Balding Since 11 Years Old - Considering Finasteride - My Story

[M.G]

Quick update:

I'm having some good regrowth at a part of my crown which for the longest didn't get thicker. I think I'm seeing the basis of what's to come on that area.

I'll probably post some pics at the two year mark, which is 17th November.

Overall, I haven't lost any hair at all since I started treatment.

 

[FutureSaitama]

Quick update:

I'm having some good regrowth at a part of my crown which for the longest didn't get thicker. I think I'm seeing the basis of what's to come on that area.

I'll probably post some pics at the two year mark, which is 17th November.

Overall, I haven't lost any hair at all since I started treatment.

Im looking forward to your updates. I have the same type of hair loss like you, feels encouraging that youre still improving at the 2nd year mark. Keep it up !

 

[givemeregrowth]

"After 24 months it may stop working."

This is cope spread by fincels.

 

[FutureSaitama]

This is cope spread by fincels.

finasteride master race

 

[rclark]

One day, about when I was 11 years old, I started getting comments from my friends about my hair looking thin and my crown looking "bald". Later on my brother freaked out and said my hair density had drastically lessened. The balding was in a textbook diffuse manner. This was incredibly stressful. Looking back I'm getting convinced that my male pattern baldness was triggered early due to stress. I was suffering from OCD at the time and severe anxiety from parents getting a divorce.

Here a pic of my hair when I was 13:
View attachment 36515

When I was about 15:
View attachment 36516

I'm 21 years old today. During my teens I was able to hide my balding by just saving my hair out and parting it, it wasn't see through, it looked normal and I was happy. Then... at around age 19 I had a massive, massive massive shed that basically gave me a bald spot at the crown and heavy diffuse thinning all around. I'm thinning in a Norwood 6 manner. I went around for a year with a cap until I discovered Toppik, which was such a relief since it's covering up my baldness great.

And here's my questions:
My bald spot (and other thin areas) is filled with vellus hair, it isn't really slick bald - so I figure I would be an ideal candidate for finasteride (like any diffuse thinner as I understand?)?

Since I began balding at 11 years old - could this mean finasteride won't be as effective on me since the balding process have been ongoing for so long, even if I'm only 21 years old?

I'm hairy like a monkey, seriously, scientists could use me as proof for human evolution. I'm suspecting I have seriously high DHT-levels in me. Would taking finasteride make me more or less prone to sides then?

Since I started losing hair at 11 - could DHT/male pattern baldness really be the cause?

Other perhaps relevant information: My brother is 25 haven't had any hairloss until about now. I've noticed that he's thinning a bit in the crown.

I ordered a genetic test from a geneticscompany 23andMe, I'm interested in population genetics but the results is also gonna tell me about my male pattern baldness-genes. I'll let ya know.

You really don't look like you have hair loss in those pictures. I believe you, but those pictures look
like a full head to me.

 

[M.G]

You really don't look like you have hair loss in those pictures. I believe you, but those pictures look
like a full head to me.

From the second pic I can understand if one would perceive it as a fullhead. However, I think the diffuse hairloss is clear on the first pic atleast.

I should be having more pics from ages 13-15 years from a USB laying around somewhere in my house.

 

[dr75]

You probably should have started finasteride the moment you turned 18. You should start dermarolling. I doubt finasteride will regrow much after 2 years of slight improvement.

 

[M.G]

You probably should have started finasteride the moment you turned 18. You should start dermarolling. I doubt finasteride will regrow much after 2 years of slight improvement.

Probably, but at 18 I didn't know sh*t about hairloss treatment.

Does dermarolling really help? I remember reading about it like 2 years ago or something, but as I remember there wasn't really that much studies on it. Maybe you can fill me in?

I don't expect finasteride to give me my crown back, however I honestly do believe there is a good chance that the regrowth may continue on the crown considering my diffuse pattern. The next 6-7 months should be crucial in determining that.

For the hairline i'm at my wit's end. Thinking about a hairtransplant but I'm afraid I'll be denied one since I was diagnosed with DUPA by Erdogan. He said if I continue with finasteride and the donor stabilizes then a transplant may be possible, but that's being optimistic.

 

[dr75]

Probably, but at 18 I didn't know sh*t about hairloss treatment.

Does dermarolling really help? I remember reading about it like 2 years ago or something, but as I remember there wasn't really that much studies on it. Maybe you can fill me in?

I don't expect finasteride to give me my crown back, however I honestly do believe there is a good chance that the regrowth may continue on the crown considering my diffuse pattern. The next 6-7 months should be crucial in determining that.

For the hairline i'm at my wit's end. Thinking about a hairtransplant but I'm afraid I'll be denied one since I was diagnosed with DUPA by Erdogan. He said if I continue with finasteride and the donor stabilizes then a transplant may be possible, but that's being optimistic.

