Newcomer - need help for husband!!

[concernedwife]

Can someone give me some advice for my husband? He has been losing his hair for the past few years (he is only 28). It is very thin on the top now - you can definitely see alot of scalp. We also noticed today after he had a hair cut that there are a couple of patches in the back that seem to have fallen out!! Any idea what that is about? It never happened before but when he came out of the barber shop today we noticed a few small areas (like the size of a dime) that seemed to have lost hair! Does anyone know what this could mean? The lady that cut his hair swore she didnt do it and that it was like that.

Also, what would be the best regimen for him? We don't want to use any pills of any kind. I don't like the idea of him taking pills for this issue - its not worth any possible side effects. We are just looking for shampoos/conditioners/scalp products that can stop him from losing any more hair. Any suggestions?

 

[Scott_A]

hair loss

I would go see the family doctor about something like that.

 

[asolof]

The dime sized patches of balding are not male pattern baldness. The thinning could be depending upon the overall pattern.

I agree he should see his doctor about this. It may be something simple like tinea capitus (ringworm). There are a list of other causes. Some people play with / twist their hair as a habit, eventually pulling it out in patchy patterns (trichotilomania) When that happens, you normally can see the stumps of the broken hair shafts near the scalp. Some people develop alopecia areata, in which the body's immune system attacks the hair follicles. Again, the quickest way to find out and resolve the problem is to have him see his doctor.

 

[concernedwife]

OK - that is definitely scary and I will check it out with a doctor!

What about the general thinning on the top of his head? What would you guys recommend as the best shampoo/scalp therapy for that?

 

[Scott_A]

OK - that is definitely scary and I will check it out with a doctor!

What about the general thinning on the top of his head? What would you guys recommend as the best shampoo/scalp therapy for that?

Most people here use propecia or generic finasteride, which is a drug that you should talk to your doctor about. Usually they use it in combination with something like Rogaine. And Nizoral shampoo. Those are the "Big 3" because of FDA approval and/or studies that prove they promote hair growth or stop hair loss. I'm looking into Revivocent as a topical hair product, but it doesn't have the clinical backing like those other 3.

 

[viperfish]

Well if he is not gonna use Propecia he does not stand a real good chance of keeping his hair. Propecia is the best thing available. However, there are a few products that are worth looking into. The first of which is Revivogen, which you can read more on at http://www.revivogen.com. There is also minoxidil (rogaine), but once you start using minoxidil you can't stop. I would recommend Revivogen (everyday), and Nizoral shampoo (every 3rd day) this would be a good regimen if Propecia is not an option!

I also think it is great that your looking into this for your husband!

 

[BadHairDecade]

There is also minoxidil (rogaine), but once you start using minoxidil you can't stop. I would recommend Revivogen (everyday), and Nizoral shampoo (every 3rd day) this would be a good regimen if Propecia is not an option!

Once you start using any hairloss regimen you can't stop...This goes for Revivogen too.

If your not going to use propecia than the only things I would go with are Nizoral shampoo (it's a dandruff shampoo but has been shown to help fight hairloss) and Minoxidil 5% which is the only other PROVEN product to fight hairloss.
The important thing is to make a commitment with these products. Especially with minoxidil. It needs to be used twice a day everyday to be effective. Stick with that for a year and see what happens.
It's also important to not change the regimen every couple of months.

 

[viperfish]

True I'm just saying that stopping minoxidil would be much worse than stopping Revivogen,etc. But once you start a regimen you must stick with it no questioning that!

 

[BadHairDecade]

True I'm just saying that stopping minoxidil would be much worse than stopping Revivogen,!

Curious why you think that?

 

[asolof]

He should not start any treatment until he has a clear diagnosis. His case is not one of just male pattern baldness.

 

[Petchsky]

I think Revivogen would be better than minoxidil as it blocks DHT. There is no proof that minoxidil does that and may be very useful at first but without a DHT blocker, the main cause of hairloss, it may only be effective for a few years.

 

[BadHairDecade]

I think Revivogen would be better than minoxidil as it blocks DHT. There is no proof that minoxidil does that and may be very useful at first but without a DHT blocker, the main cause of hairloss, it may only be effective for a few years.

Azalaic Acid is a DHT blocker too that doesn't mean it works. The reason why I think minoxidil is better than Revivogen is becuase it's proven to work and FDA approved for hairloss. There may be a study showing Revivogen works but personally I wouldn't bet my hair on it.

