How Can A 18 Y/o Male Regrow Hairs After Initial Shedding From Anti-androgens?

[Alphalete]

i cant even see any hairloss lol

 

[Alphalete]

why the hell would you be on so many medications when you barely have any loss?

 

[Ein]

Well, I realised only today that there has been much recovery in the past few months. Six months ago, I was diffusing like crazy. Anyway, if the medicines don't have anything to cure, then at least they have something to prevent. And I'm not on too many medications. I just take 50 mg Bicalutamide daily for my hairs. That's it.

 

[Ein]

You can have a look at the various scales.

My hairloss pattern is primarily the pattern 4 of this scale and I'm between class 2 and 3.

On the Ludwig Scale, I'm on Stage 1 - Class 3.

So, the loss is definitely present.

 

[Alphalete]

Ok. I see,I guess there's nothing wrong with going on preventatives, you do want to keep your NW1 obviously. Do you have any suggestions for someone like me? I'm 18 aswell, about a NW1.1.5. I've been on minoxidil 2x/day and nizoral for 3 months and 10 days. I want to hop on finasteride but I think I've got some growing left...

Also, wouldn't finasteride have been enough for you or am I incorrect?

 

[Ein]

Ok. I see,I guess there's nothing wrong with going on preventatives, you do want to keep your NW1 obviously.

I don't think that my hairline is a Norwood 1 hairline. I think it's Norwood 0 or even better. I understand that the picture showing my hairline is terribly bad.

Do you have any suggestions for someone like me? I'm 18 aswell, about a NW1.1.5. I've been on minoxidil 2x/day and nizoral for 3 months and 10 days. I want to hop on finasteride but I think I've got some growing left...

I don't think that Minoxidil and Ketoconazole are capable of preventing Androgenic Alopecia. They are supposed to help those who want to regrow lost hairs when they are already antagonizing their androgens. I think you should get on Finasteride as soon as possible. Minoxidil would maintain your density but those hairs would be highly dependent on Minoxidil. You'll have a hair loss that'll be disguised by Minoxidil.

Also, wouldn't finasteride have been enough for you or am I incorrect?

I was on Finasteride for four months with Spironolactone. It might have be enough for me, but I wanted to make sure that the best option is used. Some people don't respond positively to Finasteride. I wanted a sure cure. That's why I hopped on to Bicalutamide. And I don't regret my decision at all. I'm in love with it.
Also, I didn't want to look too mature for a boy of 18. How old do I look in my photograph?

 

[Ein]

Yes that does look diffused and much like my hair loss pattern. The only way to check if it's diffused or patterned is to part your hair at the side and back and see if the thinning remains the same as your top.

Yes, the thinning is same everywhere. What do you think it means? Can I do something about it?
Also, did you have the loss before transitioning, during transition or after transition? What medicines did you use during your transition and are you susceptible to Androgenic Alopecia? Did hair loss ever go/reverse?

 

[Alphalete]

@Ein Hello again, thanks alot for your answer. I wasn't aware that there were a NW0, rather that NW1 was the best. My apologies.

To be honest, I feel like this hairstyle makes you look quite feminine. You look a bit younger than 18 in my opinion

 

[Georgie]

Regular Hairstyle:
View attachment 77214

Temple:
View attachment 77217

Mid-Split:
View attachment 77218

Hairline:View attachment 77219

Diffusion on Top:View attachment 77220 View attachment 77221

Crown:View attachment 77222

Well your hair looks fine, but we haven’t seen any “before” photos to compare these to. Do you have any older photos of your hair before hairloss?
To me it looks like you have no pattern of loss at all but it could just be the photos. If it’s
anything, it’s likely telegen effluvium.

 

[Ein]

@Ein Hello again, thanks alot for your answer. I wasn't aware that there were a NW0, rather that NW1 was the best. My apologies.

