too much hair for boots

[noodles14]

hi there, im 31 and past couple of years have started receding at my temples and thinning on my crown. as the title suggests i went to boots for their programme this week but that told me i had too much hair to enrol and come back when more had gone kinda defeats the object to me!

anyhow ive been looking at all the available products out there and finding it really hard to know what to go for as it looks like youve got to commit to something for 6 months so i want to make sure i make the right decision. have been erring towards the regaine foam but wanted to see if anyone had any recommendations as best way to go. my other problem is ive always had a flaky scalp having tried millions of different shampoos and do not really want to exacerbate that. any advice would be appreciated.

[Spex]

Hi there and welcome!

The big 3 to beat DHT, THE CAUSE OF HAIRLOSS!

- Propecia ( Finasteride ), Minoxidil and Nizoral

Here is the thing you need to make sure you understand when it comes to MPB:

The main known factor that causes hairloss is DHT. To form DHT your body’s 5a-reductase enzyme converts free roaming testosterone DHT inside the hair cell follicle. The DHT then binds to the hair cell receptor and causes it to atrophy or shrink. Eventually your hair follicle stops producing hair and you lose that follicle.

There are two types of the 5ar enzyme; Type I and Type II. Type II 5ar seems to be the main culprit in MPB as the type II enzyme is present in the hair follicles. Finasteride is a specific inhibitor of Type II 5ar inhibitor that reduces DHT produced by the type II 5ar by 85%-90% and reduces the overall DHT blood serum levels by 65%.

As you can see Finasteride (PROPECIA ) is extremely useful as a treatment for MPB as it directly attacks the problem. Nizoral shampoo is thought to help “dull” the androgen receptors in the scalp which the DHT binds to. Together they provide a synergetic effect.

You can purchase reliable meds from here if in the UK: http://ukfinasteride.info

Minoxidil is a hair stimulant. It is the only FDA proven hair stimulant on the market. However stimulating hair and protecting hair from further damage are two separate actions

Minoxidil will artificially augment your hair while you use the compound but it does NOT have any know effect on 5ar or the androgen receptors in the scalp. A very reliable source is http://minoxidil-direct.co.uk

The best way to attack MPB is to:

1. Stop further damage to your hair via DHT. You can accomplish this best by using Finasteride to inhibit the 5ar enzyme and Nizoral to “dull” the androgen receptors.

2. **If** further thickening/regrowth is needed after the hair damaging DHT androgen is reduced then minoxidil can be used to further augment your existing hairs and perhaps even stimulant some dormant hair follicles to resume growing.

Use all these 3 products together -

1. Minoxidil 2 x a day – once in the am and once in the pm
2. Finesteride (propecia/proscar) 1mg per day
3. Nizoral 2 x a weeks (no more) – will dry your scalp out!



Propecia



Propecia: is 1mg Finasteride typically £40-£45 for a months supply. VERY expensive!!!
Proscar: is 5mg Finasteride. (Cutting Proscar into 5ths gives you Propecia )
Finpicia :1 mg generic Finasteride is very reliable and affordable - it’s exactly the same drug as Propecia and its what I now take for ease and maximum efficiency.
I purchase here: http://ukfinasteride.info/

Further info on Propecia :

http://www.propecia.com/finasteride/propecia/consumer/index.jsp

Further info on drug via charts:
Drug Chart Information

FYI -

Dutasteride and finasteride (PROPECIA) are both 5-alpha-reductase (5AR) inhibitors. Both treatments work by inhibiting 5AR, the enzyme responsible for converting testosterone to dihydrotestosterone (DHT). DHT is the primary androgen in the prostate. It is a primary factor in the development and progression of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) and other prostate diseases and is also a major cause of hair loss.

.5mg – 2.5mg of Dutasteride provides better results in hair maintenance/regrowth as opposed to Finasteride

However, the benefit likely comes from its higher inhibition of type II 5ar not its suppression of type I 5ar. Merck tested a specific type I 5ar inhibitor called “MK386″ in a human trial and found it had no effect on balding.

Jumping on the Dutasteride bandwagon before the Finasteride bandwagon is not a good idea. For most men Finasteride is enough to halt and even reverse MPB… In the off-chance your body becomes tolerant of Finasteride (over the years) you always have Dutasteride to fall back on…

Side-effects on Dutasteride may be more common, any such sides would last longer as the half-life of Dutasteride is much longer then Finasteride, and unlike type II 5ar type I 5ar *is* present in brain tissue. Finally, keep in mind that DHT is not an evil androgen that just causes hairloss. Various bodily functions benefit from DHT. Finasteride inhibits 65% overall DHT levels leaving 35% for your body to use (most of that 35% is from the type I 5ar that isnt a big factor in hairloss). Dutasteride inhibits 90% or more overall DHT levels leaving 10% or less for your body…

Basically, use Finasteride **first** and only resort to Dutasteride if you must – This is just my opinion




Nizoral Shampoo 2%



Info on Nizoral shampoo:

Nizoral is an anti-fungal shampoo that kills the fungi that cause seborrhea and dandruff.

Groups of individuals have discovered that Nizoral (when used regularly) is a very useful alopecia treatment, once again it would appear that the role of a substance for the treatment of hair-loss is stumbled upon accidentally!

Nizoral contains a chemical called ketoconazole, it is known that when ketoconazole is ingested orally that it inhibits the binding of androgens to receptors in the body and this would include the binding of DHT to hair-follicle receptors.

Furthermore positive results with Nizoral shampoo are often noted within a few weeks, whereas a pure anti-DHT affect may take a few months. It is therefore likely that Nizoral exhibits another method to its anti-hair-loss effect.

One such theory of Nizoral’s anti-alopecia effects may be on its activity upon sebum.

