Sorry for all the questions

[inspects]

Saw my GP, no sympathy there and the usual 'There's a lot worse things than losing your hair' speech which I really don't need, Worse than that, I went to see a dermatologist who I paid £180GB for the privilege of being told 'When you're older you won't even care about it, use Regaine'. And that angered me loads, People just don't get it. I don't suppose it helped that he had little hair on his head, and you would maybe expect that from him, I don't know, but not for that money, Some people just really don't get the effect it can have.

Misery,

Why don't you get a transplant?

[mpb47]

We are close to the same age and I agree it sucks to start losing hair so late in the game. People don't believe it can still be embarrassing at 40+ but it is.

Hairloss can be fast or slow or in my case mostly slow but at times fast. It sounds like you are in the fast mode at the moment and when I was at that point, minox was not enough as it also took propecia to stop and reverse it.

I would start at a low dosage and gradually ramp up.

Just remember it can take a long time to work. In my case it took 9 months before I saw it working in the crown. There is no reason to give up just because you are 40+ like some people would want you to do. Medicine really works but you must be patient. For the past several generations, all the men on my mothers side have lost their hair in the same pattern. And I was losing my hair just like them , UNTIL I went on meds. My crown pattern was looking just like my uncles till I went on meds. The funny thing is his daughter is Always saying something about my hair...like she suspects I must be on something to still have it. Yesterday was no exception. As I was leaving Christmas eve dinner she said how good my hair looked and how I was lucky to have so much hair for a guy my age. Like its normal to be bald or something..no thanks..will keep it as long as I can. Good luck and remember to keep at it and not give up if things don't improve right away...
Happy holidays!

[john2399]

Dam these 40+ year olds that come on here miserable about hairloss piss me off. I started losing it at 16 years old. I don't understand what is so bad when you lose your hair around 40 years old, when everyone around that age is losing their hair to some degree. Life ain't hard for a balding 40 year old.

[mpb47]

Dam these 40+ year olds that come on here miserable about hairloss piss me off. I started losing it at 16 years old. I don't understand what is so bad when you lose your hair around 40 years old, when everyone around that age is losing their hair to some degree. Life ain't hard for a balding 40 year old.

You sound like my cousin. Why do you think it is normal/ok to bald at 40?

[Tracy C]

Why do you think it is normal/ok to bald at 40?

Sadly, it is normal for males to have lost hair by the age of 40. What is even more sad is these young guys who think they are balding in their teens and twenties when in all reality most of them only have the natural and normal adult mature male hair line going on. What is even more sad than that is the fact that they guys convince each other that there is no such thing as the natural and normal adult mature male hair line. Then they waist their lives away worrying about it. So very sad.

[Tracy C]

Dam these 40+ year olds that come on here miserable about hairloss piss me off.

This should not tick you off. MPB and FPB hurts. It does not matter how old you are - it still hurts. Shame on you.

[Exodus]

Tracy I really do admire your confidence and down-to-earth approach when it comes to baldness. You'e fought your own personal battle and still come across as a clear headed person to seek advice from.

I do think there is a lot of worry and people can't be blamed for that (look at my first post), but she's right, there does have to be a point when you draw the line and carry on.

[Misery]

Thanks for all your replies, I didn't think being depressed in your 40s would piss off people losing it in their 20s, and for you to say you'd be happy to lose it by then and basically saying... 'you've had your life', Let's see how you feel when you get there and if you'll be happy to lose it. I guarantee you won't.

For you guys, and lady, who have responded and stuck up for me on this thread I salute you, and appreciate it. Depression because of hair loss is crappy, despite your age, or sex. It hurts at any age... Obviously I'm not talking pensionable age here but none of us know how we will feel when we get to that age either.

john2399, why you should be pissed off and think it's only about your age is beyond me. FYI, you're wrong, I unfortunately am surrounded by people of my age and older who have loads of thick hair, and when I see them and they think it's hilarious to take the piss out of me losing mine, it hurts, even if I TRY to pretend it doesn't in front of them, behind closed doors is another story and It really does.

[Jcm800]

I hear you Misery - i've got an older bro who's 48 - hasn't lost a single hair from his head - loves calling me 'follically challenged' piss's me off deeply, hairloss hurts whatever age you are, if you care about your appearance.

