I Am Actually Regrowing My Hair + Hairline Without Min Or finasteride (mechanical Stimulation)

[MyThinningConfidence]

My hair has always been thin, but it got a lot worse recently. Shedding tons right now. I shaved it all off and initially for the first 2-3 months my hairs were quite dark and thick (obviously because they were very short, too). Once they became a bit longer and I used shampoo more often, rapid shedding and thinning started.

I also noticed i have very dry scalp and if I scratch a bit, there's scales and flakes coming off. Did you have that issue, too? When using Nizoral, my scalp gets even drier and my hair becomes brittle.

I had the scales and flakes but my hair wasn't dry at all, I had incredibly greasy hair that got greasy within only hours of washing it so I could pretty comfortably wash my hair every single day for many months without much issue. The scales and flakes are likely caused by dermatitis except in my case the dermatitis was cured by keeping my scalp dry and clean using shampoos containing zinc pyrithione and ketoconazole and scalp massages which helped release the grease from my scalp.

In your case it could be possible that the sebum is trapped in your scalp and causing a range of issues, I'd give scalp massages a go for a little bit and see if that actually gets your hair healthily lubricated.

 

[MyThinningConfidence]

I don't ever hear the crunching sound people mention, does that mean my scalp does not have any fibrotic tissue?

Not necessarily, it took me months to actually be able to hear it and it's when I changed my technique up and started going quite hard and deep using both hands. We also still don't know if the crunching sound is actual fibrotic tissue or just simply swelling, there should be some studies being done on cadavers that will hopefully give us some more clues over the next few years.

 

[bucksin5]

I had the scales and flakes but my hair wasn't dry at all, I had incredibly greasy hair that got greasy within only hours of washing it so I could pretty comfortably wash my hair every single day for many months without much issue.

I have this too. That's what I mean. I have pretty dry skin all over my body, so I figured it'd make sense that the scalp is too. But my hair gets greasy quickly as well. I'm saying I'm seeing a lot of parallels to your hair situation, but the scales and flakes seem like quite an issue and I'm not sure how to get rid of it. Shampooing too often with SLS etc. seems like a bad idea, because I figure it'd dry the scalp even more. Idk why it gets that greasy this quick.
So, with Nizoral you didn't have the feeling it's making the situation worse? I'm trying to see if traeting the scales alone could make a difference already.

 

[MyThinningConfidence]

I have this too. That's what I mean. I have pretty dry skin all over my body, so I figured it'd make sense that the scalp is too. But my hair gets greasy quickly as well. I'm saying I'm seeing a lot of parallels to your hair situation, but the scales and flakes seem like quite an issue and I'm not sure how to get rid of it. Shampooing too often with SLS etc. seems like a bad idea, because I figure it'd dry the scalp even more. Idk why it gets that greasy this quick.
So, with Nizoral you didn't have the feeling it's making the situation worse? I'm trying to see if traeting the scales alone could make a difference already.

I had really greasy acne prone skin along with greasy hair, I solved all the skin flakes way before adding finasteride but finasteride actually helped my oily skin and hair a ton and I'm getting a good amount less acne now.

I was never really concerned with the scalp getting dry when using nizoral especially considering it looked thicker all dried out. It's definitely pretty strong so if you feel it's too much you should only use a tiny bit, I was using pretty small amounts of nizoral but that was primarily since the stuff is expensive but it's strong enough you only need a small little dab of it. I initially cleared up all that dandruff/dermatitis with just a shampoo containing zinc pyrithione and scalp massages but when I stopped the scalp massages it came back which is when I added Nizoral. I had a pretty ridiculous amount, I've attached a picture of all the dandruff on my legs after a massage and another of my tablet on my desk after sitting only a few hours at my computer.

 

[Armando Jose]

When using Nizoral, my scalp gets even drier and my hair becomes brittle.

Nizoral is not useful for dry scalp

the sebum is trapped in your scalp and causing a range of issues, I'd give scalp massages a go for a little bit and see if that actually gets your hair healthily lubricated.

