I am 25 and desperate. Long post but please, please help

[swbot]

My background:

At 23, I underwent an incredibly stressful year (death in family, graduate school, sick with what was likely covid). I started noticing what looked like hair thinning when my hair was wet. But it was very minor; I still had a full head of hair and good hairline. You couldn't even remotely tell when my hair was dry. I have genetic hair loss in my family line, but it did not hit any of the men in my family until their 40s.

I let my paranoia get the best of me, however. Around September of 2020, I started topical minoxidil. I was ignorant about hair loss treatment and did not understand what I was doing. I had a hair shed typical of starting topical minoxidil, which only confused the situation for me given my ignorance. I used topical minoxidil for 5 months before quitting, finally realizing that I was overreacting to my situation. I did not notice any improvement because, again, when I started I had a full head of hair.

Within two months of quitting, I started shedding my preexisting hair like crazy. This was around May 2021. I was finally desperate to find a doctor at that point but could not find one until the end of August 2021. By that time, I lost more than half of my hair (not exaggerating; even my doctor used that figure based off pictures I showed her). If I had to put an number on it, I probably lost 70-80% of the hair that I had just ten months prior when I first started. I now understand what a ridiculous mistake I made, so please don't beat me up for it.

My dermatologist diagnosed me with both telogen efluvium and AGA. She was one of the better in my state for hair loss and had done research in the field. She prescribed me oral minoxidil, 2.5mg daily.


In January, I started finasteride 1mg daily.

I took this stuff daily until early February, when I went back to the doctor for a checkup. My doctor told me that I "doubled" my hair since August, but I felt that I was worse off. I also did not really buy that assessment because she did not perform the measurements on either visit (I was told that I went from a 5mm part width in the front to a 2-3mm part width). My doctor upped my oral minoxidil dose to 5mg daily.

Around the end of February/early March, I started having more noticeable side effects from the finasteride. I had some mild ones but barely noticeable within a couple weeks of first starting. I took a break from finasteride for about a week, then I started taking .5mg every other day for several more weeks. Eventually I started taking .5mg every day. My sides have subsided.

Fast forward to May 2022. I started shedding again. It looked like one of the sheds like when I first started treatment(s); a bunch of very small hairs (1-2cm) falling out. But the only change I made around this time was switching to nizoral 1% shampoo. This shed lasted throughout May and June. I would have a sink full of small hairs every day. It has slowed down some but I find I am still losing a lot of them.

In June, I bought a microneedling pin. I have needled four times now using the 1mm setting.

And now today. After 11 months dedicated to treatment, I again still feel worse off than when I first started. Whatever signs of improvement my dermatologist saw in January, I did not see in January nor do I see them today. I am starting to get even more desperate, which is why I bought the needling pin. I understand that time is of the essence with treating hair loss medically, and I feel I am running out of that time. The thought that if I just hopped on finasteride when I first noticed thinning instead of panic buying minoxidil kills me because I am sure I would not be in this situation now if I just went to a doctor in the first place.

Now to the help I need: I have moved from where I used to live. Can someone please recommend a hair loss doctor/dermatologist in Florida (preferably north Florida) that I can go to? Or south Georgia? I would really like someone who would actually be knowledgeable about my situation rather than your general dermatology practice. Many of the better hair loss doctors seem to be in Miami or Atlanta and I am far from those places (5-6 hours), but would appreciate advice on any of them who offer virtual consults. I really can't afford a transplant right now, and I understand that at 25 that is not generally considered an option. But I feel like I should be able to get *something*, anything back with medical treatment. And I just need help. This shit is killing me, man. I am supposed to start a new job soon and I just don't think I will last having the shame of putting myself in this situation. Please, just any advice?