Chrisis Intro! 28 year old male with receding hair!

I've been posting on the forum for a short while and figure it's about time I formally introduced myself!

About me:

http://i.imgur.com/gKDmn.jpg

I'm 28 years old and live in Newcastle upon Tyne, UK - think of Newcastle Brown Ale, Sting and Cheryl Cole....

About my hurr

Ever since my teens I've had a slightly raised hairline, however I considered it just "mature" and didn't worry about it much. In the last year, I've noticed my hairline receding more, to the extent that it's now difficult to style :(

I declared war in November after a few friends recommended generic finasteride and minoxidil. First I started with finasteride and in the last few weeks I've added minoxidil and Nizoral shampoo.

It's early days so I'm not able to say whether my regime is working, however if it doesn't, I'm prepared to go for a hair transplant and have booked my first consultation with Dr Feller in London in May.

The above pic is how my hair looks when it's styled! The receded areas are well hidden. Luckily I have a good hair stylist and good products! ;)

Here is what my hair looks like without style and when wet etc.

The images were huge so I created an album:

http://imgur.com/a/O2Ryu

Not nice! :eek: And I've cropped my face out because I'm ashamed to have any association with such a hairline!

How hairloss has affected me

My hairloss has affected me quite badly so far. I suppose I've been lucky insofar as I've reached the age of 28 before this became a problem and I'm only a Norwood 2 or 2a at the moment. The hair remaining on my head is thick so I'm able to use strands from the back and sides to disguise the receded areas, although it can be challenging and stressful. If it's windy, my hair gets wet, or someone touches it, the illusion can fail. Not ideal! But I guess it could be worse.

I joined this community to learn more, get support from others and help in turn when I'm able to.

I'm quite obsessive when I get passionate about a topic, and that seems to be the case with hair loss! I feel this is a good thing however, as I've already learned a lot from browsing this forum and Spex's resources.

Looking forward

I'd like to take this opportunity to thank Spex for this forum and everyone who posts here. Only hair loss sufferers understand the true torment of losing hair, and it's reassuring that there's somewhere to turn for advice and support. I hope I can play my part and return the favour when the time comes. :cool:

I appreciate any advice that comes my way and maybe I can make a few friends along the way.

Thanks for reading! :)

Welcome. Your hair looks good styled.

Your hair looks good for just starting meds. Give meds a year and hope your happy. I freaked out in the beginning and really thought about a hair transplant. Im glad I listened to good advice and waited a year to see my results from propecia. Im very happy with my results on meds at 1 1/2 years. I hope I can keep my hair until the cell based therapies come out in a few years. Surgery should always be our last options. Best of luck and hope the meds work for you.

Thanks guys.

Spm: did you get results in receded areas with the propecia? I've been on it 3 months and not really seeing anything yet :confused: I added the minoxidil and Nizoral shampoo to help it along but that's quite recent.

I've got the same hopes about new therapies! When I was in my teens I assumed/hoped we'd have a cure by the time my hair loss came about and here we are! :mad:

I was thinning all over. My front did thicken though. Not as much in the crown. It is suppose to be the exact opposite.

spm: that's an interesting, unusual result.

Chris: My personal experience after nearly 1.5 years on finasteride and 2+ on ketoconazole shampoo (no minoxidil for me) is that it maintained and improved my hair all over the top of my head, and around the crown. My temples seem to be holding but I have not seen regrowth in that area.
Meds in general tend to work better for the back and top; regrowing hair lost in the temples is much more difficult. But I also had less recession than you (and more diffuse thinning - funny how much the pattern of loss varies from person to person), so you may have more luck than I did in that area, especially if you are using minoxidil.
What I can say is that your hair behind the hairline looks quite strong, and on these meds you should at least be able to maintain and even improve it. This gives great styling options as you know.
If you've been on meds for 16-18+ months and still aren't satisfied, you definitely strike me as a good candidate for a transplant. But only a doctor can tell you for sure.
Good luck!

You’re hair looks really good at this stage, so I think you joined the forum at the right time. Spencer Kobren always says “there is life after hair loss”, and you know what, it’s true.:)

Hi

My pattern of hairloss looks similar to yours. I am 26. I have been on finasteride for an year now and 6 months on minoxidil. Till 10 months, I didn't feel it was working. I was constantly complaining about loosing hair when I run my hands through my hair.(you can check my thread which is almost closed now). I was counting hair in the kitchen sink after I washed my hair. Now, after an year of doubt .. and fear, I can say without doubt that my hairloss has reduced in the ways that I used to notice it. Not as much hair comes off when I run through my hair or after I wash it. So hairfall has not stopped, but it's reduced. So I would say, give it a year as many would suggest.

