4 Months on the Big three, big improvement!

[scalp'hell]

Thanks Mane. I have my fingers crossed! It's only some thinning at the frontal region I'm concerned about. I have some recession but that occurred years ago and I'm fine with that at 31 - just want thick hair though.

I'm thinking of adding dutasteride topical over the next couple of months. I heard that some of the users in the German forums have had decent success and the topical application greatly decreases the potential for dutasteride sides. Essentially, you crush dutasteride tabs and mix them with minoxidil.

choose rather RU58841.
We are on its efficiency.

GM you still improving and regrowth?unk:

 

[GoldenMane]

damien, no I started finasteride and minoxidil at teh same time, mys consultant said that they work far better together than separately so best of luck

irishlufc, I went to HRBR (Saw an ad for them on Sky tonight, about a lion losing it's mane!), Hair Restoration Clinic Blackrock. My GP wouldn't prescribe it, but HRBR did, €240 for the first consultation, €80 for subsequent consultations, they';; keep an excellent photographic record of your progress

scalphell, before treatment I didn't have greasy hair, but I did have bad dandruff. I washed every day, and have been using Aussie miracle moist shampoo and nizoral since I was 14...

 

[scalp'hell]

I took pictures of all the sides!
I pray every day my big four.

vertex is better and lil hair out on my forehead left.

 

[damien_p_watermelon]

Do you think that the finasteride has thickened your hair or have you just grown more hair?

 

[GoldenMane]

Both I think. In the side profile photos, you can see lots of new hairs sprouting on top of my head, these new, shorter hairs exist. But my existing hair is thickening too, as evidenced by the darker hair colour and the way it stands up more, where before it just kind of lay flat on my head.

Yeah scalp hell, my hair is still improving at the six mark, supposedly I will get peak results at the one year mark.

 

[CliffLee]

Mane, do you receive any advice on how long the effects were to last as long as you keep taking it? For instance, if it peaks at one year, does it max out at five etc?

When do we get more pics?

 

[GoldenMane]

I won't be posting any more pics of that quality for another year, moving abroad for a tefl job this week and I'm going for a year, won't get a chance to go back to my consultant.

As for how long, I asked my consultant, he wouldn't give me an answer, then I asked if I should expect to keep the hair I have for 10 years or more and he said yes. I hope it doesn't lose its efficacy, but who knows? If my follicles are capable of growing healthy hair now, at my currently reduced levels of DHT, then I see no reason why that should change in 15 years time. Maybe though, there is a cumulative effect of DHT exposure over time? There hasn't been any studies over long periods, or of long term exposure of DHT sensitive follicles to lower levels of DHT so all we can do is speculate and hope!

 

[scalp'hell]

no anxiety GM!
you keep your hair still long seen efficiency.
there are other alternative.
RU58841 soon CB03-01.
in 10 years there will be better I think.
enjoy nowunk:

 

[BeardedOne]

Brilliant results! Definitely proves to me that finasteride & minoxidil work best when paired together...

 

[GoldenMane]

I'm a little bit worried now, I moved to Japan a couple of weeks ago and it's been the most stressful thing I've ever done, having a bit of trouble with the food here too. I think my parting/crown has thinned a little. Hope it's just a shed and nothing permanent...

 

[BeardedOne]

hmm it's difficult to say, your latest photos are under very harsh lighting which would probably account for the difference, however it's always good to monitor changes in stress, food etc.

Even having said that, your hair still looks good!

 

[CliffLee]

I think it looks fine, definitely monitor it and see how you go. Take another picture in a month etc, though if you're convinced it's a little worse, could easily be a shed - which would be good long-term. Try not to worry about that and focus your energy on destressing from your move to Japan.

Sounds exciting, moving to Japan. Is that for work or something?

