Mysterious's Story - (21 years old)

[mysterious]

Ok, so here is my story.

I'm now 21 years old, but i've been losing hair frequently since i was 17 or so. I dont know why, but for some reason i haven't paid any attention to it, perhaps i thought it was normal or something. But for the last months some friends have commented that i'm going bald and now even my family members, so its not until now i've decided to do something about it. I wish of course i would've seen it earlier.

The only family history of baldness is my maternal grandfather who lost his hair at at my age. All of my uncles etc. have thick hair. I guess my mom brought it to me then.

Lately the shedding has speeded up a lot, and i guess i lose 250-300 hairs a day. When i shampoo or style my hair, i sometimes begin to cry. My hands are fully covered with loose hair strands.

I've been reading this forum a lot, but still i'm not sure what to do. I just purchased Rogaine Foam and the Nizoral shampoo. I will have Propecia in the mail in a couple of days.

That's why i will ask you experienced guys, what should i start using? I was thinking on the big3, but is all of it necessary? If so, should i just start using it at the same time? Also, how far am i actually?

Thanks for any suggestions.

Here are some pics:

 

[metalheaddude]

Re: Thinning at top

Personally I dont support the use of Propecia and Rogaine at the same time when you have never been on either meds before. I think its better to start Propecia for 12 months then add the Rogaine Foam. There has been quite a few horror stories of guys on here that hit the big 3 straight up and the body just seems to react negatively to the massive change in body chemistry and as result massive sheds occur on which many do not recover. However having said that there has been quite a few success stories too. But I think the former method is alot safer. Based on your pics, I really dont think you have that much to lose, time is running is out for you if you dont act soon, so my advice it use Propecia for 3-4 months which will stabilize the hairloss/mild regrowth, then add the foam for regrowth, but dont use them both straight off the bat, give your body some time to adjust to the changes so minimum 3 months. Take lots of pics dude. I look forward to seeing your results

Good luck.

 

[RaginDemon]

Re: Thinning at top

for your case, I will suggest finasteride alone at this age.

 

[mysterious]

Re: M's story

Thanks a lot for the replies guys! I will put the rogaine on hold for some months then. What about the shampoo? Will it do any good or harm in the beginning? I have the 1% version.

 

[RaginDemon]

Re: M's story

Nizoral is a good shampoo.

 

[mysterious]

I wish I could post a "1-year update with full regimen", but I can't. Anyways:

(Going one year back in time):
Proscar arrived. The shedding speeded up a lot at first, but after 4 weeks or so it stopped COMPLETELY! I was so relieved! I never had to think about going bald again!

Life was good, but only for a short time. After the fifth week I got heavy sexual side effects. Naturally, I was prepared for facing some side effects, and that it would improve with time.
I gave it another 4 weeks, but it didn't help. So after 9 weeks on finasteride I said to myself that enough is enough. This was after having a number of painful situations with my gf (who knew nothing about me taking finasteride).
I also asked myself, what is the worst - not having a full head of hair, or not being able to please your own girlfriend?

When realizing that the best treatment available didn't work for me, I had to talk to my gf about my hair. I must say I was positive surprised. She said that hair didn't mean anything to her etc. That was obviously a huge comfort to me, and is also why I haven't cared too much about my hairloss (or the forum) until now. We're not together anymore, so now I'm suddenly obsessed with my hair again. (FYI - breaking up had nothing to do with my hair)

So what am I currently doing about it? I've been using Nizoral and taking B vitamins for a year now. (I know very well that it doesn't help very much, but at least its something). I started with Rogaine foam two weeks ago. What a hassle! When applying to the scalp area the very few hairs that actually are there stick together and appears even thinner, which makes it useless for me to apply in the morning, as I'm a student and always have people sitting behind me, higher up and almost staring (at least it feels like it) at the top of my head.

I've been thinking about trying finasteride a second time (perhaps I didn't give it enough time, or something else was causing the sides), but I've read that quitting and starting over again increase the chance of getting permanent sides so I don't know if it's worth the risk.

I'm not sure what I'm asking here, but any comments would be appreciated. It's great having a place to share ones worries.



UPDATE: Added some brighter pictures w/o flash

 

[Nighthair]

Maybe you can try a lower dosage of finasteride to see if you get as much side effects?

 

[mysterious]

A good advice. Thanks!

From what I remember it was hard enough splitting the Proscar into fifths. Splitting it into tenths might just not be possible.

Too bad Propecia isn't legit in my country.
I have to travel abroad and buy in order to get hold of finasteride.
Proscar was the only thing I found last time. Maybe I can do it with another pill cutter.

 

[Draco88]

I'm 21 myself (although i assume you're 22 now) and i can understand your pain in having to deal with hair loss at this age. I've only started using Nizoral 2% since this week yet i'm a bit unsure on whether i should go on with minoxidil and/or finasteride seeing how many seem to have this shedding problem, and it doesn't seem to improve the situation..i'd suggest making an appointment with a doctor, that's what i plan on doing, and see what they have to say.

 

[BodyDysmorphic]

this may sound weird but you can use toppix to "conceal" the thinning in the back

no one sitting behind you will notice your thinning, but honestly alot of people dont notice hair loss

only the people that are losing their hair will normally notice it on other people

it works very well especially when you still have a good amount of hair as you do

good luck mate

 

[mysterious]

Draco88, yes I'm 22 now. :bravo: Nizoral helps me control the itching, so it's a must have for me. I have the 1% version though - wasn't aware of the 2% when I bought a bunch a year back.

As for your concern about shedding I wouldn't worry about that. I started shedding like a maniac after some weeks, but suddenly it all stopped. If you're considering finasteride I would rather worry about the sexual side effects. But you won't know how you respond until you've tried it.
I definitely wouldn't start on both minoxidil and finasteride. I would try either for a period, and keep the other as a spare.

Visiting a doctor is a good idea I believe. I didn't (partly because finasteride isn't approved as a male pattern baldness treatment here, so I wouldn't get a prescription anyway and because I felt self-educated by reading on this forum) , which I regret. I might do it some time soon though, just to hear a professional opinion.

----

BodyDysmorphic, I agree with you that people suffering from hairloss are much more likely to notice such on other persons. As for myself I have knowledge of the hair condition of everyone in my class. Lol. It becomes an obsession.
I bet those who are dissatisfied with their nose, ears or whatever notice such things a lot better on other people as well.

I appreciate your advice about using toppix. It seems like a good product, but concealing feels a bit like hiding the truth for me. I dont know, as for the time being I'm not considering it.

I've spoken to a number of girls who all prefer the "natural look" rather than attempts to conceal and pretending like you haven't lost hair.
Easy for them to say who don't have to worry about male pattern baldness, but it might be a point anyway.