Should make for an interesting study

[swingline747]

Yes, I certainly have considered a HT, long term that has to be the best way to go. That said, a lot of factors when thinking HT. I don't think I'm done losing my hair yet, not by a long stretch, the front part will eventually be completely gone and the back will keep receding at least 2 more inches. So are we talking multiple transplants? My hair is black, while thick in the donor areas, the individual hair is rather fine. From what I have read, my hair color/thickness with pale skin makes HT less effective. I still would like to go that direction eventually, but for the time being, finances forced my hand. My hair line had reached critical mass : ) I felt if I didn't do something now I would be relegated to HT only options. I just can't swing a HT right now, so I'm hoping the reduced dose of fin and other treatment will hinder the sides and give me some growth. I actually think I can grow a large % of what's missing back. I mean it depends on how different the result is from 1 MG vs .50 MG, but before, I responded extremely well, problem was I got that response with the sides.

Let me know how things go with a potential HT, I think for our hair line it can work, but I would plan the HT as if you were full horse shoe bald, because that's clearly where this is heading. I forget what they call that on the Norwood Scale, but eventually my front patch will fall out, the back will keep regressing further. When I do a HT, even if I have my front intact a little, I want to be very clear to the surgeon how the HT will look as my balding progresses. I certainly don't expect a miracle, but if I can do a HT one day, drop all meds and have some semblance of a hair line, I will be a very happy man.

cool man best luck.

Personally I want to start now. Im honestly a little better off than yours ATM so I want to go in for a few now so I wont go from stark bald to full head of hair overnight and healing will be easier. Plus all my consults said that starting now makes it easier to follow my natural hairline making it look better.

Have you been on any consults? I thought my hair was fine as well but through the magnification they actually showed me otherwise. I was told by them all my donor area was actually quite thick, dense and each follicle had multiple hairs coming out.

[MrJangles]

cool man best luck.

Personally I want to start now. Im honestly a little better off than yours ATM so I want to go in for a few now so I wont go from stark bald to full head of hair overnight and healing will be easier. Plus all my consults said that starting now makes it easier to follow my natural hairline making it look better.

Have you been on any consults? I thought my hair was fine as well but through the magnification they actually showed me otherwise. I was told by them all my donor area was actually quite thick, dense and each follicle had multiple hairs coming out.

Good for you, I wish you the best of luck!

I wish I started earlier. It was sort of denial until my mid 20's, great results with treatments, but not willing to take on the sides. I sort of gave up, but man, I just feel like I'm looking at a completely different person in the mirror these days. Just not somebody who can pull off a bald look at all.

So I'm on round two of treatment, dialed down and with some benefits of Zinc that I previously didn't try and still side free, but with an understanding that sides can take forever to show. Most encouraging thing I'm seeing is the soldiers are still looking normal. That's when I knew beyond any doubt I had sides before. Semen basically looked like water. Still very normal looking, everything is still very normal.

I'm not a doc, but I have done a lot of reading and I think part of the problem is an increase of estrogen in the body while on fin. Certainly sides aren't that simple, but Zinc in the dose I'm taking essentially blocks excessive conversion to estrogen, at least so I have read and again, this is a very rudimentary opinion. It just worked so well in recovering and has done the job so far, I'm going to bow to Zinc until it shows otherwise.

Eventually I will get the transplant. Hoping this will buy me a few years.

[MrJangles]

Just under 2 months in with .50 Fin daily and Nizoral 2 times a week
4 1/2 months with Minox Foam.
30-60 MG Zinc Per Day

Shedding persists, but screw it. Look at this, 2 months on .50 Fin, CLEARLY from the initial photo it's already a substantial improvement. Getting really excited as I know the last time around I saw the big gains toward the one year mark. As for shedding, embrace it guys. It's just logical, new, larger hair can't grow in your hairs existing root. The shedding and growth phases are what gives you thicker hair. Thicker hair can't grow in unless the old weaker hair falls out. This process repeats over and over and thicker hairs grow in. So I say embrace the shed as I feel it a sign of someone who will respond well (yes I know it's scary as heck at first).

Bad news, I saw my first sign of a symptom. Remember from my earlier posts, I have been on Fin before at 1 MG and got sides pretty bad. In any event the bade news really isn't bad news. Little watery semen, not even every time. Just noticed it look like the last time around on fin right about last week. So just under 2 months for that to show. No problems with anything else. Manhood works fine, no other sexual sides. I don't care if my semen turns into water so long as I grow hair and my junk works, so full steam ahead!

Here is the latest photo, taken 11/3, I also have shorter hair here, but it can be hard to tell.

[swingline747]

Just under 2 months in with .50 Fin daily and Nizoral 2 times a week
4 1/2 months with Minox Foam.
30-60 MG Zinc Per Day

Shedding persists, but screw it. Look at this, 2 months on .50 Fin, CLEARLY from the initial photo it's already a substantial improvement. Getting really excited as I know the last time around I saw the big gains toward the one year mark. As for shedding, embrace it guys. It's just logical, new, larger hair can't grow in your hairs existing root. The shedding and growth phases are what gives you thicker hair. Thicker hair can't grow in unless the old weaker hair falls out. This process repeats over and over and thicker hairs grow in. So I say embrace the shed as I feel it a sign of someone who will respond well (yes I know it's scary as heck at first).

