BackInTime's Story

[antman]

looks like regrowth to me - hopefully it will turn into darker hairs - it will be very interesting to c what it looks like in about a year.

i know what you mean about longer hair revealing thinning - for the time being it might be better to have your hair slightly shorter until it thickens up.

 

[armin]

Keep us updated.

 

[backintime]

Keep us updated.

I definitely will. I am still strictly adhering to my regimen. I've just been too busy to get some new photos up on here. Also, I'm growing my hair out so I'm not sure how accurately my new photos will show my progress. Coming up on five months in five days. I will try to get some pictures uploaded next week. As my hair is growing out, I am noticing it feels a bit thicker than it was before treatments (and before I shaved it off) when I run my fingers through it. It seems that before I would "run out of hair" as I neared the crown and now there is actually hair there that I can feel.

 

[backintime]

Below is a set of my newest progress pictures. I think the most improvement is shown in my hairline, which looks much stronger than it was before. Also note that my hair is highlighted in the last picture. My hair was a little longer than this right before I started treatments. I really wished I'd taken a picture of it at that length just to compare, but I can say that it looked REALLY crappy and that's part of the reason I buzzed it off. If my hair had looked this good five months ago, I never would have cut it Overall, I'm very happy with my progress. Let me know what you guys think!

 

[Northman]

Looks much thicker in the front especially.

 

[hairlossat21]

Backintime, you're my freakin inspiration. It's so hard to find definite results nowadays. I'm a 21 year old who's suffering from thinning hair/ a receding hairline. I'm going to try out your regimen now, thank you so much for keeping people informed and updated.

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Where do you get your generic finesteride btw?

 

[backintime]

Thank you, hairlossat21! I'm glad I can inspire you, as so many others on this site have inspired me. Until very recently, I was horrified to hold a mirror above my head and assess the extent of my hairloss and my progress. It's getting better every day as things are improving. Like I said, I've noticed the best improvement along my hairline. Odd, I know. But don't listen to people who say you can't regrow hair there! At any rate, after many hours of research and shopping around, and my own personal experience, I've concluded that the regime below is my best shot at reversing my hairloss.

Spring Valley brand Biotin: 5000mcg every morning
WalMart -- like $6 for 120 geltabs

Finasteride (Fincar): 1mg every morning
United Pharmacies online -- $11 for 10 5mg pills, which I cut into fifths with a razor blade. Not all the pieces are exactly the same size, but still getting 5mg over 5 days so I don't concern myself with this. Do not cut all the pills at once. I cut one pill with a razor on a piece of paper and then swallow the smallest piece, lick my finger to get it wet then blot up all the "dust" produced when I cut the pill and lick it off my finger. Save the other four pieces for the next four days then repeat.

Sebizole 2% ketoconazole shampoo three times a week
United Pharmacies online. I think it's like $10 and you get twice as much as the $20 bottle of name brand Nizoral. I still have over half a bottle that I purchased two months ago! I leave it in my hair when I first get in the shower, wash the rest of my body and face, then rinse out. If I take my time washing myself, it's probably in my hair for about 4 or five minutes. I spend about 30 to 45 seconds massaging it into my scalp.

Rogaine Foam 5% Minoxidil every morning
Search eBay for the cheapest prices. You can usually find a "buy it now" deal and get it for $10 to $15 a can including the shipping. Make sure you are getting an UNOPENED can that is NOT EXPIRED. I usually buy them two at a time. I use about 1 capful on my crown and 1/2 capful on my hairline. I do not use the cap to measure the dosage. Just apply the foam directly to my crown and massage in for about a minute. Dispense about 1/2 capful into my left hand and scoop up 1/3 of it with the fingers on my right hand and apply to hairline, repeat two more times for each temple area.

