Rage's Story (monthly pics included)

[Rage]

For nearly two years I've noticed that my hair was thinning. My father is almost completely bold and hence I was always scanning for signs of my own impending doom.

Excuses !

When i first noticed my hair loss, it was in the shower and when gel'ing my hair. My bucket of gel was full of my hair, as was the shower. Disturbed, i put this down to stress from the empending final exams.


Ridicule !

When I began to find that styling my hair was becoming increasingly difficult, and saw pictures of myself, i could definitely see a thinning especially around the temple areas. The first peep of my problems was to my family, and this was met with ridicule, laughter, and knockbacks that i was going insane, was too vain, was too self concious.


Discovery !

Since finding this site, and others like it, I realise that I'm not alone. That I was not the sole person caring about my "forehead of doom". I believe secretly that all people suffering from advanced male pattern baldness wished they had done something to prevent it. While they may 'live with it', I think they all really wish they had done something to 'live with it (hair)'.

Well, I finally summoned the nerve to ask my doctor for prescription for Proscar. While he was talking about the side affects and other redtape, i think he could see I had been agonising over the issue for a year. He passed over the prescription, with a comment - "do you really need it?". I would have to say yes.

My regiment will be -

+ Average of Tablet of 5mg Proscar every 5 days, its hard to cut perfectly into 1/5, so as long as i stick to this, it shouldn't be a problem.

+ Minoxidil 1ml at night, i started on this first, and plan to phase it out over the next few months.. good idea or not? Cause i've been reading that it may stop working after a year or two - researching medical journal to find out more. EDIT - considering what fallout said, I think I'll stick on it !

+ TGel, I was always on this shampoo because it stops my head from itching. I guess it was a good move.

+ Nizoral (generic) every 3rd day

So from today, I am now a full member of this forum. I joined especially today to mark the start of my treatment, and instead of just lerking in the shadows reading posts, I hope i can be one who contributes.

Thanks for reading.



EDIT - suppse to be 1ml.. not 5ml oops.

EDIT - i thought i'd put the links to the pics in the first post, although you still might want to read the posts that goes with them further down, which includes thoughts and side-effects.

Month 0:

Front
Right
Left
Back


Month 1:

Front
Right
Left
Back


Month 2:


Front
Right
Left
Back

Month 3:

Front
Right
Left
Back

Month 4:

Front
Right
Left
Back
Diffuse

Month 5:

Front
Right
Left
Back

Month 6:

Front
Right
Left
Back

Month 7 (changed to reveal true situation):

Front
Right
Left
Top

Month 8:

Front
Right
Left
Top

Month 10:

Front
Right
Left
Top
Left 2 (compare to month 0!)

Month 11:

Front
Right
Left
Back
Top

Month 12:

Front
Right
Left
Back
Top

Month 13:

Front
Right
Left
Back
Top

 

[Cassin]

Great story and attitude.

Welcome to the forum!

 

[Guest]

5ml of minoxidil seems like way too much. I think you should stay on it but use only 1ml or so.

 

[Cassin]

5ml of minoxidil seems like way too much. I think you should stay on it but use only 1ml or so.

I missed that............he's right....that is way to much.

We can assume it was a typo?

 

[Rage]

Yeap sorry, was suppose to be 1ml !

 

[elguapo]

another thing- it isn't that minoxidil stops working after 2 years. what you read was that you see the max benefits from minoxidil after 2 years full years of use, but then after that it doesn't seem to regrow new hairs. The hairs that it did "wake up" within that time are all you're gonna get. But keep using it bro, it is a "life-long" treatment. After you stop, you will gradually lose the hairs that the minoxidil helped grow, or even just maintain.

Also, I am a diffuse thinner, so I use more than 1ml of minoxidil each time, about 3ml or so, because the area that I am thinning is all over my scalp, not just a small area. Use what you think is best.

Good luck.

 

[Rage]

Add some photos...

Hmm.. doesn't look too bad from the photos as i thought it did. But i think it is because i've dyed my hair to a lighter colour, and its gelled.. but the signs of a "forehead of doom" are certainly there.

Front
Right
Left
Back

Thanks for everyones reply... I'll update monthly i suppose with pics!