With this said, there is no cosmetic difference I could see. Hair Thickness hasn't improved or the receeded corners haven't filled in.Damp hair, strong wind, wrong seat on the bus are still problems for me. My next plan of action is to slowly wean off minoxidil as I am not sure if I can keep up with the daily chore. So I plan to wean off minox slowly and be on fin. alone and hope that the my hair hangs in there till a cure comes along the way..

Peace :)

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Originally Posted by chrisis

did you get results in receded areas with the propecia ? I've been on it 3 months and not really seeing anything yet :confused: :

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This might make You to strongly reconsider Your drug of choice.
http://www.examiner.com/courts-in-ba...#ixzz1mLgDjzw3

You can ignore that.

http://www.thebaldtruth.com/hair-los...eride-syndrom/

25 going on 65: thanks for the words of advice and support! Yeah, I think I've caught it relatively early. I still wish I'd been better informed a year ago, but that's the way it goes. I think I will have no problems with providing donor grafts for any transplant - apart from the receded areas my hair is really thick and there's no thinning. When I was a bit younger I'd have my hair "thinned out" because it was always so thick :rolleyes: I'll see what Dr Feller has to say in May and keep the forum updated.

amadeus: thanks for the encouragement :)

howardroarke: I know exactly how you feel about rain, wind, buses... It's such a horrible challenge! It makes me think twice about where I go and what I do. I try to make sure I have a hat or an umbrella just in case! I didn't even have an umbrella until this year!

StressedToTheBald: I'm aware of the potential side effects and chose to take the risk, but thanks. It's important people know about it anyway.

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Originally Posted by chrisis

I appreciate any advice that comes my way and maybe I can make a few friends along the way.

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You are very handsome and your hair looks fine as it is. So even if you chose to do nothing, you would still be handsome.

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Originally Posted by howardroarke

With this said, there is no cosmetic difference I could see. Hair Thickness hasn't improved or the receeded corners haven't filled in.

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It can take quite a while to achieve cosmetically significant regrowth and thickening.

I am not sure there is anything a male can do to fill in the temples since this is a normal and natural male trait.

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Originally Posted by howardroarke

My next plan of action is to slowly wean off minoxidil as I am not sure if I can keep up with the daily chore.

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If you do plan to do that, slowly take yourself down to just one application per day about two hours before your bedtime. If Rogaine foam is available where you live, give that a try.

Thanks Tracy C, but I think I better take preventative action and I can't really put into words the daily frustrations to keep it looking that good. I wouldn't suit my hair short sadly :(

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Originally Posted by chrisis

...I can't really put into words the daily frustrations to keep it looking that good.

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Trust me I know. :(

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Originally Posted by chrisis

Thanks guys.

Spm: did you get results in receded areas with the propecia? I've been on it 3 months and not really seeing anything yet :confused: I added the minoxidil and Nizoral shampoo to help it along but that's quite recent.

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3 months is too early to notice anything positive with Propecia, just ride it out. :) You may get increased shedding for a bit, but that is documented as a sign that the tablets are working for halting hair loss.

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I've got the same hopes about new therapies! When I was in my teens I assumed/hoped we'd have a cure by the time my hair loss came about and here we are! :mad:

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I know how you feel. Didn't think hair loss would ever be an issue for me, but a combination of hair loss starting too early and scientific progress being too slow... Well, you'll get me. Let's keep up the hopefulness though, maybe there won't be a cure soon but it's inevitable than an improved (or ever drastically improved) new generation of treatments are just round the corner.

Thanks Kirby.

By the time my consultation comes around I'll have been on the propecia for about 6 months. I wouldn't consider surgery until I've been taking the meds for at least a year, so I'll be reviewing it at the start of 2013 before scheduling any surgery.

Fingers crossed for promising new treatments!

Chris:

1) Ignore the hysteria posted by the stressed bald guy. He apparently wants everyone to be as miserable and unempowered with their hair loss as he is.

2) I was on propecia for 12 years. I had to quit two years ago due to an unrelated medical issue. Anyway, by the end of the first year, I had completely regrown my childhood hairline, but it did take a few months to see the real results start showing. I think it does work in the hairline for a lot of guys, especially ones like you who don't have advanced loss.

3) You look good as you are now. The fact that you're 28 and just experiencing a receded hairline is probably a good sign that you won't end up with really advanced hair loss, at least not before some better treatment options come along. If you are planning on staying on the "big 3," and you keep up with that regimen, I have a feeling you won't be posting in here or really thinking much about hair loss at all in a few more months time.