Bad news, I saw my first sign of a symptom. Remember from my earlier posts, I have been on Fin before at 1 MG and got sides pretty bad. In any event the bade news really isn't bad news. Little watery semen, not even every time. Just noticed it look like the last time around on fin right about last week. So just under 2 months for that to show. No problems with anything else. Manhood works fine, no other sexual sides. I don't care if my semen turns into water so long as I grow hair and my junk works, so full steam ahead!

Here is the latest photo, taken 11/3, I also have shorter hair here, but it can be hard to tell.

cool man keep it up, good luck.

I started shedding like CRAZY the instant I strted NIZ so Im hoping some thicker nicer hairs are on their way and Im not totally screwed.

[MrJangles]

cool man keep it up, good luck.

I started shedding like CRAZY the instant I strted NIZ so Im hoping some thicker nicer hairs are on their way and Im not totally screwed.

Thanks!

It's scary but I wouldn't worry. Niz is gold. You will never notice a hair shed for a dead follicle. You don't see the hair at it's final stage, it becomes so miniaturized it just shrinks into nothing. What you're shedding you will at the very least grow back. Likely, you will grow back a thicker more mature follicle. The shedding is a necessary process to make room for a thicker larger follicle. But again, rest assured, the hair you're seeing will certainly grow back.

[MrJangles]

Ok, so mini update and curious what peoples opinions are.

This treatment is going well, beyond well. When I take comparative photos I can see differences within weeks, not months, weeks. Actually you might as well remove the "s" on that, every 7 days I take a pic, every 7 days it looks more filled in. I never thought it would be possible at this point to fill in my entire balding area. I still don't think it's possible and I never started Propecia again to accomplish that, but at this rate of progress if it should sustain at it's current pace, in one year I will have no bald spot anymore. It's coming in that fast.

With that in mind, do you think the fact that I've taken Propecia before is having any impact on the speed of these results? It's been several years, I just don't seem to recall it moving this fast prior, yet then again I didn't take pictures every week either. Further, if in fact I can fill in that entire spot (not as in zero balding) but fill in the clear area in the front that is so drastically forgone, would you consider that one of the more successful non surgical treatments you have seen? I haven't seen any pictures from REALLY strong respondents to even have a basis to make a judgement on that. As is I'm totally pumped. This is all at .50 MG no less.

Here is the latest picture 11/18. The previous photo looks like some serious vellus growth coming in, this one you can tell some of that vellus growth has gone terminal. My hair is soaked in this photo, as it has been to some degree for all the photos, but this is literally right out of the shower. Again, crazy, I'm closer to 2 months of treatment then even 3 months at this point.

[Rebma]

If you have sides. try this take 0.15 mg fin or 0.25 fin twice a day. Generally whatever the dosage is that you take and had sides with - take half the dosage twice a day. If you have problems with this, cut that in half again. Problems with that? consider a different alternative than propecia.

I suggest this because of the kinetics of fin. The amount of fin in your body decays exponentially. Therefore, everytime you take 1 mg of fin you are essentially shocking your system and this decays rapidly. If you take fin twice a day at a lower dose - it is in your body for longer giving you a better baseline, but there will be less of an initial shock. Ultimately, this gives you a longer baseline but less intense shock. If this doesnt work propecia simply isnt good for your system

I am a chemist, not an MD so this is not medical advice. This is just a suggestion based on decay kinetics

[MrJangles]

If you have sides. try this take 0.15 mg fin or 0.25 fin twice a day. Generally whatever the dosage is that you take and had sides with - take half the dosage twice a day. If you have problems with this, cut that in half again. Problems with that? consider a different alternative than propecia.

I suggest this because of the kinetics of fin. The amount of fin in your body decays exponentially. Therefore, everytime you take 1 mg of fin you are essentially shocking your system and this decays rapidly. If you take fin twice a day at a lower dose - it is in your body for longer giving you a better baseline, but there will be less of an initial shock. Ultimately, this gives you a longer baseline but less intense shock. If this doesnt work propecia simply isnt good for your system

I am a chemist, not an MD so this is not medical advice. This is just a suggestion based on decay kinetics

I had sides at 1MG several years ago, stopped using it all together. Now I take .50 MG daily, no sides (as of now), with fantastic results. I understand what you're saying, I appreciate your insight especially with that type of background. As of now I'm doing well and will keep the routine I have. It would be difficult to split a Fin tab 4 separate ways and have any consistency to the dosage amount. As is breaking in half, I probably take .65 one day, .35 another, .50 another, .45 another. Certainly not an exact science.

[inspects]

Your hair has made a remarkable recovery, this stuff works, and its all we have.

[MrJangles]

Your hair has made a remarkable recovery, this stuff works, and its all we have.

Thank you, it's been extremely encouraging documenting this. I was also hoping to show that lower dosages can produce good results and less sides, which so far is well ahead of my expectations.