Losing Hairline At 20? Or Maturing? Agh..

[Hairanoia]

Like I said your decision. You are definitely not too young tho and you are definitely not at the stage where you can say "oh the first sign of hairloss". But I can perfectly understand if you don't want to go the finasteride route just yet. Here are many people who love it to death and also others who act like it's the devil personified and it 100% will destroy your life. None of these people are right.

Don’t get me wrong. I’m not saying I myself am at the first signs of balding (though it’s not terrible yet). But it’s been my observation that people on here hastily tell others that they should hop on finasteride immediately, even when their signs are slight. I just don’t think that’s a wise decision. In the end, you’re right about neither crew being right though.

I imagine I’ll take the risk too if none of my other treatments help at all. Playing it by ear, but being watchful.

 

[Niki99]

Sounds reasonable

 

[WaccWaccWacc]

Don’t get me wrong. I’m not saying I myself am at the first signs of balding (though it’s not terrible yet). But it’s been my observation that people on here hastily tell others that they should hop on finasteride immediately, even when their signs are slight. I just don’t think that’s a wise decision. In the end, you’re right about neither crew being right though.

I imagine I’ll take the risk too if none of my other treatments help at all. Playing it by ear, but being watchful.

well the reality is those who tell you not to hop on it have had sides and those who tell u to hop on it have not have sides. You will be the same, hate it if you have sides, and vice versa.

at the end of the day, you are bothered by the state of your hair enough to post on this forum, therefore if it advanced further and you hopped on finasteride and you didnt get regrowth to your current state now, you’d wish you tried it now.

In all, you still have a way to go before styling becomes a problem, therefore try you zix route and hopefully that saves you for a decent amount of time.

 

[Hairanoia]

well the reality is those who tell you not to hop on it have had sides and those who tell u to hop on it have not have sides. You will be the same, hate it if you have sides, and vice versa.

at the end of the day, you are bothered by the state of your hair enough to post on this forum, therefore if it advanced further and you hopped on finasteride and you didnt get regrowth to your current state now, you’d wish you tried it now.

In all, you still have a way to go before styling becomes a problem, therefore try you zix route and hopefully that saves you for a decent amount of time.

Very true. I’ll treat these next couple months as my critical point...I’ll know afterwards whether I need to take finasteride or not.

Bottom line is I need some type of DHT blocker in my regimen. That’s what I’ve been missing all this time...

 

[WaccWaccWacc]

The reason people say hop on finasteride early is because it maintains hair, but it doesn't grow frontotemporal hair back for most people. Once you reach the point where you are desperate enough to use finasteride it is too late. That's the trap so many people get caught in. If you use finasteride when you are happy with your hair it keeps it that way , but everyone waits until they reach a point where they are unhappy with their hair. Then finasteride stops further loss, but you're still stuck with hair that you aren't happy with.

aaaaaand there goes 8k for a hair transplant.

 

[vinnyg0414]

If you don’t start finasteride you will be kicking yourself wishing you had.

GL.

 

[DoctorHouse]

There a few things going on with your situation. One is that you have fine hair with slightly below average natural density. Second you have a natural uneven hairline with cowlicks at the hairline( yes, you can have a cowlick at the hairline). It does appear you are diffusely thinning in a NW2A pattern but your crown looks suspicious. If you can post a photo of your hair wet showing your crown and hairline, that would help.

I honestly think minoxidil is dose dependent based on what I have read from some doctors online. I feel if you are not going to use finasteride then at least try to use minoxidil twice per day. And I have noticed if I use minoxidil vs when I don't, that I have some slight swelling below my eyes(bags under my eyes). This happens even more when my sodium intake is higher too. The reason behind this is that your temporal area of you scalp can drain into the same vasculature that is shared by your eyes.

If I were in your situation I would consider going with a topical finasteride minoxidil combo that you can get a hair loss doctor to prescribe. You need some type of proven DHT blocker if you want to slow down the process.

 

[Hairanoia]

There a few things going on with your situation. One is that you have fine hair with slightly below average natural density. Second you have a natural uneven hairline with cowlicks at the hairline( yes, you can have a cowlick at the hairline). It does appear you are diffusely thinning in a NW2A pattern but your crown looks suspicious. If you can post a photo of your hair wet showing your crown and hairline, that would help.

I honestly think minoxidil is dose dependent based on what I have read from some doctors online. I feel if you are not going to use finasteride then at least try to use minoxidil twice per day. And I have noticed if I use minoxidil vs when I don't, that I have some slight swelling below my eyes(bags under my eyes). This happens even more when my sodium intake is higher too. The reason behind this is that your temporal area of you scalp can drain into the same vasculature that is shared by your eyes.

If I were in your situation I would consider going with a topical finasteride minoxidil combo that you can get a hair loss doctor to prescribe. You need some type of proven DHT blocker if you want to slow down the process.

Thanks for your input. I’ve started doing minoxidil twice a day now, as my dad who’s been using it for years told me the same thing. I’ve also noticed some minor swelling below my eyes since using it, but I can deal with that. When I go the finasteride route, I’ll definitely consider doing topical first. Are the risks less significant?

Also, started taking saw palmetto twice a day this weekend. Not as potent as finasteride, I know, but hopefully I’ll be seeing some results.

