Minoxidil for a receding hairline - photos

[spec]

Eromnova,
First of all, pay no attention to that fool accusing you of mental illness.

Second of all, you and i are in very similar situations. I recently started taking minoxidil for my hairline recession in early February of this year. I've been on proscar quartered for the last 8 months, though, which is different from you.

My experience with minoxidil thus far has been the same as yours. I apply it to the temples (twice a day not once a day like yourself). Three months in my hair in the areas that i have applied it have thinned significantly, which has been discouraging and scary. I am sticking with it for a full year though. About a year and a half ago i tried minoxidil and had a big shed as a result. I quit in month three because of it. This time around im sticking to it.

With proscar, i quarter the tablets and then further reduce the quarters down to an estimated 1-0.8 mg dose. At 1.25 mgs i was experiencing sexual side effects. At the reduced dosage the sides are mitigated enough to where i can live with them. I must say though that in these 8 months i have not experienced very much difference in my rate of shedding and my temples have continued to recede. I am holding out hope as some posts describe that 12-18 months is a sufficient time frame to give the medication.

Anyways, i enjoy reading your updates. You're a month further than me in your treatment so i review your posts in order to help formulated my own expectations for the coming month.

Keep taking photos and providing updates. It sounds positive that your shedding has ceased. Good luck to you.

[Eromnova]

Eromnova,
First of all, pay no attention to that fool accusing you of mental illness.

Second of all, you and i are in very similar situations. I recently started taking minoxidil for my hairline recession in early February of this year. I've been on proscar quartered for the last 8 months, though, which is different from you.

My experience with minoxidil thus far has been the same as yours. I apply it to the temples (twice a day not once a day like yourself). Three months in my hair in the areas that i have applied it have thinned significantly, which has been discouraging and scary. I am sticking with it for a full year though. About a year and a half ago i tried minoxidil and had a big shed as a result. I quit in month three because of it. This time around im sticking to it.

With proscar, i quarter the tablets and then further reduce the quarters down to an estimated 1-0.8 mg dose. At 1.25 mgs i was experiencing sexual side effects. At the reduced dosage the sides are mitigated enough to where i can live with them. I must say though that in these 8 months i have not experienced very much difference in my rate of shedding and my temples have continued to recede. I am holding out hope as some posts describe that 12-18 months is a sufficient time frame to give the medication.

Anyways, i enjoy reading your updates. You're a month further than me in your treatment so i review your posts in order to help formulated my own expectations for the coming month.

Keep taking photos and providing updates. It sounds positive that your shedding has ceased. Good luck to you.

Thanks man. Hope you see some progress, glad you enjoy the thread and hope it's helpful.

Going to start fin pretty soon and keep on with the minox. I'll keep this updated.

[Eromnova]

Update (please note - this thread is now mostly just a document of my situation, for myself, albeit a public one):

So, minoxidil doesn't work. Or: minoxidil doesn't work on my particular head. It doesn't even seem to halt any further loss. All it's done is speed up the loss initially, and then do nothing indefinitely. Or is it too early too tell? Coming on six months now at one dose per day, I reckon that's a reasonable sample of time to evaluate. I don't know. But I'm losing more hair in my hairline. It's spread from the stubborn, isolated little spot near my parting, to the right and over to my forelock (that's right, isn't it - forelock? Like a horse?).

My hairline is all bitty now, if that's a word. All indecisive. Without edges. At least on one side. Right side still going strong, though it has no idea what's soon to come, the poor bastard. Back of my head still stupid and thick. So that's good.

But what I began this thread to document - the progress of minoxidil on my receding hairline - was a failure. So this thread might be more aptly titled 'Watch a dude's hair fall out, with pictures!'.

I'll probably still put that greasy, smelly, gunky shit on my head for the rest of my life, though. You know, just in case.

I'm starting finasteride this week. For real this time. I wish I'd started it earlier (unless it like, ruins my life or something, then I won't have wished that - retrospectively). I hope to see at least a sliver of regrowth. Somewhere. Anywhere (well, not anywhere). And I hope to maintain.

My hair is ridiculously long at the moment. Like, man-rescued-from-a-remote-cave-after-mysterious-year-long-disappearance long. Homeless long. I kind of dread how the thinning will look with a shorter haircut, hence the no-haircut. But I think it might be drawing attention to the thinning right now, rather than the reverse.

One lesson I've learnt through the duration of this thread: I never really realised I was such a vain shithead until this whole ordeal. Because someone who wasn't a vain shithead likely wouldn't consider losing some hair an 'ordeal', would they? But here were are.

Obligatory photos below. Increasingly frantic updates to follow.

[Jcm800]

Eromnova - what a brilliant update mate, I howled with much needed laughter reading that, thanks.

Not laughing at you or your situation, as I'm in it too. You're depiction of the cave dwelling fellow creased me up in particular, so thanks :-)

Anyway, minox foam raped and pillaged my hairline too, once a day application been on it longer than I remember now, but it's off label usage, they never claimed results there so it's a risk we take, and paid for sadly. Chin up, keep those updates coming :-)

[Eromnova]

Haha, thanks dude. Hopefully I'll have some better news next time.

