Hi, 28 year old, lack of hair on crown

[mnx]

Wow, you have the exact same hair loss pattern I had at 28. I'm 31 now. I didn't do anything about it at the time because no noticed it and everywhere else was thick with no receding hairline. I agree it's probably the onset of MPB, especially since you have hairloss in your family.

All the other posters here seem to have covered everything pretty well. See a hair loss dermatologist and see what they can do for treatment. Make sure you weigh the risks/rewards of drugs like propecia/proscar. I have chosen not to try it because the possibility (I didn't care how small the possibility) of sexual side effects, both long or short term. I started Rogaine this year and it has been slow going and there has been some shedding involved which is something you might want to keep in mind if you start it. It's like a lot of drugs where it makes things worse before it makes things better, but supposedly if you stick with it for 6-8 months. Also it apparently works better when you're younger. The company Rogaine claims 85% of men regrew hair, but I've seen clinical studies that report it's closer to 55%.

Lastly, start conditioning yourself for what baldness might be like. I rarely see people suggest this on websites. With treatment you may keep your hair looking pretty damn good for many years, but eventually it will fall out if it's in your genes. I wouldn't hold my breath for "the cure" even though there have been some great advances and I don't think it's healthy to pin so much hope on the possibility coming soon, even though I hope it does.

Did it happen aggressively for you? How is it now?

[Tracy C]

I've read somewhere that finasteride is only effective at stopping hair loss at stage 2 or 3.

The Medication does not care what stage of hair loss you have. It simply blocks the formation of the hormone that triggers hereditary hair loss (DHT). The medication can stop hereditary hair loss regardless of what stage you are. Of course for someone who is beyond NW6 there is no point.

mnx, my advice if you start on finasteride would be to start at a lower dose, and take your time working up.

I think this is good advice. This is what I had to do when I started on Spiro.

[Tracy C]

If I do in fact have the beginnings of MPB, I understand that this is an acute and aggressive issue with body chemistry and my use of supplements will probably not be sufficient for the results I desire. I still am very hesitant to consider finasteride.

At the stage I am at, and until I sit down and talk with a specialist, I'll bide my time with my regimen and hope that the progression is slow.

Please understand that I am not totally against suppliments. I use a specific Hair, Skin & Nails multi-vitamin myself. When dealing with a natural and normal process such as male and female patterned hereditary hair loss, especially when it is aggressive, supppiments cannot provide a strong fight.

However if you chose to try a natural approach, there is one study that shows some limited merit for a specific Saw Palmetto complex. Nature's Bounty makes a product that matches the complex tested in that study. Here is a link to a PDF file of the label that shows the list of ingrediants for that product.

http://images.vitaminimages.com/cdn/...L006052-NB.PDF

[Tracy C]

Of those men, only a fraction will actually be successful at controlling their hair loss (as with finasteride).

That "fraction" of men who have successfully managed their hair loss with Finasteride is the larger portion of the total. This is very well documented and very well known. To state it as "only a fraction" is slightly unethical, though technically true. Putting it that way understates the true effectiveness in an attempt to hide it. Much in the same way that overstating the frequency of side effects hides the facts about possible side effects. Neither is ethical.

It's easy to understand why it's hard to get testimonials, let alone testimonials with photographic proof.

All I'm saying is the topic is too complicated to boldly write-off saw palmetto.

You are reaching. If anyone actually were able to slow down, stop or reverse hereditary hair loss with natural DHT blockers such as Saw Palmetto everyone would know about it. You would not need to dig very deep to find it. It would be ight there available for everyone to see.

[Kirby_]

Yeah, Stressed is just pushing unproven woo like saw palmetto.

[chrisis]

Did you notice any positive results in that time? A low dose might be good for me. Good luck with your libido, not a side effect I take lightly

Hard to say anything about positive results because I only took it for 3 months. I do see some peach fuzz hair at the corners of my hairline, but that could be down to minoxidil, which I started about a month ago. It could also be a consequence of shedding, which I may have experienced on either of those meds.

