Desperate Aggressive Diffuse Thinner, advice welcome

[bluecyclone]

Hello all, I’m in a pretty desperate place in that while still technically a solid NW, I have rapidly diffused over just a short period of time.

More painful is that despite two separate attempts I was unable to oral Propecia. The sides and labs forced me to try topical, which I tolerate but have only lost ground for 7 months.

I have been to 14 doctors, tried almost everything in 6 month increments and believe I have done far more harm than good.

I started oral minoxidil per Dr. Konior in June 2017, major TE and a sustained shedding that torments my every second.

All said I know I have been very lucky to start this balding at 40, I know and empathize with anyone going through this even at a young age.

I’m looking for practical ideas for Propecia non-responders. I live a very clean lifestyle, slim, muscular. I have a thyroid issue which preceded hair loss by just 5 months and still take thyroid medicine daily.

Below are a few images on my hair as it stands, still coverage but diffusing and miniaturizing fast. I shed over 300 hairs a day. Fill a sink or cover a shower wall.

[Tele]

When exactly did this start?

[bluecyclone]

Began October 2016. For the first 1.5 years it was just some crown thinning. When I started Minoxidil the vertex and hairline thinned our a bit. With the start of topical Finasteride I’ve lost more density and more ground in the hairline. Even the fore lock is thinning which is the most troubling.

[Tele]

It is not uncommon for men with DUPA or DPA to shed VERY fast like this. I assume your doctors have confirmed this is MPB. I would otherwise have suggested a medical problem. The bright side is that concealers would stretch your hair as a diffuser. That said, if Fin and Min aren’t working and vitamins have been ruled out as well as iron, the only other things it could be are autoimmune, as far as I am aware, though, those don’t entail miniaturization. You’re certain it’s miniaturizing?

[Tele]

I keep looking at these pictures. Your nape is thinning, too. How do your sides look? Is this global thinning or still localized to particular areas? I don’t see many cases of MPB that look this way.

[Tele]

One more thought, is your thyroid now balanced? If it isn’t absolutely perfect, this could still be related to it. It could be that this kicked off your pattern thinning also. Do you have any other things you’ve noticed (ie feeling sluggish, sick, sad, or wired)? How about anxiety?

[bluecyclone]

Hello. Thank you for considering my situation.

The loss began in October 2016. At the time there was no miniaturization. I believe it started as a TE related to thyroid. Starring Minoxidil caused a major shed that I’ve never recovered from, I still
Am concerned the oral Minoxidil is a factor in the constant shed. I’ve had regrowth or I’d be a NW6 at the shed rate.

I have been advised that the shedding and miniaturization aren’t in sync, meaning I still have a lower percentage of miniaturized that most at my age. I had a biopsy which should very early on set AA.

I am losing long hair constantly and the quality of that hair is fraction of what it was two years ago. My recent labs 4/22 came back normal thyroid, low ferritin, normal T, low DHT. I have only noticed decline on Finasteride, mainly in the hairline and vertex. Back and sides have thinned but still better than the top.

[Tele]

Low ferritin means you should immediately begin supplementing iron. Low iron levels will make you incredibly susceptible to TE.

Miniaturization at your age is normal, everyone has some, but it’s good that the doctors have made this distinction for you. That’s what I really wanted to know. I know it looks bleak right now, but male pattern baldness just doesn’t present like this very often. The fact that finasteride isn’t helping further underscores my belief that something more is happening. So few people fail to respond to fin. You could get your CAG score from hairdx to see how you should respond to fin. (I’m not certain you can do this once you’ve started fin, but if you can, it’s worth trying.) If your CAG score is low and you’re still not responding to fin, you can be sure that you have something else going on. Derms sometimes miss certain types of scarring alopecia, but that should be evident by now, one would think, at least.

I want to say something about Minox: it’s (in my opinion) a bit of a waste. It worsens hair loss at worst and masks it temporarily at best. Sounds to me like you’re dealing with either an underlying health issue or an extremely bad case of CTE. I’m no medical professional, but it doesn’t seem like you’re having much luck with them currently.

[Tele]

Long hair loss is also an indicator. If you had AGA and that was all, up to fifty percent of your hair loss would be miniaturized hair.

Thyroid levels might seem right for your doctors, but might not be right for you. My mother’s hair has looked like yours when she’s gone through hormone and thyroid related sheds. Rest assured one thing: at least currently, you have a shed problem, not a MPB problem. This means there’s a chance for regrowth and stabilization of the hair, so hang in there.

[SmoothNation]

You are going bald dude, and it is perfectly ok if you realise that hair loss not only is a normal occurrence for millions of men around the world, but people really couldn't care less.

If anything, if you own it (by this I mean accepting it and use it to motivate you to better yourself in every aspect), you will live a FARRRRR more fulfilling and happy life than you are experiencing now, as what I can see is a very discontented and anxious person who feels that getting his hair back is the only way to be happy again. It really isn't dude.

Ignore the product promoters dude, they are part of the problem.

Always here to talk if you want to get some tips on how to overcome hair loss and to turn it into one of the best things that happened to you

https://www.instagram.com/smooth__nation/

[Tele]

but people really couldn't care less.

How can you even say that? I mean, some dudes look alright bald, but the idea that nobody will see you as less attractive, less likely to succeed, less friendly, etc. has been proven wrong time and time again both anecdotally and through actual sociological research. Shave that shit if it works for you and then stay the hell out of these forums. Some people want to keep their hair and they’re willing to do whatever necessary to do so.

[SmoothNation]

Ummm I think you are stating the obvious buddy, of course 'some' people will see you as less attractive and not as their ideal type. What do you expect, the whole world to revolve around you? Doesn't work this way dude, and it is quite clear that your obsession with your hair isn't healthy, especially when you say things like "do whatever necessary to do so". Read that sentence to yourself, and dwell on it for a few seconds.

There is much more to life than hair dude, and the sooner that guys realise this, the sooner they will be at peace with themselves and can start kicking ass instead of wallowing in self-pity. These operations and products are draining your pocket, and probably causing you all kinds of problems internally and externally.

Just calling it as it is.

[Tele]

Are you actually trying to say that foisting your willful baldness upon others is acceptable? Others who have an entirely different life than you, young men who live in tragically unforgiving social circles, people whose appearance has a direct correlation with their professional success (musicians, actors, performers), have no right to experience emotional trauma as a result of their hair loss? Seriously, how dare you. There’s no “wrong” response to balding. There’s no “incorrect” course of action in light of it.

If there’s a drug that will let me keep my hair, and that drug won’t cause me any side effects (propecia works for many) then why the hell would intentionally make a decision that’s net result is looking less attractive?

That’s not vanity. That’s realism. Attractive people literally have advantages in every avenue of life. Get out of here.

[bluecyclone]

Any thoughts on PRP for my situation. I have been very very skeptical but without a positive response to Finasteride, I’m running out of options.

I have an appointment with dr. Joe Greco in Sarasota (1500.00 + 600 travel).

Thoughts?