18 old boy and thinning

[TheGabriel]

I'm having some thinning on the front and the temples, I'm currently on 1/5 of 5mg proscar and the itchness i had on the scalp is much less now.

I also bought Kirkland 5% minoxidil for 6 months but I've read that it's better to first take finasteride for 8 months and if you're not happy with the results, then take the minoxidil, this because if I start to take minoxidil and then stop it I'll lose my hair as it creates some dependency and I'll take 2 meds for the rest of my life while I could only take finasteride wich does not require too much work and you can take it anywhere.

Do you recommend to first take finasteride and then add minoxidil if necessary? I'm asking this because it makes sense to first try one and then add the other but I'm afraid the hair loss could get stronger and I just want to act as fast as I can to slow it.

I'm growing new hair in the front area of the scalp and some hair where before it was completely empty.

I've attached some pics, what do you suggest?

[Coligion]

For the most part, it seems like you've answered your own questions. If you start out by taking both medications simultaneously, you'll never knew which one is helping you the most. If you start one, but not the other, you may not receive both benefits. Personally, I would just stick with the Finasteride for 8 months and see where you are at. However, If you truly want to feel proactive, then by all means take both meds: some users claim that using both will have a "synergistic" effect on hairloss.

[TheGabriel]

I read too about the effect the synergistic effect they have together. I thought that minoxidil was just increasing blood circulation of the scalp but I read that it isn't true and that the real effect of the minoxidil has yet to be confirmed.

I wasn't considering to take minoxidil immediatelly because I was thinkin it's just more blood into the scalp but as they say at the link above other vasodilatator pills have not the same effect as minoxidil, so the fact that there could be something that only minoxidil can do even with a good blood circulation is making me consider to start also on minoxidil.

[akha]

Is it me or are you thinning at the back too? Might just be the lighting i spose, and the fact that your hair is short.

I would say try Finasteride for around 8 to 12 months and then if it is inneffective combine it with minoxidil.

[TheGabriel]

Yes, I had some small bald spots at the back, my parents said they were getting filled while on saw palmetto. I'm taking now both finasteride (1/4 proscar, about 1.25 mg so) and minoxidil from kirkland, I just want to treat everything at best and as fast as possible, I don't mind taking minox for years to come, maybe I'll get a hair transplant if needed and stop both propecia and proscar, who knows.

Right now I have no itchy scalp (under fina the itchy scalp i had before is much better), applying minox 5% doesn't get my scalp itchy (wich was a good surprise), just some kind of dandruff where I apply it, i use to wash a bit the zone after the minox is absorbed and it's ok.

I'll inform you guys how the treatment goes and if any side effects appear

[akha]

hmm thats strange
so you have diffuse unpatterned alopecia then?
has your doctor diagnosed this?

[Spex]

Hi there, stay with the meds and see how you go. Keep monitoring it. I would suggest not throwig too much at it so you can guage a control of how its going and what is actually working, or not.

Keep you mind busy and try not focus too much on it (i know its hard) but this will only help