[25 going on 65]

mnx,

To answer your other question, DHT suppressants fight hair loss no matter what stage you're in. You don't need to wait for the condition to progress. Generally, the earlier you start a regimen, the more effective it will be.
But if you want to hold off on medication until you see a hair loss specialist, there's nothing wrong with that.

chris is right that there is a risk of side effects from finasteride. These often resolve themselves while continuing to take the medication, but not always.
Most people tolerate this medicine well, but if you're not one of them, his advice on lowering your dosage will probably be very useful.

StressedToTheBald should generally be ignored. He has been hijacking every active thread with alarmist propaganda about finasteride, while pushing unproven treatments. He also doesn't seem to know how to evaluate scientific studies.
This may sound harsh, but many others on this forum would say the same. You'll notice it too if you stick around long enough.

[StressedToTheBald]

There are no clinical trials or testimonies proving their success, but there is some science attached to various herbs and their abilities as 5 alpha reductase inhibitors.

There actually are, a small study on beta sitosterol + saw palmetto has reported a success rate of 60%.

Also other studies have reported that these natural DHT inhibitors do not show significant nor permanent side effects as with propecia.

[itssomuchfun]

Wow, you have the exact same hair loss pattern I had at 28. I'm 31 now. I didn't do anything about it at the time because no noticed it and everywhere else was thick with no receding hairline. I agree it's probably the onset of MPB, especially since you have hairloss in your family.

All the other posters here seem to have covered everything pretty well. See a hair loss dermatologist and see what they can do for treatment. Make sure you weigh the risks/rewards of drugs like propecia/proscar. I have chosen not to try it because the possibility (I didn't care how small the possibility) of sexual side effects, both long or short term. I started Rogaine this year and it has been slow going and there has been some shedding involved which is something you might want to keep in mind if you start it. It's like a lot of drugs where it makes things worse before it makes things better, but supposedly if you stick with it for 6-8 months. Also it apparently works better when you're younger. The company Rogaine claims 85% of men regrew hair, but I've seen clinical studies that report it's closer to 55%.

Lastly, start conditioning yourself for what baldness might be like. I rarely see people suggest this on websites. With treatment you may keep your hair looking pretty damn good for many years, but eventually it will fall out if it's in your genes. I wouldn't hold my breath for "the cure" even though there have been some great advances and I don't think it's healthy to pin so much hope on the possibility coming soon, even though I hope it does.

[StressedToTheBald]

Thanks for the reply. I recently started using melatonin for stress, also started taking multivitamins to help with that. I'll look into 5HTP, thanks.

I'm basically trying to take a bunch of different natural supplements that have shown some 5 alpha reductase inhibiting ability in various studies, as well as certain nutrients that nourish the hair I do have(msm, silica, PABA etc).

I intend to update as I go.

You're very welcome.
Well, I use melatonin for sleep, but if You use it too often then the body gets used to it and it doesn't work as well as in the starts. Also it can easily leave You groggy the next day.. Thats why I've not switched to 5-HTP. If You use melatonin btw.. they're usually sold in 3mg.. You can cut the tablet in half, even 1,5mg will work well enough.

I'm doing the same, I've pilled up and made plenty of research on natural DHT inhibitors and hair supplements. I soon plan to include reishi(ganoderma lucidum).. the study on it says it reports up to 50% DHT.. so that plus beta sitosterol, saw palmetto etc.. Its some of my main ingredients. I also use MSM, now about 3,000mg daily, and some silica via horsetail tea. You might want to consider arginine as well - it boosts nitric oxide and blood flow in the folicles.. I use it via protein shakes, now will be 3,500mg+ daily.

Please do keep me updated, I will too, its good to meet people who actually do the research and have some wisdom to share. Way too many people here have no research background nor solid arguments and are sadly only here to promote that hazardous drug called propecia..

