BlueScreen's Story - ( joining the fight against hair loss!)

[BlueScreen]

Hello, I have at last decided to do something about my hair loss.

I have thick dark brown, ultra curly hair...well only on the sides now. Used to be an afro 8 years ago before the balding kicked in. I love the attention I get for it (White boys with afro's tend to be unusual) and it has become a bit of a personal icon for me, so it tore me apart when I saw that thin patch for the first time.

I didn't even believe my flatmates when they first pointed it out, I thought they were trying to troll me. But a cellphone camera pointed to the back of my head revealed the truth. Just like my Dad and my Grandad I was balding at the mere age of 22.

At first I kidded myself...maybe it's just my stressful college year? Maybe its all that sodium laurel sulphate in my shampoo? Maybe it's because of my diet? I can turn this around and slow the process without prescription drugs right?

I'm 24 now. After all that waiting, that thin patch has become an obvious hole. I can still feel hair barely covering the area, it ain't slick. But that will change in a year I'm sure. Now or never I think.

Already I got myself Nizoral 2%. Hoping it will calm down my constantly itching scalp (which I am told is a sign of DHT doing its magical work)

Next I'm going to get Rogaine from my local pharmacy but I also need Propecia. I'm not sure where to get Propecia in my country (New Zealand) apart from online pharmacies. Even then I need a prescription from "my doctor"

...who the hell is my doctor and how the hell do I get a prescription out of him?

I'm hoping I can find other alternatives to Propecia but it seems it is the only thing available in NZ, I can't find any of the other stuff they mention on this website.

After that, what else can I change to slow down the balding process? I don't exercise much aside from walks to the supermarket, push-ups, pull-ups...small stuff like that. Any chance exercise is going to have an impact?

I don't eat much; rolled oats and lots of coffee for breakfast, muesli bars or chicken sandwiches for lunch, frozen veggies with pasta and sausages for dinner...to drink, there's water from the cooler at work. That's about it...I avoid fatty greasy, super sugary stuff filled with chemicals. But what diet changes could help? (if not for hair, maybe for muscle, I'm pretty damn skinny)

And Hygiene? I shower every day but I don't use shampoo. Maybe a bit of conditioner on the sides of my head. I'm terrified of all the hair that comes out when I put product over my scalp directly (I shed like the friggen cats in winter). Same with combing.

So yea, that's me and I'll be posting back here when complete stage 1 of my regimen (get the treatments). Hope I get some good advice

 

[BlueScreen]

Okay, well I have been browsing this forum more and found topics on Advanced Hair Studio's, Clive Hair Clinics and the like.

Sounds like they are all scams, every last one of them. Only the prescription drugs can really help

So I'm looking at netpharmacy over in Parnell for the things I need, it's a short drive away from me. Suppose these are good deals?

Nizorla 2%

Rogaine triple pack

They list Propecia and Proscar on their list of perscription medicines although I really am not sure who to turn towards in this country to get a prescription from anyone.

If there are any forum browsers here who live in NZ, where exactly would you go to get a prescription? I know there are tons of GP's in the Auckland area but I am extremely paranoid about who to trust.

 

[JamboNZ]

Hey Bluescreen,

I'm From Wellington,

Goto www.hairdoctor.co.nz and book an appointment.

I flew up from Wellington to go see him. I order a pack every 2 months and it is couriered overnight, even on Saturday's.

Hope this helps you out.

 

[cuebald]

I just get my finasteride off the net from inhouse. The usual pros (don't need a script) and cons (could be out of date/bad meds) apply. I just can't be arsed to get a script. About 10 days later my finasteride arrives and I've yet to have a problem. (I get branded but foreign proscar)

In my country you can actually buy finasteride from a chain of chemists without a prescription, as long as you have a consult with the pharmacist there. I have never actually had the balls to go upto the counter (that is always staffed by young, pretty girls) and say "I'd like to start the hair retention programme please" and have them going on about "may cause erectile dysfunction" in return. :laugh:

 

[BlueScreen]

Thanks for the tip Jambo

I had a quick email discussion with Paul Nola (a.k.a the hair doctor). It wasn't too hard getting through to him. I arranged for an appointment with him this week and hopefully he can point me in the right direction.

I think consultation is about $50 but I afford it. Meanwhile I'm still using Nizoral and any conditioner I think might help.

I found some stuff that promises to thicken hair and actually bought it even though I'm pretty doubtful of any claim cosmetic corporation release. Shows how desperate I'm getting

 

[BlueScreen]

So I had my chat with Paul Nola over in his Ponsonby clinic. He looked at my head from different angles and took close-up photo's. He took particular notice of my flaky disgusting, scalp and seemed more concerned about the implications of that than my actual hairloss. Understandable. My scalp sucks.

We had a lengthy chat about hair loss regimes and the ideal lifestyle (diet exercise, routine) required to assist the daily medication I would be taking and any specific actions I would need to take on my part. He particularly required me to cut back on the sugar.

In the end he gave me 2 months supply of Fintral (5mg finasteride), Minoxydil, his own special brand of DHT blocker and Sebizole (Ketoconazole 2%) all for a price of $125 including delivery.

Best part of it all? Full printed instructions! :bravo:

The most curious aspect was his seemingly positive support of laser hair therapy, like what they do at Advanced hair Studios. I was very skeptical about that kind of therapy, then again Paul did also seem critical over how powerful the lasers are at AHS.

I had considered getting laser therapy at AHS before until I decided it was a scam. Perhaps it may be worth considering after all (once I raise more cash)

The consultation fee was an additional $50 and I also purchased a pill cutter for $12. Altogether $187NZD

In the future if I need a resupply, I can have another 2 months supply of all of this for another $125 delivered straight to my door. This is much cheaper than any regimen I had planned before. I thought this was a good deal so I went with it. Hope I was not wrong.

Anyway, Now I have the key ingredients but I still need a few more things according to Pauls advice. I also need:

-More Omega3 (fish)
-More Zinc
-More Iodine (salt?)
-More Silica
-More MSM
-More Tocotrienols
-More Saw palmetto, sitosterol and pygeum africanum
-More protein (Processed hotdogs DO NOT COUNT)
-the occasional Green Tea
-More aerobic exercise (He seemed against the opinion that exercising can affect hair loss. At least not aerobic exercise anyway)
-Less GI in my diet
-Less selenium
-less starch
-No sugar

The regimen (Read: pill swallowing) starts now but I still need to figure out where to get all these other things into my diet.

The doctor was kind enough to point out some extra places for research including the StoneAgeDiet, http://www.crossfit.com and BodyForLife so there's that.

I have to admit though, a lot of this seems overwhelming. So much needs to change in my usual spending routine in order to accommodate all this. But there's no going back at this point

 

[JayG]

Hey Bluescreen,

I'm thinking of booking an appointment with Paul Nola. How's your treatments going? Do you think they've helped at all?

Also, can you recommend someone who supplies Rogaine in NZ? I haven't been able to find any.

Cheers man!