Fish or cut bait?

[munk]

I'm at a bit of a crossroads here. I'm a 4a, 5 or 5a balding pattern (thinning up front and I'm starting to get that 'Island of Hair' in the front) and have been using T-Gel & Nizoral 1% shampoo's and 400 i.u. of dry vitamine E for about 2 years. In December I started using Rogain Max strength (after a month and a half from the regular strength use) and I'm only using the Rogain at night (no way I'd be able to do it in the morning). I shed pretty good and in the last month have noticed itching and burning where I'm applying the Rogain (only in the front of my hair).

Things look like they're getting a lot thinner upstairs. Im not sure if this is just a delayed reaction to the Rogain since I'm only using it once a day or if the boys are finally starting to leave for good. I'm not a big fan of going to Proscar but I'll do it if I have to. Guess I'm looking for some advice on whether or not to stay the course with Rogain or go with Proscar. Any help is greatly appreciated.

 

[The shedder]

Your pretty high on the norwood scale and waiting any longer before trying finasteride may be too late. Go with the big three and try to bump up the rogaine to twice a day if it is possible, it should help. Good luck

 

[The Gardener]

Give it more time. The Rogaine does tend to create some irritation when you use it, and with regular Nizoral usage the irritation should subside over time.

Rogaine is also one of those 'sometimes it gets worse before it gets better' type treatments because the minoxidil in it tends to make hair shed when you start it. This is actually GOOD news, because the hairs are shedding as a result of being exposed to the minoxidil, and this accelerates a new, minoxidil-enhanced hair to grow where the shed hair once was.

Finasteride might be a good addition for you, I don't think it would help you regrow much or have much effect in the short term picture, but it might help stabilize your scalp over a longer period of time and enhance thickness in your areas of hair that are thinning.