Mr. Henderson
New Member
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This is my first post on any forum, ever...
Tomorrow I am starting on Propecia 1mg, and have been using Rogaine 5% foam 2x per day the past 2 days.
A few months ago I realized that the top of my head felt slightly burnt after having worked in the sun for about an hour. This had never happened to me before, so I started examining my hair, and realized, oh >>>t. I usually kept my hair slightly long, at the time it was longer than I usually keep it. I sort of chalked it up to my hair being long and pulling my part. So a couple more months go by and I am shopping at the mall where they have those wrap around mirrors in the dressing room...I made a dermatologist appointment the next day. Go to my derm appointment and he confirms what I feared, "Yea, your hair is thinning and you likely have male pattern baldness."...curse $%#@ curse... I had mentally prepared myself for this, but the confirmation kind of kicked me in the stomach...Here comes the really good part of the story. I go to pay for my appointment, after just hearing this news, and keel over the counter, passed out. I had never passed out, fainted in my life. I find out I'm balding and I drop like a rock. Anyway, Doctor wrote me a prescription for Propecia 1mg and suggested trying Rogaine as well. The next day I decided to chop my long hair and see if maybe, just maybe the long hair was in fact parting my hair in a weird fashion or something. Well, short hair = I am still losing my hair.
A week has passed since my derm appointment, and Ill be starting on the Propecia tomorrow. I was sort of on the fence about it...price, sides, price. But have decided it's do something and maybe not go bald, or do nothing and definitely go bald, If I get any unbearable sides, ill stop, but am likely to push through any mild ones. So here we go. I will try to post updates regarding results, sides etc., as I know these stories, good and bad, are helpful to viewers of this forum for various reasons. Below I have listed anything I thought might be relevant to others on this site, including history of my hair, genetics, products I used, and other medications I take.
Hair History
Genetics:
Paternal: My father, his brother, his father = all bald. Dad told me he started in his early 30s, but I think it was more like late 20s looking at some of his old photos. His brother held on to his hair through his late 30s. Grandpa, I dunno, he was just always bald.
Maternal: Never met my grandfather, but photos show a full head of hair (confirmed by mom)
Everybody in my immediate family has very fine hair. My sister always complains about hers and my mom gets extensions to fill it in. I actually used to have a pretty thick head of wavy hair. Still have the wave, but definitely has flattened out as it has grown finer.
Products Used:
Styling
Crew Forming Cream: Use every day for at least the past 4 years, and will continue to do so. Prior to that, I always had something in my hair. My hair tended to be dry and frizzy, so I had to have something in it to keep it tame.
Shampoo/Conditioner
Dove: Just general dove brand shampoo and conditioner. Up until maybe a year and a half ago a was shampooing and conditioning every day. I then started shampooing only 2x per week, but conditioner every day. I did this because of my dry hair, and I liked the way my hair felt with a build up of some oil. Had been doing this up until about a week ago.
Nioxin 1: Was told to use this by mom. Supposedly makes hair look thicker and is good for scalp. I now am shampooing every day with this (thinking maybe my oily, dirty scalp accelerated my hair loss in the first place. And also having done some research on this forum regarding the importance of a healthy scalp.)
Will likely add nizoral once per week.
Stress Level
This is where I have some hope that my rapid thinning is stress related. In the past 4 months I broke up with a long term girlfriend and was literally in tears almost every night for a good month (not sure if that is considered stress or just being a big >>>>Y). At the same time found out my father has cancer (which luckily we caught early and have actually beaten...knock on wood). I began graduate school about a year ago as well, which at times can be very stressful.
Other
Medications: I currently take 100mg/day of minocycline for acne (works great by the way)...side note...been free of acne for a while and felt such a relief getting rid of that adolescent nonsense, and now I jump into this...WTF???
Booze: Ya, I drink. Don't go on a bender nearly as much as I used to, but have at least a beer 5 days per week.
Goals for Treatment/Regimen:
Goals: Thicken up the overall top of my head by 25%, fill in vertex area. I would be happy maintaining my hairline.
Regimen: Propecia 1mg daily taken in the am. Rogaine foam in morning after shower, and night before bed. Nioxin shampoo and conditioner daily to hopefully give thicker "looking" hair.
Hair Status 9/20/2012
General: I have a decent head of hair. Casual observer would not think I am balding, except maybe if they look at my crown. My hair seems to be thin in general on top, so the spiral crown looks particularly poor (at least to me). My part definitely seems wider than I can ever remember.
Crown: Thinnest area of my head. This is my main area of concern and where I hope to see some filling. I have a spiral crown that has always sort of parted my hair, but it is definitely more noticeable of late. I am suddenly self conscious about it, especially after cutting my hair short last week.
Hairline: Right now I am not totally concerned with my hairline. I am sure it has receded slightly, but to be honest its difficult for me to tell.
Shed: Shampooing I can see about 5 hairs on either hand. Same conditioning. Plus whatever I see in the tub. If I rustle my dry hair a couple will fall in the sink every time. Nothing too crazy. I feel 150 hairs per day is probably ballpark.
Stress level past 30 days: Nothing too crazy. Feel a lot better about my break up (met another chick), and school is not too strenuous currently. However, finding out I'm losing my hair has me freaking out a bit.
I think I covered everything. Ill try to be consistent about posting, but quite honestly probably will slack...School is priority. Any suggestions, questions, etc. just shoot.
