Gavney's Story - (25)

[gavney]

Hi All,

First off, I think this website is very useful, so thanks to everyone involved.

I'm 25, have been losing my hair (slowly) at the front for 2 years now. Temples are pretty much disappeared, but what I really want to sort out is the thin hair at the front and slightly further back. Still haven't lost any hair on the crown, but am expecting it at some stage!

So, only started acting in the past few months.

On 25 September, started on 5% minoxidil - Regaine Extra strength, 2X per day

On 26 November, started on 1mg Dr. Reddy's Finax (bought from hairlossgenerics.com)

On 22 Dec (yesterday) started using Nizoral.

Haven't seen any improvement yet, but it's still very early days, and haven't suffered any side-effects other than a slightly itchy scalp from the minoxidil (which Nizoral should sort out).

Family history - my dad is almost completely bald at 67, but looking at pictures of him in his 30s and 40s, it looked very gradual.

My eldest brother is 36 - and he also looks very gradual. He started losing it in very similar pattern to me - very gradually at the front in his mid-20s but he's a bit thinner than me at the front and he has a bald patch

I should also mention that I tried Nanogen and Dermmatch.

I think the Nanogen is absolutely amazing - but it's just too expensive for me to use every day, and the fact that it has to be applied every day is a bit annoying. But for DRY nights out on the town, it's useful

Dermmatch is more to my liking, it lasts longer and is alot cheaper. It happens to suit my situation perfectly, as apart from loss at temples - there's nowhere on my head that is completely missing hair - it's just thin.

 

[gavney]

Re: gavney's story

Have been getting a bit of gynostemia, since being on the finasteride, so have decided that from today am gonna divide the 1mg tablets in two, and have just 0.5mg per day - hopefully that will help

Does anyone else do this? Take half a 1mg tablet? I know lots of people divide up proscar tablets...

 

[BodyDysmorphic]

Re: gavney's story

gyno from using finasteride for 1 month?

are you sure?

 

[gavney]

Re: gavney's story

gyno from using finasteride for 1 month?

are you sure?

not 100%. But yeah, it started in the last week or so. I haven't gotten big man-boobs or anything, but my chest feels softer than usual. I do a good bit of weights, and haven't been doing any less lately, and haven't been eating any different, so I presume it's the finasteride

At the same time, I could just be imagining it. Maybe they were always a bit tender

 

[gavney]

Update - 7th Jan

Ok, so am on same routine. 1mg Reddy's Finax, 2 X 5% Regaine liquid, nizoral every 2nd day

I think that any side effects that I thought I had from finasteride were either imaginary or temporary, as they certainly aren't there anymore.

As for improvement, seems to be some downy hair growing around my hairline. It's only visible up close, and maybe it was there before, but if it was I hadn't noticed it - so I think there has been a slight improvement.

I'm attributing improvement to the Regaine (after approx 4 months), as have only been on the finasteride a little over a month, so probably too early to have seen results

I have gotten some positive remarks from ppl about an improvement in my hair - unfortunately this was at times when I had dermmatch in (which I use when I'm going on a night out). But on the bright side - at least they didn't notice it was dermmatch!!! Hopefully in a few months ppl will be making comments like that with no dermmatch present

 

[gavney]

Ok, Jan 22nd Update

Been on minoxidil 5% for 4 months
finasteride 1mg for 2 months
Nizoral, just under 1 month

Results

Still got a bit of downy hair around hairline. So, I think there has been slight improvements all in all, due to minoxidil. My hair certainly hasn't gotten any worse since starting it

finasteride - side effects disappeared (if they were even there in the first place).
No libido problems, no man-boobs. Still too early to have expected results.

Nizoral - not sure how well this stuff actually works to stop the itching from minoxidil. In any case, I quite like it, it gives my hair a fuller look than some other shampoos.

 

[gavney]

Bad news - got stung by customs for importing finasteride (on my second order) through THIS website. Apparently completely illegal. Unfortunately, the pills have been destroyed and I've lost 100euro worth of pills

Anyway, good news is that I've found a good place to order proscar from in UK. My friend has been using it for a few years and has never had any problems (I think it's alot less likely to be checked if coming from UK, as opposed to US).

