Minoxidil for a receding hairline - photos

[Eromnova]

It still doesn't look like you have MPB. I cannot see your scalp through your hair. You need to show good quality photos of your vertex and mid-anterior areas, preferably with your hair wet and parted down the middle. The hair line itself and alone is not a good indicator of MPB.

I'm beyond the stage of diagnosis right now. I'm not a hyper-paranoid type, and I have kept an eye on this for the past year. The difference isn't in my mind, it's very real and took me by surprise - though I realise you can't see as much in the photos. You can see my scalp through my hair in real life. My camera seems to want to flatter me for some reason.

The thinning is particularly bad around my natural parting, on one side of my hairline only. As far as I can tell my crown isn't thinning (noticeably).

I'll try and get some better photos. But only for the sake of documenting my own progress. I know my own hair and I already know I'm receding and thinning fairly quickly, into a pattern beyond what people might call a 'mature hairline' (which I do believe is a genuine thing). Now it's just a matter of dealing with it.

[elnino]

Hey. I started using minox for a fairly rapidly (in my mind) receding hairline recently. I've been using it once a day for about 3 weeks now and am having a **** tonne of hair fall out this past week, as I'd been anticipating/dreading. I really hope it comes back, especially around the temples.

I'm 27. My dad is NW6-7, though his hair is totally different to mine - his was always very thin, mine's always been very thick. No hair loss on my Mother's side.

I noticed the recession about 6-8 months back and held out to confirm whether it was real or not. It became particularly noticeable (to me) the past couple of months so I did the research, obsessed an unhealthy amount, and decided on minox for now, with the possibility of fin if shit gets out of hand.

I know minox isn't recommended for the hairline. I know it's also not gonna do anything about the DHT. I know I'm likely only delaying the whole process for a short while at best. But minox is kind of a bridge for me while I consider whether I want to try fin.

Because I'm fairly terrified of fin. I know the chance of serious and long-lasting sides are relatively small and yadda yadda, but relatively small odds don't matter much when they happen to you. I'm considering starting on a small dose, perhaps a quarter of 1mg every other day or thereabouts, and see how I react. My hairline has started a rapid retreat lately - especially on one side of my hairline, around my parting, which is thinning fast - so I might have to give it a go. Side-effects seem less and less of an issue the more and more scalp I see.

I'm attaching a few images in chronological order, the latest ones - with hair wet - are from today. I'll try and keep an update on any progress.

(The camera's shitty and makes it look better than it is, by the way)

what kind of minox are you using? rand that is....

[Eromnova]

Spectral UHP. Liquid.

[Eromnova]

One question: has anyone who's shed (because of minox or not) noticed significant loss at the back of their heads? This seems to be where hair most easily comes out - i.e. I grab some hair at the back and 3 to 4 hairs come out, over and over again, without fail. Also, almost all of the hair I seem to be losing is long hair - not what I would think of as miniaturized - with bulbs (or whatever the word is) at the end. This, and my thinning exclusively around my natural parting on one side, seems pretty unusual to me - I could be wrong, of course, and probably am.

[Eromnova]

(Slightly) clearer picture of the thinning with the same (shitty) camera. Hair damp.

[Eromnova]

I literally cannot believe how quickly my hairline is vanishing in one concentrated spot where my hair naturally parts.

I want to wait it out and see if minox will give me some regrowth. But at this rate, I might be better off just getting a fin script asap.

[drybone]

Hey bud.

I would advise going to a doctor or dermatologist because you are getting all kinds of conflicting opinions here.

I will say that in my short tenure here Tracy has given consistent advice and tends to back it up with independent study instead of straight intuition .

Im not doubting the others testimonials regarding side effects and whatnot, but if Tracy says its 4% of men who experience them, you can be fairly confident its something in that range.

I was against meds for a long time because I felt I was delaying the inevitable and decided just to get a hair transplant to avoid DHT and what not. Like the lucky bast@rds who inherited DHT resistant full heads of hair .

However, after having my first transplant on my hairline I have changed my mind. Transplanting cannot give the density that your natural hair has . You can 'dense pack' but its expensive , time consuming and there is no guarantee it will look as good as you want.