Lipogaine about 1.5ml every evening
This is 5% liquid minoxidil with a bunch of other goodies added to the mix. Get this online from Amazon along with a detailed list of ingredients. A 60ml bottle is $24 plus $5 shipping. I dispense just under 1ml directly onto my crown in four or five different areas. Wait until you can feel it just starting to drip or run along your scalp then rub in. I do this because I believe a lot of it gets on the base of my individual hairs and take a couple seconds to run down and touch my actual scalp. Unless you have very short hair, this is the way to go. I also use about 1/2 a dropper of it on my hairline and temples, dabbing a little bit at a time along my hairline and rubbing in as I go. This would be my minoxidil of choice for twice a day application but it will leave your hair VERY greasy until it dries and then it's really sticky and stiff and makes your hair look thinner. Thus, I only use it at night before I go to bed. Foam in the morning before I leave the house. I apply both Foam and Lipogaine just before my hair is completely dry after showering. Minoxidil will absorb better into a slightly damp scalp but you want to make sure your hair is not dripping wet, too.

Just a side note: my first few orders with United Pharmacies took about 3 weeks to arrive. Although it usually takes them about 4 to 5 business days to "process" and ship your order, this is not entirely their fault. Order was held in customs for well over a week. Surprisingly, my last order arrived the same week it shipped! I hope this is the case in the future. At any rate, allow 3 to 4 weeks lead time. In other words, don't wait until you're getting really low on finasteride to place your next order.

I hope this helps you out. Let me know if you have any questions.

 

[hairlossat21]

Hey backintime,

Thanks for such a prompt and thorough reply! I actually ordered lipogaine already and have it, but I was worried due to the hazard of minoxidil (as you probably know as well as I do, looking up hair solutions on google is like looking in a jungle- there's always risks mentioned such as "hair falls off to make room for new growth though it's only hypothesized". As well, I'm only 21 which is stressing me out.

Should I try finasteride? I know that the percent of people who suffer impotence is low, but it's obviously been hyper-emphasized here as a common agony (I would assume the numbers are exaggerated since people who have problems are the ones who tend to go on forums for these concerns). Has it caused any side effect for you? Would it be a good idea to perhaps take 1 mg or less per day if I'm worried?

By the way, my formula consists of the following so far:

Biotin 5000 mg
800 ml of green tea (I heard it blocks DHT)

Lipogaine (which I used for a week then got scared)
and lastly, Nizoral today (though over-priced, I don't have the time to find the cheaper stuff). My scalp has been itching as of late so hopefully Nizoral will help as well.

As you can see, I'm trying to stay natural as much as possible due to my youth. It worries me that something will go wrong and affect my overall health. If you have an opinion on finasteride, I'd really appreciate it.

 

[backintime]

You're welcome, hairlossat21. I wouldn't use the word "hazard." A period of minoxidil shedding is a good thing. You would have lost these hairs soon anyway. The difference is with minoxidil they will grow back stronger, getting longer and longer with each shedding cycle. As far as finasteride, this will more than likely only preserve the hair you have. If you have already started thinning, I would definitely add Rogaine and/or Lipogaine to your regimen as well as give finasteride a chance. I did not experience any significant side effects. I thought at first that maybe it was taking me a little longer to get an erection, but also at that time I was worrying and almost expecting to have side effects. I don't think about the finasteride anymore. Only for 10 seconds while I'm taking it each morning. LOL. And, imagine that, no sides what-so-ever. I do believe anxiety and paranoia most definitely contribute to "side effects" of any drug. And I am about as paranoid as they come. When I first started Welbutrin, I thought for sure I was going crazy. Then I found out it takes 6 weeks to even build up in your system. Yeah, my "side effects" went away. But back on topic... If I could be 21 again I would attack my hairloss from every angle possible. This means consistently using treatments that are proven to work. I so regret that it took me this long to do something about it. But I'm glad I finally educated myself about it and stopped denying that I was going bald (like my father and brothers) and that I got on minoxidil and finasteride. When I started on the Fincar, I was actually quartering the pills and taking 1.25 mg a day. Thrifty as I am, I decided to just cut them into fifths. You can find several references online regarding the effects of varying dosages of finasteride and their corresponding effects on DHT levels. Google it.

Just as a concluding thought: If you want to "stay natural as much as possible" then by all means, do not use these proven hairloss treatments. After all, your hair loss is natural process, so just let nature take it's course and keep balding. I'm not trying to be rude. I know these are harsh words but I really wish someone had said them to me 15 years ago. I do wish you much luck and success. Please let me know what you decide.