Sebum is vital for a healthy hair but it needs renovation, oxidized sebum is bad.

when I stopped the scalp massages it came back

Scalp massages are good for the renovation of sebum

 

[shywriter7]

Thank you sharing the post.

 

[MyThinningConfidence]

Too lazy to post a hair update right now although I'll do one soon, but my hair is looking great and very thick in terms of density, Hairline progress has been minimal since last update but I also haven't been massaging or microneedling at all. Seems sustainable with just finasteride but I definitely need to start that up again to help with the regrowth, I noticed my scalp is starting to feel a bit rubbery and thick again after stopping massages which reminds me of how my crown felt which was the worst part to get hit aside from the hairline. But all in all you can't really tell I'm balding anymore aside from my receding hairline.I'd say a big issue currently is the the sides are incredibly thick and puffy and my hair sort of looks like a bowl cut, my hair is actually too thick and I'll need to trim and layer it out as it looks like a puffy bowl cut.

 

[MyThinningConfidence]

I got a dutasteride (Avordart) prescription a week ago although I've been hesitant to actually start using it, honestly my main concerns are it could cause an initial shedding and the fact the pills are so big and I have trouble swallowing even smaller pills. Split 5mg finasteride is so easy because it's so small. My doctor also messed up and gave me 5 repeats so even if I take one daily I'd still have a 6 month supply. Originally I was considering adding one once a week alongiside finasteride but it appears that the optimal amount would be 2 times a week so I'm also considering adding it on Wednesday and Sunday. Sadly sort of makes finasteride obsolete which is sad since it was so easy and cheap to take that I think I'll honestly miss it. I even had zero sides and no real negatives. I would test to see how well I react to Avodart but I don't think it's wise to test it out as it might cause some imbalance which leads to a temporary shed if I'm unlucky. Currently still just taking finasteride for now but I can take Avodart anytime I like. Honestly my hair is quite fine now but I don't want to settle for that, I want great hair and Avodart is the next logical step. I'd cut out finasteride entirely and just take Avodart twice weekly if I wasn't so scared I'd potentially lose finasteride gains, it took so long to grow till this point so I'm not prepared to lose it again.

 

[Armando Jose]

A recent review
The efficacy and safety of dutasteride compared with finasteride in treating men with androgenetic alopecia: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30863034
Conclusion:
Dutasteride seems to provide a better efficacy compared with finasteride in treating Androgenetic Alopecia. The two drugs appear to show similar rates of adverse reactions, especially in sexual dysfunction.

 

[MyThinningConfidence]

April Update Album
https://imgur.com/a/3Cj2xET
Probably among some of the best results I've seen online but perhaps I'm exaggerating. I think this will also be one of my last major updates since I'm not concerned about hair anymore and I already missed my Feb and March update albums. Hair has gotten drastically thicker over the last few months, it's hard to show in pictures but the density increase is better than it looks in pictures. I grew a decent amount on just microneedling etc but the increase in density since starting finasteride has been substantial, it doesn't really show well in pics but my hair is getting really damn thick.

I think at this stage I'm fairly comfortable with my hair now and I'm fine going outside in public with it, it holds up well and you can't tell I'm balding. I'd absolutely love a better hairline still but this is livable, I've also gotten a couple of comments from girls saying my hair is fluffy and nice so that always feels good. Honestly with this density if I had the money I'd just get a hair transplant to fix my hairline and never think about hairloss again but I'm 4-5 years too young to get one and I have nowhere near that money. I think I can get by with my hair as it is for now though.

I also got a Dutasteride (Official Avodart) prescription a couple of weeks ago but I'm too scared to take it in case it induces a shed plus the capsules are large and I have difficulties swallowing without chewing first. finasteride has done a lot for my density already so it's hard to say what more dutasteride would really do, I'd be mainly hoping it'd fix my hairline but it'd be disappointing if it didn't do much. I had planned on taking 0.5mg dutasteride twice weekly. Finasteride is so small, cheap and simple to take I think I'd honestly miss it a little bit. If I do end up taking dutasteride I will probably end up doing some small updates on that but yeah.