 

[Hairanoia]

The reason people say hop on finasteride early is because it maintains hair, but it doesn't grow frontotemporal hair back for most people. Once you reach the point where you are desperate enough to use finasteride it is too late. That's the trap so many people get caught in. If you use finasteride when you are happy with your hair it keeps it that way , but everyone waits until they reach a point where they are unhappy with their hair. Then finasteride stops further loss, but you're still stuck with hair that you aren't happy with.

I totally understand this, by the way. But for myself, to hop on it immediately is risky. I may have some underlying autoimmune issue (working towards a diagnosis, but Corona is making this difficult—can’t even get in until August), and who knows what long term effects I could end up with even if they don’t manifest immediately...

However, I’m very much keeping it in mind. I’ll reevaluate in a few months.

 

[Hairanoia]

I don't see how finasteride would make an autoimmune disease worse, but that could be the cause of your hair loss, or at least a contributing factor. Good luck with your diagnosis.

Yeah, I’m not too sure. That’s why I’d just want to consult with my doctor first about it (especially if they’re going to have me on some other medication). But thanks for your input, I appreciate it.

 

[Hairanoia]

Update: got diagnosed with an autoimmune disease called MCTD within the last month. Sadly, it's gonna be another hurdle to jump in my hair loss battle.

Didn't end up bothering with Zix, as I didn't really find more than a couple people who claimed it worked. Here are the changes I've made in the last 4 months:

• Saw palmetto
• Minoxidil twice a day instead of once
• Biotin
• Dermarolling with 1mm roller (once a week)

I've also made some nutrition changes, such as cutting out that garbage creatine protein powder (which I was taking religiously for years to help with weight gain), adding more fruits/vegetables into my diet, and cutting out fast food as much as possible. Also taking herbal remedies for my autoimmune disease, so hopefully those can help too. Just trying to attack this from every angle.

As far as results? Nothing great to report. I still have enough hair, but I think the thinning is more widespread and I can see it extending further back. Interestingly I don't notice a crap ton of shedding, yet I know I'm losing hair. Gonna re-evaluate in a couple months and see if I'm able to take finasteride with my condition.

 

[Hairanoia]

Oh, and here are pics. Apologies for how greasy my hair is. Compare with those from April on page 3.

Left:

Right:

Front:

That frontal thinning is my biggest concern, and I’m doing my best to up the density in that area. Don’t care as much about the temples. Let me know your thoughts.

 

[Endmymisery]

It's going pretty fast buddy. Did you ask your doctor about finasteride?

 

[Who Farted]

You’re rapidly approaching the moment of truth wherein you will have to decide how much your hair means to you. The fact you can see progress in a 6 month period means this sh*t isn’t slowing down or stopping anytime soon. The fact it’s progressing despite the cosmetic benefits of Min and derma rolling is even more alarming.

You need to decide whether finasteride/duta is something you are willing to use if it means holding onto what you have now. If it is, start as soon as you can. The most often thing you’ll here from people taking finasteride is that they wished they had started sooner. They say this because the state of your hair at start is almost always the high water mark. The sad reality is that finasteride/dutasteride are the only effective treatments at the moment. They suck, they require life commitment, and the most common side effects are sexual, I.e. the worst of the worst.

So take some time, consider what you’re willing to accept for a chance at keeping your hair, then move forward accordingly. There is absolutely nothing wrong with deciding finasteride/dutasteride aren’t for you. It may be helpful to ask yourself whether any of the common side effects are something you are willing to live with or not. For many, the risk of side effects alone is enough to deter them. For others, a few sexual side effects are a price they are willing to pay. Where you fall on that spectrum is something only you can determine.

 

[baba_yaga]

You are reaching the point of no return, fast. Either hop on finasteride and use fibers or accept the inevitable future.

 

[Xander94]

u need finasteride or switch to oral minoxidil asap or prepare for bald

 

[Hairanoia]

Well, thank you guys for the honest replies. I expected as much and have been noticing differences myself over the last 6 months, even though family members claim they haven't. It sounds exaggerated, but I think it looks different every day.

Messaged my doctor about finasteride. Maybe I can just start on a small dose too, but if I can take it, I might as well. At least I'll have done everything I could.

Given the widespread thinning pattern, could this be autoimmune related, or does it still just look like male pattern baldness?

 

[Derelict]

Well, thank you guys for the honest replies. I expected as much and have been noticing differences myself over the last 6 months, even though family members claim they haven't. It sounds exaggerated, but I think it looks different every day.

Messaged my doctor about finasteride. Maybe I can just start on a small dose too, but if I can take it, I might as well. At least I'll have done everything I could.

Given the widespread thinning pattern, could this be autoimmune related, or does it still just look like male pattern baldness?

Very rarely is it anything but male pattern baldness, looking for other causes is usually the first stage of coping with what is happening, thyroid related etc

 

[Hairanoia]

Very rarely is it anything but male pattern baldness, looking for other causes is usually the first stage of coping with what is happening, thyroid related etc

I mean, I'm long past the first stage of accepting it. Just makes me wonder if there are multiple factors coming into play and if my autoimmune treatments can have a positive effect. But if finasteride is the best shot no matter what, then I guess I'll give that a whirl too...

 

[BigOl'BaldingHead]

I mean, I'm long past the first stage of accepting it. Just makes me wonder if there are multiple factors coming into play and if my autoimmune treatments can have a positive effect. But if finasteride is the best shot no matter what, then I guess I'll give that a whirl too...

You could always start with topical finasteride. I've been using that for almost a year now and have maintained as far as I can tell, shedding has been drastically reduced for example as well.

There were some periods with some sexual sides though, but these eventually passed and I now feel great.