Your hair reminds me of my hair . Grow it longer to make it look thicker. When I finally got my hair transplant, I shaved my hair down to 1/4 of an inch to match the grafts ........and then the grafts fell out. Lol.

I had not shaved my head that short since I was 23 years old. I am now 46 and when I shaved it, I was FLOORED at how far my male pattern hairloss had become.

I was still a norwood 2 , but the thinning was going to make me a norwood 4 within 10 years. I had no idea it was so thin compared to the sides and back.

All that being said, after my hair transplant healed, I decided to check out finasteride to STOP the hairloss. I dont expect a full head of hair like some chia plant to just spring out. I just do NOT want to get to where I have a hole in the crown and heading for NW 4 or 5.

Its supposed to block the DHT which then in turn allows your hair follicles to grow normally. This is all I expect.

Your hair still looks alright but I strongly suggest you look into finasteride or some other DHT blocker so that you wont lose any more.

i also bought 5000 mcg biotin pills and they DEFINITELY work. My hair is noticeably thicker and grew faster. It doesnt grow new hair but strengthens the hair you still have.

Hope this helps

[Eromnova]

Thanks man.

I don't really have the money to splash out on something like a dermatologist right now. Especially when I suspect all they'll do is tell me 'Yep, you're balding', take my money and write me a finasteride prescription. If I want that I'll probably just go to a GP, but I'm still undecided. I think what I may do is pick up a script, get the meds and then wait a month or so and see how minox is doing.

My main concern is how quickly my hairline is disappearing on one side. But I know shedding is natural and positive on minox, and that I should probably hold out a while.

I don't know. I'm repeating myself.

It just doesn't feel right not to do more right now.

[Eromnova]

So I've decided I'm going to get a fin script. I had a look at my hair under direct light and can see my scalp on the left side thinning pretty quickly into a NW3. Right side of my hair/hairline is still untouched, thick and dense.

I plan to taper onto the medication quite slowly, in preparation for the imminent possibility of my penis falling off and my developing 44 double d breasts and an unhealthy sense of empathy.

[drybone]

So I've decided I'm going to get a fin script. I had a look at my hair under direct light and can see my scalp on the left side thinning pretty quickly into a NW3. Right side of my hair/hairline is still untouched, thick and dense.

I plan to taper onto the medication quite slowly, in preparation for the imminent possibility of my penis falling off and my developing 44 double d breasts and an unhealthy sense of empathy.

Lol thats awesome.

[Tortoise]

My personal experience with fin has been fine. No adverse side effects at all. Some very slight increase in hair at my crown, but not much change at the front. Although, my hair loss is far more along than yours. As far as sexual function, it has actually greatly improved since taking the medication (but that might be more info than you wanted). I get the 5mg pills and cut them up, as it works out much more affordable.

Best of luck!

[Eromnova]

Yeah, I'm likely going to go the 5mg route too if possible. I'm not exorbitantly wealthy.

Shedding seems to have eased off the past couple of days. That's some relief, at least. I think I'll still get a script for fin, though. When/if I'll begin taking it is a different story.

[Eromnova]

Slightly better photo of the thinning on my one temple which has happened in the past few weeks. Again though - looks worse in person. Minox is destroying my hairline, but I can't stop now.

[Eromnova]

Christ. The speed of this is insane. Hair is see-through around my left temple now and is thinning quicker and quicker. Can't really cover it up anymore.

[Eromnova]

So, I got a proscar script today, though the doctor took a lot of convincing.

He had literally never heard of propecia. He kept telling me he had huge doubts as to the efficacy of any treatment such as propecia, despite admitting moments before that he'd never heard of the drug. He thought it was something 'like regaine' and would be well-known if it was as effective as I was claiming.

I told him it was well-known. I also told him I was shocked he'd never heard of it, whilst looking at his receding hairline.

I think somebody from the waiting room might have slipped into the GPs office, murdered said GP, stuffed him into a wardrobe and played doctor for the afternoon.

I'll probably hear about it on the news later.

Anyway, I have a 3 month proscar script now - 12 months on 1mg.