[Misery]

Wow that was a lot but I am going to try to touch on everything, starting with quitting smoking...

Though it may seem contradictory, giving up smoking may have induced a temporary shed as your hair follicles are being fed clean blood now. If that is the case, the hair that shed out should start growing back in a few months or so.

The hormone that triggers hereditary hair loss is DHT, not testosterone itself.

The two proven medications that are FDA approved to stop hereditary hair loss and regrow some lost hair are Propecia (Finasteride) and Rogaine/Regaine (Minoxidil). Between those two, Finasteride is the most important because it blocks the formation of the hormone that triggers hereditary hair loss (DHT). Minoxidil stimulates hair that can grow back to grow back. These medications work very well when used together along with Nizoral shampoo. This regimen is know as "The Big 3".

Nizoral shampoo should only be used once a week. If you can get the 1% version, you can use that up to twice per week - but not more often than that. Over using nizoral or any other Ketoconazole shampoo can make your hair loss worsen.

The other shampoo's you have mention are just other brands that contain Ketoconazole as an active ingredient. The amount of Ketoconazole that is in those other brands is in question and has not been legitimately confirmed.

It is a good idea to replace your regular shampoo and conditioner with sulfate free shampoo and conditioner. If you use Nizoral only once per week as you should, your exposure to the sulfates in it is insignificant.

It is a good idea to ramp up to your doses slowly over time. This is generally true of almost every medication. So your thinking is on the right track there.

It takes a really long time to treat hereditary hair loss. If you started on full doses today it typically takes a full 12 months before you will know if your treatment is doing you any good. Obviously if you are ramping up that will take longer - but ramping up is still a very good idea. Try not to think about it during that time. Just move on with your life as best you can while you are treating it and hope for the best.

I do not know what kind of concealer you have been using but I do know that Dermmatch does not cause hair loss to worsen.

The safety and efficacy of RU is questionable. There is no good data available concerning the safety and efficacy of RU. Many young guys have jumped on the RU bandwagon - many of whom don't even have MPB. They post "before and after" pictures that look exactly the same - so this muddy's up the available info even further.

Did that touch on everything?

Thanks for this, appreciate the time to respond, Dermmatch and Nanogen. I don't know for sure, but it does seem to have maybe speeded it up...
I used to be on the 1% but they discontinued making it for some reason? And it was better for me I believe, at that time

Hey .

Dont be sorry. The only stupid question is the one we dont ask.

I am 46 years old and just opted for my first hair transplant.

Post up some photos of your head so we can see what is going on for you dude.

There are folks on here who are experts who can tell you what your next move is.

Thanks

I dont recall the guy trying to insult anyone. He came here because he is worried about his hair loss. Just like everyone else.

To him, its devastating. Thats all we need to know. We dont need to compare it to other guys losing their hair earlier or later. Its not about them.

This case is about this guy. Lets try to help him.

Thank you again!

We are close to the same age and I agree it sucks to start losing hair so late in the game. People don't believe it can still be embarrassing at 40+ but it is.

Hairloss can be fast or slow or in my case mostly slow but at times fast. It sounds like you are in the fast mode at the moment and when I was at that point, minox was not enough as it also took propecia to stop and reverse it.

I would start at a low dosage and gradually ramp up.

Just remember it can take a long time to work. In my case it took 9 months before I saw it working in the crown. There is no reason to give up just because you are 40+ like some people would want you to do. Medicine really works but you must be patient. For the past several generations, all the men on my mothers side have lost their hair in the same pattern. And I was losing my hair just like them , UNTIL I went on meds. My crown pattern was looking just like my uncles till I went on meds. The funny thing is his daughter is Always saying something about my hair...like she suspects I must be on something to still have it. Yesterday was no exception. As I was leaving Christmas eve dinner she said how good my hair looked and how I was lucky to have so much hair for a guy my age. Like its normal to be bald or something..no thanks..will keep it as long as I can. Good luck and remember to keep at it and not give up if things don't improve right away...
Happy holidays!

Thank you, what dosage are you on now, and start at, do you still do Minox?