Ryan

Ryan555:

1) It's obviously a very controversial topic :)
2) Would you say my hair loss isn't advanced even after viewing the pics of my receded areas in the link? Also, did you apply minoxidil lotion/foam along with the finasteride pills?
3) Thanks :) it would be nice to think hair loss won't be big on my mind soon, but unless the medication fixes my receded hairline I will definitely be looking at a transplant :( It will be a long journey. I'll be beyond 30 before it's resolved :/

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Originally Posted by chrisis

Ryan555:

1) It's obviously a very controversial topic :)
2) Would you say my hair loss isn't advanced even after viewing the pics of my receded areas in the link? Also, did you apply minoxidil lotion/foam along with the finasteride pills?
3) Thanks :) it would be nice to think hair loss won't be big on my mind soon, but unless the medication fixes my receded hairline I will definitely be looking at a transplant :( It will be a long journey. I'll be beyond 30 before it's resolved :/

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1) Your hairline looks to be a bit beyond the "mature" zone but you do not look like a "balding guy." I was at a party with a bunch of guys my age this weekend (mid-30's) and noticed that at least half of them had hairlines that were receded as much or more as mine (and yours). Then there were the few poor saps who are actually really bald and will probably end up being a Norwood 6/7. The receded hairline looks pretty normal at my age and I'm not that much older than you. Of course, it will inevitably get worse if we do nothing about it, so I think you are doing good to take control of it now.

2) Yes, I did use minoxidil too and felt like it really helped my hairline. I just used the liquid because it was easier to get onto my scalp since I had pretty thick hair. I will tell you that it does indeed cause a bad shed when you start it and if you ever stop.

3) I know companies have been blowing smoke up our a**es for many years about how this condition is "almost cured," but I am optimistic that we are on the cusp of some very good things. I have made a pretty large investment in one of the more famous companies currently testing cell-based therapies for hair loss and I keep in close contact with their management team. I can tell you that there is some really good progress being made with these therapies that are not being publicized yet. I am hopeful that given a couple more years we will be in a much better position. And I can tell you that if you continue to use the minoxidil and propecia for the next several months, your hair will look better than it does now and will not continue to recede, probably until these better options come to the market.

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Originally Posted by ryan555

3) You look good as you are now. The fact that you're 28 and just experiencing a receded hairline is probably a good sign that you won't end up with really advanced hair loss, at least not before some better treatment options come along.

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I'm a few years older, but I feel (relatively!) fortunate for similar reasons; I began hairloss just after my 20s ended, unlike many of my peers who sadly started losing hair in their very early 20s. And we are possibly be on the cusp of several new treatment options being commercially available... I say "treatment" rather than "cure" because that is what in effect they are, but front he sounds of it, far better treatments that the existing Big 3 are.

Thanks Ryan555, makes me wonder if I'll even need a hair transplant. Do you think the new therapies will come to market soon enough to be an alternative for me? Year or two? Will they even be good enough?

I'm not sure if you're able to answer these questions, sounds like you may be unable to disclose some of this info. I'm very curious about the company you've invested in though!

Kirby, yeah let's hope something comes to fruition soon that is more effective than what we have available now and without any of the negatives.

I remember when the US government was severely limiting stem cell research, starting during the Bush Jr. administration, and I sometimes wonder if that had any significant impact on the progress of upcoming MPB treatments.
I did notice that when major research got underway for stem cell balding therapies, the major players all seemed to be in Asia or Europe.

I feel fortunate that I started treating MPB at early stages, but not so fortunate to have started losing hair in my early-to-mid 20's. So far so good, but if my regimen starts losing effectiveness before next-generation treatments are available, I will be annoyed.

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Originally Posted by chrisis

Thanks Ryan555, makes me wonder if I'll even need a hair transplant. Do you think the new therapies will come to market soon enough to be an alternative for me? Year or two? Will they even be good enough?

I'm not sure if you're able to answer these questions, sounds like you may be unable to disclose some of this info. I'm very curious about the company you've invested in though!

Kirby, yeah let's hope something comes to fruition soon that is more effective than what we have available now and without any of the negatives.

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I tend to believe that the new cell-based therapies will be treatments and not cures. I think if they perform as well or maybe a bit better than Propecia, and are side effect free, that would be HUGE progress. They will possibly be treatments that need to be repeated every year or two, but who on this board would not gladly replace daily pills and lotions for that? I don't think anyone is working on a solution that will grow thick hair on a bald scalp. However, they are working on hair cloning, which could make a truly scar-free, full-density hair transplant a reality. The only "cure" would be gene therapy, but I think science has a way to go to make that a reality.

