Question for you lucky long term succeeders!

[Ben Smith]

Did any of you only start seeing success after a period in excess of 7 months?

I've been using the big three (+1000mg biotin per day) for 6.5 months now and have been very disciplined. However, I still seem to shed (hasnt noticably ever completely stopped) a lot and I'm not 'seeing' a lot of difference yet - I don't think!

The reason I say 'seeing' is that I am so unhappy with my hair loss situation that I can't bring myself to check in mirrors or take photos so my judgement is based on feeling the thickness of my hair and trying to monitor shed. I know, sad, eh?!

So my worry is that after this long I'm going to see little success if I haven't (I don't think) seen much so far.

I will continue treatments for at least a year but my optimism is declining!

Thanks in advance for any input.

 

[Ben Smith]

Great - hijacked by Spam.

Any real answers much appreciated folks. Thanks

 

[ctulhu]

The first 12 months or so my hair just got worse and worse, then it slowly but continuously got better, and now at month 21 I'm doing ok.

IMO the big 3 should really be called big 4, since you need finasteride, min, nizoral and PATIENCE

 

[Ben Smith]

Thanks Ctulhu.

Any other folks seen improvement starting after the 6/7 month mark? Most of the good success stories seem to have a very string response within 3-5 months from what I've seen on here.

 

[Man in Space]

Hey Ben,
Im at 8 months and I only have recession, no other loss and i can say that compared to 6 months it is looking much better up front on top. Obviously its completely different for everyone, for me I started noticing hairs growing quite soon at around 3 months but they were only whisps. Now whats happening is those whisps have gone terminal and getting stronger sporadically and new whisps are poking their heads out below them, hopefully these will go though the same process and so on. I hope you have the same luck and as the guy said above, patience is the key.

 

[Ben Smith]

Thanks for taking the time to reply MIS. Fingers crossed indeed!

Do you have any change in the amount that you shed compared to pre-meds?

I don't thing I'm seeing any less (or more) shedding on meds tbh which is another thing that makes be think I'm a poor responder...

Thanks

 

[Man in Space]

No problem Ben. In my case I have been receding slowly for about 12 years, Ive never really shed, just slowly hair has fallen out at what i presume is a normal rate but never cycled back again. When I began taking the medications I noticed a slight increase in hair loss. It was slight, but as someone who is hyper aware of himself, I noticed it and I could visably see my hair was thinner in the thin areas. That was for the first 3 months, and I werent loving that but i had already decided that im staying on the meds for at least 2 years as either way, in that time, they would fall out. Then as its grown back i have to say its relatively normal in terms of hairs falling out, sometimes its a bit worse than usual but the truth is, i think ive by and large been relatively constant with shedding hair my whole life. Everyone responds different to others, ive seen some people with explosive regrowth, and others whose progression was so slow that you would have a hard time even noticing it month by month, but compare month 1 to month 24 and it is clear as day. Ultimately the only option is to keep ploughing on as one things for sure, if your balding and you come off the meds, its definately going! All the best.

 

[WillNotLetItHappen]

I'm past month 7 and I know that my hair is different than at the beginning, but I wouldn't say it is obvious success yet. I obviously watch my hairline very closely because it is easier to do, although my problem area is the vertex. I have seen tiny hairs along my hairline very very soon and it seems that they are very very slowly growing into real hair. I'm very excited to also see actual regrowth too (ie there was no hair there before). I'm thinking this is a good sign and hope this is happening on top of my head as well. But I'm also desperately waiting and comparing myself to the people that have a full head of hair after just 3 months.

My shedding has gotten better to below 100. Now after month 6-7 shedding has picked up again to 100+ hairs. I don't know if that is a good sign, so I'm in much the same boat as you, waiting for success after month 7...

When looking at success stories I notice that a lot of them have very heavy sheds early on into the treatment and then a significant drop of shedded hair. I seem to constantly shed more than them but with no real crazy shed like SE freak for example who seems to have lost 600+ hairs for some time. Maybe it is the same and I'm just losing an elevated number of hairs for a longer time period as opposed to a drastic number and then going back to a normal number.

I really doubt (and hope) that shedding is what we should be concerned about. When stopping treatment you'd be shedding too, only then you would know that they are definitely not coming back stronger. Also you know that the hair in your balding areas is thin and weak. So at some point they gotta go and make room for a stronger hair.

