Boilingpoint's Story - (Age 23, pics included)

[boilingpoint]

Hi there!

I remember lurking around these boards a couple of years ago and having left a few comments but i've forgotten the user name and password I had back then. In any case I never left a story about my balding process...so here it is.

I think I started at around 16 but it was in no way noticeable until i was around 20 and now as i approach my mid twenties it's gonna be hard to miss. In any case to cut a long story short i've not done much to help stop it - I have basically tried 3 things, only one of which is proven to help.

My 'regimen' has been pretty much experimental as i'm reluctant to get on any drugs such as propecia or minoxidil, since I really don't want to risk my health for my hair, so I've just tried considered harmless stuff on the off-chance that it might maintain it. Firstly I actually tried drinking glasses of soya milk after reading a couple of articles saying that it might help..I'm pretty sure it hasn't, secondly I've been wasing my hair with Alpecin C1 for about 5 months and there's no change (which is also perhaps a good thing i guess..) and finally nizoral which is useful to keep dandruff levels low cos I understand us baldies get that quite often and I do get it often...always in fact.

So here are my pics starting from mid 2003:

[attachment=2:1h00j089]mid2003.JPG[/attachment:1h00j089]

mid 2004:

[attachment=1:1h00j089]mid2004.JPG[/attachment:1h00j089] [attachment=0:1h00j089]02mid2004.JPG[/attachment:1h00j089]

more to come.....

 

[boilingpoint]

Re: Getting noticed for shiny head syndrome at 23 (with pics)

mid 2005:

[attachment=2:8394nxgc]mid2005.JPG[/attachment:8394nxgc]

early 2006:

[attachment=1:8394nxgc]early2006.jpg[/attachment:8394nxgc]

late 2006:

[attachment=0:8394nxgc]late2006.jpg[/attachment:8394nxgc]

 

[boilingpoint]

Re: Getting noticed for shiny head syndrome at 23 (with pics)

late 2006 again:

[attachment=2:2z2ig2sk]02late2006.jpg[/attachment:2z2ig2sk]

mid 2007:

[attachment=1:2z2ig2sk]mid2007.jpg[/attachment:2z2ig2sk]

late 2007:

[attachment=0:2z2ig2sk]late2007.jpg[/attachment:2z2ig2sk]

 

[boilingpoint]

Re: Getting noticed for shiny head syndrome at 23 (with pics)

ok so these pictures start from when I was about to turn 19 until the photo I took this morning...

I reckon it's pretty obvious i'm going bald with about medium aggressiveness - except it's both receeding AND diffuse thinning which is a a b**ch cos it could have been one or the other, but it happens to be both.

All these pics are me with relatively wet hair to completely wet...

I'm thinking about posting some pics of me with dry hair to give you guys a better idea.

cheers - what do you guys reckon? big 3? shave? stick to nizoral and forget it?

 

[hairwegoagain]

Re: Getting noticed for shiny head syndrome at 23 (with pics)

You'd probably benefit from finasteride and minoxidil. Whether you want to bother with it or not is up to you. Some guys just take it in stride and there's not a thing wrong with that.

The thinning look seems to be accentuated by longer hair, so you might consider cutting it shorter.

 

[RaginDemon]

Re: Getting noticed for shiny head syndrome at 23 (with pics)

I think your hair loss is rather aggresive, you lost quite a bit of hair within the past three yrs.

Get on big 3 and hopefully it will improve the condition of your hair.

 

[boilingpoint]

ok thanks for the feedback guys

I've pretty much decided i'm gonna try finasteride - gonna stop kidding myself and actually do something now so i've ordered some Generic Finasteride (5mg) and a pill cutter from inhouse pharmacy.

now i'm thinking about minoxidil but i'm wondering a few more things so i've got some more questions:

firstly - if i start using minoxidil should i start as soon as i start the finasteride or can i leave it for a while to see how the pills work for me?

also if i do start using minoxidil can i stop using it down the road, while staying on finasteride, without any substatial loss??? or is it really recommended that i apply 2 times a day for as long as poss?

finally how bad are the sheds everyone talks about? is it the finasteride or the minoxidil that induces it? or both? is it gonna make me look bald suddenly?

thanks a bunch for the help! I really appreciate it.

