new to this and overwhelmed

[Guest]

Hi everyone. I have been thining for about 5 years, and really noticably for the last 2. Oh, i'm 29. I've had a ton of thyroid tests done, because I have all kinds of symtoms, but they always come out negative. So my doctor sent me to a dermataligist. He didn't do any more tests, he looked at my head and said i had female thinning that he's seeing more and more in younger women and all he told me was to go get 5% rogain. THat's all..nothing else was said to me. So i've been online for days and days trying to figure all this out and what to do, get, take, etc....
My hairdressed told me to try nioxin because it did wonders for her mother, but I keep reading about it and hear nothing good. So can you guys help me out. I'm lost in all the information. between these sebum shampoos, pills, solutions, etc. Should try to see another doctor? SHould i try rogain? ugh...i want to hide under my table.
thanks!

 

[thrilhouse]

Hello sparker34,
I also have been all over getting tests doe, going for more on Monday and Tuesday, and the only thing that is remotely "wrong" with me is a ferratin (iron) level of 55 which is a little low and that's it. I had an episode of telogen effluvium the first week of August and genetics took over and now I have lost more than half of my hair in under five months and am using Rogaine 2% for 4 weeks and taking spironolactone 200mgs. for 3 and a half months. So far I'm not seeing results really, but everyone keeps saying, it takes time- something we ladies going through this don't have! Are you on birth control at all, some of them actually cause this, that's something to ask your doctor. Also do you have seb derm? You had
mentioned sebum shampoo so I was curious. I check these posts very often so write if you need to!
- Stacey

 

[Guest]

Hi Sparker34,

What Thrilhouse said was true about the ferritin levels, you should get it checked out. Anyway as for Nioxin, frankly it won't do much, if anything. The only shampoo that has had some proven efficacy is an anti-dandruff shampoo called Nizoral, available in the dandruff section of the supermarket shampoo aisle. It should be rotated with other shampoos and used every 3 days.

As for Rogaine, you should start it immediately if you know it is androgenetic alopecia, or female pattern baldness. A word of warning though, it is very common to shed at first when starting any minoxidil treatment. It should subside after some weeks.

As for supplements and vitamins, people have said that their hair and nails have grown faster with MSM. Flax seeds and evening primrose oil will be good for the overall texture of your hair, as they are good sources of omega 3 and 6 fatty acids.

Good luck and let us know how you are doing (if you could register that would be wonderful too! )

Laura

 

[Guest]

thanks for the advice. I don't know what it is exactly..like i said, the Doctor didn't do any test..but was looking at blood work from my thyroid tests...that all look normal. He said judging by the way it's thinning he's as sure as he can be that it's female pattern because of the way my hairline is intact and it's becoming thin all around the top and the front, but is in tact at the bottom. I asked him several times if he was SURE because i don't want to be treating the wrong thing and regret it later. he said he was as sure as he could be without doing a biopsy. why he didn't do that i don't know. well, i do have an HMO...you know how that works. So yeah, i don't really trust it. He told me to get the 5% right away, not bother with the 2%. I really wanted to see what else i should do before resorting to that. Or if i had other options. And the reason i asked about niozin and all those other shampoos, is my hair stylist, who has been cutting my hair for about 10 years, suggested it. she used it when her hair started falling out and it stopped it. So I don't know if i have seborrheic dermatitis or not....but I went to the drug store last night and couldn't decide what kind of shapoo to get. they had like 20 different ones.
Now here's a question, what the difference between the scalp shampoos that have "Tar" as the active ingrediant and "Salicylic Acid"?
I got one that has 3% salic....I think it's a generic form of Neutrogena's T/Sal shampoo. Ugh, i'm gonna have an anxiety attack trying to figure all this out.

 

[Sally A]

Rogaine

I have the female pattern thinning too. Androgenetic Alopecia. I had been thinning for a good five years. Then it was really thin. I am using the 2%. No side effects. If you start having any, you should ask your doctor if the 2% would be better for you. My scalp and hair are just fine with the 2%. Everyone just has to keep on using it. It sure works for me. I am very happy!!!

