Keepinthehair's Story - (41)

[keepinthehair]

Not sure which is worse, losing hair or not knowing how to post.

Anyway, I am 41 yr. and been puttin up a good fight four four years with Min and two years on finasteride. I am startig to show thin spot on top and really just a mature hairline (denial?) I find the genetics kinda interesting. My mothers side, no bald men up to 80's. My father began baldingin early 20's as did his mother's father and her brother. His father however had about 1/2 of his hair remaining at death of 76. My fathers uncle (his father's brother) had no hair loss at death of 90. I have a younger brother that began to bald in early 20's and now near completion at 37. I cannot figure this out, guess it doesn't matter. Anyway, i figure this is a losing battle and was wondering if it would be faster to just stop the finasteride/Min, lose it all and replace with new (transplant) and move on. The scientist in me says so at least, but the stubbon man in me does not want to give up. I would like to mention to the younger guys on the forum that BALD IS IN out here in Californina everyone is shaving thier head down to 1 or 2 clipper. They are going for the Kelly Slater look, bald or not. Some guys look great. I want to but not sure of my head shape etc. My wife says no! I tell her she is of the older generation. :shock:

 

[skelll]

Re: First Post

You said you are starting to show a bald stop on top of the head, has the minoxidil done any good in that region? As that is suppose to be the area that responds best to the treatment. If money is not an issue I would say go with the transplant as that would save money in the long run.

 

[keepinthehair]

Re: First Post

Not as of lately. I began Min 4.5 yrs ago at the first signs of miniaturization, about a size of a quarter. Since my father is bald I had read up a little before hand. This worked excellent for about two years. I then threw in 0.25 finasteride after reading the FDA clinical trials which basically describe 0.25 as 50% reduction in scalp DHT vs 60% for the 1.0 mg. This worked for 1 yr then had to increase to 0.5 for additional 8 months followed by 1.0 mg for 4 months. Seems the follicles are always adapting to the dose and will eventually win. To the untrained eye, I have a full head of hair. Only those in the process themselves who are highly attentive would notice. This is why I posed the question. If this is a losing battle (no pun intended) because DHT is not completely eliminated, then transplant seems the best option, no?

 

[k3nn7i]

Re: First Post

I'm not sure about other things, but after taking finasteride for a few years, the effect somehow deteriorates (for me). It won't help in the long run. If you're okay in terms of the financial aspect, I second what skelll said: go for the transplant.

 

[keepinthehair]

Re: First Post

The transplant does seem to be the best option. I have read about the "shock loss" of existing hair, but I figure if its destin to die why wait. Call me lazy but not sure if I want to keep struggling wit skinny hair for two more years if I can just stick a new one in its place with a turn around time of six months.

Financially speaking I would be prepared to pay a fair amount if I can get good density. My donor is extremely thick/course/curly/sandy blond which I understand to be good for coverage. The funny/ironic thing is that when I was young I hated my hair and was jealous of people with straight hair. Now I will have to pay to keep the same shizt. To all the younger men, when I was in my 20's my hair was less than desirable but I had/have a very outgoing/funny/cocky personality and I can tell you right now that this is by far the most desirable to a woman. I have been told this for many years.

I have read/researched transplants and it appears that the best front hair line is done by Armani and the rest I would get scalped by Hassen (another pun). See how easy. Do people try to hide this from co-workers. I am a very blunt person and wouldn't be afaid to tell people, becasue if they make fun I say f'em unless they are a perfect 10.

 

[DoctorHouse]

Re: First Post

Keepinginthehair, since I am close to your age than most of these posters I will give you some advice. If you have already invested many years in hair loss treatments, why do you want to give up now?

If you are thinking about a hair transplant, most of the doctors will advise you to stay on Propecia anyway to prevent further loss behind the transplanted hair. At 41, hopefully your hair loss is not going to be very aggressive so slowing things done should be easier but I could be wrong about that. In my case, I have a full head of hair too but Propecia is not doing me a favor at the hair line. And for some reason I have thinned diffusely all over too. My hair was great until 41 now its going slowly downhill. I have FPB instead of male pattern baldness. I don't understand how that happens on men. I do have a thyroid issue too that so far is not causing my blood work to show any abnormal readings yet but my body is attacking my thyroid and my antibodies are getting higher.

I think its time to try advodart but I won't take the risk. I am going to fight the battle as long as I can. I want a minor hair transplant but shock loss scares me the most. You only have a limited donor supply so why drop the fight and have to worry about more coverage than your donor supply can handle. I have enough supply to probably keep me at a NW2 for the rest of my life but I am holding off using my supply as much I can just in case something better comes along.