Sebum is a fatty substance that accumulates in the scalp around the hair follicles. It’s possible that the removal of sebum may help “unclog” the hair follicle and expose it to more nutrition from an improved blood supply, rather like unclogging a drain!

It is known that Nizoral can remove and reduce sebum deposits.

Good sources can be found on Amazon

Best
Spex

[UK_]

I think Boots are tightening up... I dont think the whole "Finasteride can cause permanent sexual dysfunction" will go down too well if it blows up in the media.

Do some research on Propecia, realising one day you've ****ed your sex drive for the next 5 - 10 years isnt a nice experience.

[Mirage]

A wealth of information Spex! Eloquent and informative!

[noodles14]

thanks for that info guys. so quick question. which is the one of those that messes up your sex drive?

[brogain]

Why not just sign up online? I signed up to their hair retention program last year and have been receiving Propecia from them. However, I tried to repeat my order last week after using this service for just over a year and it said I had used all of my allowance?? I emailed the customer service department for prescription meds and they never got back to me.

I ended up signing up again on Monday with my same details but under a different account name and I was able to purchase more Propecia (although at £1.60 a tablet!!) for a months supply. They would not let me buy in the normal 6 month supply that I normally would costing a little over £1 per day.

hi there, im 31 and past couple of years have started receding at my temples and thinning on my crown. as the title suggests i went to boots for their programme this week but that told me i had too much hair to enrol and come back when more had gone kinda defeats the object to me!

anyhow ive been looking at all the available products out there and finding it really hard to know what to go for as it looks like youve got to commit to something for 6 months so i want to make sure i make the right decision. have been erring towards the regaine foam but wanted to see if anyone had any recommendations as best way to go. my other problem is ive always had a flaky scalp having tried millions of different shampoos and do not really want to exacerbate that. any advice would be appreciated.

[Spex]

The BoOts programme is ridicioulsly expensive. You can get exactly the same treatments for a snip of the price.

[paddyman2]

boots

i been on the hair retention program now for 4 months,and now im starting to feel a bit more positive to my hair loss,i pay £30 a month and get 3 months in advance,i think the talking to someone helps alot as well,plus i buy from a big name like boots and not off the net
wondering what other people think about boots , and the way they conduct this program
im gunna do propecia for 12 months and consider a fue transplant to my frontal temples ,so any advise to good frontal fue surgeons thanks in advance (im a newbie as well my first post)

[Jcm800]

i been on the hair retention program now for 4 months,and now im starting to feel a bit more positive to my hair loss,i pay £30 a month and get 3 months in advance,i think the talking to someone helps alot as well,plus i buy from a big name like boots and not off the net
wondering what other people think about boots , and the way they conduct this program
im gunna do propecia for 12 months and consider a fue transplant to my frontal temples ,so any advise to good frontal fue surgeons thanks in advance (im a newbie as well my first post)

Are you still on the Boots programme? Hows it going if so?

[mattj]

Are Boots giving you Merck brand Propecia or a generic for that price?

Actually going along and talking to someone can be beneficial, but if money is more of a concern then the source linked to by Spex is much more cost effective.

[chrisis]

Do some research on Propecia, realising one day you've ****ed your sex drive for the next 5 - 10 years isnt a nice experience.

Hi UK, wondering why do you say 5-10 years?

[Jcm800]

They do prescibe Merck fin as far as I'm aware,but I believe its £90 quarterly now. I just bumped this to see how the op is doing with it out of curiosity.

[Kirby_]

They do prescibe Merck fin as far as I'm aware,but I believe its £90 quarterly now. I just bumped this to see how the op is doing with it out of curiosity.

I was on that scheme, stupidly. The stupidest thing I've ever done (and they made a fuss about giving me the medicine, said at first come back when you've lost more hair). Honestly, I can't believe how stupid I was. Never mind the fact that the service ignores important issues like getting essential regular blood tests when taking finasteride.

Happier since I got a year's worth of generic finasteride for £6 in Superdrug using a doctor's prescription.

[bobbyt]

Just my 2 cents: I have been on the boots hair retention program for approx 6.5 months and I get it through the post (I don't like the idea of speaking to someone in store personally). Like the above, I pay £90 quarterly for it and it is the official branded Merk Propecia.

Their service has been good - always comes the next day after ordering and I am racking up some advantage points with the program.

So far I consider myself to be a good responder to fin - my hair loss has all but halted and my hair has actually thickened up at the front, where I wanted it to.

I think I caught it (my hair loss) at a good age (24) as I am happy enough with my hair/hairline now - so I am just hoping to maintain, rather than re-grow.

I should add I have been using Nizoral twice a week for about a year also, which I do believe helps.

I am not on Minoxidil (yet) as things are going well so far doing what I am doing - and I think it seems a big commitment considering the process/application (harder work than just popping a pill every day!).

If you are confident ordering generics from that UK website in this thread go for it - but I took the decision to pay a bit more and order from boots for that 100% peace of mind you are getting the legit/branded stuff.

P.S no side effects either

[paddyman2]

Are you still on the Boots programme? Hows it going if so?

to be honest ,i could,not be more happy with the results ,i had a spot appearing at the back of my head now its gone completely, my hairs a lot thicker than before,it has,not done anything for the frontal receding areas, although with the hair being thicker it looks less obvious.
i don't think a £1 a day is that bad when you consider you don't know what your getting of the net,even experts would struggle to tell the genuine thing sometimes,at least in boots i have a bit of confidence,
im still gunna consider a transplant to the frontal hairline,so again any advise would be welcome,also think hairloss is a problem and i like to talk to people and accept i have a problem,its how i deal with it ,works for me any how ,