Help with bad receeding hair line / any ideas (with pic)?

[CalgaryGuy]

Hi, I've always had a receeding hair line since I was sixteen, same as my father. Eventually I started using thickening shampoos and parting my hair that it covered it up enough to be tolerable. I never really gave it much thought and was okay with a receeding hair line although it has always bothered me. I was hoping also that it would stop given that no one in my family has ended up bald or with the hair line meeting in the middle. I did not take any pills or anything given that I really thought it would stop and I was reluctantly "okay" with the peaks. I just didn't see it being worth risking any side effects.

I am 27 now and in the past year however the two "peaks" have seemed to meet up in the middle and I am now at a loss. I am at the point where I have too much hair to really want to shave, but have this wierd receeding hair line that just looks odd.

I have put up a picture here:
[img=http://img511.imageshack.us/img511/3606/dsc00517sa6.th.jpg]



Normally I wouldn't be very superficial but this has really been bothering me. I also have to give a lot of public presentations. I'm also worried about losing that "front" of hair.

Anyway, I have started to take Proscar (cut it into 1/4ths) and minoxidil in the past week. Is this the right thing to do? Do these products work on the front?!?! Any other ideas?? Should I be worried about side effects?

Other factors, I have a really above average sex drive. Ironically enough I also have a lot of hair everywhere else (like on my back and chest, do I have to worry about that?). I'm hoping that given my above average sex drive that it will maybe just deplete to normal? I also work out at the gym every two days (thirty minutes weights, ten minutes cardio).

Any recommendations?!?! Will keep posting pictures also to document if anything happens, I'm hoping that my experience if it goes wrong can at least be useful for someone else or alternatively if it works out that someone in a similar situation can see how it goes.

 

[RaginDemon]

you are already doing the right thing, just pray for the best and be happy!

 

[CalgaryGuy]

Thanks! It's been 10 days now, so far no impact but no side effects.

One question - I am using a generic Canadian version of minoxidil which is only 2%. It is far cheaper than Rogaine here.

Is it worth switching to the 4% Rogaine? Or can I just double my application? Should I be applying it to the "front hair" or should I leave it as is to avoid shedding?

 

[malibujoe]

i would buzz that head. the front tuft of hair would look fine...make ur head less bald.

good luck.

 

[ANDREW_J_I]

i recommend dr lees minoxidil if you want to have hastle free application

 

[metalheaddude]

Its buzz time my friend

 

[RaginDemon]

Its buzz time my friend

:agree:

 

[Lucky_UK]

I would buzz it for now, keep taking the finasteride and see what happens, it would take a few months before you will know if the finasteride works for you

 

[RaginDemon]

buzz will make your balding less obvious.

 

[ps1freak]

there is a guy in the success stories that had hair similar to yours n regrew the bald temple parts..i cant remember his name

you def have a chance....minoxidil it and do cut it down to make it less obvious~

 

[RaginDemon]

there is a guy in the success stories that had hair similar to yours n regrew the bald temple parts..i cant remember his name

you def have a chance....minoxidil it and do cut it down to make it less obvious~

Eugene or something.

 

[CalgaryGuy]

Thanks guys; I've been lost on this issue for quite some time now. Right now I'm actually covering it up to some degree but I think a buzz cut is definately in the cards. I've got big ears though so I am hoping to avoid it = )

Am going to give this Propecia / Mino treatment 4 months I guess just to see what happens. (crosses fingers). So far nothing, no side effects, no growth after 12 days which I guess is not surprising.

 

[StrangeKarma]

After 12 days, you won't see anything, give it about 3 months, that's how long it took for me to see even small results. By month 6, my hair was really looking good.

 

[CalgaryGuy]

Well looking at the Eugene's pictures gave me hope; I have noticed the same trend that seems very consistant with the Norwood male pattern baldness chart. On the side note my sister has a history of alopecia where she develops bald spots that are appearently brought on by stress. This should be a good test to see if Eugene's results are something people with the same condition can potentially come to expect. I sure hope so but am not holding my breath. I'll be sure to document this all a bit more.

I guess I'll keep applying the minoxidil too to the temples where nothing has grown for years; certainly can't hurt.

 

[RaginDemon]

It all depends on how well your body reacts to the meds, best of luck mate!

 

[Ackers24]

yeah i'd buzz it mate, im 24 and my hairline hasnt got to the stage yours is at, it hasnt crept over into the middle, its still a complete strip to the crown with the temples missing, i think eventually mine will egde its way inwards and look like yours, but i buzz mine to stubble and it doesnt look too bad, you should try it!!

 

[RaginDemon]

Once its stablized, you can get a hair transplant to repair the bald area, but please give meds at least a year to evaluate the difference.

 

[CalgaryGuy]

I went to check out the possibility for a hair transplant, it was coming in at $6000! Does this seem right? Has anyone here actually gotten an hair transplant and found it worth it?

Is anyone amazed at how we are psychologically geared to judge people on hair loss. I mean I look in the mirror and it doesn't just look wrong, it feels wrong. It's as if it really is a disease and yet really, in the grand scheme of things, it really isn't that critical.

Right now I have cut my hair short and am parting to cover up the section that meets while continuing the "treatment". I should have some first month pictures, I don't really see any major changes. That being said, maybe it's psychological but I do think that it is somewhat easier to cover up the bald apex where the temples are meeting up.

NOTE for those guys with temples that seem to be "creeping" - I thought that mine would never meet up and even last year thought my temples had stabilized. I'm not sure what happens but it just slowly creeps - I never noticed any outlandish hair loss or anything. Literally one day you notice that your receeding hair line has made it to the centre!

 

[RaginDemon]

6000 actually seems to be too cheap for your degree of hair loss.

Armani will easily quote you over 20k for FUE.