Let's wait and hope...and 5 months from now have a beer celebrating our full heads of hair...

:beer:

 

[Ben Smith]

Thanks for the response WNLIH - fingers crossed you're right. That will be one tasty beer if you are!

Cheers

 

[Rawtashk]

I started taking finasteride in May of 2008. The pic on the left I had been on it for 14months. The pic on the right is after I'd been on it a bit over 3 years. Just because you don't see a drastic difference within the first few (or even 12) months DOES NOT mean that you're not responding, or that it's not working for you. Remember, this stuff takes time, and you see yourself every day. It's hard to judge something that happens so gradually over time.

 

[Man in Space]

I started taking finasteride in May of 2008. The pic on the left I had been on it for 14months. The pic on the right is after I'd been on it a bit over 3 years. Just because you don't see a drastic difference within the first few (or even 12) months DOES NOT mean that you're not responding, or that it's not working for you. Remember, this stuff takes time, and you see yourself every day. It's hard to judge something that happens so gradually over time.

Hey Rawtashk, You were one of the stories I have seen that i was talking of in terms of growth at the front taking a long time in the front but being very discernable when placed side by side. Am I right in thinking your crown filled in quite quickly in comparison to the front, is that correct? If so I seem to be following you in that respect and long may regrowth continue for all of us.

 

[Rawtashk]

You are correct. My crown filled in much faster than my hairline. I believe that I hit my hairline density peak about 5 months ago or so. I feel like it's slowly thinning out...but I could also just be paranoid about it. :dunno:

 

[Man in Space]

I sure hope not for your sake. Your position is actually quite similar to mine in terms of loss and I must admit as someone who lurked on the forums i followed your threads with interest. What is your (or anyone elses) opinion surrounding the long term nature of this (trying to keep it related to the thread!) Would you consider an FUE hair transplant down the line for the small recession at the front if the gains we get from meds dont work long term for us, and would you even preempt your loss? Apologies if im straying too far from the topic

 

[Rawtashk]

If I have maintained until I'm 30, then I will consider FUE for my hairline. Although I feel I'm starting to lose some ground, I can't be too disappointed. I'd be slick bald by now if it weren't for finasteride

 

[Man in Space]

I am familiar with your story and I think you are a testament to prevention. Much like you I wish I had discovered these meds much earlier as they have helped so greatly. For me, Im touching 30, started receding at 16 and thought id be buzzing it by my 20s, the fact that I have most of my hair still is causing me to seriously think about getting FUE this year for my frontal section as im so close to having the hair i always wanted, but ive only been on the meds 8 months so im torn between waiting for a a year or 2 more to try and max out my gains. This is what happens ben, you get the hair back and you get hungry for more!! Either way, it always has be remembered its a long process. And just like that, im back on topic!

 

[Ben Smith]

Thanks guys - I'll keep them fingers crossed and soldier on!

 

[Man in Space]

Good decision, one things for sure, if you stop your definately not getting regrowth! best of luck

 

[Man in Space]

CC I saw your story and you did indeed get very good regrowth and thickening, just another one of those stories that incentivised me to keep going through the early months when gains are hard to come by. I must admit im looking forward to the next 6 months with a fair amount of hope as whats been happening to me is that the outline of my hairline has returned from a U back into the V shape I had as a teenager. The only trouble is that the hairs that have brought the V back are still too thin in comparison to the hairs within the forelock to have a hugely different cosmetic effect. If those individual hairs cycle in thicker each time as I hope, then i will get my hairline back to what it was in my early 20's (Im now late 20's) as I have tonnes of hair returning there, its just they are Z list rather than A list! Im keeping my fingers crossed for me and all you guys here who are in it for the long haul. CC Congrats on your regrowth and long may it continue.

 

[Man in Space]

Cheers CC very good advice, I have been taking photos, (although not as regularly as I should) I wasnt intending on keeping a blog so I stupidly didnt take baseline photos but I started taking pictures from 6 months. Let that be a lesson to anyone reading this, TAKE BASELINE PHOTOS! If only because I know I have had a fair degree or regrowth, I would like to be able to see side by side the progress i have made as it would probably make me feel a lot better on those blue days when I still get hacked off with my recession.