21 yo - Been on treatment for about 8 months.

[Johnington]

Hi guys, I've been reading these forums for a few months but I've only just got round to sharing my story.

I started losing my hair when I was about 17-18, a few of friends pointed it out, which was rather embarrassing as I hadn't noticed myself. I've always had quite a high hairline since I was a kid and fairly thin but I'd never worried about hair loss mainly because my father never experienced it. In fact, he had a teenager's hairline when he died in his 30s and I have an older brother by a few years who doesn't even have a mature hairline. Anyway moving more to the point it was because of this that it was about a year or so after I started to lose my hair when I was 19 that I actually accepted that it was happening. I had always just convinced myself that my hair had always been like that because I must have lost both my temples in a matter of months and they stayed like that for about a year.

The next two years I guess you could say I treated my hair badly, I would wear all sorts of products in it in an attempt to conceal my hairline and it made it worse even though at that point it was still only my temples that had gone. Soon after my frontal hair and the top of my hair really started to thin out to the point that when it was wet in a bright light it might as well have not been there. I probably got to about between Norwood 3 and 4, the only part that was gone was the temples and the frontal hair had moved back a bit but I still had a hairline.

That's when I started to look at treatments, I wasn't expecting there to be so much available, I assumed that since there are so many bald people that there couldn't be anything effective available as stupid as that sounds. Anyway, I've been on fin 1mg and min 5% for about 8 months and alpecin double strength for about 1-2 months. I was only interested in treatments that were clinically proven and I was willing to take the risk with fin with the intention to stop if I had any side effects. Luckily I haven't had any sides with any of the treatments so far.

I was confident they would at least make some difference because all the research I did led me to believe that with me being quite young they would be more effective. I haven't quite had the miracle cure I was hoping for but the results are positive. After about 3 months I noticed small new hairs growing in my temples of all places and the progress has been continuous. I've grown many new hairs over the 8 months on my frontal hair and slowing my hairline is coming back in my temples but nothing massive. The hairs are very small in the temples region but they're there and seem to be getting higher in density.

I'm happy with the progress but the only problem I have is that my hair hasn't gotten any thicker at all in the areas it was thinning. My frontal region is all near full density now like the rest of my head but it's so thin you can still see my scalp.

What I wanted to ask is there anyone here who has had a similar story with some advice or anyone who has any suggestions about how I could change my treatment to help increase the thickness of my hair because it would make all the difference and give me a head of hair to feel confident in. I've got a few months of fin and min left so I'll use that up first and see where I am but I don't want to be wasting time when there is something more I can be doing when it runs out rather than restocking up and hoping it eventually starts to thicken up.

Thanks.

[Johnington]

Sorry to post a bump but if anyone has got any advice it would be greatly appreciated. I can post pics if that will help.

[goldbondmafia]

post before treatment pics and present pics to see if its improved. Im 22yrs old, been taking 1mg fin for 6 weeks now.

[Johnington]

Unfortunately I didn't take photos before the treatment, although I wish I did now. However, I've taken some now and uploaded them with this post. Since I'm coming up to the point where you would expect Fin to start having an impact around the 10-12 months mark, I'll post some more pics in a few months for everyone to see if there have been any changes. I have to say though I'm definitely seeing new hair and I hardly lose any hairs in the shower etc. so at the very least I'm seeing stability although I put that mainly down to the Minox.

As you can see from the pics, I've got a fair bit of temples receding and a bit at the front as well so it's hard to see how far the temples go back. The main thing that bothers me is the diffuse thinning in the frontal and top area which is what I was hoping someone might have some advice on treatment wise. The rest of the hair you can't see in the pictures is fine. In terms of regrowth you can see some new tiny hairs growing all around my hairline although they're easier to see in real life and I've had a fair new new hairs grow in with the rest of my hair but still very thin so progress is progress. I'm happy with the results so far.

Another thing I wanted to ask is what people's experience is with Nizoral, I've only read about it recently and I've been using Alpecin for a couple of months but I noticed my scalp is slightly swollen in the areas I have diffuse thinning and I wondering if anyone thinks Nizoral might do something for that because obviously that seems to be a factor.

Thanks for any replies in advance.

