Umbyboy's story - (An annoying situation)

[Umbyboy]

Hi guys, I'm Umberto 24yo from Italy. I've experienced hair loss/thinning since I was 16. During this 8 years the situation has gradually worsen and now, even thought I guess it's too late, I was wondering if facing the problem now and try some kind of treatment would make any improvement... Basically I have used Crescina and other vials...good shampoos and conditioners, and for a short period I took some pills which were neither finosteride nor minoxidil, but "commercial ones". In the last year I lost more than 20kgs and I guess this is having adverse effects on my hairs as well. Overall I'm not a desperate case yet, but unless they discover the magic pot tomorrow, I'll join "the club" very soon . I'm here mainly for advices. Do you have any advice on the diet I should follow to mitigate the damages done by the sudden weight lost? My idea was to consult a specialist (a doctor...dermatologist or trichologist) and ask for a scalp analysis and for a treatment that could seriously improve my hair volume. What's your suggestion? I live in London, but being a student I don't have a lot of money to spend on this...therefore, I'd really appreciate if you could help me with your experience.

p.s. The first pic is 4years old, the others are recent.
As you can see in the pics I have problems of dandruff caused by scalp itch (but this is happening before the summer only...and if I use specific shampoos I can normally deal with it).

 

[sergiotahini]

Re: An annoying situation

Diet will probably not help you, and without using a proven hair loss treatment you stand the risk of losing more hair while you wait for your dietary adjustments to improve (or not) your genetic balding.

From what I understand your best bet would be to get on finasteride as soon as possible, as you could then at the very least slow down your hair loss, and possibly halt it altogether or get some regrowth. Anything else is a gamble at worst, or a sub-optimal way of addressing the problem at best.

For what it's worth, I think if you have noticed the hair loss pick up after your recent weight loss you should get on finasteride immediately. From forum anecdotes I have read in addition to my own personal experiences it seems like stresses such as dramatic weight loss, physical trauma, and the like often function as triggers that accelerate the balding process.

Good luck.

 

[Umbyboy]

Re: An annoying situation

Diet will probably not help you, and without using a proven hair loss treatment you stand the risk of losing more hair while you wait for your dietary adjustments to improve (or not) your genetic balding.

From what I understand your best bet would be to get on finasteride as soon as possible, as you could then at the very least slow down your hair loss, and possibly halt it altogether or get some regrowth. Anything else is a gamble at worst, or a sub-optimal way of addressing the problem at best.

For what it's worth, I think if you have noticed the hair loss pick up after your recent weight loss you should get on finasteride immediately. From forum anecdotes I have read in addition to my own personal experiences it seems like stresses such as dramatic weight loss, physical trauma, and the like often function as triggers that accelerate the balding process.

Good luck.

Thanks very much for your advices. I was mentioning the dramatic weight lost because before that I wasn't losing hair that much, nevertheless I read that hair loss caused from stresses is not permanent (I mean the hair you lose once you have balanced your diet again should regrow). Do you think to take just finastireide along with a balanced diet would be enough? Cause I read there are so many different products I'm getting confused. Thus, do you think is necessary to go to a good dermatologist before taking any drug? I live in the UK and I guess here I need a prescription for finastireide, could a GP prescribe it for me? Thx for the answers.

 

[sergiotahini]

Re: An annoying situation

From my understanding, hair loss caused by stress can work in two ways. The first is a telogen effluvium, where you lose hair from all over your head (the top, the sides, the back, everywhere), and this type of hair loss is often temporary. The second way stress can cause hair loss is by triggering genetic male pattern baldness. With male pattern baldness you lose hair at the corners of your hairline above the temples (receding hairline), or at the vertex (bald spot), or throughout the top of your head (the sides and back of your head are basically unaffected). This type of hair loss is permanent and it is this type of hair loss that you appear to be experiencing from the photos you posted. In other words, from the photos you have posted, it appears that you have male pattern baldness and if you wait around for your hair to grow back without beginning some sort of treatment you will just lose more hair.

As far as whether finasteride will be enough, it is impossible to say as every individual is different, but it is probably the best treatment available for hair loss and is usually successful in at least slowing down the balding process. I don't know how you obtain a prescription for finasteride in the UK, but if you go to a dermatologist or any other doctor they will simply look at your hair loss pattern (which appears to obviously be male pattern baldness) and write you a prescription. So, if you can just order it online you may as well do so; it doesn't take a genius to diagnose male pattern baldness.

It is always good to eat a balanced diet as a matter of general health, but diet alone is unlikely to fix your hair loss problem. The longer you put off beginning some sort of proven treatment the greater risk you have of losing more hair, and it should be noted that it is far more difficult to regrow hair that has been lost than it is to keep the hair you have on your head.

