Very Impressive Dermarolling And Minxodil Results - From Tressless

FCKW36

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Hey Guys, did my first session today with an electronic device. Started with 1.25 mm and upped to 1.5 mm during the session. I can definitely say that it hurts like hell and was very hard for me, especially because I have to do it on my whole head, including the sides.
I hope this sh*t works and I dontd get an infection. :D
 

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mooreu

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Hey Guys, did my first session today with an electronic device. Started with 1.25 mm and upped to 1.5 mm during the session. I can definitely say that it hurts like hell and was very hard for me, especially because I have to do it on my whole head, including the sides.
I hope this sh*t works and I dontd get an infection. :D

Nicely done mate. Buy some betadine and use it to clean your scalp after you roll.
 

ToLGuy

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Hey guys, I've been posting in a blog on stopaga.com for a long time now. The site has been shut down and it contains the only copy of my photos that I have (I've gone through multiple phones and computers). If anyone could point me in the direction of the previous owner I will happily pay the hosting costs to recover my progress pics.
Anyway I've been dermarolling off and on with deep needles (2.5mm) without any other drugs and had some good regrowth.
Over the past 5 months I've added minoxidil in an attempt speed up the process, though I honestly think it's worsened my hairloss for the time being (I will ride it out of course).
Roughly a month ago I switched from a budget dermaroller to a Dr pen ultimate A1 and done 2 heavy sessions with it (2-2.5mm very thoroughly). I would advise getting a wireless one though, pain in the arse being corded and with a short lead. Anyway I feel it is much more effective compared with a roller, still hurts like f*** though (roughly the same to me).
I can feel my scalp is still full of fibrosis in certain areas which correlate exactly with the thinning areas, so I plan on increasing the frequency to once every 9 days. Anyone who has used manual methods (scalp massages, folding, needling etc) and has advanced loss should be able feel these areas easily, they are less malleable, thick layers of tissue. My needles get stuck in them sometimes and slows down my automatic pen. Nothing grows in these regions trust me.
2young2retire, my old friend, is bang on point when he said about increased bleeding being a good sign, I have photo evidence of this (if I can recover the website).
I have been maintaining and regrowing hair with a dermaroller and massage alone for the past few years but I feel adding minoxidil and using a more effective wounding tool will speed up my results.
Just another testament from a wounding veteran.
Amazing! I am very happy that this thread has triggered the comeback of another veteran needler! Guys like you are the ones we are needing so badly to guide us and to provide info for the remaining mysteries of microneedling-induced regrowth.
How long have you been needling? If you are 2young2retire's pal I assume you started in 2013-2014, right?
So you have maintained your hair from what I understand from ur post, nice to know that!
Perhaps the decline you went thru when u added minoxidil was due to the common initial shed it usually triggers. Happened to me, but trust me, that hair will come back.

Would you also tell us when did u start seeing results? There is a user here who claims (based on nothing actually) that those who do not respond at the 3 month mark will not respond at all. As a long term needler, what's your opinion on this?

Also, in the long term, is regrowth still happening? Or is it plateaued early in the needling journey?

Thanks
 

Chromeo

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I read that fasting can screw with blood sugar and cause cortisol levels to spike. That means inflammation, whether it affects the scalp, I'm not sure but cortisol affects hormones. Keeping blood sugar level and consistent is important.

You've read incorrectly. Fasting reduces inflammation. It is considered one of the major benefits. Not that it will completely regrow your hair or anything like that.
 

Hairyshowers

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Thanks man. Appreciate hearing that!

Just how bad was your hair before you started and how does it look today? How long have you needled? Maybe you could just explain a bit. Also when you bleed, do you just get blood spots?
My hair was pretty bad, verging on NW4, I can't really say what Norwood I am now but minoxidil fucked me over for sure for the past few months. I have clear regrowth photos though if I can access them and I'm sure some of the stopaga members can attest to it.
I've been off and on wounding for a long time, basically got lazy after a while and accepted my hair as it was after maintaining for soo long without nasty chemicals f*****g with my endocrine system (AA's). After a while I decided to start a new regime in an attempt to fully restore my hair, at which point I added min (bad move, hopefully it pays off).
When I started dermarolling I had one or two bloodspots, eventually as the blood supply to my scalp improved I would bleed much more (I have a series of photos showing week 1 bleeding compared to week 10 or something).

To the guy claiming wounding doesn't work without min, stop talking out your rectum and add something useful to the thread. Myself and 2young2retire had great gains without drugs.
Also to the guys using aloe vera or nizoral after wounding, I'm not sure it's a good idea, you maybe interrupting the wound healing response with antiinflammatories.
 

Hairyshowers

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I remember you accidentaly damaged some area using acid peals. Did the hair regrow there?
They grew back stronger yes, I used 70% glycolic acid as a chemical peel, not stuff to be taken lightly. I did this recently on one temple as an experiment (also took photos of it on stopaga) which has been embarrassing as it's still wounded and a little pink 2 weeks later. It wounded heavily and scabbed up in chunks, I lost some hair in the scabs but it will be easy to monitor my temple in the future. I had to tell people at work I hit my head, I have faith in chemical peels but they are not practical as it can take a long time for the skin to peel and recover completely
 

Hairyshowers

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For the pain, you should try a 4% lidocaine numbing cream (or 5% if you can get it without prescription). It's about 5/15 euros/dollars depending on your location. You put the cream on your scalp 20 minutes before the treatment. I'm not saying that it won't be painful, but it won't be unbearable. I'm using a 5% cream and there are still some pain, but it's bearable. At this level of lidocaine, you should not get any side effect. There are more concentrated creams (10 or 15%), but according to my brother/doctor, it should not be used alone as you can have an anaphylactic shock.