I've only got about 15 finasteride left, hopefully won't run out before the proscar arrives

 

[gavney]

K, got my proscar in the post a few days ago, just on time as well as only have a few finasteride left.

So far, have seen some very slight improvements in that there's thin, "fluffy" hair appearing around the hairline - it hasn't shown signs of thickening yet though. Presumably any improvements attributable to minoxidil, which I've been on for nearly 5 mths now.

Anyway, will update in the next few weeks, just so I can look back on my thoughts

 

[maki]

Hey Gavney, I've just ordered some finasteride from united pharmicies. You said you'd ordered some from the UK. Where was that?

 

[gavney]

Ok,

Finished up my supply of FINAX, and started on proscar today. I expected the tablets to be bigger tbh - and can't really see how ppl are managing to cut them into 4, but I'll do my best!

 

[gavney]

Had been shedding alot for the last couple of weeks.

Seems to be less the last couple of days though, hopefully will stop shortly

 

[gavney]

gave up the minoxidil back in August/Sept, as found it a bit of a pain in the neck to use, and also wasn't sure which was working - the proscar or the minoxidil

So, since then have just been using proscar.

In total, am on the finasteride for about a year.

Unfortunately the company i've been buying from messed up my order a couple of months ago, which left me without finasteride for about 7/8 days. in December.

Since then I've noticed that my hair has gotten worse.

i don't have any pics from start of treatment unfortunately, but have attached some from today. Anyway, it's definitely worse - has gotten particularly thin at the front, so that im starting to develop a bit of an "island"

I'm really unsure what to do. I don't know if the deterioration is due to

1. discontinuing minoxidil
2. missing out on a week of finasteride or
3. is this just another shed from using finasteride???

I'm really hoping it's number 3. I suppose I'll just have to give it another month to see

 

[gavney]

another pic

all pics taken today, 11th jan in bathroom (strong light) after washing hair with nizoral

 

[blankall]

I doubt one week off finasteride after a year of use would have that strong of an effect.

Do you have before pics?

 

[gavney]

Am thinking that stopping the minoxidil was a bad idea

So, I started Regaine (Foam 5%) again two days ago.

Gonna update in 1 month.

 

[gavney]

some more pics from today

hair hasn't been cut on top (only around sides) for last 3 weeks

As you can see, it's particularly bad right at the front

 

[gavney]

An interesting post by someone on www.hairloss-reversible.com.

The first myth is part of the reason i discontinued minoxidil. I never liked applying regaine, so thought that any gains I may have had could be maintained with finasteride...

Some common myths regarding minoxidil:

Myth1# "The use of an inhibitor can preserve my minoxidil results after quitting minoxidil."

Many think that hair regrown by minoxidil can be maintained by the use of DHT inhibitors alone. This is absolutely not true as the mechanism of action is totally different between minoxidil and inhibitors like finasteride. The discontinuation of minoxidil use will lead to a Telogen Effluvium [telogen effluvium], leading the user temporarily below baseline and then eventually up to his initial condition.

Myth 2# "minoxidil does not work for the frontal areas."

Absolutely not true. Minoxidil works for the front areas too, just not as well. Upjohn chose the vertex area for sampling as it would produce more impressive results in terms of regrowth. This company, now part of Pfizer, would have to pay millions again to repeat the same phase III trials for the frontal and temple areas. Bound by the FDA, Pfizer cannot claim results for the front but that does not mean that minoxidil is ineffective there.

Minoxidil is effective wherever an active follicle lies. Bear in mind that the type of damage done to a follicle by the balding process is critical to the way the specific follicle will respond.

 

[gavney]

Am on the regaine now for about 3 weeks

starting to shed quite a bit now. 7/8 hair appear on my desk each time i shake it, would normally be only 2/3

shedding should stop in next week or two.

looking forward to some regrowth!

 

[gavney]

 

[gavney]

photos from today 20th feb