Need your Opinion/Help whether to start with Minoxidil treatment

[thedarkar]

Hey fellow members,

Im 21 years old, my father and grandfathers have full hair, but also a receding hairline at the temples like me (but just there).

Im really unsure whether to start with Minoxidil.
On the one hand, there is a slight chance of regrowth. Despite this, I am not 100 percent convinced that my hairline will recede further as my genetics are relatively good.
I really love my hair and would like to hold it, if not even regrow some lost hair, but dont now if its intelligent at my stage.
What prevents me from using Minoxidil is primarily that some studies say that stopping it does not only lead to a stage of typical loss you had before, but will also
increase speed of the loss so that this withdrawal effects will leave you at a worse stage than you would have without ever using it in the first place (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1355180).


here is a chronological compilation of my hairline receding during the years:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/48477441@N06/15014411663/

and this is my final, current state (wet hair after showering)

https://www.flickr.com/photos/48477441@N06/15783471425/

Would love to hear your opinions,

Darkar

[Trenblastoise]

I'd say it is a bad idea. My understanding of Minoxidil is, it works - but, it is something you will be on forever. I have seen several who takes it, gets good results. But, they shed a lot of hair in the earlier stages, and shedding hair makes it worse. So when they eventually go off, their hair is way worse than they began.

It does seem like you are thinning and receding some, but if it isn't too bad, you could easily get a solid hair transplant in the future. No need for drugs.

[blondetooth]

Rogaine/ Minox is just a temporary band aid and is a harsh chemical that is not healthy and only produces temporary results. Lots of bad sides with Minox, just google it and there are hundreds of thousands of complaints about this drug. Heart problems, wrinkles, blood pressure, dark eyes etc.

You are better off taking that is real and long lasting like a maintenience pill like Fin or Dut. Is a lot easier to pop a pill as well.

Here is a graph of the baseline after a while on Minox.



Fin graph, way better results

[Pboy101]

Hello Darkar. Regarding your curiosity with shedding hair on minoxidil, do not worry because, from what I've seen, the hair that sheds on meds will almost always grow back if you give it time, mine sure did. Your hairline has receded a little bit from the time you were 17 and you've lost the sharpness of the corners as they've become more round. There's no guarantee that they will stay there because you are still just 21 and it's already happening. If you really want to know if you have MPB, check with a dermatologist and he can tell you whether or not you have miniaturization (small, slow-growing, thin, lightly colored hair) at the corners which would be a sure sign of MPB. If you do have MPB, then yes getting off the meds would be bad because MPB is progressive and and you will have lost all that you've gain and possibly more in just a short time.

Regarding the meds themselves, minoxidil will give you some growth/regrowth but does nothing to stop the conversion of T -> DHT which is the real reason hair falls out and weakens over time. You need to take an antiandrogen like finasteride/dustasteride to stop hair loss in the long run. I'm 2 years older then you and my hair was similar to yours when I started finasteride + minoxidil. about 6 months in now I've rode through the shedding phase and regain some of my hairline and the sharpness at the corners and my hair is better now than it was before I started using the meds. Good luck.

[thedarkar]

First of, thank you very much for your great advice, all of you.
I definately appreciate it since Im really cofused at the moment.

I just looked for a dermatologist and will make an appointment soon.
Your graphs and illustrations really show me the importance of an antiandrogen, so my mind really shifts to Finasterid.

have any guys of you heard of http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ketoconazole ?
In the german community, a lot of people really belive in this as a topical antiandrogen with way less side effects than fin.

I would instantly take finasterid if there were not the side effects like sexual dysfunction, higher prostate cancer risk and possibly anxiety/depression.

In my mind its just not right for a healthy male to take antiandrogenes, thats why Im frightened.

Thanks in advance,
TheDarkar

[blondetooth]

if your worried about sides only %1 get sides, and they take 1mg.

.25 is still almost effective. 1mg is way too much.

[thedarkar]

Thats an excellent point, blondetooth.
So could I just start with a regular dose and if there are any side effects, just drop to 0,5 or 0,25 ?

For example, I start with 1 mg and notice erection problems (though hopefully that wont happen). If I just cut it down or even stop using, am I fine in the future or will the side effects last ?
I obviously dont want to get impotent at 21.

[blondetooth]

No need for 1mg. Save money, less sides, just plain better to take .25 - .5 because the effect is almost the same as 1mg.

[Pboy101]

Thats an excellent point, blondetooth.
So could I just start with a regular dose and if there are any side effects, just drop to 0,5 or 0,25 ?

For example, I start with 1 mg and notice erection problems (though hopefully that wont happen). If I just cut it down or even stop using, am I fine in the future or will the side effects last ?
I obviously dont want to get impotent at 21.

Do not get caught up with stories about impotency and get scared out of taking Fin. It is not a virus or mutation like AIDS or cancer; it cannot change or grow itself therefore it cannot stay in your system without you constantly taking Fin. Your body will flush it out in no time once you stop taking it and that is IF you get sides. I'm willing to bet the percentage of dudes that report permanent impotency are the same dudes that would have ED problems with or without Fin in the first place. The rewards far outweigh the risks (which, in my opinion, is nothing) so therefore I advice Fin. I personally have been on 1mg daily for the past 6 months and I still hump like a jackrabbit. Fin does not cause higher risk of prostate cancer, it actually reduces it because it's original purpose was to combat enlarged prostate and limit growth of prostate tumor. Check it here -- http://www.cancer.gov/newscenter/qa/2008/PCPTQandA

Regarding your question about Ketoconazole (Nizoral shampoo, available at any Walmart), I don't think it's FDA approved for hair loss (only Fin and Minox are) but there are enough studies to show that it does have anti-androgen properties and would be as effective as 2% Minoxidil. People often include it in the big 3 with it being the smallest of the big 3 (Fin, Min, Keto). I hope this helps, good luck.