29 Year Old Starting Out!

[Mr David]

Hello there. First time posting on these boards. I'm 29 now and I have been gradually thinning and receding since my early twenties. It's been pretty gradual and I've always been a bit wary of going down the medication route, due to so many scare stories and such like. Well in the last couple of years it's gotten to the point where I can hardly stand it any longer, it's like I can't bring myself to come to terms with the inevitable. So I decided to try the meds.

I have now been taking 1mg Propecia each day and using 5% min + 12% min cream for about a week. My biggest hang up about the Propecia has always been the stories of low libido and ed, but I almost think now that even if that happened to me I'd be happy if I could just restore some hair. I'm not too comfortable about the potential minoxodil sides either tbh.

As far as sides go so far all I can say that in the last couple of days my libido has gone right down and I don't get hard at all unless I really work up to it. I can get it up and climax, but now I am left wondering if it's wise to continue. The medication states that there's a chance that these sides will pass with continued use, but then there are reports of them being long term or even permanent. So as you can guess this is weighing on my mind somewhat.

Also applying the liquid minoxidil is a bit of a nightmare as it tends to just clump up my hair and make it look wet/greasy, which is not ideal with as much thinning as I have.

Anyway. That's my hello to the the HairLossTalk.com forum. Any advice much appreciated!

- - - Updated - - -

Heres a pic.

 

[Abercrombie]

hello and welcome! it would be much easier to get a grasp of your situation if you take some pictures where your hair is pulled back. In the first picture it looks like youve done everything to cover you hairloss up, which is great when you're out and about, but in here its quite the opposite; its better if you show us how it actually looks.

 

[Mr David]

Hey and thanks for the response. Yeah the picture was sort of taken in a hurry without much thought behind it other than to get a head shot, I wasn't too happy with the fact that it was a bit low lit and out of focus too. I'll try and get another one up later. I hadn't even thought about pulling the hair back, as I've always tended to sort of wear it loose and scruffy anyway. It's always been fairly fine to be honest, not thick or curly, but obviously when I was younger there was a lot more density. Anyway thanks again and I'll get another pic up in a bit, hopefully.

 

[Heat06]

I agree 100% with Abercrombie. You may fool those around you in reality, but anyone who is experiencing hairloss (like those on these forums) can notice when somebody is going bald, receding, or attempting to conceal the fact they are going bald. Since I started thinning, all I do is stare at peoples heads from time to time and wonder why I got cheated in this life...but it is what it is..I see a lot of people with that type of "hair style" in my area, but the minute a wind gust comes or their hair some how gets pulled back...that's when the truth is revealed. I can tell by that one picture you have a receding hairline with the corners going straight back. However, A picture with your hair pulled straight back would really show the extent of your hair-loss.

Feel fortunate you do not have any "slick" bald areas and that you can style your hair like that to conceal it. Wish you the best moving forward bud on the meds.

 

[Mr David]

Well, to be honest, it's not even styled that way, in any attempt to hide loss, it kinda just goes that way on it's own and I usually just leave it like that. But yeah I know having it that way in a pic on here doesn't show the way it really is.

Generally speaking I've honestly never given too much thought to the way I look, I've never been someone who worried what other people think of my appearance, I've tended to just get on with things regardless really. The hair thing annoyed me for a long time but I never did anything because I'd always just say 'Do I even care that much?' I considered the meds because I recently decided that perhaps if there's a chance to slow or even reverse some of the loss maybe I should take it; for myself, not because I am worried how those around me see me (which as I said has never troubled me all that much). Yes we live in a superficial image-obsessed world, but I always figured that most intelligent people know that hair loss happens to a large number of men and is perfectly normal, and therefore wouldn't think anything of it.

As I mentioned in another thread. I took the meds for almost two weeks, but man those sides were just... wow, I felt like hell, still do a little bit. Don't get me wrong it'd be amazing if I could have some hair back, but I don't wanna be dependant on some drugs that made me feel like crap. I'd sooner accept the way things are and move on without the hassle and stress.