GGXX's Story (20)

[Vigaku]

Thought I might as well...

So anyway, I'm not really sure when I started thinning, but I can say I've been getting dissatisfied with how my hair looked around the time I hit puberty, which was when I started middle school, at age 12. I'm not saying I started to thin at that time, but who knows. I did notice a wackiness to the quality of my hair and it's likely I started to thin then. Pretty amazing. The thinning just wasn't noticeable until I hit 19. That's when I realized genetics had something to do with it, and what came to my mind was my mom's bald brothers.

When I was 19 & 1/2 I started taking generic finasteride (4rx.com version) daily and using topical minoxidil 2x a week, because minoxidil for me is a hassle. I stopped taking that version of finasteride because I personally don't trust medications over the internet, so I bought myself Propecia 1 & 1/2 months ago.

I may have improved since then, I may have not. Can't tell worth a damn. My issue is not that I have lack of coverage. It's just that my hair is thin on top, and it's definitely due to male pattern baldness. I just can't tell if my hair's getting thicker or not. It doesn't seem like it is, because there's still that half-assed quality about it. I'm sticking to my regimen though. If it fails in the long run, you can bet I'm getting a custom hair replacement system. Personally I don't see who wouldn't resort to this, if he's that sensitive about his hair.

Well that is my story.

 

[ryan r]

More minoxidil! Thats my advice. Im thinning out as well, thats my problem. But minoxidil has thickened it up a lot. Now, when Im walking down the street, theres nothing to see and I dont worry about it anymore

 

[Hecfield]

1.5 months is nowhere near enough to assess your situation. Odds are the finasteride you bought online was fine, but dependent on source there is always the possibility. But you need to realise that finasteride is a DHT inhibitor designed to halt/slow hairloss, and whilst you can regrow on it alone, it's more likely you'll keep what you have rather than regrow if you respond.

You need to increase your minoxidil use, twice weekly is nothing. Use it at least once a day, if its a hassle just use it at night before you go to bed, then you can just do it when you brush your teeth or whatever, and you don't need to worry about its impact on styling.

And patience, your doing the right thing by staying with your regimen. I'm 3 months in on finasteride and I haven't seen any results yet, but I'm not sweating it, because it's exactly what I expected. It's crazily annoying to have to wait, but that's biology for you.

 

[Nashville Hairline]

I may have improved since then, I may have not. Can't tell worth a damn. My issue is not that I have lack of coverage. It's just that my hair is thin on top, and it's definitely due to male pattern baldness. I just can't tell if my hair's getting thicker or not. It doesn't seem like it is, because there's still that half-assed quality about it.

This is why I think photos are so important in assessing it..day-to-day hair can look better or worse depending on how well its washed, the lighting of the room where you are, how stressed you've been that week etc the best way is to take a photo every month in the same place with the same camera and judge that way.

 

[Vigaku]

They could still be misleading, though, because it's not like I have any scalp showing. The only thing I can judge is how good my hair looks because it will always be covering. I have kinky hair. Kinkier hair is harder to asses from my experience. The best thing is to use a mapper (don't know what the f*ck it's called but it's a uber zooming camera that measures miniaturization) to be able to tell, but yeah, don't know where to get it. I've asked on Balding Forum but I've yet to get a reply.

More minoxidil I bet will be helpful, but seriously? Applying minoxidil is TEDIOUS. I don't know how some guys do it. I'd probably like seeing some videos of them applying minoxidil. My guess is some don't take more than 5-10 minutes, somehow, because the areas they're thinning in is probably a couple of square inches. I'm thinning damn all over. In order to get the minoxidil in all the thinning areas, I have to part my hair 10-12 times (10, to 12 times) in straight rows. There is no better way more me to spread minoxidil unless I get a crew cut/shave, which would allows me to take my hand and rub it all over at once. I can't do that with 3-4 inch hair, and the shortest my hair will ever be is 2-3 inches. I still couldn't do it with hair that short.

I'm not saying I don't care about my hair enough because I'd gladly lose a hand for a full head. It's just that applying minoxidil is like writing a paper. Takes about an hour only I'm standing and not sitting down. I at least get to lean on something when applying it.

 

[Hecfield]

My hair is about 2 inches long, but I used minoxidil back when it was 4 or 5. Try using a 1ml syringe rather than one of the inclusive applicators, it's so much better at getting down to the scalp without having to worry about parting too much. Even if you just used it daily on the hairline, which is dead easy. You can get them for dirt cheap at most pharmaceutical suppliers.