My regime has been all over the place since I've gotten so lazy, I also got super slack with my microneedling doing it only once a month which I think stunted my hairline progress a bit, I also ran out of organic zinc pyrithione shampoo and started using head and shoulders anti dandruff shampoo, it makes my hair super fluffly and nice but I'm also noticing that my scalp itch is coming back. Funnily when I checked the bottle I found it doesn't actually contain zinc pyrithione so I'll be making sure to get a new bottle of that original one soon. Scalp massages I also started skimping on since it's a massive timesink and a lot of effort, I maybe massage for a bit each week and just try to keep my scalp relatively loose. I also never used minoxidil at all because I don't like it for a variety of reasons.

 

[DuckThisSheet]

Holy f*** dude, your results looks amazing! Congratz brother! You gave me hope, to regrow the hairline. I wish you all the best, enjoy the life, and your hair ^^

 

[zeerax]

happy for you man!

 

[Capone]

April Update Album
https://imgur.com/a/3Cj2xET
Probably among some of the best results I've seen online but perhaps I'm exaggerating. I think this will also be one of my last major updates since I'm not concerned about hair anymore and I already missed my Feb and March update albums. Hair has gotten drastically thicker over the last few months, it's hard to show in pictures but the density increase is better than it looks in pictures. I grew a decent amount on just microneedling etc but the increase in density since starting finasteride has been substantial, it doesn't really show well in pics but my hair is getting really damn thick.

I think at this stage I'm fairly comfortable with my hair now and I'm fine going outside in public with it, it holds up well and you can't tell I'm balding. I'd absolutely love a better hairline still but this is livable, I've also gotten a couple of comments from girls saying my hair is fluffy and nice so that always feels good. Honestly with this density if I had the money I'd just get a hair transplant to fix my hairline and never think about hairloss again but I'm 4-5 years too young to get one and I have nowhere near that money. I think I can get by with my hair as it is for now though.

I also got a Dutasteride (Official Avodart) prescription a couple of weeks ago but I'm too scared to take it in case it induces a shed plus the capsules are large and I have difficulties swallowing without chewing first. finasteride has done a lot for my density already so it's hard to say what more dutasteride would really do, I'd be mainly hoping it'd fix my hairline but it'd be disappointing if it didn't do much. I had planned on taking 0.5mg dutasteride twice weekly. Finasteride is so small, cheap and simple to take I think I'd honestly miss it a little bit. If I do end up taking dutasteride I will probably end up doing some small updates on that but yeah.

My regime has been all over the place since I've gotten so lazy, I also got super slack with my microneedling doing it only once a month which I think stunted my hairline progress a bit, I also ran out of organic zinc pyrithione shampoo and started using head and shoulders anti dandruff shampoo, it makes my hair super fluffly and nice but I'm also noticing that my scalp itch is coming back. Funnily when I checked the bottle I found it doesn't actually contain zinc pyrithione so I'll be making sure to get a new bottle of that original one soon. Scalp massages I also started skimping on since it's a massive timesink and a lot of effort, I maybe massage for a bit each week and just try to keep my scalp relatively loose. I also never used minoxidil at all because I don't like it for a variety of reasons.

So everyday for a few mins massage real hard and use the zinc shampoo?

 

[MyThinningConfidence]

So everyday for a few mins massage real hard and use the zinc shampoo?

More like massage once a week now, I would massage more as I believe it's beneficial but it's such a chore and I have better things to do, hairloss isn't a primary focus anymore so I've been caring a lot less. I just try to keep it somewhat loose and pliable now. As for Zinc pyrith I recently ran out so I switched to normal shampoo although I've noticed the scalp itch coming back so I'm definitely going to pick some up soon.

 

[-Synergy-]

More like massage once a week now, I would massage more as I believe it's beneficial but it's such a chore and I have better things to do, hairloss isn't a primary focus anymore so I've been caring a lot less. I just try to keep it somewhat loose and pliable now. As for Zinc pyrith I recently ran out so I switched to normal shampoo although I've noticed the scalp itch coming back so I'm definitely going to pick some up soon.

