Another thread, this time very concerned...

[r82]

Basically ive made a few threads on here, trying to get answers like most.

I have no idea what is going on, 9 weeks i never knew i was even going bald or had ever thought of it, now my full hair has just gone? in 9 weeks? seriously, my scalp is burning a lot and itchy at times. I have just shaved it off as i cant live with it anymore. Im 29year old and i hope i get too 30 tbh.

I will put pics up here now the last one, with a light shining on it was taken tonight. I had a 2 last week to just try forget about all this. Im honestly depressed, never ever been this down from being a social person to now a recloose, i barely see my friends, and i dont want to see anyone, thankfully my job is from home so im glad about that at least. Im usually a happy go lucky kind of guy on the whole (have had history with depression but no one outside my close friends family would know).. Always done well with girls without being big headed, now i wouldnt even speak to one tbh.

my questions are :

Can you literally go from normal to this in 9 weeks? Is this 100% mpb? ive been on procepia for 4weeks now, lot of good this is doing.

Any help would be great, as i just honestly cant go on like this... and nor want too. anyone thinks im being dramatic, i know maybe i am, there is a lot more important things than this and i agree, but i cant help how i feel. Sorry to those i offend, but this is turning into serious depression ( i have suffered in the past)...

pics:
pic 1. september 20th
long hair about 2 weeks after i noticed it was maybe thinning? At this time i got my hair dyed brown and it burnt a lot in the saloon as was left on too long, no idea if this is relavant but the same burning i had then is there now on my scalp, also at this time my mother had a stroke this was the same time i noticed anything.

http://s1181.photobucket.com/albums/x424/rrrrrrrrrr8/?action=view&current=111105-211254.jpg#!oZZ3QQcurrentZZhttp%3A%2F%2Fs1181.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fx424%2Frrrrrrrrrr8%2F%3Faction%3Dview%26current%3DPicture0044.jpg

pic 2.

september 24th

i shaved it too a 3 grade as felt i just cope better.

http://s1181.photobucket.com/albums/x424/rrrrrrrrrr8/?action=view&current=111105-211254.jpg#!oZZ4QQcurrentZZhttp%3A%2F%2Fs1181.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fx424%2Frrrrrrrrrr8%2F%3Faction%3Dview%26current%3DPicture0051.jpg

pic 3

november 1st

shaved it too a 2 grade, as again im losing the bloody plot.

http://s1181.photobucket.com/albums/x424/rrrrrrrrrr8/?action=view&current=111105-211254.jpg#!oZZ2QQcurrentZZhttp%3A%2F%2Fs1181.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fx424%2Frrrrrrrrrr8%2F%3Faction%3Dview%26current%3D111102-125836.jpg

pic 4 .

tonight november 5th ( 4 week on procepia) my hair on top is so thin all over now, it feels like nothing there. My doctor is a nice doctor but doesnt really know about this, and more a less just gave me the procepia when i asked for it. Yes this is in the light and it is just over a 2 grade on a shave, but its like i have a full bald patch in like a landing strip right down my head?

http://s1181.photobucket.com/albums/x424/rrrrrrrrrr8/?action=view&current=111105-211254.jpg#!oZZ1QQcurrentZZhttp%3A%2F%2Fs1181.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fx424%2Frrrrrrrrrr8%2F%3Faction%3Dview%26current%3D111105-211254.jpg

the weird thing is ive not noticed hairs really, apart from the odd few, yeah i know its short now but it hasnt been that short and ive still not. where has the hair gone?

I asked my doctor to see a Dermatolgist, and i cant get in until December 15th. Great. By then ill be bald. If he says im going bald fine, ill deal with it. But for me this has happened way to fast, i dunno im convinced there's summat wrong with my scalp in general?

am i just kidding myself? how fast can you go bald? whats the fastest someone has?

any help be great, sorry for the bit of rant im not a good place right now.

cheers

[r82]

as we speak my hair is itchy and feels like bugs are crawling in my hair its horrible, could this simple be just balding occuring?

[r82]

one more thing, the top of the scalp is very patchy, where there's more hair and where there is less (the big landing strip wasnt there as bad last time i shaved my head 6 weeks ago) its so sore as well but not sure i can see any red or rash in that respect.

cheers

[Tracy C]

You need therapy. Your hair loss is not that bad and should be treatable.

If you are not using Nizoral yet, start.

Get yourself to a doctor.

Get yourself to a therapist - and soon!

Stressing over it the way you are is going to make your hair fall out.