To be honest, I feel like this hairstyle makes you look quite feminine. You look a bit younger than 18 in my opinion

That's fine. Norwood 0 means that the person doesn't even lie on the Hamilton-Norwood scale, i.e., has a juvenile hairline/female hairline/inverted U- shaped hairline. You said in your previous post that you think that your hairline is NW1.1.5. What's that supposed to mean? Do your have any photographs of your hairline?

Well your hair looks fine, but we haven’t seen any “before” photos to compare these to. Do you have any older photos of your hair before hairloss?
To me it looks like you have no pattern of loss at all but it could just be the photos. If it’s anything, it’s likely telegen effluvium.

I don't have any photos other than these. The part that confuses me the most is that I was losing my hair density very slowly over a period of two years, which supposedly doesn't happen in case of Effluviums. There wasn't any profuse shedding before I started the medications during the entire period of two years. And my hair density around my sides and back was thicker than on the top. It's been only in the past six months that the density has become same overall, and fairly low and high (depends on the area you're talking about), considering the profuse shedding.
I'm sorry I should've keep the old and the baseline photos. But anyway. I'll keep updating if I see any improvement.
I was actually terrified because my elder brother, who's about to turn 20, had his hairline rapidly receded from a Norwood 0 to a Norwood 3 in just one year (or maybe two). My family history in Androgenic Alopecia is kinda bad, and I want this disorder to spare me the miseries.

 

[Alphalete]

@Ein

What Norwood would you say that I am?

 

[Ein]

@Ein

What Norwood would you say that I am?

You're a Norwood 1.

 

[Alphalete]

You're a Norwood 1.

Thanks for answering. What would you suggest for me to do in order to maintain what I currently have? My regime says what I use at the moment.

 

[Ein]

Thanks for answering. What would you suggest for me to do in order to maintain what I currently have? My regime says what I use at the moment.

Since it's quite evident from your photos that you have crossed most of your puberty (Lucky you), I think you can start using Finasteride and use it for at least 18 months before judging its performance. If you don't respond positively to it, you can switch to Spironolactone. But in my opinion, you'll prove to be a good responder.
But from your photos, it doesn't look like you have Androgenic Alopecia. Norwood 1 is just a regular male hairline. Even Norwood 2 is considered a mature hairline. It's Norwood 3 when people call it a receded hairline.
I don't think you should worry much about it, unless you see some visible recession of your hairline or loss of density on your scalp. Until then, I think your current regimen would work just fine. In fact, there is but a low probability that Minoxidil would be sufficient alone to maintain that for the next two decades.
One pertinent question that arises here is that... Are you genetically susceptible to Androgenic Alopecia? How are you so sure that you'll be balding anytime soon?
Also, there is a good possibility that you've had this Norwood 1 hairline for many years and you're getting worried for something that doesn't even exist.

 

[Alphalete]

Since it's quite evident from your photos that you have crossed most of your puberty (Lucky you), I think you can start using Finasteride and use it for at least 18 months before judging its performance. If you don't respond positively to it, you can switch to Spironolactone. But in my opinion, you'll prove to be a good responder.
But from your photos, it doesn't look like you have Androgenic Alopecia. Norwood 1 is just a regular male hairline. Even Norwood 2 is considered a mature hairline. It's Norwood 3 when people call it a receded hairline.
I don't think you should worry much about it, unless you see some visible recession of your hairline or loss of density on your scalp. Until then, I think your current regimen would work just fine. In fact, there is but a low probability that Minoxidil would be sufficient alone to maintain that for the next two decades.
One pertinent question that arises here is that... Are you genetically susceptible to Androgenic Alopecia? How are you so sure that you'll be balding anytime soon?
Also, there is a good possibility that you've had this Norwood 1 hairline for many years and you're getting worried for something that doesn't even exist.