At 41, your risk of prostate cancer is going to rise so taking Propecia might have a double benefit for you. It will help you slow down balding and maybe lower your risk for prostate cancer too. Its a win win situation there. That is another reason I still pop the pill. My brother too started his balding around 40 but without meds he is now a NW2 with diffuse thinning and a fairly large bald spot in the vertex. Luckily I started Propecia at almost 40 so my situation is way better than his. I would say his loss was pretty aggressive for the past 7 years. I think if he would have started Propecia at 40, he would still be a thick NW2 with no crown loss. He is married so hair loss is not a major issue for him. You are married too, so not sure if that is an issue for you as well. I would just keep fighting and still get the hair transplant. That is what I will do.

 

[keepinthehair]

Re: First Post

HD,

I suppose you are correct with simply taking a pill to slow things down, but if the inevitable still wins in the end, why not just clipper it all down to #2. I hate to fight a battle I know I will lose in the end and dwell on it in the meantime (years?), well too late according to my wife. BTW, she does not want me to go bald! Ugh...........sorry honey but I got a little bad news. You mentioned your brother being married and not being concerned. I have a beautiful wife and I myself look good with hair but without I am afraid will not be so true.

 

[keepinthehair]

Re: First Post

I have one other question, not sure where to post so I will put it here first.

If a man begins balding doesn't it continue until death or reaching NW6 which ever comes first. I had read somewhere on here that some people hit a slow down around 45? If so, will the person with a tranplanted hairline an crown eventually have a bald mid section when things resume. I really don't fancy the idea of taking an anti-hormone (finasteride) for 20 years.

 

[DoctorHouse]

Re: First Post

If you read Dr Rassman's baldingblog, he mentions that as you age and bald it does not mean you will go down the Norwood scale. Most NW6/7 start in their teens or early twenties and their pattern is obvious. In your 40's, you can predict where you will be in the future alot better than someone in their twenties. If your dad, uncle, or grandfather started balding in their 40's and became a NW6/7 by their 70s or 80's then your chances are higher. However you lower your chances with Propecia/Minoxidil. My dad and his brother are an excellent example of how genetics can work differently.

My dad became a NW6/7 at a very young age. His OLDER brother who is now 73 or 74 is still a NW2. Neither of them used any hair loss treatments. So here is a case where just because one sibling because bald does not mean the other one will catch up eventually as he ages. It did not happen. Both boys are from a NW7 father too. My uncle's son was not so lucky as his dad. His son is about a NW3/4 at 48. According to what you believe, my uncle should be getting close to a NW6 or NW7 as he approaches 80. I obviously did not inherit my dad's aggressive balding gene. I was told by a few hair transplant docs I will never be bald most likely as long as I stay on Propecia/Min and be proactive with my treatments.

Keep what you have now with the current arsenal min/finasteride and later done the line there should be something better to slow it down even more. There is no way you know for sure how you will end up later so why are you going to give up on something you have no guarantee will happen. I know you don't want to be on finasteride for another 20 years but wouldn't it really be ironic if you stopped the finasteride and went bald. Then later in your life you find out you have prostate issues and have to go back on it. And then the doctor said if you would have stayed on finasteride, you probably could have avoided the prostate issue and still have mostly all your hair/ :whistle: Life does work in mysterious ways sometimes. If you are still a NW2 now, your chances of becoming a NW4 or more is very low if you continue taking finasteride/Min. With Acell/hair transplant and other things on the horizon, you should be able to maintain the look of a NW3 at the worst for the rest of your life. Most people don't consider a NW3 abnormal in your mid 40's and older anyway except me of course :whistle:

 

[keepinthehair]

Re: First Post

I appreciate the story as it closely to mine. Since I really see no harm in finasteride I suppose I can continue. Interesting point with you dad and his brother. Funny thing is men were men when they didn't have a choice. Nowadays the pressure is on to keep it all. In fact, haven't seen a bald president in a long time.
Considering getting opinion of local hair transplant MD, I live 60 min north of Los Angeles and suppose this is the hair transplant mecca and easy to do. Would like to know what the future holds :woot: Just looking for miniaturization with a mirror, I notice the crown and frontal hairline with the most struggles, doesn't that automatically mean destined for NW5/6? I read somewhere that a NW6 is not a good candidate for hair transplant by some. My donor feels and appears extremely thick, at one time it was not desirable. Each time I would get a hair cut they person would usually "thin" it. This is inspirational for the possibility of a future hair transplant.