25 - balding - starting regime finasteride&min

[headless]

Well my hair is looking better by the day. A lot of people asking me if I colored my hair, it's so much darker and it gets curly again (my hair has been curly a few times before in my life, I like it). My regimen is easy to maintain and no side effects so far, crown is really dense (picture in daylight with flash) and even my temples are filling in (just a bit, but still). Min for 8 months, finasteride for a 5,5 months and nizoral since 3,5 months. I'm looking forward to the summer since I'll be seeing a lot of people who haven't seen me since last summer - really curious what people will say. I'm still making progress so I'll have to wait to see where my top will be

 

[chandan 54]

Your results are amazing....congrats on your success. Keep going. Any suggestions about how to apply minoxidil. Iam new here and started my regimen same.as.yours since one month

 

[headless]

Thanks! Very pleased with how everything is going so far
Most days I apply minoxidil twice a day, but sometimes (when I'm not at home or in a rush) I skip and do it just once.
I use Kirkland liquid, I just apply it everywhere on my scalp (the balding area's, so mostly on top) and rub it in. Let it dry, nothing more. After it dried sometimes I use a styling product. I use a bit more than prescribed (1ml for the vertex is recommended, so I apply a bit more because I cover more than just the vertex, the temples as well).

 

[headless]

I'm experiencing some shedding today. I combed my hair so that the hairs would fall in the sink. I counted between 40-50 hairs in the sink, and I took a show before where I already found more hairs than usual in my hands & towel.

The strange thing is: they are all short. My hair is a bit longer on top, with shorter hairs growing since min&finasteride... and it looks like those min&finasteride hairs were the ones falling out.
I've been using min a bit less often (min. once a day, but I used to do twice a day everyday) but haven't skipped a day at finasteride.

So, I'm really curious what is happening here: am I stabilizing or is my growth continuing?

 

[CliffLee]

Headless, I am experiencing something similar. I've been on both minoxidil and find for a few months (documenting and hopeing to have some results to post) and I've noticed shedding of lots of short hairs. My hair is reasonably long on top and is shorter on the sides so it seems odd to be only shedding 1 inch hairs.

I think it has finally stopped (lasted about two weeks). For me, it can't be regrown hairs, since I haven't been on it long enough I don't think for me to experience regrowth.

 

[I.D WALKER]

Have you guys already experience the initial shed typically caused by the meds. you're using or is this something noticeably new? Thanx for sharing.

 

[CliffLee]

It was evident to me that I was shedding all these short hairs. My girlfriend also noticed a lot more hair in the shower after me (which again, were all 1 inch hairs). This has since stopped. I didn't notice any difference to the thickness of my hair and my hair/scalp looks the same. I would say I am somewhere to being a NW1.5-2 with some midly thinning at the front.

For me, I am happy to see a shed. As long as it is not overly aggressive, it seems that a shed is necessary (even if you don't notice it) before you can have decent results. I am purely basing this on the information I have read, particularly on finasteride, and the reports of people who have had success.

 

[I.D WALKER]

Thanx Cliff. It looks like you are on the right track with your treatment plan.:sun:

 

[headless]

I haven't had a shed before, but today is quite good (two hairs when styling my hair which is totally normal for a non-balding person).

The falling hairs are 1 inch long with me as well, but since I'm on finasteride for 6 months now (min a bit longer) this sounds like an expected shedding phase.
Cliff Lee, would you say we have similar balding when seeing my pictures in this thread?

 

[CliffLee]

I'm really hoping to have some regrowth from the shed, but to be fair, I haven't noticed a decrease in density etc.

We have a similar balding pattern (and similar curly hair), expect my hair loss is not as bad as your loss, from before you started the meds (your initial pics). My frontal thinning is mild and I don't have any thinning in the crown.

 

[headless]

My hair has gotten a lot darker, but I think it's getting better every day.
The picture is taken in full daylight (inside but windows on two sides standing next to the window).
I started using some kind of hair clay, which is way less greasy than wax but does give me some extra volume. I didn't want to use it before because it's terrible to find 20+ hairs in your hands when you apply it.. but since my meds are working, that's not a concern anymore

 

[headless]

I just got a new batch of finasteride from the pharmacy. I got 60 pills of finasteride (5mg) for just 13 euros.. that's just 5cts a day for my finasteride. Can't believe I started with propecia for 1,5 euro a day.

Hair is looking ok, feeling comfortable in getting shorter hair cuts every time. No more worries, finasteride & min are just part of my routine

 

[headless]

Progress after 12 months of minoxidil & 9 months of finasteride. Please do comment and feel free to ask questions.

 

[centurie]

Any sides from the finasteride, and did you experience a shedding phase? If so how long?

 

[headless]

No sides from the finasteride, libido is good. Didn't really have a shedding phase but do have some bad days (but still way way better than before the meds).

 

[john13]

do you have a better picture of your front, the last one seems pretty small. i would like to compare the front, vertex looks good.

 

[kpat]

Wow, your hairline looks a lot better!

 

[CliffLee]

For what it's worth, I started experiencing some itchiness from the Lipogaine liquid minoxidil. To be fair, I was mixing retin-a with the liquid for extra absorption. Now I just use the foam twice a day if my scalp starts to get too itchy and then when my scalp is ok, I go back to the liquid.

 

[headless]

minoxidil liquid (Kirkland) but I only use it at night half an hour before I go to sleep. I rub around 2ml on the top of my head (including temples and vertex). It sometimes itches, but I use nizoral as well and I don't experience it as a real burden. Before my regimen it itched a lot more (inflamation).

Will upload a decent picture of the front soon, wearing a cap today so you'll get the wrong idea if I take a picture now.

I started working out a lot more (fitness 3-4 a week) so I'm looking way way better than I did a year before. Almost ready for summer

 

[damien_p_watermelon]

Have you had any gains in your hair line? Do you actually have a 'edge of the forest' hairline?