Hello once again mate. thanks alot for you answer. please have a look at this.
https://www.hairlosstalk.com/intera...ma-possibly-finasteride-in-the-future.110774/

also, i went to a derm. and was told I'm suffering from male pattern baldness. father started balding around 25-ish, just like my bro. my temples got extremely thin and luckily minoxidil has done wonders to my hair. it was waaay worse about 3 months ago

 

[Ein]

RESURRECTING MY THREAD TO UPDATE YOU GUYS ABOUT MY BICALUTAMIDE JOURNEY:
So, it's been about three months since I stopped visiting the forums, waiting patiently for the massive shedding phase to end, and it finally did. The profuse shedding, that was perhaps some kind of Anti-Androgen stimulated Telogen Effluvium, finally stopped sometime during the month of February.

A LITTLE BACKGROUND:
My regimen consisted of 50mg Bicalutamide daily. Apart from that, I used to take 20mg Tamoxifen twice a week. I think it's also worth mentioning that I was prescribed Isotretinoin (variable dosages) during the last week of January for mild acne (I don't know why for mild acne) and the treatment will presumably end after four weeks from now. I am also prescribed 100mg Zinc (275mg Zinc Sulphate) daily and 1000mg Vitamin C for the same reason. And lastly, I was consistent with my castor oil and peppermint essential oil routine for about nine months. (Some of you might question about the benefits of the two oils, but I had my own reasons. I might tell you if you're interested.)
Also, I started taking Bicalutamide on 10th October, 2017 with 50mg every alternate day. It was because I was already on 1mg Finasteride and 100mg Spironolactone a day ever since 10th July, 2017. When I discontinued taking Finasteride and Spironolactone on 10th November, 2017, I increased the dosage of Bicalutamide to 50mg a day.

PROGRESS SO FAR:
Well, I won't say that there's been a massive improvement, but there's been a significant thickening, particularly on the frontal/anterior half of my head/scalp. It went all the way from Ludwig I-4 or I-3 to Ludwig I-1 or I-2. (Ludwig scales can be found in my previous posts on this thread.)
My crown has definitely shown some improvement, but it's still thin. It's not the type of thinning that is seen in male pattern baldness. It's thin because when a create a split/part at the crown from right to left (I have long hairs), the split is fairly wide. My hairline is currently better than ever, though I had a low juvenile hairline to begin with, so it's not worth mentioning, but still. The baby hairs that I acquired along my already low hairline when I was on Spironolactone have turned into thick and long terminal hairs.
Besides, my hair growth rate has increased massively on the scalp. (Or maybe it's just an illusion, because I have Type 1-A hair.)

MY EXPECTATIONS FOR FUTURE MONTHS:
I'm expecting to see further thickening in the crown area, because that's all I need now.

SIDE EFFECTS:
I was experiencing some mild testicular pain during the first three weeks of Finasteride. Around the third month of Spironolactone, there were a few long lasting muscle spasms, supposedly due to the electrolyte imbalance that Spironolactone causes. Apart from that, I had concerns about anxiety related side effects, hyperkalemia and osteoporosis. Therefore, I decided to replace it with Bicalutamide.
It was only my second week on Bicalutamide when I started experiencing breast tenderness and it was very painful. That forced me to bring in Tamoxifen. After a few months, I significantly reduced its dose just to see if the tenderness returns. Thankfully, it didn't.
(If anyone is concerned about sexual side effects, I assure you that there hasn't been any. Okay, I'm not saying that for Spironolactone, that was kinda nasty. But, Bicalutamide is completely safe and effective, in my opinion.)

Finally, I'd like to tell you guys that this post was created just to update y'all, because I said that I'd update. There might be a few men who are interested in bicalutamide but refrain from using it due to some genuine concerns which is completely understandable. They need someone to experiment and tell them the results. So, here I wrap it up.

 

[michel sapin]

you are still on tamoxifen ?

 

[Ein]

you are still on tamoxifen ?

Yes, 20mg twice a week.

 

[michel sapin]

and still no gyno with this regimen ?

 

[Ein]

No.