As far as timeframe goes, the company I have invested in is optimistic on getting a product in the marketplace in Asia in the next couple of years. I would imagine it would probably be another year or two after that to see it in the US and Europe. Again, I think most of us will gladly take a vacation to Thailand if we can avoid surgery. Anyway, I think if you can maintain what you have for now (which Propecia will almost certainly do), then you can probably avoid ever having a transplant.

Cheers Ryan, that sounds encouraging! I'll probably still go for some HT consultations. If the meds don't fill in the receded areas I may just need one to tide me over until these new therapies come to market :)

Good luck with your investment. I hope for everyone's sakes you make MILLIONS ;)

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Originally Posted by ryan555

I tend to believe that the new cell-based therapies will be treatments and not cures. I think if they perform as well or maybe a bit better than Propecia, and are side effect free, that would be HUGE progress. They will possibly be treatments that need to be repeated every year or two, but who on this board would not gladly replace daily pills and lotions for that?

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That's my opinion also, based on the available data out there. Which is why I'm maintaining via fin for the time being. Better treatments will emerge some day, I'm sure: something called c-a-p-i-t-a-l-i-s-m makes in inevitable.

Ryan, is the company you invested in RepliCel?

i was told by a dermatologist that the hairline will never grow back once it loses the hair. I have been on Propecia since 1999... I just introduced myself on the board if you wanna read it. Thank you

I think the dermatologist is probably wrong. The mistake might be because drug companies are only legally able to promote effectiveness at the crown, because they didn't test it at the hairline. Many men have had success with propecia/minoxidil on the hairline. I've noticed mine thickening up on minoxidil alone.

Moral of the story: even "authority" figures in this industry can be wrong. Trust no one.

Hi Chrisis, OK. I'm gonna ask my current dermatologist, I think my previous dermatologist told me that. Do you use Nizoral 1% twice a week or more? Have you heard of the Kevis Program? I have been researching it, thought of just trying their shampoo, but they have a complete program. But I've also been researching Regenepure and Nisim. Of course I was told no shampoo can help with hair loss.

Yeah I use Nizoral but it dries my scalp so I use it very sparingly and only once or twice a week.

I haven't heard of the other products so can't comment, other than to say if they were very effective we'd know about them and be talking about them here.

ok Chrisis. Im 28 from london and my hair is pretty much the same as yours. mine started at 21 ish and by 23 it was to the extent yours is now. I have been on finestride (cut into 4 once every other day) for a few years now and it has'nt regrown any hair but it has stopped further hairloss. I also have used minoxodil for a couple of years but as most will tell you it's not really for the temples, and I only have tiny little, barely noticable sprouts to show for it. I look older than I should and I can't hide my reeceded hair as good as you. I have inrtoduced myself previously and stated that on april the 30th im undergoing 1800 grafts with Dr G.Charles. My suggestion is at the bery least get a consultation online with him and go from there. For me Dr Charles is of good balance when taking price and reputation into acount. Fell free to message me.

Thanks Dean! I've read Dr Charles name on the forum but what do you think puts him ahead of say, Dr Feller or Dr Rahal? Email me off board if you like: 19chris83@gmail.com

Sounds like we're in the same boat almost exactly!

In all honesty it was down to price, even with the cost of travel involved. He's also a member of the iahrs and recomended on most sites. My flights were £550 but you get 10% discount on the cost of the procedure to go towards your travel expenses. Im not saying he's the best but it seems he's one of them. Noones really wants to go to another country to get h/t but if you've done your homework you'll see uk is to much of a risk anyway. You've seen the usual suspects mentioned in america, it's really just about you feeling comfortable with one and picking them. Either way, stay on the propecia/ finestride!

I see. What's the difference in price if you don't mind saying? Can tell me off board if you prefer.

Basically it's 2x more expensive in the UK and there not even half as experienced! The one's in US vary, Dr Charles was on the more affordable scale. Your best doing what most have recomended, get online consultations/quotes from a few of the reccomended. I have read good things about a DR basanga in Belgium but he's not ihrsa. Get quotes and input and weigh it up for the best. Just keep going till you get to the one with the most pro's over cons.

Thanks Dean. Dr Charles looks like a good option too and affordability is definitely a consideration for me. Would you mind emailing me with the address above? Just got a few other questions I'd rather ask privately if that's ok :)

Criss I want to apologize to you for not understanding your problems. Im sorry you have so many from taking pills.

So take care of your self and good luck.

I guess I have been lucky.

No worries. I was just as skeptical about side effects when I started, but I think we hope for the best and feel those who speak out spoil that optimism somewhat. Reality can be a bitter pill to swallow on its own.