I know this is no way to gauge if something works or not but I've rarely ever heard anyone say Revivogen has worked for them other than HairLossTalk.com. Revivogen posts are quite rare, good or bad. This leads me to beleive not too many people trust this stuff. JMO. Maybe it's the Saw Palmetto ingredient which we all know does nothing to help hairloss. Quite a turn-off

 

[concernedwife]

Wow - thanks so much for all the replies! I really appreciate it!

It sounds like Propecia is the way to go but I really don't want him to take any drugs. I just don't think hair loss is worth all that. He looks fine either way to me! Plus we are hoping to have a baby soon - would Propecia have any side effects as far as fertility goes?

I read on the Rogaine box that it should only be used if hair loss is happening around the crown of the head? Is this true? My husband is not losing hair there. He is losing it directly on the top of his head only. Do you guys still recommend it over Revivogen?

Thanks so much for all your help!

 

[Petchsky]

You know its tricky...minoxidil is a really good product, i use it myself with good results, but i feel if your man wants to keep his hair for any real duration then he needs a DHT blocker of some sort, minoxidil does not offer that on its own.

Propecia is mainly used for maintaining what you already have, although 62% ? saw additional regrowth too. It does mention side effects in terms of fertility, but these are v rare and mainly written to prevent a lawsuit. There may be topical DHT inhibitors than can be purchased which i feel would be good if the doctor confirms he is suffering from male pattern baldness, but i do not know enough to recommend them...

Badhairdecade - i'm not sure about reviews on other sites about revivogen but most on here seem to be pretty positive... the only reason i thought rev over minoxidil was the DHT inhibiting qualities of it.

 

[Scott_A]

Propecia

"Propecia is not indicated for use by women. Do not take or handle this medication if you are pregnant or are could become pregnant during treatment. Propecia is in the FDA pregnancy category X. This means that it is known to cause birth defects in an unborn baby. Women who are or who may become pregnant must not handle crushed or broken Propecia tablets. The medication could be absorbed through the skin. Propecia is known to cause birth defects in a developing male baby. Exposure to whole tablets should be avoided whenever possible, however exposure to whole tablets is not expected to be harmful as long as the tablets are not swallowed."

So if you want to get preggers, don't touch the stuff or let your skin come into contact with it. Since it's carried in the blood, what implications does this have for your sex life with your husband if he's taking the stuff? All signs point to consulting a doctor.

 

[concernedwife]

Hmmm ... thanks for the info. I am still a little confused though. Are you saying it doesn't matter that it says on the Rogaine box not to use it for hair loss on the top of the head? Do people use it anyway?

As for Revivogen, are you guys talking about the shampoo and conditioner or the scalp treatment? Or both? If he decides to use Revivogen instead of Minoxidil, which Revivogen products do you guys recommend? Should he use the shampoo/conditioner and scalp therapy every day?

Sorry for all the questions and thanks again for your help!

 

[concernedwife]

Scott - after reading that I am definitely not interested in him taking Propecia! That is so not worth it!!!!

As for seeing a doctor to get more help in general, what kind of doctor should we go to? A family doctor? A dermatologist?

 

[Petchsky]

It only says for use on the back of the head on the rogaine box because that is the only area of the scalp they tested it on. Rogaine is used for the whole scalp and can regrow hair on the back middle, sides and front. As they only tested it on the crown they could only claim it can regrow hair there despite the fact that it also regrows hair all over the scalp.

The main product out of the revivogen package is the topical scalp lotion, the shampoo and conditioner are extras. I do not use this product myself but if you do a little research on this and other hairloss forums you will be able to get a good idea of whether the shampoo and conditioner are worth bothering with. You could send a private message to a user on this forum called Viperfish who posts alot about Rev. He will know alot more about it than me and i don't doubt he will be more than happy to help.

 

[Petchsky]

Dermotologist would be better than the doctor.

 

[concernedwife]

One more question if you don't mind. I am doing some reading up on Male Pattern Baldness and I am noticing that my husbands hair loss does not follow this pattern! He has not lost any hair on the vertex of his head at all. All the pictures on the Norwood scale seem to show a receding hairline along with an increasing bald spot on the vertex of the head until the two eventually meet.

My husband has not lost any hair on the vertex - its not even thinning there. He is losing hair on the top only. Does this mean he does not have male pattern baldness? Is there another word to describe his hair loss so I can do some research on it?