 

[Vigaku]

It wouldn't matter (for me at least) and here is why. If I apply it with something (syringe) without parting my hair, I will not be sure where I applied the medication, the next time I dip the syringe into the minoxidil bottle and bring it to my scalp again. I need to see with my eyes where minoxidil was put (wet areas) so that I don't waste it. The other thing about something like a syringe is that it won't apply that much at a time. Basically when I apply min I make sure it's in the form of big droplets running down rows in my scalp that I can massage in with my fingers. When it is being massaged it gets flattened and spread on my scalp. Trust me if I were to use another way it would be harder. Personally I'm ok with using it 2x a week, because there are also other reasons besides the fact it's tedious to apply. I wash my hair out (which means I also shower) twice a week. I don't take a shower everyday because it is also, a hassle. I never get dirty enough in 1 or 2 days to have to shower again. It usually takes me 3 days which is why I shower 2x a week. One may think it's sick but if he/she new how hygenic I am overall they'll think otherwise.

 

[Nuli]

I just bought a 6 month supply of generic minoxidil off amazon for like $24 and free shipping. I wouldn't worry very much about wasting it lol! just splash that sh*t on there

 

[Hecfield]

Trust me, figuring out how much to apply will come in under a week. I go back in 4 rows, where you don't need to part to too much of an extent as the tip of the syringe gets under your hair. Use 0.2ml for each row, then the remainder goes on the hairline usually, and occasionally the back if I'm feeling adventurous.

It takes about one minute, seriously, then about 30 seconds massaging it in and your done. It's not much hassle. Its obviously your call, but I can't imagine 2x weekly being effective. It's not the same as showering where as long as you're clean you're not dirty. It has a definitive effectiveness time, and the amount present needs to be relatively consistent for it to work as it could.

 

[Vigaku]

But the thing is, I'm on Propecia as well, daily, and this is supposed to either halt, slow, or reverse hair loss.

Let's say for argument's sake that it helps me slow down only.

2x a week use of minoxidil, when at least using a method in which the absorption of minoxidil is enhanced (I use a shower cap for this and minoxidil stays in liquid form on my scalp longer as a result) should make up for the rest of it. If it doesn't, then holy Christ. I indeed must have some shitty *** genes that daily Propecia and 2x a week use of minoxidil isn't even enough to reverse or even halt my hair loss. Once again, the process is tedious. I would also have to shower more often (because you need to keep your scalp clean before application, otherwise sebum will block minoxidil). The other thing showering does is it gets off minoxidil residue out of your hair. Said residue turns your hair into sh*t, literally, so technically I shower 4x week. Reason being, I take a shower one night, apply minoxidil afterwards, then I shower the following morning to get the minoxidil residue off, and live 3 or 4 days of my life (depending on if it's Thursday or Sunday) until the next time I apply it, all while taking daily Propecia. If this doesn't work out, then fine. I'll just get a custom hair replacement and save myself the time, the effort and the money. Also it beats having thin hair anyway.

 

[Cassin]

you should change the title to avoid confusion.

 

[Vigaku]

...wut

 

[Vigaku]

I hope no one minds if I use my story thread to post my microscopic scalp pics.

The page may shrink the pictures and lower their quality on your monitor. If it does that, you can click on them for max quality.

Crown (Vertex)

Middle

Frontal

Right Temple

Notice the slight red color. I think it's inflammation.


Left Temple

Again, red.


Sides

Back

What's interesting I'll note is that my SIDES are redder than anything else...even though I feel no inflammation there. Wierd. Probably just the product quality.

 

[BodyDysmorphic]

in those pictures

i can see that the temples are miniaturizing and the sides are a bit inflamed

i bet you still have god hair though

cheers

 

[Vigaku]

yeah...lol

hopefully my minoxidil 2x a week and daily 1mg Propecia regime is either maintaining or improving it...maintaining hair is also in my prayers too.

 

[Ian Curtis]

How do you take those pics??

 

[Vigaku]

With the Celestron 44300 microscope

Dr. Rassman (head of Balding Blog) recommended it.

 

[Vigaku]

So you guys ever read someone talking about a fallen hair's root being white? Behold:

IT'S DHT DEVELOPING ON IT!!! jk but it still sucks.

Gonna me smooth head I guess....when I'm 40.

 

[Vigaku]

The first pic is 400x magnification of a hair root after it appeared in my comb. I call this DHT coccoon. the color is misleading though since my finger is behind it and it caused it to look that way. the shaft is actually brown and the stuff at the end is white.

jk...my dad told me it was a result of dandruff and/or sebum having developed on it. This makes sense since this is how one looks like after I take the white stuff off:

This is how it was before:

 

[Vigaku]

Ok facial hair

Thicker than even my back and side hair according to the other pics, and as you can see the colors are pretty inconsistent...holy sh*t they look like cables or something!