Any general advice on expected results for norwood 5?

[nostromo]

Hi!
I started using rogaine 5 weeks ago. My second bottle is a generic (I think Australian) called Headway. No complaints. Seems pretty much the same, except more is dispensed with each pump.(Therefore only four pumps per 1ml.)
I have no results yet, and know its too early. I have kept my head shaved for the last ten years, as it looks ok, and actually most people think it is by choice! So regrowing is kind of announcing my baldness. I guess I am a Norwood 5.
What kind of reults does anyone think I might expect? I don't expect much to be honest, and am willing to go back to the shaved look if nothing happens with the minoxidyl. If my hair does start re growing, is it better to cut the rest really short, so there are not multiple lengths all over, and let it all grow at the same rate?
I read that 'the sooner the better' with treatment. Well, I left it pretty late, so I guess I am unlikely to be amazed at the results! So many on here seem to have really minimal loss, and be doing the treatment at 19 or twenty years of age!
Anyone else start in their 40's??
Thanks for any feedback anyone may have !!

 

[techprof]

nostromo,
welcome to the forum. if you are a good responder, you could go to NW1 also.Though it is very unlikely, it is possible. I went from NW4 to NW2 just using rogaine in 1999-2001. You can read more about my story from my profile.
Recently I have moved from NW6 to NW5 in 18 months.
The results you get from minoxidil are temporary. That is even if you grow hairs, it will eventually fail as you are not addressing the cause of male pattern baldness. So, if you can't use propecia or other topicals to address this, there is no point other than temporary benefit.
I suggest Nizoral shampoo if you don't want to get into finasteride. Also look for spironolactone or other topical options.
This is a great site, but you will find that most of the posters have a full head of hairs and are paranoid because they are young. They have Norwood level less than NW2 or NW3. So, if you get advices on thickening shampoos or gels, be careful as it won't work for us.

 

[nostromo]

Thanks for the advice!
I had noticed that most of the people on this forum seem to have pretty minimal hair loss, when compared to folk like myself-40 something and been bald and not really cared about it for many years. I may be asking for a miracle to expect much..
I have not had any kind of adverse reaction to the Minoxydil, flakes, itching, shedding.....nothing. Don't know if that is a good sign or a bad one!

 

[techprof]

nostromo,
shedding, itching, flakes don't mean anything. Presence or absence of them don't necessitate good or bad results.
(I am 30 years old and I was NW6 by 28).