MPB at 18? Tell me bluntly, am I going to be bald by the time I reach mid-20s?

[Swooping]

I don't want to derail his thread but as there's no option to pm, I'll have to do it this way.
Do you think RU+fin is overkill to start with? I wanted to do as much against balding as possible but I'm financially in a bit of a tough spot and RU, though it has gotten a lot cheaper over the years, is kind of expensive for me. Would I be able to drop the RU? I use 1mg ED and 70g RU / 2ml (3,5%), can't really use a higher dosage because of the price. I've been using RU at this concentration for over 4 months now and fin for approx 2 months.

I use minox too but that's not really relevant for this question I guess.

Yeah what these guys kinda said. If you use RU + FIN together that's incredibly potent. First you inhibt 5ar2 and inhibit serum DHT around 70%~. Then you antagonize the androgen receptor by using RU which blocks ~70% of all DHT again and probably 100% of all testosterone;

RU58841 is an androgen receptor (AR) inhibitor capable of blocking 70% of DHT binding. When compared with the antiandrogenic compound cyproterone acetate, RU58841 exhibited a 20% increase in AR binding.

Perhaps you'll do fine on finasteride alone, as mentioned. Nobody can know really. Some people do continue to worsen on finasteride but that's a small percentage. However if fin alone doesn't cut it for you, you can possible look into dutasteride too? The guys who don't maintain on finasteride sometimes go for dutasteride and often that helps again. Good luck !

[johnsmith]

And no need to 'sugarcoat' it if that's the case (I've seen how nice the people are here but a logical and truthfully laid out comment would be the best for me right now.

Many people on this forum like to keep hope, sugarcoat the truth, and keep believing that a cure is coming soon, but, you've asked for the truth and you deserve an honest answer. First, ignore all of the rosy outlooks about a cure that's "just around the corner" or "just five years away." That's just wishful thinking, but it's also insulting to one's intelligence.

I'm almost 48 years old and a NW4-5. I've been listening to the promises of a "cure" being "5 years away" since the mid 80s when I first started shedding and thinning. Of course, there are many more such promises now, but nothing substantial is in the pipeline. It's only hope and theories at this point. If it were anything more than that, we can be sure that it would be breaking news around the clock. We would know without a doubt. Instead, we see companies that emerge, make big promises, soak up investors' money, and disappear quietly into the night, only to be replaced by newer companies with "improved" ideas that never pan out.

Second, you asked if you will have MPB. No one on this forum knows. Seek advice from a dermatologist who specializes in hair loss, Nigguh.

What should you expect? Well, if you do lose your hair in the years ahead, expect to be treated very differently than if you had a full head of hair. When you wear a cap or hat, strangers will treat you normally. When you don't, they will either treat you very differently or avoid you entirely.

Expect to have a much harder time finding a woman worth having. Moreover, expect your self-confidence to take many major hits as a result. Bald or balding men are laughable in the eyes of most people. Most women worth having consider dating or being seen with a bald man in the same way that most guys consider dating or being seen with a fat woman. In both cases, it would be embarrassing and require a big drop in personal standards. I don't blame women at all. Most wouldn't date a bald man for the same reason that you and I wouldn't date a big fat woman. So, remember, it's the fault of this disease, not the women who are naturally and understandably repulsed by hairloss. They are human beings with personal standards, just like everyone else.

Okay, that's about it; the cold, hard truth as you requested. I wish you the very best. Let's hope that a miracle breakthrough happens, but at the same time, let's be realistic and ignore all of the hyperbole regarding possible cures in the near future. When it truly happens, it will be earth-shattering news, and we won't have to scour the bowels of an internet discussion forum about hairloss in hope of learning about a miracle cure.

Good luck,
John

[Illusion]

Yeah what these guys kinda said. If you use RU + FIN together that's incredibly potent. First you inhibt 5ar2 and inhibit serum DHT around 70%~. Then you antagonize the androgen receptor by using RU which blocks ~70% of all DHT again and probably 100% of all testosterone;



Perhaps you'll do fine on finasteride alone, as mentioned. Nobody can know really. Some people do continue to worsen on finasteride but that's a small percentage. However if fin alone doesn't cut it for you, you can possible look into dutasteride too? The guys who don't maintain on finasteride sometimes go for dutasteride and often that helps again. Good luck !

Thanks man. The thing is I still have that goddamn itch even while using RU + fin. I guess it could be the alcohol/propylene glycol irritating my scalp too though.

Regarding dutasteride, that's what my derm wanted to put me on first but I think I'm just too young for that. He said it was fine but I just don't know. Maybe when I'm 18 or 19 and the results from using fin + RU turn out to be a bit disappointing, then I might hop on dut