At Norwood 5A, is it even worth doing the Big 3?

[ianmichael101]

I would say my hair is at 5A, borderline 6. There's still peachfuzz-like hair on top (not at all visible from a distance), but the hairline has receded quite a bit. With that said, is it even worth trying the Big 3? It seems like all the pictures of successful attempts I've seen here have been from men much lower on the scale (like 2s and 3s).

I ordered a custom fitting kit from hairdirect about a week ago (should get here on Thursday), and was pretty set and excited to just go the hair system route. But after reading up more on this "Big 3" business, it got me wondering if finasteride/minoxidil/nizoral would perhaps be a viable route as well. If I'm too far along though, I won't waste my time/money.

It might also be worth mentioning that back before my hair started to go (around 17, I'm 29 now), I wasn't a big fan of what I had. It's really wavy and I couldn't really get it to look the way I wanted. Balding of course made that worse, because more and more I had to use the hair I had to hide what was gone. Maybe if I regained enough hair with the Big 3, styling wouldn't be as much of an issue. But a hair system would give me the option to put on whatever style of hair I wanted (as long as it matched my face/hairline, of course). It'd be pretty nice not having to worry about wavy hair anymore.

Thoughts? I can post pictures if that would help.

 

[Petchsky]

Pics would help.

 

[ianmichael101]

K, here you go...



This is after about 12 or 13 days of growth after I last bicked it.



Here's another photo from when I was around 15. My hair and I were on good terms then.

 

[XXXXXXX]

Sweet jezuz should've got on finasteride 10 years ago !! :doh:

 

[ianmichael101]

Sweet jezuz should've got on finasteride 10 years ago !! :doh:

No joke. Back then I thought stuff like Rogaine was just a scam. I didn't know regimens like the Big 3 both existed and worked, until oh... maybe 2 weeks ago—when I checked out this forum. Thank goodness for the Internets. Now if we could just get time machines...

 

[XXXXXXX]

That's crazy, I don't get why people don't know about treatments.

When I got a problem with my car, I go to Google to find out what it is.

When my hair starting falling out, I went to Google and got educated real fast.

Its a bitter sweet ending I guess, you're here to treat your hair loss but its sadly too late.

 

[ianmichael101]

Well keep in mind that when I started losing my hair it was around 2000. Google didn't even exist yet back then. Information wasn't flowing nearly as freely as it is now. I don't know when this forum was created, but it's possible that once it started getting traction I'd already "accepted baldness" and started bicking my head (2007). From then on I had no questions to ask other than "what's the best razor for shaving your head?" and the like.

Its a bitter sweet ending I guess, you're here to treat your hair loss but its sadly too late.

So... that's one vote for "the Big 3 would be a waste of your time and money"?

 

[XXXXXXX]

Trust me, I speak for everyone when I say there's no point in jumping on any treatment now.

 

[ianmichael101]

Okay well, I'd still like to hear other replies. This is a pretty big deal that I'd rather not act on based on one response.

Thanks for chiming in.

 

[XXXXXXX]

:wub:

 

[Ryukil]

I'm no expert but...hair transplant? Sorry dude. I started losing my hair at around 17/18 as well, though I only really noticed in the past year. So I hopped on finasteride about three weeks ago and am hoping to maintain for a while...hopefully until some better treatment comes out. But sorry dude. I've come to accept going bald, though a few months ago I was freaking out about it. Some of us just have the genetics. You're nearly 30, and no one is really going to care that you're bald. There are plenty of bald people...some of us have red hair, some of us have green eyes, and some of us are bald. I don't know if you have a girlfriend but if you don't...**** baldness and go get one!

 

[XXXXXXX]

It doesn't really matter what age you are. I used to think when I get to 30 I wont care anymore, then I started to see guys in there 50's getting transplants and it made me think that if you aren't willing to accept being a bald guy now, then you probably will never be happy with it at any age.

Although losing hair at an older age isn't as bad, it still sucks. There's never a right a time to lose hair.

