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Hi everyone. I am a 21 year old male. So over the past 6 or so months I've noticed my hairline is thinning. Now I want to do something about it before it gets worse. I went to the doctor and my bloodwork is all normal, so it's not any kind of vitamin deficiency or testosterone problem. I've started using Nizoral shampoo, taking a mens once a day vitamin, fish oil, and hair skin and nails vitamin and hopefully that would restore some thickness.
I don't want to take propecia because of the side effects (I already have some problems that the side effects would just make worse). I haven't started Minoxidal because I am unsure of the long term side effects (my physician told me it could cause prostate cancer, although a dermatologist has told me that he's never heard of that). Plus, I'm a little reluctant to start using a cream that I will have to use my whole life, especially if the effects are known to wear off after 5 or so years.
I have looked in to Nioxin packages, but the dermatologist told me the results are iffy and to stick with the Nizoral because it blocks the DHT. Also, i have read that the Nioxin works well with women, but for men it doesnt do much, although one guy I know did see some results with it, but he doesn't use it religously.
Right now, I am researching the hairmax laser comb. Again, it's one of those products that research doesn't help much. I don't know if there are any longterm side effects, or about the results. The problem with looking through reviews online is that there are just as many negative reviews for the positive reviews. It just leaves me with more unanswered questions for the lasercomb, minoxidil, and Nioxin.
Baldness does run with the men in my family (my grandfather on my moms side didn't lose all of his hair, dads father did). My uncles (both sides) and Dad have all lost hair, but it didn't start for anyone until they were in their late thirties/early forties. My mothers hair also started thinning out at 56 years old. I am the only one whose hair has started thinning this early. My older brother (28) has had no sign of thinning.
Besides the confusion over which product is the best, I still question the reason for my thinning hair. Not only am I the only one known to start losing hair so early, but I haven't been that nice to my hair over the years. This is the first time in 3 years that I've had a short haircut. For years my hair has been varied long lengths (longest has been to my shoulders, shortest was bangs to about my eyebrows). My hair is wavy, so for three years I have been straightening my hair everyday (with a straightner, not chemicals), and the thinning parts of my hair are where I concentrated the straghtening the most (I liked my bangs to be very straight). I have been reading a lot about how the heat from the straightner could thin out the hair, but it could restore itself once you stop. I am curious to see if now that I haven't straightened my hair in about 3 months and won't touch it with heat ever again, if it will restore some of it's thickness. I know that it could take up to a year for the burnt out hair to repair itself, but I'm afraid of it getting worse if I just wait and don't do something about the thinning. I assume that minoxidal could aid in the process of repairing it, but the fact that it's effects go away once you stop using it make me worried. If I start using it to help repair my hair, and it works, whose to say that it all won't thin out again once I am happy with the results and stop using it?
Some pictures from when my hair was long (or from where I had long bangs) showed that it was a bit thin, but not as obvious as it is now (although, I'll admit, it's not as obvious to people that aren't looking at it every ten minutes like I am. Barbers notice it though, especially on the left side where it's the most thin and shallow looking. Either it has gotten worse, or the long hair helped disguise it better). When I cut it short, I started using hair gel/mouse that I washed out daily, which I know also causes thin hair (plus my hair gets oily quickly so I had to wash it daily), and I still straghtened some parts of the front. I've now started showering only three times a week with Nizoral and am using dry shampoo between showers. Haven't touched the straightner in three months, hopefully it will get better.
If I do start using some products to attack the thinning, I am leaning more towards the lasercomb. Does anyone know about any longterm side effects or how well it works? (Also does its results go away once you stop using it like minoxidil?) I've read it works best when you just start losing hair, which is the stage I'm at right now.