Nice hair progress man, could it be the androgens increasing oil and clumping with dead skin cells in the follicles stopping growth? Because my scalp issues at the moment are very similar to yours and I have plugs on my lost hair. When I massage, my scalp gets really oily too but feels looser and tingly. The laser therapy removes inflammation temporarily. I’m thinkin there’s both good inflammation and bad inflammation for the scalp. What do you think about using LT before the massage to loosen the skin (more synergies) kinda like how steam loosens up skin? You said you use lemon to disinfect after, but how do you think menthol or peppermint would work instead? I’m concerned that derma pen will cause more dead skin cells and therefore more dermatitis. Anyway, congrats grow it to the floor and enjoy the win and your summer.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comedo

 

[Tom Cruise]

hey bro. noticed you were from Australia(so am I) you also got a dutasteride script.

Did you get it from your GP? if so, did it take him any convincing to get it?

That sh*t ain't approved for hairloss here.

I need dutasteride asap , trying to get hairline gains like you brother.


Also I've added scalp massages everyday and have already noticed less tingling or "dht" itch in my scalp.

 

[MyThinningConfidence]

hey bro. noticed you were from Australia(so am I) you also got a dutasteride script.

Did you get it from your GP? if so, did it take him any convincing to get it?

That sh*t ain't approved for hairloss here.

I need dutasteride asap , trying to get hairline gains like you brother.


Also I've added scalp massages everyday and have already noticed less tingling or "dht" itch in my scalp.

I got a dutasteride prescription but I haven't actually taken any yet but yeah I just went to my GP and got it, it did take some convincing though but basically I just said finasteride has been beneficial to me so far and I've read studies that Dutasteride is even more effective and what's the possibility of getting a prescription for it. They ended up saying it doesn't seem to have any adverse risks as it's just a BPH medicine and they are fine prescribing it as a private prescription but they also cannot predict future side effects and that finasteride is the tried and tested FDA approved treatment for hairloss.

If you also go into Chemist Warehouse you can also get brand name Avodart for real cheap and the fact it has a longer half life than finasteride it actually works out cheaper and the effects of missed doses and far more minimal.

 

[FinCandy]

So I recently started doing scalp massages using this massager: Click Me

After the massage my hairline was very inflammed and itchy. I also lost a decent amount of hair during the massage but most looked like breakage as I couldn't see a bulb on the hairs. The next day I noticed a huge reduction in my hairline density at the centre of my hairline where the inflammation was the most. I could see my scalp where previously I could not. Will this hair grow back? Should I continue with the massages? I don't know if I pulled the hairs out from the massager or the inflammation made them drop out.

 

[SmoothSailing]

So I recently started doing scalp massages using this massager: Click Me

After the massage my hairline was very inflammed and itchy. I also lost a decent amount of hair during the massage but most looked like breakage as I couldn't see a bulb on the hairs. The next day I noticed a huge reduction in my hairline density at the centre of my hairline where the inflammation was the most. I could see my scalp where previously I could not. Will this hair grow back? Should I continue with the massages? I don't know if I pulled the hairs out from the massager or the inflammation made them drop out.

From the largest study done on scalp massages and hairloss, after 24 weeks people who did the massage actually had less hair than before, but their hair thickness increased.

The control area showed no significant change in hair count, hair thickness, and hair growth rate throughout the 24-week study period (Figs 22–4). The scalp massage area showed no significant change in the hair growth rate throughout the study period (Fig 4). However, the scalp massage area showed a significant increase in hair thickness at 24 weeks compared with the initiation point (0.085 ± 0.003 mm vs 0.092 ± 0.001 mm) and significant decrease in hair count at 12 weeks (163.889 ± 7.237/cm2 vs 155.500 ± 5.607/cm2)

I believe the massaging likely removes weak hairs, but increases blood flow so strengthens/thickens the hairs that are there. (This was in the conclusion of the study).

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4740347/

 

[FinCandy]

From the largest study done on scalp massages and hairloss, after 24 weeks people who did the massage actually had less hair than before, but their hair thickness increased.



I believe the massaging likely removes weak hairs, but increases blood flow so strengthens/thickens the hairs that are there. (This was in the conclusion of the study).

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4740347/

So would you say the hairs I lost are permanent or will they grow back if I stop the massages?