[mattj]

You do appear to have typical diffuse pattern hairloss, where the hair is lost over the entire top of the scalp. Sometimes the onset can be sudden and it can progress fast. The process would've started sometime before you first noticed it, so we might be talking at least three months ago. Unfortunately this sort of speed is not unheard of.

Sufferers of male pattern baldness do often report itchy sensations on the scalp.

You've been very pro-active in starting treatment early and hopefully you'll respond well. You might want to consider adding Minoxidil (AKA Rogaine or Regaine in the UK) to the battle as this can do a good job at re-growing hair.

Although it's good that you're seeing a dermatologist, I imagine they will determine that you have male pattern baldness and you've already begun the best treatment for this, so waiting for your appointment, although frustrating, will not have any negative consequences.

[r82]

Thanks for fast reply.

Right, i love your honesty and frank assessment. Yeah its just been so confusing, and i guess it can happen so fast.

I have been told by most to give the procepia a go for 6month to a year first before using rogaine? is this wise? or should i 100% act now? as i will.

Couple more questions if you dont mind:

1> Ever since i started Procepia is seems to have thinned a lot more i think, is this normal?

2> If Procepia was to work what should i expect?

3> Will it shed like crazy when i start on Rogaine?

4> Will the niz shampoo help?

thanks again i so needed answers.

[Tracy C]

Couple more questions if you dont mind:

1> Ever since i started Procepia is seems to have thinned a lot more i think, is this normal?

3> Will it shed like crazy when i start on Rogaine?

Shedding is associated with every treatment for hair loss that actually works. What that means is that you can have shedding with both Propecia or Rogaine, not just Rogaine. The reason is because shedding is a normal and necessary part of treating hair loss. The hairs in the weak shrunken follicles shed out of the way as the weak shrunken follicles are re-enlarging and returning to normal. The shedding stops when those weak shrunken follicles have returned to close to normal.

How much you will shed depends on mow many of your hair follicles were damaged by DHT. The more damaged hair follicles you have, the more you will shed. The less damaged hair follicles you have, the less you will shed.

2> If Procepia was to work what should i expect?

You will know if Propecia is working for you if your hair loss stops. This takes at least a year according to the manifacturer.

4> Will the niz shampoo help?

Yes Nizoral helps. Do not over use Nizoral though. Over using Nizoral will actually do more harm than good. If you are using the 2% prescription strength Nizoral, you only need to use it once per week in place of your regular shampoo. If you are using the 1% non-prescription strength Nizoral, you can use it twice per week in place of your regular shampoo. Also make sure to use a good quality moisturizing conditioner almost every day.

[mattj]

Thanks for fast reply.

Right, i love your honesty and frank assessment. Yeah its just been so confusing, and i guess it can happen so fast.

I have been told by most to give the procepia a go for 6month to a year first before using rogaine? is this wise? or should i 100% act now? as i will.

Couple more questions if you dont mind:

1> Ever since i started Procepia is seems to have thinned a lot more i think, is this normal?

2> If Procepia was to work what should i expect?

3> Will it shed like crazy when i start on Rogaine?

4> Will the niz shampoo help?

thanks again i so needed answers.

When you say "act now", do you mean stop the treatment? It's far too early to tell whether it's working for you.

Tracy C explained the shedding commonly induced by treatments. I'm not sure if that's what you're currently experiencing or if you are just continuing to lose hair at the same pace as before.

Personally I don't believe Nizoral is all that effective, but others would disagree.

[Tracy C]

Personally I don't believe Nizoral is all that effective, but others would disagree.

Maybe I should explain how I define "helps". Nizoral helps with itching and irritation associated with treatment, as well as ensuring a healthy scalp for treatment. I don't know if it is actually effecive as a treatment for hair loss or not.

[mattj]

Maybe I should explain how I define "helps". Nizoral helps with itching and irritation associated with treatment, as well as ensuring a healthy scalp for treatment. I don't know if it is actually effecive as a treatment for hair loss or not.

I see what you mean. Some users do find it causes dryness and irritation though. It depends on how well you tolerate it. In my opinion, it's not worth putting up with any negative effects in the hope that some benefit is being derived from it.

[r82]

thanks for all replies on this thread.

mattj do you think i should start on rogaine foam now? i had been advised on another thread to give fin 9-12months before going on that also?

thanks.

[Tracy C]

Your hair loss is not bad. You are in the early stages and this puts you in a great position to arrest it and possibly grow some back.