I know I covered a lot here, but this is all the factors that I've been dealing with. If my hair is thinning, and not just damaged, I want to start doing something about it before it gets worse. Both my physician and dermatologist don't really give me much help when I ask questions. The dermatologist was just trying to get out the door and my physician just told me to get a hair transplant because it's cheaper in the longrun as oppossed to spending money monthy on minoxidil. Please, please help. Any help or advice is greatly appreciated. Sorry for all the paragraphs lol
I don't want to take propecia because of the side effects (I already have some problems that the side effects would just make worse). I haven't started Minoxidal because I am unsure of the long term side effects (my physician told me it could cause prostate cancer, although a dermatologist has told me that he's never heard of that). Plus, I'm a little reluctant to start using a cream that I will have to use my whole life, especially if the effects are known to wear off after 5 or so years.
I have looked in to Nioxin packages, but the dermatologist told me the results are iffy and to stick with the Nizoral because it blocks the DHT. Also, i have read that the Nioxin works well with women, but for men it doesnt do much, although one guy I know did see some results with it, but he doesn't use it religously.
Right now, I am researching the hairmax laser comb. Again, it's one of those products that research doesn't help much. I don't know if there are any longterm side effects, or about the results. The problem with looking through reviews online is that there are just as many negative reviews for the positive reviews. It just leaves me with more unanswered questions for the lasercomb, minoxidil, and Nioxin.
Baldness does run with the men in my family (my grandfather on my moms side didn't lose all of his hair, dads father did). My uncles (both sides) and Dad have all lost hair, but it didn't start for anyone until they were in their late thirties/early forties. My mothers hair also started thinning out at 56 years old. I am the only one whose hair has started thinning this early. My older brother (28) has had no sign of thinning.
Besides the confusion over which product is the best, I still question the reason for my thinning hair. Not only am I the only one known to start losing hair so early, but I haven't been that nice to my hair over the years. This is the first time in 3 years that I've had a short haircut. For years my hair has been varied long lengths (longest has been to my shoulders, shortest was bangs to about my eyebrows). My hair is wavy, so for three years I have been straightening my hair everyday (with a straightner, not chemicals), and the thinning parts of my hair are where I concentrated the straghtening the most (I liked my bangs to be very straight). I have been reading a lot about how the heat from the straightner could thin out the hair, but it could restore itself once you stop. I am curious to see if now that I haven't straightened my hair in about 3 months and won't touch it with heat ever again, if it will restore some of it's thickness. I know that it could take up to a year for the burnt out hair to repair itself, but I'm afraid of it getting worse if I just wait and don't do something about the thinning. I assume that minoxidal could aid in the process of repairing it, but the fact that it's effects go away once you stop using it make me worried. If I start using it to help repair my hair, and it works, whose to say that it all won't thin out again once I am happy with the results and stop using it?
Some pictures from when my hair was long (or from where I had long bangs) showed that it was a bit thin, but not as obvious as it is now (although, I'll admit, it's not as obvious to people that aren't looking at it every ten minutes like I am. Barbers notice it though, especially on the left side where it's the most thin and shallow looking. Either it has gotten worse, or the long hair helped disguise it better). When I cut it short, I started using hair gel/mouse that I washed out daily, which I know also causes thin hair (plus my hair gets oily quickly so I had to wash it daily), and I still straghtened some parts of the front. I've now started showering only three times a week with Nizoral and am using dry shampoo between showers. Haven't touched the straightner in three months, hopefully it will get better.
If I do start using some products to attack the thinning, I am leaning more towards the lasercomb. Does anyone know about any longterm side effects or how well it works? (Also does its results go away once you stop using it like minoxidil?) I've read it works best when you just start losing hair, which is the stage I'm at right now.
I know I covered a lot here, but this is all the factors that I've been dealing with. If my hair is thinning, and not just damaged, I want to start doing something about it before it gets worse. Both my physician and dermatologist don't really give me much help when I ask questions. The dermatologist was just trying to get out the door and my physician just told me to get a hair transplant because it's cheaper in the longrun as oppossed to spending money monthy on minoxidil. Please, please help. Any help or advice is greatly appreciated. Sorry for all the paragraphs lol
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