Here's my story. 26 y/o. Any input or advice??

[mugsy8]

Hi everyone. I have read threads on these forums for at least a year now but have never posted. So here it goes;

I am 26 and a little over a year ago after discontinuing my utter denial, I accepted that I was balding. I would say I am currently a Norwood 2. My right temple is absolutely receding more than my left and it drives me INSANE. I have a large forehead and it makes me so self conscious for it to be getting larger. My forehead slopes as well which also makes me crazy. My father is bald in the crown and temple area with some hair in between (he is 56).

I went to see a dermatologist and she prescribed me a topical mix of .1% finasteride/5% Minoxidil solution because I was afraid of Oral finasteride side effects. Soon after reading up on it (within 2 weeks) I decided to say screw it and get the oral finasteride prescription. I have been on it for at least 9-10 months now along with Kirkland 5% Minoxidil 2x a day and Regenepure DR shampoo 3-4 times a week. My finasteride scrip is for 5mg!!! She told me to cut it in half and take one half every other day so I have been doing that. I am still noticing hair loss, hairs in my hand in the shower and my temple hair is still thinning (still seems to be mostly the right side). As far as I can tell my crown is thinning slightly if any. I HAVE ALWAYS HAD THIN HAIR. EVEN AS A CHILD. I am not sure what that means but I thought it should be known.

Am I doing anything wrong?
Any advice or help would be greatly appreciated. I am trying to bite this in the *** and get it under control as early as possible.




(I realize these are not great photos but I am working and had no choice right now but to take them with some product in my hair. )

 

[mugsy8]

Ok then...

 

[Raz]

Well, you're on finasteride, so you are doing what you can for the maintaining. If I understood correctly, you're taking 2.5mg bidaily? I don't know if that's better or worse than taking 1.25mg every day, but the actual dosage per day remains the same anyway. (I'm taking 1.25mg per day, personally). Your best hope for the temple regrowth is probably just Min, and you wrote that you are already on it. So I don't really think there's much you can add, apart from sleeping a lot, living healthy and the usual stuff. (Not that it will make or break anything, but I feel better about myself if I also take care about the vitamins and supplements and sleep a lot).

I think your hair looks good. Non-baldies wouldn't probably notice anything, your crown is also thick. If you feel insecure or worried about the temples, well, you are already doing what you can for maintaining and praying for regrowth, but in the meantime, you could try styling your hair a bit over your temples?

This post isn't probably too helpful, but yeah. Hang in there man.

 

[mugsy8]

I appreciate the reply Raz. Very Self conscious about temple loss and I try to style it but its super thin making it hard to do so. I'll keep at what I am doing and let you know how it goes.

 

[headless]

I think your hair is looking good, especially if you compare it to mine (and I'm a year younger than you are)..

Keep up your regimen, most say the best results are seen at the two year mark!
And remember: confidence is way, way more important than your hair. An old classmate is bald at 24 and he just shaves his head and has way more female attention than some of my other friends, just because he's confident about the fact he's a great guy. Good luck my man!

 

[t4nk86]

For the thin hair I'd try adding nizoral shampoo 2-3 times a week. I, like you, suffer from having thin hair and I've been using it for a few weeks. I like the way it thickens my hair and enables me to style it with greater ease. It also has androgen blocking properties which should also help to stop further hair loss.

 

[JaySizzle]

it's def a rude awakening when you see your temples have receded. with that said, i don't think there is anything wrong (lookwise) with the amount of recession you have. if you can maintain that, it will look like a mature hairline. if you were in your 30s with that hairline would you be happy? I would be. when I first noticed my hairline receding back when I was 26 (I am 31 now), I was devasted... Like everyone, I didn't notice until it was noticeable lol. Most people didn't notice but like all of you, we obsess more about our own issues than others... I have been on saw palmetto, minoxidil, and nizoral for the better part of the past 5 years.. My hairline has receded a bit more, but I am still a NW1. the issue I am having now is that the hair around my temples are starting to thin.. I rather have receded temples with thick hair everywhere else, than diffuse thinning. I am still about a NW1.5 at worst. We all wish we could be a NW0 and the same hairline we had when we were in grade school, but that is not practical... If I could maintain what I have now, I would be happy.... very happy. I would get a hair transplant to increase density of my hair, but would leave my actual hairline the way it is, as I do not think it looks good for a male over 30 to have a NW0. Unless you naturally have that hairline, it just doesn't look right.