Am I a Norwood 2 or 3? (or 2A or 3A?)

[Tracy C]

It is much too soon for you to know that.

[Kirby_]

I'm convinced that either fin is destroying my hair, or I have something as well as MPB that is exacerbating my hair loss, possibly in conjunction with fin.

[Kirby_]

Added photo from last August to prove that my hair was relatively thick then. Is far worse now.

[Kirby_]

^ TBH, I can see two scenarios emerging. Either my hair won't be viable this time next year, despite or because of Propecia and the heavy diffuse loss. Or I won't have to worry in the long term about MPB, because much better treatment options will be available, easily by the time I'm 40... It's either/or, as I see it.

[mpb47]

Also, I've noticed that while my thin patch directly on top (midscalp?) is thinning, everything 'south' of the swirl, is nearly solid. Could that be an indicator of anything, or just my 'pattern'?

Just keep an eye on it as you get older. My relatives never went south there until they were all around 50 or so.

[25 going on 65]

Also, I've noticed that while my thin patch directly on top (midscalp?) is thinning, everything 'south' of the swirl, is nearly solid. Could that be an indicator of anything, or just my 'pattern'?

It's just your pattern most likely. There is a pretty huge variation in MPB patterns, especially for diffuse thinners like ourselves.

[Tracy C]

You should be fine. Just stick with the treatments and give it reasonable time - at least a full 12 months.

[Kirby_]

Also, I've noticed that while my thin patch directly on top (midscalp?) is thinning, everything 'south' of the swirl, is nearly solid. Could that be an indicator of anything, or just my 'pattern'?

[Kirby_]

^ I hope so. As I said, for me it's buying a Euromillions lottery ticket every Friday. I don't expect to hit the jackpot, but I can't expect anything unless I enter the competition. There have been some rather impressive regrowth stories detailed on other forums (user RSR40 on HLH for example), that at least demonstrate what is possible.

If I get back to baseline, with a teeny bit more, I can live with that until some of the next-gen treatments start to arrive. (Really, I took a bit hit from baseline in the initial shed which the low-res photos I've posted don't show.)

[Tracy C]

I think the logic would be that it's easier to treat "thin areas" than bald spots

Exactly.

then again with current treatments any type of regrowth is not something you can expect imo

I don't really agree with this because I grew a lot of hair back myself. It is best to plan for the worst and hope for the best though. Even if you don't have any re-growth, you should at least be able to maintain what you have so you don't loose any more. Personally, I think Kirby is in better shape than he thinks he is. He doesn't look any worse now than he did before he started and you just never know, once he has been treating it long enough to actually see any benefit, he might be surprised at with he sees.

[Kirby_]

Well I realise that I'm almost certainly too far gone for treatments to ever do anything good for me, as I see it it's like buying a lottery ticket and hoping in vain that you're one of the lucky few that have sucess.

[BaldinLikeBaldwin]

I think the logic would be that it's easier to treat "thin areas" than bald spots

then again with current treatments any type of regrowth is not something you can expect imo

[Kirby_]

Back on track, I've heard many times, in passing, claims that diffuse thinners like me "respond well" or "respond best" to treatment. Is this true? Does that mean that diffuse thinners are more likely to regrow and retain decent amounts of hair with treatments?

(Sorry about the panic post last week, I was having serious panic attacks. My main issue is that I certainly didn't look 'balding' to the naked eye before treatment with fin and Nizoral, but now I do.)

[2020]

Let me ask you a favor 2020. Save me the hours of research and tell me which things are you on in order of priority.

You're after PGD2 blockers as number 1 priority etc...

I might experiment with other things than RU.

what do you mean? You wanna know my regimen?

[Maradona]

yes and? T converts to DHT doesn't it?




that is an insanely stupid theory... there is no such thing as a catch up loss. Your genes have no ****ing idea how much hair you should have at July 1, 2012. AR sensitivity is inherited and that's that.

What is a fact is that AR sensitivity DOES GO UP when 5AR inhibitors are introduced to your body.




VAST MAJORITY of your DHT is biologically INACTIVE.





I meant to say that some people who are losing hair and when they start using finasteride, still lose hair despite it being VIRTUALLY IMPOSSIBLE if fin truly blocked 70% of DHT and left your AR at the same sensitivity...





right, and?



yeah 6 years ain't that long in the business.... even the people on fin can get that. The point is that eventually YOU WILL start losing hair even though you shouldn't....




I've seen studies that are done over 10 years.... half of those people won't make it to 10 years with the same amount of hair

Let me ask you a favor 2020. Save me the hours of research and tell me which things are you on in order of priority.

You're after PGD2 blockers as number 1 priority etc...

I might experiment with other things than RU.