Tomorrow I am starting on Propecia 1mg, and have been using Rogaine 5% foam 2x per day the past 2 days.
A few months ago I realized that the top of my head felt slightly burnt after having worked in the sun for about an hour. This had never happened to me before, so I started examining my hair, and realized, oh >>>t. I usually kept my hair slightly long, at the time it was longer than I usually keep it. I sort of chalked it up to my hair being long and pulling my part. So a couple more months go by and I am shopping at the mall where they have those wrap around mirrors in the dressing room...I made a dermatologist appointment the next day. Go to my derm appointment and he confirms what I feared, "Yea, your hair is thinning and you likely have male pattern baldness."...curse $%#@ curse... I had mentally prepared myself for this, but the confirmation kind of kicked me in the stomach...Here comes the really good part of the story. I go to pay for my appointment, after just hearing this news, and keel over the counter, passed out. I had never passed out, fainted in my life. I find out I'm balding and I drop like a rock. Anyway, Doctor wrote me a prescription for Propecia 1mg and suggested trying Rogaine as well. The next day I decided to chop my long hair and see if maybe, just maybe the long hair was in fact parting my hair in a weird fashion or something. Well, short hair = I am still losing my hair.
A week has passed since my derm appointment, and Ill be starting on the Propecia tomorrow. I was sort of on the fence about it...price, sides, price. But have decided it's do something and maybe not go bald, or do nothing and definitely go bald, If I get any unbearable sides, ill stop, but am likely to push through any mild ones. So here we go. I will try to post updates regarding results, sides etc., as I know these stories, good and bad, are helpful to viewers of this forum for various reasons. Below I have listed anything I thought might be relevant to others on this site, including history of my hair, genetics, products I used, and other medications I take.
Hair History
Genetics:
Paternal: My father, his brother, his father = all bald. Dad told me he started in his early 30s, but I think it was more like late 20s looking at some of his old photos. His brother held on to his hair through his late 30s. Grandpa, I dunno, he was just always bald.
Maternal: Never met my grandfather, but photos show a full head of hair (confirmed by mom)
Everybody in my immediate family has very fine hair. My sister always complains about hers and my mom gets extensions to fill it in. I actually used to have a pretty thick head of wavy hair. Still have the wave, but definitely has flattened out as it has grown finer.
Products Used:
Styling
Crew Forming Cream: Use every day for at least the past 4 years, and will continue to do so. Prior to that, I always had something in my hair. My hair tended to be dry and frizzy, so I had to have something in it to keep it tame.
Shampoo/Conditioner
Dove: Just general dove brand shampoo and conditioner. Up until maybe a year and a half ago a was shampooing and conditioning every day. I then started shampooing only 2x per week, but conditioner every day. I did this because of my dry hair, and I liked the way my hair felt with a build up of some oil. Had been doing this up until about a week ago.
Nioxin 1: Was told to use this by mom. Supposedly makes hair look thicker and is good for scalp. I now am shampooing every day with this (thinking maybe my oily, dirty scalp accelerated my hair loss in the first place. And also having done some research on this forum regarding the importance of a healthy scalp.)
Will likely add nizoral once per week.
Stress Level
This is where I have some hope that my rapid thinning is stress related. In the past 4 months I broke up with a long term girlfriend and was literally in tears almost every night for a good month (not sure if that is considered stress or just being a big >>>>Y). At the same time found out my father has cancer (which luckily we caught early and have actually beaten...knock on wood). I began graduate school about a year ago as well, which at times can be very stressful.
Other
Medications: I currently take 100mg/day of minocycline for acne (works great by the way)...side note...been free of acne for a while and felt such a relief getting rid of that adolescent nonsense, and now I jump into this...WTF???
Booze: Ya, I drink. Don't go on a bender nearly as much as I used to, but have at least a beer 5 days per week.
Goals for Treatment/Regimen:
Goals: Thicken up the overall top of my head by 25%, fill in vertex area. I would be happy maintaining my hairline.
Regimen: Propecia 1mg daily taken in the am. Rogaine foam in morning after shower, and night before bed. Nioxin shampoo and conditioner daily to hopefully give thicker "looking" hair.
Hair Status 9/20/2012
General: I have a decent head of hair. Casual observer would not think I am balding, except maybe if they look at my crown. My hair seems to be thin in general on top, so the spiral crown looks particularly poor (at least to me). My part definitely seems wider than I can ever remember.
Crown: Thinnest area of my head. This is my main area of concern and where I hope to see some filling. I have a spiral crown that has always sort of parted my hair, but it is definitely more noticeable of late. I am suddenly self conscious about it, especially after cutting my hair short last week.
Hairline: Right now I am not totally concerned with my hairline. I am sure it has receded slightly, but to be honest its difficult for me to tell.
Shed: Shampooing I can see about 5 hairs on either hand. Same conditioning. Plus whatever I see in the tub. If I rustle my dry hair a couple will fall in the sink every time. Nothing too crazy. I feel 150 hairs per day is probably ballpark.
Stress level past 30 days: Nothing too crazy. Feel a lot better about my break up (met another chick), and school is not too strenuous currently. However, finding out I'm losing my hair has me freaking out a bit.
I think I covered everything. Ill try to be consistent about posting, but quite honestly probably will slack...School is priority. Any suggestions, questions, etc. just shoot.
