Questions about Regrowth

[redy]

To start, I'm nearly 22 and I'd classify my actually hairline to be a NW1/2, but the thinning goes into the NW3 area. I'd say looking at pictures I really started to recede over the last 4 years. I've always had a high hairline, and I'd say that my "mature" hairline broke/thinned out starting about a year or so ago to the point now where the thinning is very noticeable. I have a massive cowlick on the right side and some slight thinning on the crown from what I can see. Mostly I just assume this because the scalp I can see is reddish and there are plenty of hairs that look like they've been fried by DHT a little bit.

1) So, when I started doing minox/fin/niz a little over 6 weeks ago, I was assuming that because my hairlines were thinning out that I would be able to hopefully halt and thicken it up if I was a responder - this is because the hairline was already full of vellus/fuzzy follicles to begin with, and that means they aren't dead. Am I correct in assuming this is quite possible?

2) Now, for about 2 weeks or so the thin hair at the hairline has been shedding seemingly rapidly (not sure if I'm just thinking this is happening and being hair-orexic). This is a.. good sign.. right? I mean, I'm freaking out about the thinning but I figure that I'd rather have a few months with slightly worse hair then get better than continue to just hate my hair more and more...

3) For the good part, I'm definitely sprouting tons of little off-color hairs (I'd say they are about 50% of my naturally follicle darkness/density maybe) all over the place and increasingly so. I can actually see them in the mirror now, and I don't need to press my face up against it. I guess time will only tell if and when these hairs become full thickeness but I'm hopeful.
My main question for this is that on my left side of the hairline, the most "growth" is occurring- and this is my least receded part of my hairline. This area seems to be thinner than my right side, ironically, but the right side is at least a few centimeters more receded. Anyway, these little sprouts are making their way all the way down to a NW0ish area! On the right side, they are making their way down to about what I'd say is a NW1, but nothing like the growth I have on the left side. Is this normal? If I stabilize the loss, will the right side always just been a little further along since it always has been?


Anyway, thank you!

[Tracy C]

1) ...Am I correct in assuming this is quite possible?

Yes

...I'm freaking out about the thinning but...

The hair that sheds out usually grows back thicker and stronger than it was before treatment. This takes quite a long time.

3) For the good part, I'm definitely sprouting tons of little off-color hairs...

At only six weeks it is much too soon to be able to tell if you are responding well to treatment. You will typically know if you are responding well to Minoxidil at about four to six months. You will typically know if Finasteride is able to arrest your hair loss in about 12 months.

[redy]

Yes





The hair that sheds out usually grows back thicker and stronger than it was before treatment. This takes quite a long time.





At only six weeks it is much too soon to be able to tell if you are responding well to treatment. You will typically know if you are responding well to Minoxidil at about four to six months. You will typically know if Finasteride is able to arrest your hair loss in about 12 months.

Thanks for the response,

By quite a long time, do you mean that if/when these hairs grow back stronger it will be around the time I know that fin and/or minox is working? As in, these will be the hairs that grow back and show that it is working? At this point, the treatment as a whole has basically thinned out my entire hairline and I'm debating just buzzing it down very short so I can stop fixating on it..

And I am well aware that it is much too soon, but these little hairs that are darkening and showing up are kind of encouraging, I guess. If there's a small chance to have side effects can't there also be the small chance to respond like a chia pet

[Tracy C]

By quite a long time, do you mean...

As the hair follicles go through their cycles, the hair gets healthier and stronger with each cycle. These cycles take a long time. Time that is measured in months and years - not days and weeks. Early in treatment the weaker damaged follicles have shorter cycles. As these weaker damaged follicles are recovering, their cycles get longer. This process continues for as long as you continue treatment until the follicles have recovered as far as they are able to recover.

If there's a small chance to have side effects can't there also be the small chance to respond like a chia pet

I like how you think.

[redy]

This process continues for as long as you continue treatment until the follicles have recovered as far as they are able to recover.

And this is why the sooner you start the more you can keep/regrow? Like, because of my previous comment about having the vellus follicles and not "bald" spots? Is there any correlation between how long the follicle has been thinning to how long it takes to get back to significant density?

And is there any way, as time goes on, to judge whether new growth will ever reach it's full.. hair potential.. or is it just wait and see if the dice roll in your favor? By this I mostly mean that people are always complaining about new growth being fuzz and insignificant, and worthless forever. Not sure whats cynicism or real before seeing for myself, I guess.

[Tracy C]

And this is why the sooner you start the more you can keep/regrow?

Exactly.

[gsr852]

As the hair follicles go through their cycles, the hair gets healthier and stronger with each cycle. These cycles take a long time. Time that is measured in months and years - not days and weeks. Early in treatment the weaker damaged follicles have shorter cycles. As these weaker damaged follicles are recovering, their cycles get longer. This process continues for as long as you continue treatment until the follicles have recovered as far as they are able to recover.





I like how you think.

I have been looking foe the answer to this same question for some time....