I'm 23 yearsold and within the past 3-4 months my hair has thinned considerably. The thinning seems to be all over the top of my head and is certainly more noticable in some areas. The question is, is this MBP? It didn't really seem to thin in a pattern and it happened rapidly, but like I said, the entire top of my head is thinning. I have included a link to an image. My hair in this picture is longer than I normally wear it, and since I've gotten my haircut, the thinning is even more prominent.
Before you view the link, I have one additional question. If this is not male pattern baldness and being caused by something such as stress or insomnia (which I have), should I still take the recommended propecia, rogaine, and nizoral treatment? If not, what should I do?
Looks like male pattern baldness to me. I would start with finasteride (Propecia) and a good shampoo like T/Gel or Nizoral (if it's not too harsh). Add minoxidil later after you've given Propecia some time to do its thing (i.e. a year or so).
Thanks for the advice. I didn't realize the recommended treatment was propecia for a year and then rogaine. is it not wise to start taking both at the same time?
Thanks for the advice. I didn't realize the recommended treatment was propecia for a year and then rogaine. is it not wise to start taking both at the same time?
The reason you try Propecia alone for a year is that may be all you ever need to fix your problem. It can take up to a year to know for sure if it will work for you, so it's recommended to wait that long. Once you start Rogaine, you have to continue using it indefinitely because once you quit it, all the hair you've gained/retained will be lost.
Popping a pill once a day is easy, applying Rogaine twice a day and letting it dry is a hassle. Best to try the easiest and most effective one first alone. See what it can do.
That is exactly the same as my hair has got.Mine has thinned a lot esp over the top of the scalp and i have lost hair rapidly in just 3-4 months i also had the burning and itching aswell.But for the past 3 weeks i havent had the burning or itching and i washed my hair everyday and each wash i was losing roughly 50-80 hairs.For the past 3 weeks i havent had no burning or itching and after every wash my shed has gone back to normal 15-20 hairs lost.Mine has gone so thin in just 3-4 months but now i have some regrowth coming through at the front and further back.I went to the doctors and had the usual blood tests etc everything was fine and he put it down to the stress i have had over the past year which was both physical and emotinal.
Also when i asked about my situation Tynan.w kindly gave me this information. i would go to the doctor and put your mind at ease then you will know one way or the other
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Posted: Fri Jan 21, 2005 2:55 am Post subject:
We, and much of the mammalian world, have two main shed seasons. The biggest shed occurs in early autumn and a smaller one in spring. Essentially we are replacing our summer coats with winter coats. Perhaps the best example is the arctic fox that sheds a pigmented summer coat and replaces it with a white coat (camouflage) for winter conditions. Much of the research on seasonal shedding and hair regrowth is conducted with mink (some studies from Australia on sheep and goats too). Researchers have looked at prolactin and melatonin levels among other factors as a potential regulator of the changes in hair growth. Giving mink melatonin, or reducing exposure to daylight, promotes shedding of the summer coat and the onset of the winter anagen growth stage. Possibly it is a similar situation for humans where changes in daylight hours modify the melatonin secretion rate from the pineal gland and this in turn affects hormones and/or their receptors in the skin.
The shed cycle in humans has not been investigated in much detail, but a few studies from the UK demonstrate the seasonal shed cycles. Although there is an increase in shedding during spring and fall, the number of hairs shed still falls within the generally recognized limits of 50 to 100 hairs a day. So in spring and fall the daily shed rate may be closer to 100 hairs a day and in summer and late winter the typical shed rate is closer to 50 hairs a day. However, the average rate of shedding does vary from person to person. Some people can be high shedders, but also have high rates of hair growth and replacement so they have no net hair loss. To understand your own seasonal hair shedding it is better to compare the hair shed rate in spring/fall to summer/winter within yourself rather than compare it to other people. Whether there are still seaonal shed cycles for humans living at the equator is not known - I would guess not if the changes are due to melatonin levels.