[Johnington]

Here are some more pictures. I've tried my best to show the new hairs that have come through since I've been on the treatment. There are some that have grown to the same thickness as the thinning bits of my hair but there are also lots of little tiny ones coming through that you can see if you zoom in so as I said it's all very encouraging.

[goldbondmafia]

Unfortunately I didn't take photos before the treatment, although I wish I did now. However, I've taken some now and uploaded them with this post. Since I'm coming up to the point where you would expect Fin to start having an impact around the 10-12 months mark, I'll post some more pics in a few months for everyone to see if there have been any changes. I have to say though I'm definitely seeing new hair and I hardly lose any hairs in the shower etc. so at the very least I'm seeing stability although I put that mainly down to the Minox.

As you can see from the pics, I've got a fair bit of temples receding and a bit at the front as well so it's hard to see how far the temples go back. The main thing that bothers me is the diffuse thinning in the frontal and top area which is what I was hoping someone might have some advice on treatment wise. The rest of the hair you can't see in the pictures is fine. In terms of regrowth you can see some new tiny hairs growing all around my hairline although they're easier to see in real life and I've had a fair new new hairs grow in with the rest of my hair but still very thin so progress is progress. I'm happy with the results so far.

Another thing I wanted to ask is what people's experience is with Nizoral, I've only read about it recently and I've been using Alpecin for a couple of months but I noticed my scalp is slightly swollen in the areas I have diffuse thinning and I wondering if anyone thinks Nizoral might do something for that because obviously that seems to be a factor.

Thanks for any replies in advance.

The new hairs popping up would be from minox since fin basically is supposed to keep what you have while minox regrows dying follicles and brings them to a more normal state. When did you notice that no more hairs were falling out in the shower, what month of fin usage? Whenever this occurred is probably when the finasteride really started to kick in and work. Fin and minox are both supposed to work best for diffuse thinners and especially at the crown (though theoretically they should and often do work wherever there is hair) so you are in luck just keep doing what your doing.

From what ive read about alpecin is that it is overpriced and doesn't work. Research it more yourself if your comfortable getting off it. I would be using nizoral if I were you, its part of the big 3 along with fin and minox for a reason. Also, if your in Canada you can buy nizoral 2% at shoppers, I think in the US and UK you may need a prescription for 2%.

That last picture you showed is great, shows that new hairs at the hairline may be regrowing which is awesome

[Johnington]

The new hairs popping up would be from minox since fin basically is supposed to keep what you have while minox regrows dying follicles and brings them to a more normal state. When did you notice that no more hairs were falling out in the shower, what month of fin usage? Whenever this occurred is probably when the finasteride really started to kick in and work. Fin and minox are both supposed to work best for diffuse thinners and especially at the crown (though theoretically they should and often do work wherever there is hair) so you are in luck just keep doing what your doing.

From what ive read about alpecin is that it is overpriced and doesn't work. Research it more yourself if your comfortable getting off it. I would be using nizoral if I were you, its part of the big 3 along with fin and minox for a reason. Also, if your in Canada you can buy nizoral 2% at shoppers, I think in the US and UK you may need a prescription for 2%.

That last picture you showed is great, shows that new hairs at the hairline may be regrowing which is awesome

It's difficult to say when hairs started to stop falling out. After about 3 months I had a bit of a shed on the top area but this coincided with the end of winter which is when I've always most of my hair loss, every year since I started losing it, it would be around that time I would really notice a lot of hair loss in a few weeks. However, this wasn't a big a shed as usual and it wasn't very noticeable. I'd probably say from that point on I haven't noticed many hairs falling out and practically none do now. I guess this winter coming up will be the big test, it might be that a lot of my hair enters the telogen phase during that time.

I don't know what to say about Alpecin at the moment. I've only been using it for about a month or two but I get it cheap when I buy minox so it's about the same price as normal shampoo for me. I can't help but feel it's made a bit of a difference though, it makes my hair feel good after use and my scalp especially and it's just an all round nice shampoo, it smells great as well. My theory is that helps take a layer of dead skin from the scalp that gives some people dandruff and so the minox can get to the root of the hair easier.

I've heard lots of good stuff about Nizoral though so I'll definitely order some soon and use that twice a week with Alpecin the other days. I wash my hair about 5 times a week as it is so I'll just be doing it the extra days of the weeks anyway. There can't be any harm in using both.

Thanks for the advice and encouragement. I wish you the best of look with your fin treatment.