Talk to your doctor about Propecia (1mg Finasteride) or generic Finasteride. It is not my place to recommend Finasteride, but if you don't do anything to take control of DHT, you will be fighting a losing battle. Make sure to ask questions about the possible side effects. Make sure you understand the possible side effects. You can save a lot of money by asking the doctor to write the prescription for 5mg generic Finasteride and splitting the pills into four pieces. Take one piece daily.

I think you would benefit from Rogain foam and/or generic Minoxidil. I would recommend using Rogaine foam in the mornings and generic 5% Minoxidil liquid in the evenings. Rogaine foam is very stealthy but it is expensive. Minoxidil lquid is not stealthy but it is relatively inexpensive, especially the generic version. Here in the U.S., Walmart has the best price for generic Minoxidil liquid.

I feel using Nizoral A-D (1% Ketoconazole) shampoo once every three or four days is helpful. If you choose the prescription strength Nizoral (2% Ketoconazole) shampoo, use that only once per week unless your doctor has specifically told you to use it more often than that. Nizoral A-D shampoo is getting very hard to find so you may need to order it. I had to order my last bottle from CVS. I have read others ordering it through Walgreens.

I have had good experience with my laser comb. You might too. Hairmax has a 20 week money back guarantee. That is plenty of time to determine if low level laser therapy will improve your hair. If it does, great! If it doesn't, take advantage of that money back guarantee and get your money back.

Make sure to take good quality photos every two months. Get someone to help you take those photos and keep everything as consistent as possible; same poses, same lighting and so on. It is also a very good idea to maintain the same hair length for at least the first year you are treating your hair loss. This will make it easier for you to be able to tell if you are responding to treatment.

TLDR recap:

1) Talk to your doctor about Finasteride.

2) Start using Rogaine foam in the mornings and 5% Monixidil liquid in the evenings.

3) Start using Nizoral A-D shampoo every three or four days.

4) Give the laser comb a try.

5) Take good quality photos every two months to track your progress

[mattj]

thanks for all replies on this thread.

mattj do you think i should start on rogaine foam now? i had been advised on another thread to give fin 9-12months before going on that also?

thanks.

I couldn't find the post you're referring to, but I imagine you were advised to wait so that you can tell which treatment you are benefiting from to avoid needlessly using both. I accept the logic of that, but if your hairloss is as rapid as you think it is* then it's probably best to attack it with as much force as possible. Propecia and Rogaine act in different ways. Propecia blocks the hormone (DHT) which causes androgenic alopecia in men who are genetically predisposed to suffer from it. Rogaine is more of a growth stimulant. However, both treatments can result in regrowth.


*I can only go by what you've described and your photos. Your earliest photo shows you with longer hair which makes comparison tricky. I see no obvious difference between the photos that show you with short hair.

[r82]

I couldn't find the post you're referring to, but I imagine you were advised to wait so that you can tell which treatment you are benefiting from to avoid needlessly using both. I accept the logic of that, but if your hairloss is as rapid as you think it is* then it's probably best to attack it with as much force as possible. Propecia and Rogaine act in different ways. Propecia blocks the hormone (DHT) which causes androgenic alopecia in men who are genetically predisposed to suffer from it. Rogaine is more of a growth stimulant. However, both treatments can result in regrowth.


*I can only go by what you've described and your photos. Your earliest photo shows you with longer hair which makes comparison tricky. I see no obvious difference between the photos that show you with short hair.

Hi matt

thanks again for the reply. yeah i totally hear ya, i can see from the pics how it doesnt look a lot different. its hard now to know where it was then and where it is now. all i know the full top of the head hair is for sure thinner, in the light its kind of hollow. its mental because even with it being shaved i dont see where the hair has gone, not ever noticed much in shower or anything but its obv going somewhere.

im going to start on rogaine next week what the hell, im shaving my head at the mo to deal with it, some people say thats silly as i wont know if it has worked or not. way ill know when in a years time ill try grow it out and if its any better i will know and if its the same or worse well i gave it a try, not bothered about the money so be it.

ill keep you posted.

[Julius Caesar was bald]

I'm going to try nizoral soon as monoxidil makes my scalp itch like a son of a bitch. I'm currently using a shea butter and coconut oil leave in conditioner to keep the itching and dryness under control, but I'm pretty sure I have bacteria on my scalp that shouldn't be there. This is from years of wearing a hat to cover up baldness (this might be why hats sometimes are recommended against). The stuff says it kills the bacteria that cause dandruff, and the salycilic acid shampoos have not worked for me (I already had pretty bad dandruff before monoxidil and now its huge flakes).