 

[Guest]

Re: Add some photos...

Hmm.. doesn't look too bad from the photos as i thought it did. But i think it is because i've dyed my hair to a lighter colour, and its gelled.. but the signs of a "forehead of doom" are certainly there.

Front
Right
Left
Back

Thanks for everyones reply... I'll update monthly i suppose with pics!

Its great you your doing something about it i wish i wouldve done something 5 yrs ago instead of just throwing on a hat and denying it.Looking at your pics i think ur hair looks really really good i understand your worry but i think your gonna be alright ,and im sure your hair is gonna get even better and everything will be fine hopefully.

Good Luck bro

 

[Rage]

As promised.. here's some pics one month on!

Front
Right
Left
Back

And honestly.. i can't tell the difference. So far, i *think* i'm shedding more hair.. but then again i forced myself never to count hairs in the shower before i started the treatment..

Wait for next month!

 

[fallout]

I see some improvement. Stay on the minoxidil and milk it for all its got. I was on it for 7 years before it los its effectiveness.

 

[Wezz]

wow damn, your hair got thicker and darker actually. i think you should stick with these treatments for 8 months and see what happens

 

[Rage]

I don't think I'll stay for 8 months.. 8 years more like it

UPDATES - 2 Months on..

Front
Right
Left
Back

So far, no serious side effects. Thought I had Gyno turned out to be pecs (I won't go into that one), thought I went limp but the next day there was no problems.. itchy chest, had that a few times.. lets just say, nothing really much. A bit a shedding.. within normal ranges.. its all good !

 

[Guest]

Its looking good Rage. I compared you're baseline to the new set side-by-side and youre forehead of doom appears to be waning. Good stuff.

 

[lynne]

seriously though mate, are u even losing your hair? it hardly looks like it.

 

[Kramer3]

Frunby: I have to agree that it hardly looks like he's losing his hair. Do you have diffuse thinning?? I don't know why you have so many close-ups of your hairline and are talking about a forehead of doom. Your hairline is perfect.

 

[Rage]

The front one inch of hair is very thin, especially compared to the sides and back. Isn't the forehead of doom where the front is beginning to thin out? And thinning it most definitely is...

my hair has changed, its hard to style and in light you can see through to the skalp at the front if i don't gel it so the hair falls over it.

I just want to catch it early... i didn't want to regret not doing a thing in the future.

 

[wombat]

What the...?

Seriously mate, it doesn't look like your balding to me in the slightest. Maybe they're just funny photos but farkin hell. They'd have to be pretty funny.

When i read your first post the bit about "ridicule" I thought to myself, "yup, been through that". With everyone telling me I was being silly and my hairline has always had a widows peak in it (and it has actually). So I could fully relate to that, but wholly hell. I don't think my hair ever looked as good as yours in my whole bloody life.

I honestly think you're imagining things. I can't see any "forehead of doom" or any such nonsense. Have a look at my photos, that's what a receeding hairline looks like. And mind you, mine isn't even a bad receeding hairline, just moderate.

 

[Rage]

Where are your photos? I can't find them..

Hmm.. these last couple of posts are making me think...

I have diffuse thinning ! I'm not sure how best to photograph them, so you have to just look about 1cm in from the hair line.. as you can see they're all baby hairs.. apparently bad bad bad bad sign! (not to mention its thin thin thin too).

 

[Guest]

Rage, i don't know if the guys that are posting the comments about you not balding have seen your baseline pics. True, you have very very very little signs of balding in your baseline pic. The only one is the baseline hairline photo. Other than that, you have a strong head of hair. Comparing your basline to month 2 "forehead of doom," it has improved.

 

[Kramer3]

Rage: How long have you been losing hair for? Sometimes hairloss isn't really visible till month six or so.

When you say those "baby hairs" are you referring to the ones that are falling against your forehead when you pull your hair back?? Those little hairs are common in people even without male pattern baldness. I remember after getting a haircut back before my hair began thinning trying to gel those little hairs up, but they always seemed to fall like in your picture. Those aren't neccessarily a symptom of losing hair. The baby hairs you have to look out for are the really thin ones that are unable to grow long because their not strong enough.