Boru's story - (Vellus to Terminal)

Boru

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In 1980 at the age of 23 I shaved my head and a fellow student remarked that my crown hair was growing back thinner.
After five more wonderful years of absolutely no effort on my part I had been awarded the distinct honour of full male pattern baldness. My achievement seemed to delight my brothers who thought that calling me "mirror head" would cheer me up. I ignored the remarks of various louts and drunks who obviously did not realise that the lack of a brain is more serious than mere lack of hair. Indeed many lovely ladies have appreciated the artistic shapliness of my proud skull.
Then last year, disaster struck. I did my first searches on the internet, looking into thyroid health, and discovered Saw Palmetto Berries (SPB) and a few other products of interest.
Out of curiousity I began rubbing SPB juice into my scalp.
I didn't expect any results, I got some.
Much Vellus appeared in my "mirror head", so I persisted for several months until some terminal hair regrew in the front, temples and sides. I studied all the papers I could, bought a lasercomb, minoxidil, finasteride etc. Then the penny dropped. I had devised a home health treatment for my thyroid and skin condition, not related to hair growth, and maybe the SP and lasercomb etc. were not totally responsible for the new hairs. It is beyond doubt that finasteride is a major factor, but my device may be boosting the effects.
Creating vellus was a neat trick, but turning vellus into terminal has been a revelation. No longer am I the happy baldy life and soul of the party don't give a damn yes you can feel my lovely smooth head kind of guy, I WANT MORE PLEASE!
I gathered from conventional doctors and specialists that my follicles became permanently minaturised twenty years ago and they assured me that there was no danger whatsoever that they could sneak back in the future.
Now I have developed an obsession, and a question. Is it my responsibility to prove that hairs pronounced "dead" can be raised up after twenty years AWOL? (Sorry about the mixed metaphor).
The authors here and at other sites seem to be young men trying to keep their hair, or slow down loss, or get some back after only a few years of partial loss. Perhaps there are others like me whose male pattern baldness has been long term and have had some success with finasteride, minoxidil, etc.
If my "device" has given my vellus that extra boost, how do I test and develop the idea? I don't want to create any undeserved expectations. After all, I have only the beginnings of the results I believe I can expect from the close up self-examination in a magnifying mirror. My girlfriend assures me that there are lots of new little hairs in the crown, and I just have to trust she isn't telling me what I want to hear! If I can turn all the new vellus into terminal hair, then it will be outstanding. But if progress halts at something less than 30-50%, it would become obvious that many of my follicles were permanently minaturised after all. I don't know yet, but I believe that my combination experiment is worth continuing for another year or so, to achieve maximum results, whatever they may be.
However, you younger male pattern baldness buddies may get closer to 100% recovery. I guess that minaturisation may not be reversible after a longer period, perhaps 30 years.
 

tchehov

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The Third Policeman, eat your heart out.

Did your thyroid 'device' ever work for you, Boru?
 

Boru

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Hi. Yes sir, when I have time to plug it in. It isn't a thyroid device exactly, but an oxygen device which improves energy levels, plus a few other crazy ideas. It might help hair growth incidentally, but I rely on finasteride, nizoral and other regular items. Slow progress continues, though I don't think I will cover the bald spot totally, though I have whisps of hair where there was nothing a few years ago. Are you getting any results?
Boru
 

tchehov

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Hi Boru

I guess you're hypothyroid since you want to improve energy levels. There's an hereditary hypothyroid condition in our family - both my mother & grandmother suffered it. I've grown up to recognise the symptoms and when I saw them developing in myself I had all the tests, but they came back saying I was OK. Since then I've read everywhere that diagnosis is very difficult and decided the tests were inaccurate. With no help from my doctor I'm treating myself with Tyrosine and a few other things.

I've only been on a general health and hair regimen for about three months now so it's probably to early to gauge whether it's working. I'll say this though - the awful mental fog and indecision that characterises hypothyroidism is lifting from me and it's a relief to have a bit of energy and be able to think clearly again.

Both my mother & grandmother suffered the same diffuse hair loss I am now experiencing. I don't have any slick bald spots, just very diffuse thinning on crown and vertex. My hairline comes and goes. Again, I've only been on minoxidil for 6 weeks, and a topical Saw Palmetto for a fortnight, but I have seen a general if very modest improvement. I've developed my own theory about diffuse thinning, but it would not be too welcome on this forum (science rules here). Which is why I admire your inventiveness here.

I hope you do manage to fill in those spots - I have terminal hairs creeping in my temples where there hasn't been hair for ten years. So don't let anyone tell you the dead are dead (I like mixed metaphors). I like to think they're in suspended animation.

And I'm glad your hair never hit your luck with the ladies. I've had a hard time that way, because my diffuse thinning is so ugly. I would only need to see moderate results for a marked improvement in my appearance and then I intend to make up for lost, lost time.

I'm quietly optimistic. Look. (which is Norn Iron for luck).
 

Boru

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Thanks. I get thyroxine on prescription, and my kind doctor also prescribes the proscar and nizoral specifically for my hair growth. I had feedback from others who said their doctors wouldn't prescribe the latter for "cosmetic use", an attitude which ignores the terrible psychological effects on young persons. My hair growth programme began very late, ie, when I was nearly 47, which was just curiousity about saw palmetto at the beginning, and I was used to looking like my nobly bald ancestors. (I was brought up in Co. Armagh but I came to England in 1975).
Although I have had many girlfriends, most were short to medium affairs, I suspect because their girly friends may have poked fun to some degree, the "you have a bald boyfriend, is he rich?" syndrome.
My current girlfriend of two years couldn't give a damn about my bald spot, but she is very supportive of my quest. Lucky me.
Do you get thyroxine?
Boru
 

tchehov

Experienced Member
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Nope, no thyroxine for me - that's WAY too exotic for my doctor - unless he can treat it with anti-biotics or anti-depressants he doesn't want to know. Housing estate mentality - treats too many singles mothers. 'Men don't get ill, they just get old.' (He actually said that to me).

As for Propecia, you might as well ask for the moon, and then sixpence.

Hair loss is pretty devastating, especially for young people. You only need to take a look around this forum to see the destruction in lives. I'm too busy feeling sorry for myself to bother with women. Gets to be a habit. This place gets to be a habit too.

(Armagh is beautiful little town...sorry...city, but I wouldn't want to live there).

:wink:
 
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