22 yr old looking for advice

[Kalam]

Hi all,

So a few months ago I started noticing that my hairline seems to be receding (on one side more than the other which is really annoying). The crown area still seems alright but i have noticed that in the middle of my head right above the front of my hairline there is an area that has gotten very thin. I'm very confused about this because from what I've seen this is usually one of the last areas to go with MPB, guys usually end up with that V shape of hair in the middle. I've been letting my hair grow longer to try to make it less obvious for now but that can't last.

I did a bit of research already and tried Nizoral 2% for about a month but went through a huge shed, combined with the fact I read somewhere that hair loss was a possible side effect of Niz and I got scared off it. Now I'm thinking I may have just used it too often or left it on too long.

I've also noticed a general thinning (I've always had very thick hair) but I'm not sure if that is just because of the shed or not.

That's pretty much my situation, I know I want to get on something as soon as possible because it's easier to prevent hair loss than regrow hair that's already gone but I'm not sure what to do. Propecia seems like the most effective option but I'm worried because I've read that in some cases the side effects could be permanent, even Wikipedia says:

"In December 2008, the Swedish Medical Products agency concluded a safety investigation of Propecia and subsequently advised that the use of Propecia may result in irreversible sexual dysfunction. The Agency's updated safety information lists difficulty in obtaining an erection that persists indefinitely, even after the discontinuation of Propecia, as a possible side effect of the drug."

The idea that this could happen to me scares the crap out of me but at the same time I can't help but think about how much it could help and how I could experience no side effects at all.

I've also read about products like Revivogen etc but there seems to be a lot of debate about whether they actually work or not, maybe you could shed some light on that.

I'm wondering if I did want to get Revivogen, Rogaine, Minidoxyl or something like that would I need to have it delivered to my house? I'm still living with my parents and siblings and I'de rather they didn't know I was taking anything (especially the siblings), so if I could get it at a drug store or something that would be better...

Some guys may take hair loss better than others but I am definitely not taking it well. I'm sure you've heard it all before but it's ridiculous how much time of my day is spent thinking/worrying about losing my hair. Every time I see a guy the first thing I seem to do is check out his hairline and compare it to mine.

I'll attach a picture so you guys can see what I'm talking about, honestly if I could just keep my hairline how it is now and get that area in the front a bit thicker I would be fine with that.



Sorry I guess I wrote a bit of an essay here but it feels good to get off my chest, I haven't really talked to anyone about it. I hope you don't think I'm overreacting and wasting your time, you should see it when my hair is cut short (unfortunately then so would everyone else lol).

[mattj]

How long ago was your experiment with Nizoral? Overuse can cause shedding, but it should come back.

It looks like you might have some temple recession along with the thinning area you described and which can be seen in the photo. Your pattern isn't that unusual. You'll need to decide for yourself whether you want to try Propecia. The side effects are real, there's no doubt about that, but I feel that the risks of permanent damage are small and that you're unlikely to have any lasting damage if you give the drug a trial run at least to see how you're effected.

Considering the location of your hairloss, I must say that re-growth, while not impossible, is unlikely. Your best chance of gaining back some hair at the front is probably with Rogaine (which is Minoxidil) but even this might not give you the results you want. Maintaining your hair should be your ultimate goal, and Propecia/Rogaine could help you achieve this.

I'm hoping that your Nizoral shed was recent and that you might see some thickening as the shed hairs return. Also, you might find that your hair looks better if cut a little shorter. In experimenting with length it's possible to find a point where your hair looks it's best.

[Kalam]

Yeah there is definitely some temple recession as well

The Nizoral was about a month ago, I might try it again but maybe just once a week and only leave it on for a minute.

Thanks for the response.

[joseph33]

dont wait

When i was 22 i started to lose my hair in the areas as you are right now. That was 12 years ago and i wish i could of had something called propecia and rogain. Quite possibly i would of retained my hair and self confidence also. Right now is the time to act, you can stop this from happening to you. Remember after its gone and the follicle dies its over and that hair will never exist on your scalp again. If your gonna do it, do it now and save your hair and regrow what you lost. Back then Propecia was ungodly expensive and i couldnt afford it. Now you can get generic proscar and only have to take it three days a week. Your hair will stop falling out and will regrow cause your still young. I just had a transplant that cost me 14,000 dollors dont let this happen to you. It really screwed up my confidence and wearing a hat everywhere really sucks. Make up your mind quickly, taking propecia three days a week isnt gonna ruin your sex life brother but looking like a cancer patient may with your bald head.

[Kalam]

Yeah I think you're right. I've pretty much decided that I'd like to try Propecia now, fingers crossed that I respond well to it. I booked an appointment with my doctor so hopefully he will prescribe it for me, I'm not sure what to do if he doesn't.

Sigh I look at my friends and they don't even realize how lucky they are not to have to deal with this stuff , I guess you really don't appreciate something until it's gone (or going).

[ohlife]

How long ago was your experiment with Nizoral? Overuse can cause shedding, but it should come back.

It looks like you might have some temple recession along with the thinning area you described and which can be seen in the photo. Your pattern isn't that unusual. You'll need to decide for yourself whether you want to try Propecia. The side effects are real, there's no doubt about that, but I feel that the risks of permanent damage are small and that you're unlikely to have any lasting damage if you give the drug a trial run at least to see how you're effected.