It works.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23960389
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26120151
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28761259

 

[M.G]

It works.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23960389
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26120151
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28761259

Damn, that is some wicked results though. And it seems to work even after you've been on minoxidil for 6+ months?

How many times a week should you roll? Any dangers?

 

[dr75]

I used to roll 2-3 times a week. I dermarolled below my hairline to lower it and used my dermaroller as a stamp all over my androgen sensitive scalp. Try not to rip your hair off while dermarolling. I think a dermastamp would be more useful. Use 1.5 mm. It may result in scars on the scalp but i don't know how likely the scar tissue formation is. I've done excessive dermarolling, used 2.0 mm and didn't have any scars.

 

[M.G]

So it's been almost 2 years (23 months) and this is probably my end result. It might thicken up a little bit over the coming years if I stay on finasteride, but probably not enough in terms of cosmetic appearance.

Summarization of my experience of finasteride and minoxidil 5%:
Overall, my hairloss definitely stopped the day I started finasteride. I have not lost a bit of hair since that day. However, the regrowth haven't exactly been enormous. finasteride mainly just stabilized my hairloss, but I've gained some noticeable improvement on the crown compared to baseline. The hairline have remained mostly the same, except for a few almost terminal hairs growing out here and there.

Minoxidil have done next to nothing for me. I wasn't a responder unfortunately and that's all I can really say about it.

Right now I feel like this is it. No more hoping for the meds to do any wonders. I will do some in person and online consultations with some clinics and see what they have to say. The situation is generally grim for diffuse thinners, especially for people with DUPA, but considering finasteride have definitely stabilized my hairloss I will consider a hair transplant on mid-scalp/hairline if I can find a reputable enough surgeon.

In the meantime, I'm probably gonna cut my hair way shorter once I get the mental bravery for it. Short crew cut probably with a tad of toppik.

My treatment journey:
Pics of baseline and early treatment, with the last two being from today. This stuff is better documented earlier in the thread.

 

[M.G]

Update: Since I started I never really expected any improvements on my hairline, but like a month or two after the 2 year-mark I actually saw some real improvement, like actual weak hair turning terminal. However a part of the hairline is still very thin and I won't really post pictures of the improvement if my weakest spot on the hairline (right next to my widows peak/middle of the hairline) doesn't improve.

So with this post all I really want to say is that after 2 years on finasteride, improvement - although not necessarily major - is definitely possible. I mean patience is everything when it comes to treatment.

 

[Oscar66]

Try some concealers to help...VERY VERY VERY slowly introduce concealer...Don't use fibers...

 

[FutureSaitama]

Update: Since I started I never really expected any improvements on my hairline, but like a month or two after the 2 year-mark I actually saw some real improvement, like actual weak hair turning terminal. However a part of the hairline is still very thin and I won't really post pictures of the improvement if my weakest spot on the hairline (right next to my widows peak/middle of the hairline) doesn't improve.

So with this post all I really want to say is that after 2 years on finasteride, improvement - although not necessarily major - is definitely possible. I mean patience is everything when it comes to treatment.

What about the diffuse parts ?

 

[M.G]

Try some concealers to help...VERY VERY VERY slowly introduce concealer...Don't use fibers...

I've been using concealers for a long time now. I started with them before the balding became a bit too much to hide, so no one really knows the state of my hair except my family.

What about the diffuse parts ?

You mean the crown or hairline? Basically all my hair, especially on top is very diffused (DUPA).

 

[FutureSaitama]

I've been using concealers for a long time now. I started with them before the balding became a bit too much to hide, so no one really knows the state of my hair except my family.



You mean the crown or hairline? Basically all my hair, especially on top is very diffused (DUPA).

I thought they would fill in. How old are you now ?

 

[M.G]

It have almost been 3 years since I started. Still maintaining with some rethickening, but obviously I'm no fullhead. Most notable thing is I didn't get any hairline-thickening until this last year or so. Goes to show that finasteride continues to work after the 2-year mark.

 

[SimonC]

It have almost been 3 years since I started. Still maintaining with some rethickening, but obviously I'm no fullhead. Most notable thing is I didn't get any hairline-thickening until this last year or so. Goes to show that finasteride continues to work after the 2-year mark.

Thanks for the update! You have decent result, man.

Have you started dermarolling? Any side effects after 3 years of treatment?

 

[M.G]

Thanks for the update! You have decent result, man.

Have you started dermarolling? Any side effects after 3 years of treatment?

No, I've currently decided against dermarolling. Too much hassle for me to bother at the moment. I'll continue with finasteride and I'll hope that I by the 5-year mark my hairline thickness will be where I want it to be. Then I also may do a small transplant procedure on the crown if deemed safe enough by a hair transplant doctor.

I have not noticed any side-effects that I know of. I documented my sexual- and wellbeing for about a week or two I started finasteride so I had something to compare to (besides basic memory, which can be betrayal).