[mnx]

mnx, my advice if you start on finasteride would be to start at a lower dose, and take your time working up.

I started on 1.25mg (5mg generic cut into 4) but got definite side effects after 2-3 months in. This was despite being optimistic and somewhat dismissive about sides. Some people have alleged it's probably in my head, but since they haven't been through the experience they really aren't qualified to speak on it. Might as well ask them to talk about how it feels to be a lesbian or a unicorn.

I recently learned 0.5mg is almost as effective. Even 0.25mg is still very good so if I was to start again, I'd go with 0.25mg. I may try it again at that dose, but I'm waiting for my libido to fully return. 4 days off it and I'm waiting...

Did you notice any positive results in that time? A low dose might be good for me. Good luck with your libido, not a side effect I take lightly

[chrisis]

mnx, my advice if you start on finasteride would be to start at a lower dose, and take your time working up.

I started on 1.25mg (5mg generic cut into 4) but got definite side effects after 2-3 months in. This was despite being optimistic and somewhat dismissive about sides. Some people have alleged it's probably in my head, but since they haven't been through the experience they really aren't qualified to speak on it. Might as well ask them to talk about how it feels to be a lesbian or a unicorn.

I recently learned 0.5mg is almost as effective. Even 0.25mg is still very good so if I was to start again, I'd go with 0.25mg. I may try it again at that dose, but I'm waiting for my libido to fully return. 4 days off it and I'm waiting...

[mnx]

I would say with almost total certainty that you are in the beginning stages of hereditary hair loss, if I'm going by the crown.

A hair loss specialist could tell you for sure.

If it is MPB, I suggest using a proven DHT suppressant that can stop and help reverse the loss. There are two of these on the market, finasteride and dutasteride. I would strongly recommend the former over the latter to start with. Both have a risk of side effects, but they are significantly higher with dutasteride (and there is also much less information currently about using dutasteride long-term for hair loss).
I don't recommend spending time on alternative remedies like saw palmetto, because there isn't scientific evidence that they can maintain your hair. If you get unacceptable side effects from finasteride, you could try experimenting with alternatives at that point, but if you do things in reverse order you will lose more hair than you have to. Delaying treatment for just one year can unfortunately have a noticeable cosmetic impact.
(2% ketoconazole shampoo and minoxidil are good supporting treatments, but on their own they won't maintain your hair or reverse your loss in the long term.)
Good luck.

Thanks for the advice. My hair is very important to me, and if finasteride is the absolute best answer I may be able to talk myself into doing it.

The time issue is not lost on me at all, I am currently considering all options.

[25 going on 65]

I would say with almost total certainty that you are in the beginning stages of hereditary hair loss, if I'm going by the crown.

A hair loss specialist could tell you for sure.

If it is MPB, I suggest using a proven DHT suppressant that can stop and help reverse the loss. There are two of these on the market, finasteride and dutasteride. I would strongly recommend the former over the latter to start with. Both have a risk of side effects, but they are significantly higher with dutasteride (and there is also much less information currently about using dutasteride long-term for hair loss).
I don't recommend spending time on alternative remedies like saw palmetto, because there isn't scientific evidence that they can maintain your hair. If you get unacceptable side effects from finasteride, you could try experimenting with alternatives at that point, but if you do things in reverse order you will lose more hair than you have to. Delaying treatment for just one year can unfortunately have a noticeable cosmetic impact.
(2% ketoconazole shampoo and minoxidil are good supporting treatments, but on their own they won't maintain your hair or reverse your loss in the long term.)
Good luck.

[mnx]

A couple questions for Tracy or whoever can answer. (I will ask specialist when I am able to meet with one, but any answer I can get now is greatly appreciated)

I've read somewhere that finasteride is only effective at stopping hair loss at stage 2 or 3. Myself being early in the process, should that preclude my use of it until I'm more progressed? Would it not be able to stop hair loss at it's current state?