Considering the location of your hairloss, I must say that re-growth, while not impossible, is unlikely. Your best chance of gaining back some hair at the front is probably with Rogaine (which is Minoxidil) but even this might not give you the results you want. Maintaining your hair should be your ultimate goal, and Propecia/Rogaine could help you achieve this.

I'm hoping that your Nizoral shed was recent and that you might see some thickening as the shed hairs return. Also, you might find that your hair looks better if cut a little shorter. In experimenting with length it's possible to find a point where your hair looks it's best.

Hey... I recently tried minoxidil (about a month ago). At the time, my scalp was feeling healthy and hairloss was minimal and steady. Anyway, right from the outset, minox irritated my scalp and caused severe shedding - I only used it for 2 weeks before stopping. The last two weeks, since stopping, my scalp is even itchier and irritated and shedding is severe (probably 300+ a day). My theory is that the minox destroyed my scalp, and *perhaps* that using nizoral since stopping the minox has not allowed my scalp to recover, in that its just too much for it to handle at the moment. If this is true, and I stop using nizoral for a while and instead use something soothing such a tea tree oil or lavender oil shampoo, can I expect the hair lost in the last month to eventually regrow? or is it more the case that 'what was going to fall out anyway, has just fallen out sooner'? and help would be much appreciated, cheers.

[zero_confidence_balder]

Hey... I recently tried minoxidil (about a month ago). At the time, my scalp was feeling healthy and hairloss was minimal and steady. Anyway, right from the outset, minox irritated my scalp and caused severe shedding - I only used it for 2 weeks before stopping. The last two weeks, since stopping, my scalp is even itchier and irritated and shedding is severe (probably 300+ a day). My theory is that the minox destroyed my scalp, and *perhaps* that using nizoral since stopping the minox has not allowed my scalp to recover, in that its just too much for it to handle at the moment. If this is true, and I stop using nizoral for a while and instead use something soothing such a tea tree oil or lavender oil shampoo, can I expect the hair lost in the last month to eventually regrow? or is it more the case that 'what was going to fall out anyway, has just fallen out sooner'? and help would be much appreciated, cheers.

When wondering about regrowth, always assume it won't happen...expecially if you stop treatment. Minoxidil did not "destroy" your scalp...shedding is a normal and fairly common side effect. You could try using the womens' formulation since its not as strong and then switch to the regular kind once your scalp gets used to it.
The way the drug works isn't fully understood, but its a known vasodilator (it dilates the arteries in your scap) and probably provides the hair follicles with better access to O2 and nutrients. Weak hairs in the telogen phase will fall out because of this, but are usually soon replaced by thicker anagen-phase hairs.

Good luck!

[ohlife]

Right... thanks, but it has made my scalp very sore and itchy - might not be the minox itself but something else in the formula. Im not trying to regrow new hair with the minox, as obviously I've stopped taking it. What I was asking is whether the hair that its shed will grow back if I continue to not take it. The question is really: if the hair fell out not naturally due to minox, are the follicles still alive and healthy enough to at least provide a few more cycles of hair? cheers.

[Winston]

The answer is yes. It can take years for hair follicles to get to the point where they produce little or no hair. If you went through a shed from medication the hair should grow back.

[baldie]

Zero Confidence---Check your Private Messages.

[Kalam]

Hey, in case anyone is interested I figured I would post an update. I just had my doctor's appointment and he proscribed me the generic form of Propecia. I feel like if I experience side effects and have to stop taking it then I'm doomed to go bald within a few years since there aren't too many alternatives so fingers crossed lol. The doctor seemed to think the chance of there being any side effects is very small though and his other patients usually haven't complained about them.

By the way, I didn't realize how small the pills would be and I'm sure I won't be able to cut them into 5 completely even pieces. It isn't too big a deal if some are bigger than others right? Just wanted to make sure...

[mattj]

Is it the 5mg 'Proscar' version? I think most guys cut the pill into quarters and take 1.25mg per day. That's what I do. If you were prescribed 1mg 'Propecia' then you don't need to do any cutting.

[UKresponder]

I actually suffered strong side effects from propecia shut down my sex drive completely and my semen just dried up and I had anaorgasmia.

I then wen t of it for 3-4 months and tried a diff approach that of titrating myself up slowly 1 tablet more a week over 7 weeks to get up tp 1 tablet a day.

e.g.
week 1 1 tab
week 2 2 tabs say mon - thurs
week 3 3 tabsl - mon -wed - fri etc

By doing it this way I had no side effects no loss in semen volume and it working very well When you are playing around with hormones you need a gentle approach, the body being hit by such a strong inhibitor is naturally prone to get a shock and side effects. Since propecia is a long term play why not phase your self in if your gonna get the sides even with a titrated effort you gonna get thme and at least it takes the the 'what if' factor out

[mattj]

Interesting strategy. Are you now up to the same dosage (including frequency) that you were on when you experienced the side effects?

[Kalam]

Hmm I guess I'll try that, thanks for the tip. I don't know if it is the Proscar version but the bottle says Finasteride 5mg, is that different?

Anyway he said to cut it up to 5th's as opposed to quarters so I think I'll try to stick with the 5th's for now especially since I'm worried about side effects.

I find it a little strange that the doc seemed to really downplay the possible side effects compared to what I've read here and elsewhere online.