28 year old, diffuse, pics inside

[alex85]

Hi guys. Sorry for grammar, i am from Ukraine=)

In May 2013 i started using minoxidil(5%) on my hairlaine, first months twice daily, then once per day. My hairline wasn't that bad, just a little thin on the sides, it was some kind of prophylaxis. Everything was ok, and apporx. in october 2013 i've dropped using of minoxidil. Shortly after, my left side of the hairline suddenly become thin. No receding, just thin. This worried me, but not so much, anyway i decided to use minoxidil in future again. Right side and other was fine.
In January 2013, about a month ago i realize that i have strange massive shedding.
After visiting my barber, i discover huge and awful problems -



Then i decided to buzz cut (3 mm) my hair -


Finally, a 10 days after buzz cut


This is my hair 6-7 months ago -


Right now i am on finasteride 1.25 (1 week), and minoxidil 2x day (3.5 weeks). Same as keto shampoo 2-3 week. Strongly in need of some advice, i am totally emotionally devastated, this is the one of the worst things happened to me in the entire life. I almost cry looking to my past photo's. And sooo fast and suddenly - about a 3-4 month ago my hair was exellent.
Is there any sence of using big 3 in my situation, or things are just too bad? Thanks for help=(

 

[LosingHairIsNotFair]

Too bad? It's really, really not bad at all. You're 28 so it can't be that aggressive. I'm 21 with diffuse thinning and my hair is worse than yours. If you stay on finasteride and use minoxidil you will be ****ing fine...

 

[alex85]

Too bad? It's really, really not bad at all. You're 28 so it can't be that aggressive. I'm 21 with diffuse thinning and my hair is worse than yours. If you stay on finasteride and use minoxidil you will be ****ing fine...

Thx man, but diffusing top is very visible on the short hair. It wasn't with 4-5 cm hair, but now with 1 cm it looks awful and bad.

Min approx 1 months, finasteride ~20 days, no sides, mb a very little libido decrease. I feel very depressed, hoping to get my density back, in the worst case atleast save what i have now, but i dont know if it is possible to perform hair transplant to thinnig areas, in my case.

 

[LosingHairIsNotFair]

Yeah, I know how you feel (depressed). Eventually you get used to the idea though. You say to yourself that you are doing all you can, and that's all you can do. I think we're damn lucky we have finasteride to be honest. I hope I'm one of those guys who can maintain for 10 + years.
Anyway, some people say that treatments work best for diffuse thinners because we still have all/most of our hair, it's just miniaturizing. finasteride and minoxidil can reverse the miniaturization process and then maintain. ^^ We'll see.
Here's my hair so you can compare...I also have a receded hairline...I think it's growing back though. http://s1217.photobucket.com/user/Peter_Charles11/media/Photoon2-27-14at951AM.jpg.html?sort=3&o=1
http://s1217.photobucket.com/user/Peter_Charles11/media/Photoon2-27-14at1004AM3.jpg.html?sort=3&o=0

By the way, when it's a little longer than it is now, no one notices the diffuse thinning. I buzzed it off like you did because someone on the forums suggested I had diffuse thinning and I wanted to check it out.

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But yeah when I first buzzed my hair and realized I was diffuse thinning and didn't just have a receding hairline I freaked out and was depressed for days. I'm sure you can relate.

 

[I.D WALKER]

You've only been on your meds. for less than 2 month (approximately) therefore it's much too early to determine the progress you may or may not achieve. I would try your best try to step away from your situation a bit if you know what I mean, as difficult as that in itself is do because right now you are potentially looking at 6- 12 months or so to see any results. Thanx for sharing and all the best.

 

[alex85]

Anyway, some people say that treatments work best for diffuse thinners because we still have all/most of our hair, it's just miniaturizing. finasteride and minoxidil can reverse the miniaturization process and then maintain. ^^ We'll see.

Yea, i've heard it many times, it makes me little more optimistic.

You say to yourself that you are doing all you can, and that's all you can do.