 

[Guest]

Hi Sparker,

As for your derm looking at your hair and judging it as Androgenetic Alopecia, did he or she look at your scalp and hair under a light, closely? A good derm can tell if it is Androgenetic Alopecia from the pattern of thinning and looking closely for the presence of miniaturized hairs. With telogen effluvium, there is no miniaturization, and the shedding is a more general one over the whole scalp. Therefore it is not usually necessary to have a scalp biopsy.

Unfortunately, if the diagnosis is definitely androgenetic alopecia, your best bet is minoxidil. If you have elevated androgens or some other hormonal problem going on, you could have some success with spironolactone/aldactone or some other type of anti-androgen like CPA.

You can also check your ferritin levels. Low iron can induce hair loss.

Here is the difference between TGel and TSal. http://www.hairlosstalk.com/discussions ... php?t=3976

As for Nioxin, there has been absolutely no studies showing it's efficacy in treating androgenetic alopecia. The best thing a shampoo can do in terms of helping with your Androgenetic Alopecia is to keep the scalp in healthy condition. These shampoos would be things like Nizoral, TGel, TSal or even creams and topicals such as Tricomin and Folligen.

Many hair dressers tend to suggest Nioxin because it's the only thing sold in salons claiming to help with hair loss, or fine or thinning hair. I suspect that anyone who has used Nioxin for this purpose and has had any significant regrowth has had some other thing happen to them that coincides with the Nioxin usage, like maybe they had Telogen Effluvium and their hair regrew after a couple of months.

I personally would not put all your solution into Nioxin.

Let us know what you decide to do

Laura

 

[sparker34]

thanks for all the info! I will keep reading. I spent xmas day researching all sorts of things...including the webstite for that doctor..oh, what's his name? it was thebaldtruth.com I've heard his radio show in the past and looked at his books. Anyway, he suggested Revivagen for use as a shampoo.
As for my derm..he took a piece of hair and did hold it up to the light for a second..and then just looked through my head to see where the thinning was. My fretin levels were normal last time i got them tested. But i did not get tested for any levels of androgens or the like. Do you guys think I should ask to see an edo? My gp doesn't know much about this stuff..although she tried to do many thyroid tests trying to figure out what's going on in my body. All came out normal of course.

I'm trying to avoid the rogains of the world at first...hopeing i could be on of the few people that has success with other, more natural things. and i'm really really bad at doing things everyday..and twice a day! Forget it. I can't even make sure to take my stacks of vitamins dailsy, i can only imagine what putting stuff in my hair would be like.
I've been reading through many websites with reviews of products and no matter what it is, it seems like 1 out of 5 or so has good results with each product. This site has lots of user reviews http://www.womenshair.info/topicals/main.htm
Anyway, since i wasn't hearing back over the holdiday weekend i decided to get the nioxin also....just in case. Besides, I can use a good shampoo in my life. Though it is rather pricey. so i have the t/sal and now the nioxin.
thank god for the internet and places like this. I would be lost!

 

[Sally A]

Try Rogaine

I have had great success with Rogaine after only two months and a week. I have new hair and it is great. Don't wait too long to start Rogaine. I have never heard anything else that can help and regrow hair. The earlier you start, the more successful you will be. I wish I had started LONG ago. Then there would be no problem. As it is, I did start early. The more miniturization and loss you have, the longer it takes. I sound like a commercial, but I love it. I have that and my skin care I adore so I am happy! No need to put off Rogaine. Good luck.

 

[sparker34]

well..another thing i'm wondering about is all this facial hair growth talk I've been hearing about. I, of course, have dark coarse hair everywhere but my head I spent painfull months getting ellectrolisis on my upper lip and eyebrows, I surely don't want to go through that again. And i still don't know why this derm told me to use 5% instead of the 2%.....

 

[Sally A]

I don't know why he didn't let you start with 2% either. That is the formula for Women. The higher amounts have side effects.

 

[mayalopecia]

Any drug has side effects. Some women have excess facial and body hair growth using just the 2% minoxidil. The 5% is more effective than 2%, so if your thinning was sudden or severe, perhaps the goal is to get as much medication as possible into your follicles as quickly as possible.

The excess hair growth seen in many women (and some men) due to the 5% tends to taper off. I used to have to wax everything at least twice a month. Now I can pluck at my leisure. I've been on 5% minoxidil, spironolactone and yasmin for 10 months.

Obviously, the decision is one for you to make, but I find the side effects are manageable.

Good luck!
-maya