How Do I Get Decent Long Hair Again? (difficult Case)

[nikiblush]

Planning on starting Finasteride this month, possibly with a low dose of Dutasteride and/or Spironolactone.

I started thinning about 8 years ago. Tried Minoxodil foam for a solid 2 years, but it was impossible to feel like i was applying it properly with long hair. So I quit. Then I realized I didn't have the thickness to keep my hair long and cut it all off.

Now I'm noticing the front starting to recede, and overall the thinning has increased. Combined with my desire to have long hair again, I'm going to start my hair restoration this year.

For now, I'm interested in hearing other suggestions about the finasteride/duta/spironolactone medication. Also, I'm aware I'll probably need transplants, so I'm curious if it's better to wait until seeing the results of the medication or go right away. Also, I'm still not understanding the importance of using certain shampoos through all of this.

Here's where I'm starting, what's a realistic timeline for me?

 

[DHTpolice]

Planning on starting Finasteride this month, possibly with a low dose of Dutasteride and/or Spironolactone.

Сlever boy

 

[nikiblush]

Сlever boy

for now... hair loss makes it pretty much impossible to really be myself, if you know what i mean

 

[AnxiousAndy]

Get on oral minoxidil too at 10mg daily

 

[WTS3]

Your recovery is really up to you in terms of how aggressive you want your regimen to be. If I had the nuggets, I would do finasteride/spironolactone/oral minoxidil with occasional wounding. I won't sugarcoat it, you are in the NW6/7 ballpark as you're a diffuse thinner but I could see you going up 3-4 points on the Norwood scale with the aforementioned routine.

 

[nikiblush]

Get on oral minoxidil too at 10mg daily

oral minoxidil? i'll have to check that out. does the same as topical?

 

[AnxiousAndy]

oral minoxidil? i'll have to check that out. does the same as topical?

Yes but it is more effective. I personally use it at 5mg twice a day.

 

[nikiblush]

Your recovery is really up to you in terms of how aggressive you want your regimen to be. If I had the nuggets, I would do finasteride/spironolactone/oral minoxidil with occasional wounding. I won't sugarcoat it, you are in the NW6/7 ballpark as you're a diffuse thinner but I could see you going up 3-4 points on the Norwood scale with the aforementioned routine.

ok, second vote for oral minoxidil, thanks! what's wounding?

don't need to sugarcoat anything. i saw a bald patch a few years ago and pretended like if i never looked at it again it would just go away.

i'm hoping to go up those 3-4 points and then add some transplants. unless it's better to do the transplants earlier too?

 

[AnxiousAndy]

ok, second vote for oral minoxidil, thanks! what's wounding?

don't need to sugarcoat anything. i saw a bald patch a few years ago and pretended like if i never looked at it again it would just go away.

i'm hoping to go up those 3-4 points and then add some transplants. unless it's better to do the transplants earlier too?

Wounding is dermarolling. Google it. Transplants are best left till the end.

 

[nikiblush]

Wounding is dermarolling. Google it. Transplants are best left till the end.

ok, wow. found dermarolling, but it was for the face. what it did for the skin there though was impressive, and i imagine my head needs it too. although, i can barely tolerate the feeling of a comb or brush touching it!

i read through your post on your own experience with oral minoxidil. seems like you had initial success but even anti-angrogens didn't work for you? i recently saw someone else's timeline where he lost for like 6 months and then bam, improved dramatically in the next two. what made you think it wouldn't be the same for you and you had to get off?

 

[AnxiousAndy]

ok, wow. found dermarolling, but it was for the face. what it did for the skin there though was impressive, and i imagine my head needs it too. although, i can barely tolerate the feeling of a comb or brush touching it!

i read through your post on your own experience with oral minoxidil. seems like you had initial success but even anti-angrogens didn't work for you? i recently saw someone else's timeline where he lost for like 6 months and then bam, improved dramatically in the next two. what made you think it wouldn't be the same for you and you had to get off?

Dermarollers can be used on the head too which helps bring blood and collagens to the follicles. Yeah my experiences with anti androgens has not been good. finasteride ate up my hairline for a whole year with no regrowth. spironolactone gave me a bad shed for months and I didn't want to want to wait any longer to see if things would improve as my hair was at the point of requiring a shorter haircut because my density was so thin
What was the regimen of this poster and can you link me to it?
Oral minoxidil has been my saving grace so far, I have lost most of my regrowth at the hairline but my overall density is still good so I hide my loss and appear as though I have a full head of hair.

 

[nikiblush]

Dermarollers can be used on the head too which helps bring blood and collagens to the follicles. Yeah my experiences with anti androgens has not been good. finasteride ate up my hairline for a whole year with no regrowth. spironolactone gave me a bad shed for months and I didn't want to want to wait any longer to see if things would improve as my hair was at the point of requiring a shorter haircut because my density was so thin
What was the regimen of this poster and can you link me to it?
Oral minoxidil has been my saving grace so far, I have lost most of my regrowth at the hairline but my overall density is still good so I hide my loss and appear as though I have a full head of hair.

here's the success case that i was referring to: https://www.hairlosstalk.com/intera...-shedding-health-effects.110986/#post-1603832

i was thinking you could see results in 3 months, but he would have been at his worst at that point.

i not only need more hairs, i'll need thicker ones too, if i want to try and grow it out one more time. i'm leaning towards doing everything all at once and sticking to it, rather than starting things, stopping things, adding things, etc. also, this will be tough if i also plan to lose 30 lbs at the same time, since hair loss goes well with eating to little.

oh, forgot biotin. don't see many around here mention it much.

 

[AnxiousAndy]

Just wow.. Spectacular results! The regimen speaks for its self. My shedding was nothing like that, not even close. His story is very interesting and has inspired me.

 

[nikiblush]

Just wow.. Spectacular results! The regimen speaks for its self. My shedding was nothing like that, not even close. His story is very interesting and has inspired me.

Yeah, and I'm trying to figure out why some see regrowth in 3 months, and it took him more than 6. Also, the amount he shed? Most people probably would have freaked out.

 

[AnxiousAndy]

Yeah, and I'm trying to figure out why some see regrowth in 3 months, and it took him more than 6. Also, the amount he shed? Most people probably would have freaked out.

Definitely! I don't think I could stick it out with that degree of shedding