Just 4 months in, great results (pictures) - Propecia, Regaine and Nizoral.

[wstef]

Great results (pictures) - Propecia, Regaine and Nizoral - 7 month update page 3.

Summary:

- Baseline pictures and 4 months into regime below post 1.
- 1 year update on page 3

My regime:

- Propecia once daily
- Regaine (minoxidil) morning and night, usually an hour after waking and an hour before sleeping
- Nizoral twice weekly (Weds and Sun)

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Original post (some slight edits)

Brief background of my hair loss: I am 29. I've been thinning steadily since I was around 20. I have always had fine hair and never really styled it properly (because gel and such has always made it look crap).

I didn't do anything about it until just before I turned 28. I started Saw Palmetto and a nightly massage with oils. This did nothing. I added Aplecin liquid and shampoo to it shortly after and that also done absolutely nothing.

So, 4 months ago after lots of research I started the big 3.

Results: First of all, I didn't really want to post these pictures yet because I appreciate the lighting is different and my hair is longer so I wanted to wait until I could get like-for-like images, but I became impatient.

I used to shave it shorter but I am more comfortable with letting it grow now.

The initial pictures are when I was living in some s**t temporary accommodation whilst mine was getting work done on it, and it had horrible strip lighting, but I tried with a few different lighting styles to give a better comparison.

However, even ignoring that I think it's quite obvious that I have results already.

The first pictures are from January. I took these when I was using Alpecin and Saw Palmetto, with no results whatsoever. I continued this until around April when I bit the bullet and used the big 3 with recommendations from this forum.

I started Regaine 2 days before Propecia and Nizoral a week or so before that, and currently use it every Wednesday and Sunday.

Sides: Dull orgasm on and off for 3 months - this is pretty much resolved with adding higher levels of zinc recently (cheap as chips - 100 pills for around £5/$8). You can see my thread in the Side Effects forum for this - As of October, this side effect has came back so I have reduced my intake of Propecia to half a tablet a day - I love orgasms (who doesn't?) so I don't want to lose them!

Regaine gave me horribly dry under-eyes for the first few weeks, and now there is slight darkening in the corners where the eye lid meets the nose, but it is definitely improving (I apply Regaine directly to the head now, rather than into the cap then scoop it out, this means I can use less but still get good coverage).

I haven't noticed any more wrinkles (I am quite proud I am relatively wrinkle free and pushing 30!) but my skin is less oily... which is positive for me since I always had issues with excess oil and tiny "grease" spots.

So, thanks for taking the time to look. I hope you agree that my results are really promising just after 4 months!

Any questions feel free to ask!

Below: The first 3 pictures are "baseline" and the last 4 are from 2 days ago (sorry for the mess in the first 3, haha!)

I also don't have a proper camera so these are from a BlackBerry phone, which isn't ideal but you get the point...

The hair is definitely thicker and darker. I know it's thicker because it takes longer to dry than usual. Usually it would dry itself within 10 minutes, but takes a lot longer now.

 

[JohnnyBBald]

Hey, what brand of Zinc are you taking?? All I can find is these Acne pills but that isn't my problem..

Looks like you're gaining hairline, looking good. Di you have any shedding?? I'm going through it bad right now

 

[wstef]

I appreciate that post was like a novel, so my regime in brief:

- Propecia every morning (1mg finasteride)
- Regaine (minoxidil) 5% twice daily (morning and night)
- Nizoral twice a week (usually Wednesday and Sunday)
- Zinc (25mg) around an hour after I take Propecia (seems to have fixed my sides)

What I take anyway, even before I started hair treatment:

- Multivitamin (the usual, zinc is 12mg)
- Calcium, zinc and magnesium (zinc content is 8mg so around 45mg zinc supplemented)
- Relatively good diet, lots of fruit and veg, little red meat, but occasionally slip up (who doesn't?!)
- Moderate exercise, I could do a lot more (but I am worn out from work most days!)
- Green tea (lots and lots, about 4 or 5 cups a day... I am addicted and have been for about 10 years now)

What I used to do (with no results for around 8 months of use):

- Alpecin shampoo
- Alpecin liquid
- Saw Palmetto (320mg standardised extract - I used this for almost a year)

- - - Updated - - -

Hey, what brand of Zinc are you taking?? All I can find is these Acne pills but that isn't my problem..

Looks like you're gaining hairline, looking good. Di you have any shedding?? I'm going through it bad right now

I'm not sure where you are from, but I use Holland and Barrett's own brand of zinc. It's 25mg. This is the stuff I use - Currently just over £8, but they always have offers on. I stocked up when they had an offer on so have 300 days supply.

I had a shed but nothing major (I hope I don't get any more - I see people get it years into their treatment!). When I apply Regaine I do it over the sink to see how many hairs are falling out. In the first 4 - 6 weeks it was horrible and really off putting.

- - - Updated - - -

Also, sorry mods, I just realised it's preferred to post this in the Tell Your Story forum! Please feel free to move it if required!

 

[fruitypebbles]

Looks like good results so far. Did you experience a heavy shed initially? Thanks for sharing. Looking forward to more updates.

 

[wstef]

There was no heavy shed. I definitely had more hair in the sink around 2 - 3 months in but it seems to have stopped now.