A muscle relaxant could also help.
I tried lidocaine once before, didn't seem to help much with the pain. Ketamine however hehe.
I sometimes relax my scalp muscles (not galae) with magnesium oil and massage my scalp prior to rolling.
 

Hairyshowers

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I assume you started in 2013-2014, right?
So you have maintained your hair from what I understand from ur post, nice to know that!
Perhaps the decline you went thru when u added minoxidil was due to the common initial shed it usually triggers. Happened to me, but trust me, that hair will come back.
My decline was definitely to do with minoxidil, wish I had never started right now but hope it will pay off in the future.

Would you also tell us when did u start seeing results? There is a user here who claims (based on nothing actually) that those who do not respond at the 3 month mark will not respond at all. As a long term needler, what's your opinion on this?
People just spewing words with no scientific backing. I took longer than 3 months for regrowth as will almost everyone.
Also, in the long term, is regrowth still happening? Or is it plateaued early in the needling journey?
Hard to say given that I have changed protocols often. I would assume long term as the scalp tissue is remodeled. I have gone months without any treatment and not lost ground, and I had very aggressive balding, all the men in my family were NW6/7 by the age of around 26 (which was the same age I started losing heavily). I'm now 32, never used min or finasteride and still got most my hair. Actually I tried finasteride for about a month, that shits poison. Grew a hard lump under my nipple within a week and aching balls / watery semen.
 

albert

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@Hairyshowers I remember you from SAGA, good posts. About Minoxidil if it affected you negatively so fast and it wasn’t initial shedding then you might have trouble with PG or minoxidil itself - just saying, if you have results you like with wounding alone it’s definitely great. My experience with minoxidil is mostly mild - it helped but my male pattern baldness is aggressive so couldn’t stop, but wishing that wounding and minoxidil makes a good mix like in other cases. So far very positive, let’s see how it continues...
 

Hairyshowers

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Just rolling alone has shown the ability to maintain and regrow existing hair, and it seems like in the couple examples we have the results can last. Thats a win for some people in itself. Now obviously alot of us, myself included want more than maintenance.
Ok I think alot of people are confused on this point. Most people (unless slick bald for a long time) still have hair follicles, just miniaturised vellus hair which has become soo fine it's transparent without camera zoom or a microscope. Hair regrowth is usually just converting vellus to terminal, AKA thickening of existing hair. If I was able to convert all my vellus to terminal I would be NW1 (another thing that annoys me is that there is no such thing as NW0!)
 

Hairyshowers

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@Hairyshowers I remember you from SAGA, good posts. About Minoxidil if it affected you negatively so fast and it wasn’t initial shedding then you might have trouble with PG or minoxidil itself - just saying, if you have results you like with wounding alone it’s definitely great. My experience with minoxidil is mostly mild - it helped but my male pattern baldness is aggressive so couldn’t stop, but wishing that wounding and minoxidil makes a good mix like in other cases. So far very positive, let’s see how it continues...
I remember you too man, good to see you here. Not sure I like public forums though, threads get clogged up with people bitching to eachother, also alot of nubs voicing their opinions without researching anything or having no experience in the subject.
On the minoxidil note, I purposefully avoid PG due to its skin disruption qualities and opted for the foam version. I try to use it twice a day, sometimes life gets in the way and I skip an application or a day or two.
 

Headdy

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Hi @Hairyshowers,
Can you please tell us:

1. How long did you use the roller before switching to the pen?

2. How often did you roll?

3. How long since you started rolling until you noticed regrowth and at which point was it mainly maintenance?

4. If I understand correctly, your success was using a roller and not a pen, right?

Thanks :)
 

Hairyshowers

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Hi @Hairyshowers,
Can you please tell us:

1. How long did you use the roller before switching to the pen?

2. How often did you roll?

3. How long since you started rolling until you noticed regrowth and at which point was it mainly maintenance?

4. If I understand correctly, your success was using a roller and not a pen, right?

Thanks :)
I can't answer these very well I'm afraid.

1) I have used a roller on and off (as I stated earlier) for maybe 2-3 years.

2) I am not a creature (or slave, depending on perspective) of routine, I would generally aim to roll every 2 weeks. Would sometimes turn to once a month. Though I think to really break through this layer of fibrosis / calcification I need to aim for more frequent wounding.

3) Can't give you time lines, I documented it all in my grow log though. I wouldn't expect regrowth for anyone on any protocol before 6 months.

4) Correct. Cheap chinese dermarollers. I would disinfect with iodine and reuse the same one multiple times.
 

Headdy

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I can't answer these very well I'm afraid.

1) I have used a roller on and off (as I stated earlier) for maybe 2-3 years.

2) I am not a creature (or slave, depending on perspective) of routine, I would generally aim to roll every 2 weeks. Would sometimes turn to once a month. Though I think to really break through this layer of fibrosis / calcification I need to aim for more frequent wounding.

3) Can't give you time lines, I documented it all in my grow log though. I wouldn't expect regrowth for anyone on any protocol before 6 months.

4) Correct. Cheap chinese dermarollers. I would disinfect with iodine and reuse the same one multiple times.
Thanks :)
I'm fine continuing with my roller for now then.
Was it a 1.5mm roller?
 

Hairyshowers

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Thanks :)
I'm fine continuing with my roller for now then.
Was it a 1.5mm roller?
Yes you are fine with a manual roller or stamp. Cheap and gets the job done. I've experimented with everything from a 0.5mm roller all the way up to 3mm. I settled on 2mm, though I did notice anything above 1.5mm becoming rapidly more painful. I think your scalp environment has alot of impact on pain, some people stating 2mm with a pen barely hurts whilst others (like myself) it is painful AF. I don't think that's just a pain threshold but also breaking through something physical (like fibrosis aka scar tissue from inflammation)
 
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