I do have a dermaroller too. but have never stuck to it (no pun intended)
May give it a shot. Thanks

 

[Bigbone]

Posts like these always make me think why even bother. There are two kinds of male pattern baldness, first we have the normal one that is slow and starts in your 30's. Then we have the one that starts early, is aggressive and fucks you up mentally. Early hair loss just seems way harder to treat, a success is to buy a few years and it sucks.
I want to do a hair transplant right now but it's a lot of money for me and since I don't know for how long finasteride is going to work it's a huge risk.

What Norwood did you have when you started treatment and what would you say your Norwood is now? Or is it all diffuse hair loss?

To answer your question, like already mentioned you have dutasteride and that's basically it.

 

[Retinoid]

Posts like these always make me think why even bother. There are two kinds of male pattern baldness, first we have the normal one that is slow and starts in your 30's. Then we have the one that starts early, is aggressive and fucks you up mentally. Early hair loss just seems way harder to treat, a success is to buy a few years and it sucks.
I want to do a hair transplant right now but it's a lot of money for me and since I don't know for how long finasteride is going to work it's a huge risk.

What Norwood did you have when you started treatment and what would you say your Norwood is now? Or is it all diffuse hair loss?

To answer your question, like already mentioned you have dutasteride and that's basically it.

It started when he was 18 and he is now 38, that is a good amt of time the treatments bought him.

 

[Bigbone]

It started when he was 18 and he is now 38, that is a good amt of time the treatments bought him.

He also said he only had great results 18-25.

 

[Retinoid]

He also said he only had great results 18-25.

Being 38 and being able to hide your hair loss still after starting balding when you are 18 is pretty good.

 

[Bigbone]

Being 38 and being able to hide your hair loss still after starting balding when you are 18 is pretty good.

I'm speaking for myself, but I don't want to hang on to thin hair, it looks ridiculous IMO. I want to be able to recreate a somewhat good head of hair. A "very thin" head of hair does not sound like a great combination with a hair transplant. I will care when I'm 35 as well.

I'm not speaking against finasteride, I just needed to rant on current treatments.

 

[Retinoid]

I'm speaking for myself, but I don't want to hang on to thin hair, it looks ridiculous IMO. I want to be able to recreate a somewhat good head of hair. A "very thin" head of hair does not sound like a great combination with a hair transplant. I will care when I'm 35 as well.

I'm not speaking against finasteride, I just needed to rant on current treatments.

Right they are not perfect. It would be nice if the OP had pics from when he started to now. Adding Duasteride to Finasteride can be very effective as it is a more complete 5AR2 inhibitor. Also oral Minoxidil has literally regrown a sparsely pupulated scalp many times.

 

[thinlid]

I will dig through some old files on my computer at home and see what pics I have.
And yes all diffuse thinning.
I leave the top part of my sides of hair a bit longer and almost style like a faux hawk.. sprinkle a little concealer to hide a bit.
Still trying to maintain the thin look so I can slowly get off the concealer.

I think I still may try dutasteride. if I can get my hands on some.

 

[thinlid]

Actually I posted this pic when I tried derma rolling.

https://www.hairlosstalk.com/intera...thoughts-comments.69374/page-158#post-1151064

Hair is pretty much the same.
When applying minoxidil I notice the only hair I lose are small vellus hairs

 

[Saulus]

Actually I posted this pic when I tried derma rolling.

https://www.hairlosstalk.com/intera...thoughts-comments.69374/page-158#post-1151064

Hair is pretty much the same.
When applying minoxidil I notice the only hair I lose are small vellus hairs

dude...hate to say this


but youre basically bald

the chances that you will sufficient regrowth with drugs is close to zero


its either transplant or shaving


but talking finasteride to safe these few hairs is just ridicilous

 

[Retinoid]

Thinlid so you have constantly been using Minoxidil, Finasteride and Nizoral for 20yrs and lost most of your hair? No multi year breaks?

 

[Bigbone]

Thinlid so you have constantly been using Minoxidil, Finasteride and Nizoral for 20yrs and lost most of your hair? No multi year breaks?

I like that you're trying to be positive about current treatments, maybe he did have some breaks. But you need to accept the fact that it's far from good for a lot of guys. I even think it was you who posted the original merck study that showed success in about 70% of patients. Now do that same study on guys in their 20's and I'm pretty comfortable the numbers would be way lower.

 

[Retinoid]

I like that you're trying to be positive about current treatments, maybe he did have some breaks. But you need to accept the fact that it's far from good for a lot of guys. I even think it was you who posted the original merck study that showed success in about 70% of patients. Now do that same study on guys in their 20's and I'm pretty comfortable the numbers would be way lower.

I believe it was at 5yrs 70% were above baseline. This was just Finasteride. Not Minoxidil and Nizoral too.

And Bigbone, I am trying to get all the facts. That is all. I am curious if he lost all his hair using all 3 treatments without cessation---this is not about trying to be positive.

 

[thinlid]

That is about 20 years straight. I did may take a break for a few months. but always felt that chance it would come back.
I took some pics this morning.
First one is what it looks like when I wake up.
Second with concealer
third styled