However, in reading the forum it seems the shed can come a lot later into treatment. I hope I don't get this.

I am really pleased that the hairline is coming back because that was my main concern, and the crown is all but back! So pleased at that, especially in such a short space of time.

 

[kadir657]

witch brand of minoxidil do you use ? Kirkland ?
Very good results

 

[wstef]

I am using the 5% Regaine (Rogaine in the USA) foam.

I'm not sure of any other brands existing in the UK, and since this is working I'm sticking with it.

 

[tedlin01]

Your a good responder, congrats!

 

[wstef]

Thanks.

I was hoping it would work, but never expected anything this quick! I hope it last... as long as possible!

Now, just to get rid of the dark circles under my eyes. They're slowly going, so I think it's going to be a time thing. I simply used way too much minoxidil in the first few weeks and it made my eyes horrible and dry.

 

[Jamie1993]

Excellent results, mate. Is it Propecia tablets 1mg you got from boots? I typed propecia into the boots website and that's the only results that came up. And could you tell me where you got the Regaine and how much it was. Sorry if you have already mentioned it.
Cheers!

 

[wstef]

Excellent results, mate. Is it Propecia tablets 1mg you got from boots? I typed propecia into the boots website and that's the only results that came up. And could you tell me where you got the Regaine and how much it was. Sorry if you have already mentioned it.
Cheers!

Yes, just the 1mg Propecia from Boots. So far it's the cheapest place I have found it online (I was too embarrassed to go to the doctors, but it seems a decent price for the proper stuff anyway, other places are charging stupid prices like £70 for 1 months supply!). At first you can only order 28 tablets, but then you can order up to a year's supply after your first batch.

I get my Regaine online from a place called Pharmacy First. Well, I actually just use Google shopping to find the cheapest place for it because it varies when you add on P+P, but the last 3 months batch cost £41 (I am sure you can get it cheaper if you look hard enough, though).

There's lots of online pharmacies which sell Propecia but Boots is the only one I really trust because it has a proper presence. The others, although I am sure they are legit, are usually more expensive anyway.

 

[wstef]

I think I have started to shed.

It's not massive and I don't notice any more hair falling out than usual (in fact, a lot less than baseline).

However, I think I can see my scalp more. The hair is more consistent but I can see more scalp, especially when under bright light.

I also have an issue with Regaine, where it's clumping my hairs together (a little bit like water would only not as dramatic) which doesn't help. It's because the hair is thicker now I think it's easier to stick together.

 

[Night]

Great results man, i'm a diffuser. So I hope I get to thicken up a bit of the crown and vertex. Thanks for updating!

 

[wstef]

Last week I cut my hair really short. It was a complete accident. I have this adjustable blade hair clipper and I never adjusted it and stupidly started right in the middle of the head so I couldn't even taper it!

Anyway, I got really sad at how short it was but then I realised how much coverage I have now. I held a mirror behind my head to check it in the bathroom mirror (like they do in the hair dressers) and I pretty much have no patch on the back and the front is thickening up really nicely.

I am really happy with this so far and if it keeps going this way I will have a full head of hair in a year's time!

 

[cruyyford]

Great result mate, congratulations. Mind telling me if you had any side effects of Propecia and is ZINC really useful to come-over it?
Thanks in advance!

 

[wstef]

Great result mate, congratulations. Mind telling me if you had any side effects of Propecia and is ZINC really useful to come-over it?
Thanks in advance!

The only side effect I had (well, except the first two days with a slight ache in the balls) was my orgasms were dull. That was on and off for a few months, but I started taking zinc and it seemed to help a lot. Most of the time my orgasms are fine, but occasionally they're not as amazing (infrequently, usually when I am tired to be fair).

 

[cruyyford]

That sounds fair. Even we can solve the orgasm, Gynecomastia is the main reason that i ain't taking the pill..

 

[wstef]

It seems gyno is relatively rare, but of course if you're worried it might not be worth it because worry can be worse than the conditions you are worrying about sometimes.

I think it's like all thing, it depends. There's body builders pumping steroids into their body daily and they don't get gyno, then there's people who do it a few times and get proper massive nipples.

I honestly think the key to side effects with drugs like this is diet and lifestyle.

...

Anyway, a small update.

Today we had a video conference at work and we see ourselves on one screen. I had what looked like thick, dark hair I was quite surprised at it. I shaved the hair off shorter than usual recently and it's growing back now and in comparison to when I started it's great results.

I just hope it thickens up even more. There's a "patch" in the middle, towards the front, which is still thinner than the rest.

Also, the dark circles I have are clearing up really well. I do more exercise than I used to. If one thing which hair loss has made me do is be healthier. My diet is great and I go to the gym 3 - 5 times a week now!

 

[wstef]

Another update on this...

I had a side effect where Propecia made my orgasms really weak. That went after a few months but it's recently came back to haunt me. It also takes me ages to climax.

My hair is really thickening up and I feel a lot better when I look in the mirror now, but my orgasms were always pretty intense and now that seems to have been taken away. I don't know what I think is more important, my vanity or my pleasure!

 

[kadir657]

do you have pictures or could you please take some i am really curiouss about your performance