Need help knowing where to start.

[Thinningman]

I am 38 years old and my hairline has been receding for a number of years and it is also thinning in the crown area. Do you think it is worth my while to start on a Minox shampoo or am I too far past that option? I am planning to talk with my GP Physician but don't expect them to be extensively knowledgeable in this area. How would I go about finding a specialist in my area? I have read many posts on this site and there is a wealth of knowledge and it appears that many treatments work for some but not for others. I just need some advice on where to start as I have put this off long enough. I would rather not look at surgical options at this point but would consider it later on if all else fails. I am ok with the way my hair is now so really would like to keep from losing more and if I get some back than I would consider that a bonus. Thank you for any information you can provide.

[Artista]

You might not have to have surgery. Talk to those who have experience with Minox' .. I have been considering Finasteride because history shows it to be the best non- surgical treatment for hair loss at this time.. There WILL be very good regenerative treatments available later on. Good luck

[Thinningman]

Thank you very much for the quick reply. Is Finasteride only available by prescription at this time? If so, how does one convince a GP Physician that it is what you "need" or would like to try? I have read about the big three; is this something you think I should push for right off or is it likely better to start with one at a time?

[Artista]

Thinning' your welcomed ,, we will need an experienced member to answer that question my friend. I have yet to ask my GP

[Notcoolanymore]

Holy crap! I am pretty much in the same boat as you are. I am 36yo, same balding pattern. Except I have been cutting my hair pretty short for the past 7 or 8 years. Buzz it with a #2 or #3 clipper. I started my battle with MPB about 2 1/2 months ago. Started with minoxidil, then a couple of weeks later added Regenpure shampoo. I use the shampoo as much as possible, but usually have to mix in an anti dandruff shampoo here and there. Minox has given me some flaking unfortunately. Shortly after starting on Regenpure shampoo I started using a microneedle roller. Supposedly this helps with the absorption of minox. If you decide to try minox, be prepared for some shedding. I was hit pretty hard by it.

It took me a while to finally start taking finasteride. Heard all the horror stories about it, but finally decided to give it a try. I talked to my GP about my hairloss and wanting to do something about it. He pretty much told me to just deal with it. I pressed the issue and asked him why he didn't recommend fin. My health, effectiveness, etc.? His main concern just seemed to be the price and life long commitment that you have to have once you start taking these drugs. I told him if there was a minimal health risk, and I was healthy enough to take it, then I would like to give it a try. He wrote me a prescription for a year. $67.99 for generic. I have been taking it for about 3 weeks now. There are cheaper options online if you want to go that route. I have some on order, but if they don't get here on time, I might have to bite the bullet and pay another 67.99 at the pharmacy.

I think it is way to early to say if Fin is doing anything for me. So I attribute the results I have up until this point to Minox. My results have been ok. No, I do not have a full head of hair, but at the very least, things have not gotten worse. I have baseline pics and have taken pics about every 30 days. Will be posting before and after pics within the next couple of months.

Good luck

[Thinningman]

Thanks for replying as you have the same problems as I. You said your Minox shedding was pretty bad so that does worry me a bit. Has your shedded hair grown back and if so; how long did it take? Do you use Minox in a shampoo or other form? I will likely push for the Fin also with my GP but, like others, am a little concerned about the side effects. I look forward to seeing your pics as I may end up with similar results. They say that Fin results take quite a bit of time to notice but I suspect negative side effects would show up pretty quickly. Thanks again for the reply and hope your plan works well for you.

[Notcoolanymore]

I just took another quick look at my baseline pics and they were actually worse than yours. I will be hitting the 3 month mark of treating with minoxidil in about 2-3 weeks so I will post pics at that point. I have only been on fin for 26 days now, so keep that in mind. My head was pretty much buzzed before I started anything so looking at the pics you can barely notice my initial shed, but I would see it in my hands during washing and applying minox. I am not an expert on fighting hairloss, but don't be discouraged by minox because of the possibility of a shed. I have heard some guys around here that shed from fin alone.

As far as regrowth after shedding. It can vary. My two month pics actually surprised me a bit, because it looked I had some pretty good improvement. Lighting was different though so I don't want to get too excited. I will take my 3 month pics under same lighting and hairlength.

I use kirkland generic minoxidil. I bought the foam from costco for about $49 for a six month supply. I also bought the liquid type online for about $30 for a six month supply. I prefer the liquid(for no good reason) over the foam, but it does leave your hair/head a bit greasy looking for a bit. So if I am planning on leaving the house in a hurry, I just use the foam since it dries faster.

I use a shampoo called Regenepure. It is a shampoo that contains ketoconazole, which is suppose to have some good stuff in it to fight hairloss. I got mine from Amazon for about $25.

As far as fin goes, don't focus on the sides too much. You will only scare yourself away from trying something that might actually give you positive results. Just take it and don't worry about sides. If unfortunately you get some then just stop using it at that time. Hope this helps.

[Thinningman]

Thanks a bunch for the information; I think I will try a similar route with the minox product and look into the shampoo you mentioned. I am going to talk with my Dr. about a prescription for the Finasteride. There is a lot of discussion about it online and it seems to affect people differently so I don't think it will hurt to give it a shot and if I end up on the negative side than at least I will know. Thanks again for your help and look forward to seeing your progress.