Same to me) Being on the treatment for the first months all you need is a stone cold patience.

It looks like your problem is similar to mine, the only difference you have more problems on your vertex, mine is mosty untouched atm, but my center seems worse then yours. Are you on meds right now?

But yeah when I first buzzed my hair and realized I was diffuse thinning and didn't just have a receding hairline I freaked out and was depressed for days.

Exaclty. I was always thinking and even waiting for my hairline to recede, but when i first realize that it's all over my top...It was really emotionally painful.

 

[LosingHairIsNotFair]

At least your hairline is still basically perfect.

 

[alex85]

Hello everyone. I really need some advices/opinions=(
Approx 2 months on min, 1.3 months on finasteride. Can't really notice any changes in the first month, but in the past 10 days hair suddenly become more thicker and darker. Density is still not as good as it was 6 months ago, hair on the top of the head is weaker then on sides/back, but at least i can go outside without wearing a hat=)
It's too soon for finasteride to work, i guess it's only min effect. So i can't understand, is there a sense to continue finasteride, or drop it?
I am now on 1.25 mg, i have very slight libido decrease/some watery semen, but erection looks even better then pre finasteride.
Can i reduce daily dose to 0.8 or 0.5, or lowering the dose will not take away sides?
Please help=)


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I forgot to mention that atm there is nearly zero hair shed, compared to pre-threatment. And all the hair i shed now is short - 0.5-1 cm. On all the other head it's 2 cm now. Is it bad?

 

[I.D WALKER]

Your hair did and does look superb. Were you ever actually medically diagnosed with male pattern baldness?

 

[BeardedOne]

Honestly, I think your hair looks really great, it barely looks like you've lost any at all in your latest pics. It is way too early for you to tell whether finasteride is having an effect yet, the best thing you can do now is accept that you are doing all you can and try to out it out of your mind (I know how difficult that is!) for the next few months. I also believe that diffuse thinners are the best responders to meds - finasteride helps to strengthen the hair that's there and in some cases can reverse the miniaturisation process, so the more hair you still have on your head, thinning or not, the better.

Studies have shown that a dose of finasteride as low as .2mg (I think) has almost the same effect as a 1mg dose, so you could try that to see if it reduces your sides. I felt small sides, on and off, since I started finasteride 4 months ago but I have very slightly reduced my dosage to around .875mg and they are very tolerable.

The bottom line is, hang in there! Your hair looks great and, if you stay on the meds, it's only going to get better!

 

[alex85]

Your hair did and does look superb. Were you ever actually medically diagnosed with male pattern baldness?

At first, sry for my bad English)
Yep, clearly i does not fit Norwood scale, due to almost untouched hairline and totally untouched vertex, but as you can see in the first post, there was(is?now i think not) really visible diffuse thinning on top, the last pic from the first post was taken summer 2013, others are jan-feb 2014.
I suddenly realized this thinning 3 months ago, in the mid of january this year, but now, after only 1.5-2 months on big 3(i use keto shampoo also) it reverted suddenly. Still not as good as it was last summer, but if some1 erase my memory now, i wouldn't even suspect i have hair problems.
That's why i am confused, and don't know what to do now - it's obvious that finasteride couldn't gave this results, it's mostly min/keto/zinc supplements, but i can be wrong...

 

[Da Crow]

Just relax brotha, go meet some women, smoke some marijuana or do something other than worry about this.
Yes you did have male-patterned-baldness, but your regimen is definitely working. Stay on it! In 4-6 months I
presume you will see hair like it was 3-4 years ago.

-God

 

[I.D WALKER]

At first, sry for my bad English)
Yep, clearly i does not fit Norwood scale, due to almost untouched hairline and totally untouched vertex, but as you can see in the first post, there was(is?now i think not) really visible diffuse thinning on top, the last pic from the first post was taken summer 2013, others are jan-feb 2014.
I suddenly realized this thinning 3 months ago, in the mid of january this year, but now, after only 1.5-2 months on big 3(i use keto shampoo also) it reverted suddenly. Still not as good as it was last summer, but if some1 erase my memory now, i wouldn't even suspect i have hair problems.
That's why i am confused, and don't know what to do now - it's obvious that finasteride couldn't gave this results, it's mostly min/keto/zinc supplements, but i can be wrong...

