Four month mark today

[Guest]

It's been successful so far but I wouldn't label this story a success (meaning I'm satisfied) yet so I don't want to put it in that forum.

Though I'm at my 4 month point on Spectral DNC. For the first month I used it all over my scalp, and then in December I bought some foam to use on the vertex only to help save some money. So 1 month on DNC and 3 months on foam in that area.

Four months is supposed to be the MINIMUM amount of time you give this stuff to make a judgement on it and I can say that it definitely has given results. Unfortunately I don't have any pics, but it appears as if the temple/hairline area that's been treated with the DNC the full 4 months has progressed the best. This could be that it's because it's easier for me to see than the crown and the vertex too. When spraying the DNC on the temple region initially I'd see more scalp but I started notice about a month ago how I really have to part the (apparently new) hair out of the way to get the solution onto the scalp better rather than on the hair. I had pigmented vellous there initially so perhaps some of them have gone to a thin terminal now.

The areas that I DID literally have small bald spots (since I'm diffuse I don't really recede in the horse shoe pattern) but they're covered in pigmented vellous now as well.

So at the 4 month point I'd have to rate it two thumbs up. I just started taking finasteride on the 1st of February too, and NANO shampoo last week. I will be getting Revita soon. After seeing Jayman's latest pics I'm very encouraged and excited to see the results I may get after a full year.

Check my regimen for the other stuff I'm using. I was using the other stuff well before the minoxidil without any regrowth but I did notice the progression of thinning had slowed down drastically after using the Saw Palmetto/Nizoral/Essentials. I just decided to keep with the SP and Essential Oils as well.

Moral of the story, STAY ON THE minoxidil!!!! Oh I had the initial minoxidil shed too.

 

[klink]

You still doing all that other stuff in your regimen too?

I have about 60 days on all my stuff except the finasteride which I have taken for 5 years.... very happy with results so far just feeling a little impatient.

 

[Guest]

Yep,

My regimen is up to date. Poppin pills and rubbin junk on your head is easier than one would think

 

[Nick4441]

That's good to hear your getting good results.

I did a month and a half of Spectral DNC then dropped it and just stayed on finasteride. Coming up 4 months things have continued to detiorate rapidly so couple of weeks ago got back on the Spectral cos if finasteride is not working then I have to hope Spectral will otherwise that's the end of trying to retain what I have.

I only use the Spectral on the front part of my head where hairline is diffuse as back part of head is fine. Maybe why finasteride is not so good for me as its more renowned for success with crown area and just in front whereas finasteride is o.k. all over.

 

[Nick4441]

I notice you are on a very low finasteride dose, can you confirm the reason.

I dropped mine to 0.25mg over last 3 months due to sides but see yours is every other day..

I still have this though that those that get sides are not good responders and those with high level of sides it could actually work negatively.

 

[Guest]

Why did you drop Spectral DNC to begin with? Anything with minoxidil has to be a commitment to get on. I viewed it as such when decided to start it because the last thing I would want is for these new hairs to start falling out after stopping treatment.

Sounds like you already know that the response curve from > 0.2mg of finasteride is pretty much flat so depending on the individual you would response from 0.25mg nearly as well as 1mg.

There are also quite a few reports of people using finasteride EOD and even some derms prescribing it this way. Over at baldingblog.com there's a few entries written about this too. This backed by the DHT table picture that floats around here as well as the fact that the 5AR-1 half life is 14 days while the 5AR-2 half life is 30 days. The half life of the drug itself is 6 hours so in 48 hours I still have 0.03125 mg's of this stuff in my system even. I believe as little as 0.01mg has shown the ability to reduce DHT as well. I guess that makes even more since for people taking 1mg to use it EOD since in 48 hours they would still have 0.125mg of finasteride in their system.

I'm mainly doing it to save money as well. I have to find some balance between cost and performance. Since I've gotten over my fear of sides I think I will switch to Fincar or Finast, chop it into 1/8ths, and that would give me 0.625mg per dosage.

 

[Nick4441]

It was a mistake to start Spectral and drop it. I got it in my head that finasteride should be able to stop the loss on its own and I was very nervous about a minoxidil shed. I colour my hair and Spectral strips the colour quickly too, its the alcahol in it I guess so that was another reason for dropping it.

Now a few months in and confidence down on the finasteride I will stay on the Spectral this time even if only right at hairline. The 0.25Mg is cheap and as we know still has reasonable DHT reduction so i'm going to keep that on the go.