[Eromnova]

Brief update: Began finasteride about two weeks ago. Proscar divided into eighths (0.625mg), taken every other day. No noticeable sexual sides, though I have felt very fatigued and notice I get tired a lot more easily. I wake up exhausted. I'm hoping this is just an initial symptom as it's still very early on in treatment, and that the tiredness will subside. If not I'll reduce the dose again.

[goldbondmafia]

For the ppl that said minox ruined your hairline, did you keep using it until your hair grew back? Minox will only shed hairs and ruin your hairline temporarily...

[Eromnova]

I don't think anybody said minox ruined my hairline - that was me. It could also be the normal shedding I would have seen without the minox, who knows. I'm still using it though, I never stopped. I'll be using it for at least a year before properly judging any results.

[Dan26]

I don't think anybody said minox ruined my hairline - that was me. It could also be the normal shedding I would have seen without the minox, who knows. I'm still using it though, I never stopped. I'll be using it for at least a year before properly judging any results.

Why don't you buy a 1.5mm dermaroller, and wound once a week? Nothing to lose bro, I'd be interested to see if your results change or it kickstarts something.

Check the dermaroll community trial thread man

[hellouser]

Why don't you buy a 1.5mm dermaroller, and wound once a week? Nothing to lose bro, I'd be interested to see if your results change or it kickstarts something.

Check the dermaroll community trial thread man

Link to thread:

http://www.baldtruthtalk.com/showthread.php?t=13420

[spec]

Eromnova,

Still no positive results with minoxidil on the temples? It has worked for me, although to a small extent. Have you considered applying it twice/day instead of once/day?

I'm battling my hairloss with minoxidil 5% Kirkland's brand foam twice a day as well as 0.625mg finasteride 1/day at night. The finasteride has slowed my hairloss, although not to a rate that I am comfortable with. I'm considering alternative treatments, as finasteride affects my libido even at the decreased dosage. Keep us updated with your progress.

[mpb47]

I don't think anybody said minox ruined my hairline - that was me. It could also be the normal shedding I would have seen without the minox, who knows. I'm still using it though, I never stopped. I'll be using it for at least a year before properly judging any results.

Well I noticed the same thing only in the crown when I was only using minox. It accelerated the growth/loss cycle. When I added propecia things slowly started going in the positive direction. Still had the sheds but I could see positive results but just remember it may take a good long time...like 9 months for me.

Oh and you are smart to take action while time is on your side. It may be very subtle but You KNOW if something is happening to your hair . I just wish they had minox/propecia back when I still had hair like you. You should do fine keeping your hair with what you are doing now.

[adam k]

Most who men take Finasteride do not experience the possible side effects. You don't hear from from them on-line because the medication is working for them and they have nothing to complain about.

Aside from the fact that using a 5-AR inhibitor to treat hairloss is like using a flame thrower to kill a fly in your house (In the process you f all kinds of other stuff up), it is unacceptable in 2013 Finasteride is the best thing we have. I personally know 8 people on Fin (very good friends) and every single one of them has experienced side effects to some degree. You have to be real naive and ignorant and unaware to believe the 2% figure by Merck. Side effects from finasteride are not only limited to sexual problems and there are a plethora of other problems which can occur.

In a few years time I plan to start a family and that will mean Fin is completely out of the question. I refuse to take this drug. Also suggesting people take Fin and not telling them to take a blood test to monitor baseline levels is extremely irresponsible.

[35YrsAfter]

Aside from the fact that using a 5-AR inhibitor to treat hairloss is like using a flame thrower to kill a fly in your house (In the process you f all kinds of other stuff up), it is unacceptable in 2013 Finasteride is the best thing we have. I personally know 8 people on Fin (very good friends) and every single one of them has experienced side effects to some degree. You have to be real naive and ignorant and unaware to believe the 2% figure by Merck. Side effects from finasteride are not only limited to sexual problems and there are a plethora of other problems which can occur.

In a few years time I plan to start a family and that will mean Fin is completely out of the question. I refuse to take this drug. Also suggesting people take Fin and not telling them to take a blood test to monitor baseline levels is extremely irresponsible.

Having hair is great but sex is better than hair in my opinion.

35YrsAfter also posts as CITNews and works at Dr. Cole's office
Cole Hair Transplant - Atlanta
Phone 678-566-1011

[Eromnova]

Eromnova,

Still no positive results with minoxidil on the temples? It has worked for me, although to a small extent. Have you considered applying it twice/day instead of once/day?

I'm battling my hairloss with minoxidil 5% Kirkland's brand foam twice a day as well as 0.625mg finasteride 1/day at night. The finasteride has slowed my hairloss, although not to a rate that I am comfortable with. I'm considering alternative treatments, as finasteride affects my libido even at the decreased dosage. Keep us updated with your progress.

Still no results man, no. Just a steady deterioration on the one side. Things have only gotten worse really since I started treating it.

I've had no great side-effects from the fin. Some fatigue initially which caused me to lower the dosage. No sexual sides. I'm on .265 (I think) a day which is hopefully enough to do something. I think I'm shedding again, or have been. All in the same spot, that left side, as usual. Hair parted on one side and I'm noticeably thinning. Hair parted on other side and I look like I have a full and thick head of hair. Hoping to at least maintain this.

Pics attached in bright lighting. Minox applied in some of them.