Your English is fine. It puts my Ukraine to shame. I wish you all the best.

 

[alex85]

Hi guys, 3 months and 10 days finasteride, 4 months minoxidil. Hair seems to be fine. I sometimes can see my scalp in the bright lightning, and hair densitiy on sides/back is stronger then on the top, but i am pleased with the results atm. But...there is a new problem - i am now REALLY afraid things can come worse, and REALLY paranoid about any hairs i see in the shower, bathtub, etc. Today i shed 15 or 17 hairs washing my head(i do it once per 2 days), and then 30-35 daily, combing and jiggling my hair nearly every half an hour=( I am aslo become more depressed and frustrated everytime i see shedded hair. This is really retarded, and i don't know how to fight it out=(

 

[GoldenMane]

Stop worrying, your hair never got that bad, and now it's great. You caught it very early and now you have and will keep great hair for a long time, just enjoy it! Shedding is fine.

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You're really lucky man, and not just compared to us, but compared to most guys, you have a great hairline at 28. Actually I wonder if you ever had male pattern baldness at all? Everyone's hair looks thinner when wet and short.

 

[Lifebay]

Your hair is awful. Take finasteride now!! Better take finasteride and dutasteride. N

 

[alex85]

You're really lucky man, and not just compared to us, but compared to most guys, you have a great hairline at 28. Actually I wonder if you ever had male pattern baldness at all? Everyone's hair looks thinner when wet and short.

I am not really sure it was male pattern baldness, but i just don't know what esle it can be. I've seen strong improvement in less then 1 month on finasteride and 1.5 month on minoxidil, it looks like too fast. Anyway, atleast i'm hoping that i would not become pure NW4 is the next coulpe of years.

 

[zzzzz]

lowering dose will not do anything to help sides because serum DHT inhibition is almost exactly the same regardless of what dose you take. Continue taking finasteride. You stopped minoxidil after having results and lost so much hair and you didn't learn from your mistake?

 

[alex85]

lowering dose will not do anything to help sides because serum DHT inhibition is almost exactly the same regardless of what dose you take. Continue taking finasteride. You stopped minoxidil after having results and lost so much hair and you didn't learn from your mistake?

Hmm, i've been taking 1.25 only for the first month, then reduce to 0.65, and then, for the last 2 months, i take aprox 0.2, mb even lower. Didn't saw any regress, probably hair become even better, but sides reduced a little - tiredness almost gone, semen volume is slightly better, same as libido. Still not on the desireable level, but...
Yes, it looks like mine decemeber-january xtreme shedding was the result of cancelling minoxidil, tough i've used it only on my hairline. I am almost(3 weeks left) 29, so i think i am too old for an agressive male pattern baldness, and 6-12 months ago everything was fine.
Anyway, i am still afraid of potentially becoming bald in the nearest future, despite there is no huge reasons for it now. Mb i should try antidepressants or smthing=(

 

[IPinthesink85]

I'm in a similar position. The diffuse thinning is very visible with short hair, but once I let it grow out a little it hides it well, and I don't even have to use Toppik if I'm having a "good hair day." Your hair actually looks a lot better than mine, especially the hairline.

My advice to you, regarding the finasteride/min/keto is stay the course for at least a year before jumping to any conclusions. I'm currently going on month 9 myself. By month 6 it looked great, but ever since then I've been shedding. I can run my hand through my hair at any given time and see it covered with hair. Here's the thing though: I'm not jumping to any conclusions yet, as I decided that I was going to give it a full year. I suggest you do the same. Take a step back, relax, and just let it be whatever it's going to be. You're doing everything you possibly can. Try to find some peace of mind in that.