 

[anxious1]

I agree that at any age u would still be happier with full hair, but i have to say, as u get older ur priorites change a little bit. whereas at 20 i wanted to look attractive, and was obssessed with hairloss, now im still trying to regrow hair, but im more interested in a career, and getting a house.

 

[ianmichael101]

@ryukil: I did accept being bald quite a while ago. I started bicking my head nearly 7 years ago. But recently I went through a divorce, and it seems that I can't get a single woman I'm attracted to to notice me. I'd put my face at maybe a 7/10, so I *should* have some options when it comes to dating. I feel like I'm just immediately passed over because I'm bald—"he could be a nice guy, but I want my man to have hair—not an unreasonable request. so I'll just continue on along to all those hairy options out there."

And with where hair transplants stab today, I'm definitely not interested in one. Too risky and expensive in my mind, plus I don't want a permanent scar on the back of my head. A hair system, while not cheap, still feels like the best bet at the moment.

@anxious1: Since I started losing hair as a teenager, I feel like my chance at being an attractive early 20 year old was essentially robbed from me. Like I said above, I have a decent face, and I have a good personality, lots of friends, a great sense of humor. When I was 16 lots of girls liked me. As I approach my 30s, I don't want to squander the youth that I still have. If I could live a fuller young life with a full head of hair, I'm very very interested in doing what's necessary to get one.

 

[ianmichael101]

\Some of us just have the genetics. You're nearly 30, and no one is really going to care that you're bald. There are plenty of bald people...some of us have red hair, some of us have green eyes, and some of us are bald. I don't know if you have a girlfriend but if you don't...**** baldness and go get one!

I didn't care myself for a very long time. I started bicking in 2007 and it was a great improvement to what I had before, so I didn't really look back from there. I recently went through a divorce though, and have found that I can't get a single girl I'm attracted to to pay attention to me (especially in the online dating world—girls see a bald head and just click forward without any further investigation). I'd say my face is a 7/10, so it shouldn't be this difficult/impossible to even get conversations started.

I agree that at any age u would still be happier with full hair, but i have to say, as u get older ur priorites change a little bit. whereas at 20 i wanted to look attractive, and was obssessed with hairloss, now im still trying to regrow hair, but im more interested in a career, and getting a house.

I felt the same way up until recently (i.e. I was totally fine walking around with a shaved head). With the divorce my priorities have changed again. Looking back I feel like I didn't really look attractive from 17 on through my 20s (at least, not as attractive as I could have been with hair). When I was 15/16 lots of girls were interested in me. Then my hair started receding and suddenly the pool of fish dried right up.

I just want to take my life back. I'm fortunate enough to have the resources right now to be able to afford a hair system (and replace it as needed). I think I'd still like to talk with a dermatologist about regrowth and/or stopping the hair loss, but I appreciate the feedback you've all given. (any more is appreciated, too )

 

[XXXXXXX]

I think I'd still like to talk with a dermatologist about regrowth and/or stopping the hair loss

Is there really any more loss to stop ?

"Remember, successful treatment of hair loss is greatly dependent on early intervention. It is critical to begin treatment with an effective product as soon as you notice the onset of hair loss."

 

[Ryukil]

Is there really any more loss to stop ?

"Remember, successful treatment of hair loss is greatly dependent on early intervention. It is critical to begin treatment with an effective product as soon as you notice the onset of hair loss."

Hmm I don't know if that's true in all cases. I've seen those pictures on the Bernstein medical site with some men with pretty advanced male pattern baldness getting regrowth. But I would agree that's mostly true. And I would agree that, for the OP, male pattern baldness has run its course.

 

[ianmichael101]

Of course there is. There's hair there so there's hair to lose. If I'm putting myself at 5A/6, there's still 7, plus it at least appears to be pretty thin on the side—I'll have a better idea in a few weeks when it gets longer. Could easily get thinner over time.

 

[Ryukil]

Good luck...maybe you'll surprise us all. ^^

 

[talmoode]

you never know til you try!! it doesn't cost you too much anway, $200 - $300 a year I guess! good luck!