 

[Sean68]

theres no right or wrong answer to that. a lot of people would say to give finasteride a chance but personally id start with both of them the thinking being that you may be a really good minoxidil
responder and never know. if you do want to regrow then go for minoxidil its rare from finasteride especially at the front. shedding is just something you may have to deal with, ive never had one.

 

[RaginDemon]

I think you should just do big 3 all at once.

 

[WorldofWarcraft]

Imagine how much better your hair would be now if you had started treatments back then rather than screw around with soy milk.

 

[Guest]

boilingpoint,

start minoxidil and Finasteride now! Your hairloss is agressive, there is no denial. You gotta take these medications for the rest of your life (or until something better comes out) otherwise you will lose everything you have saved before. I also think you might be a good responder (just a feeling). You might expect a good thickening of your existing hair and maintenance of your current hairline.

Imagine how much better your hair would be now if you had started treatments back then rather than screw around with soy milk.

hey, good to see you back, mate! The forum needs guys like you!

 

[RaginDemon]

Imagine how much better your hair would be now if you had started treatments back then rather than screw around with soy milk.

I agree, I have been through the same denial stage.

I really wish he started big 3 in mid 2003 myself, I hope big 3 can still turn things around for him since his hair loss is relatively recent.

 

[boilingpoint]

Hi there! Thanks a bunch to everyone for the feedback - it's been a good slap back to the reality for the sitch I'm in here.

So a few days ago I got the minoxidil foam I bought off ebay, the pill cutter, nizoral shampoo and finally the finasteride..... which is all very good but I'm starting to have doubts about the finasteride as I ordered the generic fincar from inhousepharmacy and i'm getting wary especially after all the news of fake pills and the fact that it's a grey market website shipping prescription meds from vanuatu....

Even if it's just for the peace of mind I'd rather not take these pills cos *if* i do get the side effects then i'll never be 100% sure if it was because of the generic pill or just because I can't handle the finasteride.

So yeah, I'm rambling a bit, but I think i'm gonna play it safe and get an order from Dr Ashcroft (UK supplier) if i can.

Anyone had any problems with inhouse? Has it really been 100% ok for everyone????

 

[RaginDemon]

you get sides from real finasteride as well, and sometime sides go away, sometime they dont. It's something you will have to try it out to find out.

 

[boilingpoint]

ok cheers, I took my first dosage of finasteride today (only an 8th of fincar 5mg) and so far so good. Will move up to taking 1/4 tomorrow and stay on that after which I'll start the minoxidil foam....

 

[metalheaddude]

I think you should just do big 3 all at once.

I agree with RaginDemon. You're only 23 years old! You have already lost a fair bit of hair. If you had dark hair it would look ALOT worse, the fact your blonde saves you, becuase the contrast from hair to scalp is not so extreme. So yeah, there no more time to f-uck around with this one, this is a no brainer. Big 3 yesterday!

 

[RaginDemon]

what scary is that fact that he lost quite a bit in such a short period of time, its definitely shocking.

When it comes to hair loss, time is rather critical, I hope big 3 can help you reverse the damage.

GL man!

 

[Thickandthin]

Hate to say it but he's probably quite bald by now. He lost a substantial amount of hair in a short time.

 

[boilingpoint]

Hate to say it but he's probably quite bald by now. He lost a substantial amount of hair in a short time.

Not completely bald just yet...I'm now 25 and the nizoral and finasteride has kept the cue ball at arms length. Just about.

Anyhow, it's been a year and a half since I posted this thread and I've got an update. Time totally flies btw...

I've been on finasteride since late 2007 and i think it's safe to say it has maintained the hair I had left back when I started the meds.

I also have never used any minoxidil as I decided that if it does regrow hair, it'll only fall out again a few weeks later - as far as i can tell that's what seems to happen to others?

here's some pics of my hair now - August 2009

 

[boilingpoint]

and here's a couple that should give you an idea...