23 years old, losing ground on treatments.

[Koga]

Hi,

I'm 23 years old. This is what my regimen looks like
- Started on first of September 2012: minoxidil 1 ml at night;
- Started on first of November 2013: finasteride 1 mg at night;
- On and off: different brand shampoos, low-dosage multivitamin.

First of all, I seemed to have succes with minoxidil and i forgot about the hair problem. During the summer of 2013 I got lazy and I didn't apply minoxidil for three to four weeks (July) cause I went backpacking. Result? Huge shed since August and it kept going. So first of November I started finasteride. Almost immediately I got great results and my hair started thickening, darkening and straightening (less curly) and shedding reduced to almost zero. Truly one of the happiest periods of my life. Yet after 4 months or so the shedding returned like a little b**ch.

Since April or so I have been shedding and my hair seems as bad/good as the day I started finasteride. I keep shedding and my hair seems to keep thinning.. Also the darkening and straightening of finasteride is reversed. finasteride seemed to work so great for me. I had some erection problems but these stopped a little after the finasteride stopped working too. I know what you might be thinking, but I've been on the same finasteride all the time: from my local pharmacy. Fun fact: the time finasteride stopped working is also when I got a new girlfriend.

Last month or so, it seems to go even faster and I developped an itchy scalp after showering or after applying minoxidil. I had this before starting finasteride, but I went away with the use of finasteride.

Now I've been on finasteride for over a year. Should I wait this one out? Or maybe start nizoral? Or should I add dutasteride? spironolactone (oral/topical)? RU? Anything? This hair loss gives me the sickest amount of stress, can't hardly think about anything else.

The thinning takes place on the entire scalp, but mostly on these two 'lines'. Two 'partings' you could say. I'll try to take some pictures anytime soon. First you couldn't see scalp (even under harsh light), then you could see scalp under harsh light in these two places, now even normal light or low-light shows scalp. My hair feels so weak and soft and thin nowadays.. Any comment or help is greatly appreciated.

 

[Koga]

Any advice at all?

- - - Updated - - -




(click on picture to enlarge)

This is a picture from a few months back, but it shows the thinning. My hair is actually thicker on top than on the sides of the head.. =/ Didn't have this problem before starting finasteride.

 

[Koga]

Bump

 

[saja2148]

how often do you use minoxidil?
Have you skipped any days using minoxidil

 

[Koga]

I use it at night only, 1 ml. Hardly ever have I missed a dose. As you can read, I had a shedding when I quit minoxidil for three weeks. I'll never make that mistake again.

 

[Koga]

Not one suggestion?

 

[hairyhenry]

Dude don't take spironolactone. You could add a keto shampoo, but don't expect very noticeable results. How much finasteride do you have left? You could switch from finasteride to dutasteride when you run out or add a pill or two of dutasteride every week. There are very few options when it comes to hair loss. They will either work for you or they won't. Some are worth the risks. Others are not. Best of luck man.

 

[Cue Bald]

It's hard to see any male pattern baldness in the picture at all? NW1.5 ?

 

[Koga]

I don't have the typical receding hairline balding pattern. I suffer from (severely) diffuse thinning.

 

[Koga]

Things are going downhill..



(click to enlarge)



(click to enlarge)

First of September 2012: 1ml minoxidil at night.
First of November 2013: 1mg finasteride at night.

From starting finasteride, I've gone from bad to much better to worst right now. I can see scalp even at low light. Hair seems so thin, I notice shedding and regular itching too.

I don't know how much longer I want to wait to increase finasteride dosage or starting dutasteride. This sucks =/

 

[Koga]

Bump

 

[centurie]

To be honest your hair is looking much thicker. I am on 6 months of finasteride and my hair seems alot thinner but i am just going to ride it out... Has your facial hair development been stunted atall btw?

 

[Koga]

The first picture looked worsw that it was. I have plenty pictures of every period and now it does seem worse.. Facial hair development was sadly stunted by finasteride, yes.

 

[centurie]

Mine has been too, i was monitoring facial hair aswell and it has regressed infact... This is what i dont understand how can finasteride be effected my facial hair yet my hair still gets worse?? Surely DHT is clearly being inhibited to the point that is effecting my hair follicles... Also ive never stopped shedding im at 6 months now and all the hairs i shed are miniaturized follicles.

 

[DontWant2BeBald]

The first picture looked worsw that it was. I have plenty pictures of every period and now it does seem worse.. Facial hair development was sadly stunted by finasteride, yes.

Dude take better pics. I can hairdly tell anything since your hair is so curly. Pull your hair back and post wet pics too. Getting your sides trimmed would help as well

 

[Koga]

Hello everyone,

I'm on 23 months finasteride and my hair is falling in lumps. I'm losing tons and tons of hair. In july I had a very harsh emotional month, with hardly any food and a lot of emotional stress. Strangely enough, that month my hair was really thick and I had almost no shedding. Nowadays, starting in August, I lose soooo much hair everyday. I have clearly visible scalp on the top of my head, even with low light. What can I do? Or what would be a next, logical step? Adding dutasteride? Or topical spironolactone? Upping my finasteride dose?

I use 1mg finasteride/day, 1ml minoxidil/day. I might start keto shampoo again, but I doubt whether this will make a lot of difference.

 

[Dench57]

Moving onto dutasteride would be your best bet. You may also need to consider getting into some experimental stuff like RU or Seti.

I would use a keto shampoo as well like Regenepure. Should help with the itching.

 

[Koga]

Thanks. I'll add nizoral 2 to the 3 times a week. I have quite a lot of itching too. I'll give it until the first of November, then I'm exactly 2 years on finasteride. If I don't see a decrease in shedding by then, I'll add dutasteride once or twice a week.

 

[Folirexic]

Can we see some current pics?

 

[Koga]

Yes, I'll try to take some this weekend. I'm just thinking the huge shedding and quick thinning might be caused by the emotional breakdown in the beginning of July. That was the worst emotional pain I ever felt, so maybe i'm shedding now because of that. I just want to make sure finasteride or my body won't fix this by themselves, cause when I start dutasteride it's a commitment for life. It would be completely ridiculous if I'd take dutasteride without it being absolutely necessary.