 

[Umbyboy]

Re: An annoying situation

Your explanation was sound...Thanks very much you solved pretty much all my doubts...I'll start straightaway with finasteride. One more question if you don't mind...shall I add minoxidil to finasteride? I saw that many people are using both products together.thx

 

[sergiotahini]

Yes, many people use minoxidil along with finasteride and nizoral, and some of these people get very good results from this regimen. As far as whether you should start minoxidil immediately, it really depends on your goals. It seems that as a general rule of thumb that if you would be satisfied with maintaining and perhaps slightly thickening the hair that you have you should first try finasteride alone. If your goal is regrow a significant amount of hair minoxidil will probably be necessary.

Your hair loss does not seem too bad to me, in fact, it's pretty similar to mine. It's really your call whether you want to add minoxidil from the start, but you should understand that once you start using it you cannot stop unless you are prepared to potentially lose a lot of hair. This is because hair that is regrown or maintained on minoxidil becomes dependent on the drug and will fall out if you discontinue using it. Personally, I would be satisfied if I just kept the hair I have and thickened it up a bit, so I intend to continue with finasteride for a few months before jumping on minoxidil. This is mainly because minoxidil is an added expense, it is messy, and it must be applied every day for an indefinite period of time. It is a rather serious commitment, so if the finasteride does not produce the results I want in a few months I will probably add minoxidil.

Finally, you should know that it's often recommended that you use a shampoo containing ketoconazole such as nizoral. This is to control dandruff and inflammation (painful, itchy, inflamed scalp) that often accompanies male pattern baldness, and it is thought that using such a shampoo may increase the efficacy of treatments such as finasteride and minoxidil. So, you should add a keto shampoo like nizoral to whatever treatment or treatments you use, especially since you have already mentioned that you are experiencing dandruff.

Hope this helps.

 

[Umbyboy]

Yes, many people use minoxidil along with finasteride and nizoral, and some of these people get very good results from this regimen. As far as whether you should start minoxidil immediately, it really depends on your goals. It seems that as a general rule of thumb that if you would be satisfied with maintaining and perhaps slightly thickening the hair that you have you should first try finasteride alone. If your goal is regrow a significant amount of hair minoxidil will probably be necessary.

Your hair loss does not seem too bad to me, in fact, it's pretty similar to mine. It's really your call whether you want to add minoxidil from the start, but you should understand that once you start using it you cannot stop unless you are prepared to potentially lose a lot of hair. This is because hair that is regrown or maintained on minoxidil becomes dependent on the drug and will fall out if you discontinue using it. Personally, I would be satisfied if I just kept the hair I have and thickened it up a bit, so I intend to continue with finasteride for a few months before jumping on minoxidil. This is mainly because minoxidil is an added expense, it is messy, and it must be applied every day for an indefinite period of time. It is a rather serious commitment, so if the finasteride does not produce the results I want in a few months I will probably add minoxidil.

Finally, you should know that it's often recommended that you use a shampoo containing ketoconazole such as nizoral. This is to control dandruff and inflammation (painful, itchy, inflamed scalp) that often accompanies male pattern baldness, and it is thought that using such a shampoo may increase the efficacy of treatments such as finasteride and minoxidil. So, you should add a keto shampoo like nizoral to whatever treatment or treatments you use, especially since you have already mentioned that you are experiencing dandruff.

Hope this helps.

Your answers helped a lot...I started with finasteride last week and anyway I'll keep u updated.thx

 

[infamous]

finasteride&nizoral is a good choice for starters. It seems your hairloss is not too agressive. Forget about the side effects, i bet you will have none of 'em.

 

[Nickyarf]

Hi.
-If you want to keep what you have: Fina 1mg everyday. and nizoral 2 or 3 per week.

-If you want to regrow your temples: Fina 1mg everyday. and nizoral 2 or 3 per week. minoxidil 5% 2x per day. Tiny nut of retinA on temples everynight 15min before the minoxidil.

 

[Umbyboy]

Hi.
-If you want to keep what you have: Fina 1mg everyday. and nizoral 2 or 3 per week.

-If you want to regrow your temples: Fina 1mg everyday. and nizoral 2 or 3 per week. minoxidil 5% 2x per day. Tiny nut of retinA on temples everynight 15min before the minoxidil.

Thanks for your answer guys. What do you think about SPECTRAL DNC + REVITA HAIR LOSS(Shampoo)? I want to add this two products to the daily dose of finasteride (1mg). What is retinA? I couldn't find this product in the Uk.

 

[Umbyboy]

Anyone knows this products at all?

 

[sergiotahini]

Revita is basically a keto shampoo like nizoral. It should be fine as an anti-inflammatory/dandruff shampoo.

Spectral DNC is just minoxidil plus a few other ingredients that may or may not add to its efficacy. Add the Spectral if you want to go ahead and add minoxidil into your regimen.