 

[GoldenMane]

Cheers BeardedOne and Cliff. Yeah, it's difficult to say, I'm not totally sure my parting area has totally regained thickness, maybe I'm only now noticing it. It's way too soon for me to reach my peak gains and for it to stop working so I'm either going to put it down to stress, diet or maybe it's always been a bit like this and I'm only now noticing... Hopefully it keeps improving or at least doesn't get any worse. I haven't noticed any big sheds...

I'm in Japan working yeah, no jobs back home, but can teach english here without experience if you have a degree.

 

[resu]

It's possible that the thicker eyebrows are from the minoxidil and not from finasteride, amazing results and I hope they'll last until we get better treatments.

 

[GoldenMane]

Cheers resu! Not sure about the eyebrows, my doctor at HRBR told me that finasteride can do that too, but obviosuly minoxidil does promote hair growth on the face, but it's not dripping near my eyebrows so I'm doubtful on that one.

 

[Diffuser44]

Armando, yeah I did. My consultant (a hair transplant surgeon) told me today that DHT strips the colour from your hair as well as causing increasing thinness, so my blond locks are getting progressively darker, so funnily enough, my Golden Mane is becoming less golden as it improves!

!

I find this interesting and truthful. When I had started taking finasteride my hairstylist at the time would point out that I had many different colored hairs. After a couple of years on finasteride all of my hair had the same color. Since quitting finasteride over the last couple of years I've had comments made on my hair changing color (not due to aging).

 

[qwerty6000]

Wow this thread has convinced me to start the big 3(well finasteride at least). I have the same length hair as you only mine is more curly. Hairline is receded a bit more but the general overall thinning is similar to your base photos.
I was struggling to find info on how shedding would go with long hair, as it would take ages for them to grow back to the same length as others.

I'm going to try get a prescription asap and see how we go, I'm 22 now and have always had average hairline as far as i can remember, the hairline has stayed pretty much the same but now I'm sure I'm starting to diffuse, hopefully I respond similar to you man.

How do you go applying the minoxidil, as in how long does it take with the long hair etc. does it leave your hair fairly greasy or affect styling much? I hope you don't mind if I pick your brain, it's just hard to find people who are in the same/similar situation with long hair.

Please keep us updated!

 

[GoldenMane]

Shedding with long hair is a bit of a nightmare, but the good news is that even a few mm of hair regrowth at the scalp level will improve the appearance and thickness of your hair across the hair growth area of your head. Obviously the parts that grow past the hair growth area will still look thin, they'll take much longer to thicken up, but you'd be surprised how little that matters as long as your scalp has good coverage and decent thickness. I'd say it was worse for 6 weeks, depressingly so, then about the same for 6 weeks, and from their noticable improvement.
I'm a bit worried about my hair again atm, seeing increased hairfall at 8 months which I hope is a shed, nowhere near baseline, but worrisome all the same, hope it's just a shed, my dandruff is coming back too and finasteride sorted that out for a long time!

minoxidil is a pain to apply, if you have hair, you'll inevitably get some in your hair and waste some. I use the bigger droppers that come with kirkland or folligain minoxidil and squeeze out several larger drops at scalp level at my vertex, left temporal area, right temporal area and central parting. I use it once a day and probably use 4+ml to cover the area as well as possible and account for the minoxidil wasted on my hair. It takes me less time than brushing my teeth, but I don't part my hair and all that stuff, I just do a rough and read application. My hair is a little greasy afterwards and has that bad wet look where your hair looks even worse. When I wake up the next morning though, it actually feels dry and thicker until I wash my hair. I don't really do any styling with mine, but wouldn't imagine it would be a huge issue if you give it time to dry.

No worries, any questions I'm happy to answer. Best of luck qwerty, hope you manage to save that mane!

 

[Da Crow]

How many women are you fillin' up a week golden mane? Could be the cause of increased dht

 

[GoldenMane]

Oh man, if you had to lose it, what a way to do it! Nah, my cause is probably just good old fashioned stress, diet and maybe a shed. Either that or the drug has started losing effectiveness way too soon. God I hope not! Hair still looks good, but don't want it getting any worse...