I have been browsing hair loss forums for a while and I don't think I've read any stories that match mine. So I'll share my experience and then perhaps I could get some helpful feedback? Much appreciated!
I am currently 32. I first noticed my hair thinning when I was about 20. Heavy shedding and a very itchy scalp. I never had super thick hair, pretty normal, and I'd say I probably lost about 30-40% of it in about 6 months. It was diffuse thinning all over most of the top of my head. Around the same time, I noticed a small rash on my chest that itched and went to see the doctor about it. He said I had very mild soriasis and recommended I use Selsen Blue shampoo and let the foam soak on my chest a couple times a week. Sure enough, that cleared up my little soriasis rash and helped the itchiness in my scalp somewhat, but I was still concerned about my hair loss and was pretty sure I was still thinning. So about 6 months after I first noticed the thinning I got on 2% Minoxidil. I used it until I was 23, never noticed any difference or regrowth. I also started using 1% Nizoral when I was about 22, which I used until about 3 years ago when it became hard to find (I have also continued using Selsen Blue shampoo the whole time). About the same time I stopped using Minoxidil (23), I switched to Propecia. Took standard dosage for about 9 years, until 7 months ago. During the whole time I was using Minoxidil and Propecia (again, separately) as well as Nizoral, I never noticed much difference with my hair - I lost very little or any hair, but also never noticed any thickening.
I stopped using Propecia 7 months ago due partly to a financial crisis, and partly because I was experiencing some libido issues. Here's the strange thing: I've noticed NO increased shedding or thinning in the 7 months I have been off Propecia. From what I understand, if Propecia is helping you keep your hair, within 2-4 months of coming off it you usually lose everything it had been maintaining. And as mentioned before, I've been off Minoxidil for 9 years, and off Nizoral for 3. So the last 7 months, no treatments, and no noticable difference. This makes me wonder if my hair loss is not related to typical male pattern baldness.
In addition, I don't have a receding hair line - just diffused thinning all over the top of my scalp as mentioned previously. As far as family history, on my dad's side there is no premature balding (just 50-60+), and on my mom's side I have two partially bald uncles that lost most their hair in their late 20s and 30s but my grandfather has a full head of hair at 78. So it's mixed.
I'm probably a 2 on the scale if my thinning correlated to the Norwood pattern, and I'm glad I've been able to maintain most of my hair since the initial heavy shedding period when I was 20. I'm just puzzled as to what type of hair loss I've experienced, why it hasn't gotten any worse or better with treatments, and now continues the same without treatments. It would be hard to believe that Selsen Blue, the one constant since I was 20, has been the reason I've kept my hair - though I have found that using a couple different dandruff shampoos along with a gentle regular shampoo seems to keep my scalp in good shape and not itchy much. It also would seem strange that I'd see an aggressive onset of male pattern baldness at 20 and then thin very little for 11 years after that (this would make more sense if I got on Propecia at 20 and was still on it).
It would be nice to know if anyone else here has heard of something like this, and maybe has an idea as to what caused my hair loss in the first place, and what has kept it from changing much after the initial shedding phase that freaked me out. Thanks again!
I am currently 32. I first noticed my hair thinning when I was about 20. Heavy shedding and a very itchy scalp. I never had super thick hair, pretty normal, and I'd say I probably lost about 30-40% of it in about 6 months. It was diffuse thinning all over most of the top of my head. Around the same time, I noticed a small rash on my chest that itched and went to see the doctor about it. He said I had very mild soriasis and recommended I use Selsen Blue shampoo and let the foam soak on my chest a couple times a week. Sure enough, that cleared up my little soriasis rash and helped the itchiness in my scalp somewhat, but I was still concerned about my hair loss and was pretty sure I was still thinning. So about 6 months after I first noticed the thinning I got on 2% Minoxidil. I used it until I was 23, never noticed any difference or regrowth. I also started using 1% Nizoral when I was about 22, which I used until about 3 years ago when it became hard to find (I have also continued using Selsen Blue shampoo the whole time). About the same time I stopped using Minoxidil (23), I switched to Propecia. Took standard dosage for about 9 years, until 7 months ago. During the whole time I was using Minoxidil and Propecia (again, separately) as well as Nizoral, I never noticed much difference with my hair - I lost very little or any hair, but also never noticed any thickening.
I stopped using Propecia 7 months ago due partly to a financial crisis, and partly because I was experiencing some libido issues. Here's the strange thing: I've noticed NO increased shedding or thinning in the 7 months I have been off Propecia. From what I understand, if Propecia is helping you keep your hair, within 2-4 months of coming off it you usually lose everything it had been maintaining. And as mentioned before, I've been off Minoxidil for 9 years, and off Nizoral for 3. So the last 7 months, no treatments, and no noticable difference. This makes me wonder if my hair loss is not related to typical male pattern baldness.
In addition, I don't have a receding hair line - just diffused thinning all over the top of my scalp as mentioned previously. As far as family history, on my dad's side there is no premature balding (just 50-60+), and on my mom's side I have two partially bald uncles that lost most their hair in their late 20s and 30s but my grandfather has a full head of hair at 78. So it's mixed.
I'm probably a 2 on the scale if my thinning correlated to the Norwood pattern, and I'm glad I've been able to maintain most of my hair since the initial heavy shedding period when I was 20. I'm just puzzled as to what type of hair loss I've experienced, why it hasn't gotten any worse or better with treatments, and now continues the same without treatments. It would be hard to believe that Selsen Blue, the one constant since I was 20, has been the reason I've kept my hair - though I have found that using a couple different dandruff shampoos along with a gentle regular shampoo seems to keep my scalp in good shape and not itchy much. It also would seem strange that I'd see an aggressive onset of male pattern baldness at 20 and then thin very little for 11 years after that (this would make more sense if I got on Propecia at 20 and was still on it).
It would be nice to know if anyone else here has heard of something like this, and maybe has an idea as to what caused my hair loss in the first place, and what has kept it from changing much after the initial shedding phase that freaked me out. Thanks again!