 

[hairlossat21]

Hey backintime,

By as natural as possible, I only meant in the case of injesting pills such as finasteride. I'm currently on Lipogaine, Nizoral, and biotin 5000 mg.
I was also in luck enough to come upon a 93% discount on hair restoration laser therapy last night! That means I'll be able to go for therapy for 3 months, unlimited, for the price of 100 dollars.

I'm going to try to keep away from the finasteride as long as possible, but I'm sure I'll start on it if my regime doesn't result in hair growth. I do expect to have hair transplants in the next few years (probably around 28 when my DHT affected areas become obvious), so hopefully that'll help.

I'll let you know how it pans out in the near future- thanks again for your help.

 

[jimjams]

Great progress dude, never too old to start this stuff!!! If you can maintain that for a couple years there maybe better alternatives by then!!

 

[backintime]

These are my 8-month photos. I really wish I'd taken some last month, because I think I recently started shedding again. Growing my hair longer and LOVING it. Could have never had it this length when I started treatments. Still following my regimen although I forget the Rogaine evening application about twice a month.

 

[talmoode]

wow! you've got some good regrwoth there! especially on temples! I envy you!

 

[backintime]

Finally, after 8 months, my hair has recovered to the point that I am actually able to have a decent "young" hairstyle again. I can not tell you how excited I am about this! There's absolutely NO WAY I would have been able to do this even three months ago, and DEFINITELY not before treatments. Maybe three years ago. I wish I'd taken a shot of my other temple, because it's in much better condition, but, here are my 8 month results:



Because of the expense, I have cut out the Lipogaine from my treatment (for now). I was using that in place of Rogaine foam for my nightly application. Other than that, my regimen remains as follows:

Rogaine Foam 5% twice daily (once in the morning, wait four hours, shampoo. Shampoo again at night, apply more Rogaine)
1 to 1.25mg finasteride one daily in the morning (5mg Fincar cut into fifths, or sometimes fourths if it's easier)
5000mcg Biotin once a day in the morning
Nizoral Shampoo 2% every three days (I wash first with regular shampoo, then the Nizoral and leave it in for 4 minutes before rinsing)

I do apply the Rogaine to my hairline and temples as well as the crown. As a matter of fact, sometimes I use more foam in my hairline that I do anyplace else. I believe this has dramatically strengthened the hair there. I'm not sure to what degree the biotin has contributed to my success, but my skin, hair, and nails all look incredibly healthy. One thing I forgot to mention is that I used .05% tretinoin on my face every other night and I usually try to rub some into my hairline while I'm doing my forehead. I do this before the Rogaine application. Not alot, but I make sure some gets up around my temples.

Some positive notes other than what you can see in the photos: my self-esteem is so much better these days. I no longer worry that a taller person standing behind me will gawk at my thinning crown. I don't have to face away from people when I bend down to tie my shoes. (This might sound petty, but for someone with "see-through" hair at the crown, it's a big deal). I've received many compliments on how great my hair is looking, just in the past few weeks. In May I'm heading down south to visit family that I haven't seen in a year. By then it will be 13 months into treatment and I CAN'T WAIT to get a reaction on how much thicker my hair is.

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Just a quick afterthought: some photos from a year ago and two years ago. Not the best quality, but an obvious difference from today.

 

[heyyou]

Wow, looks great mate. Congratulations.

 

[backintime]

Thank you!

 

[armin]

That's wonderful !

 

[talmoode]

good on you!!! keep it up, mate!

 

[hairlossat21]

Hey backintime,

Remember me? Well I've finally taken your advice! I'm running low on lipogaine, switching to kirkland 5%.

Routine: 5000 mg biotin, nizoral 3 times a week, lipogaine twice a day, propecia .5 per day.

Will get back to you in 3 months and show pictures if any progress

carry on the war!!!

 

[backintime]

Hey backintime,

Remember me? Well I've finally taken your advice! I'm running low on lipogaine, switching to kirkland 5%.

Routine: 5000 mg biotin, nizoral 3 times a week, lipogaine twice a day, propecia .5 per day.

Will get back to you in 3 months and show pictures if any progress

carry on the war!!!

Hey! I do remember you. And yes, please, please, please keep me posted. I look forward to hearing of your success! Good luck.