Chrisis Intro! 28 year old male with receding hair!

[chrisis]

I've been posting on the forum for a short while and figure it's about time I formally introduced myself!

About me:



I'm 28 years old and live in Newcastle upon Tyne, UK - think of Newcastle Brown Ale, Sting and Cheryl Cole....

About my hurr

Ever since my teens I've had a slightly raised hairline, however I considered it just "mature" and didn't worry about it much. In the last year, I've noticed my hairline receding more, to the extent that it's now difficult to style

I declared war in November after a few friends recommended generic finasteride and minoxidil. First I started with finasteride and in the last few weeks I've added minoxidil and Nizoral shampoo.

It's early days so I'm not able to say whether my regime is working, however if it doesn't, I'm prepared to go for a hair transplant and have booked my first consultation with Dr Feller in London in May.

The above pic is how my hair looks when it's styled! The receded areas are well hidden. Luckily I have a good hair stylist and good products!

Here is what my hair looks like without style and when wet etc.

The images were huge so I created an album:

http://imgur.com/a/O2Ryu

Not nice! And I've cropped my face out because I'm ashamed to have any association with such a hairline!

How hairloss has affected me

My hairloss has affected me quite badly so far. I suppose I've been lucky insofar as I've reached the age of 28 before this became a problem and I'm only a Norwood 2 or 2a at the moment. The hair remaining on my head is thick so I'm able to use strands from the back and sides to disguise the receded areas, although it can be challenging and stressful. If it's windy, my hair gets wet, or someone touches it, the illusion can fail. Not ideal! But I guess it could be worse.

I joined this community to learn more, get support from others and help in turn when I'm able to.

I'm quite obsessive when I get passionate about a topic, and that seems to be the case with hair loss! I feel this is a good thing however, as I've already learned a lot from browsing this forum and Spex's resources.

Looking forward

I'd like to take this opportunity to thank Spex for this forum and everyone who posts here. Only hair loss sufferers understand the true torment of losing hair, and it's reassuring that there's somewhere to turn for advice and support. I hope I can play my part and return the favour when the time comes.

I appreciate any advice that comes my way and maybe I can make a few friends along the way.

Thanks for reading!

[rupe]

Welcome. Your hair looks good styled.

[spm]

Your hair looks good for just starting meds. Give meds a year and hope your happy. I freaked out in the beginning and really thought about a hair transplant. Im glad I listened to good advice and waited a year to see my results from propecia. Im very happy with my results on meds at 1 1/2 years. I hope I can keep my hair until the cell based therapies come out in a few years. Surgery should always be our last options. Best of luck and hope the meds work for you.

[chrisis]

Thanks guys.

Spm: did you get results in receded areas with the propecia? I've been on it 3 months and not really seeing anything yet I added the minoxidil and Nizoral shampoo to help it along but that's quite recent.

I've got the same hopes about new therapies! When I was in my teens I assumed/hoped we'd have a cure by the time my hair loss came about and here we are!

[spm]

I was thinning all over. My front did thicken though. Not as much in the crown. It is suppose to be the exact opposite.

[25 going on 65]

spm: that's an interesting, unusual result.

Chris: My personal experience after nearly 1.5 years on finasteride and 2+ on ketoconazole shampoo (no minoxidil for me) is that it maintained and improved my hair all over the top of my head, and around the crown. My temples seem to be holding but I have not seen regrowth in that area.
Meds in general tend to work better for the back and top; regrowing hair lost in the temples is much more difficult. But I also had less recession than you (and more diffuse thinning - funny how much the pattern of loss varies from person to person), so you may have more luck than I did in that area, especially if you are using minoxidil.
What I can say is that your hair behind the hairline looks quite strong, and on these meds you should at least be able to maintain and even improve it. This gives great styling options as you know.
If you've been on meds for 16-18+ months and still aren't satisfied, you definitely strike me as a good candidate for a transplant. But only a doctor can tell you for sure.
Good luck!

[amadeus]

You’re hair looks really good at this stage, so I think you joined the forum at the right time. Spencer Kobren always says “there is life after hair loss”, and you know what, it’s true.

[howardroarke]

Hi

My pattern of hairloss looks similar to yours. I am 26. I have been on finasteride for an year now and 6 months on minoxidil. Till 10 months, I didn't feel it was working. I was constantly complaining about loosing hair when I run my hands through my hair.(you can check my thread which is almost closed now). I was counting hair in the kitchen sink after I washed my hair. Now, after an year of doubt .. and fear, I can say without doubt that my hairloss has reduced in the ways that I used to notice it. Not as much hair comes off when I run through my hair or after I wash it. So hairfall has not stopped, but it's reduced. So I would say, give it a year as many would suggest.

With this said, there is no cosmetic difference I could see. Hair Thickness hasn't improved or the receeded corners haven't filled in.Damp hair, strong wind, wrong seat on the bus are still problems for me. My next plan of action is to slowly wean off minoxidil as I am not sure if I can keep up with the daily chore. So I plan to wean off minox slowly and be on fin. alone and hope that the my hair hangs in there till a cure comes along the way..

Peace

[StressedToTheBald]

did you get results in receded areas with the propecia ? I've been on it 3 months and not really seeing anything yet :

This might make You to strongly reconsider Your drug of choice.

http://www.examiner.com/courts-in-baltimore/doctors-link-hair-growth-drug-to-sexual-dysfunction-depression-and-cancer#ixzz1mLgDjzw3

[25 going on 65]

You can ignore that.

http://www.thebaldtruth.com/hair-loss/spencer-kobren-speaks-with-michael-irwig-post-finasteride-syndrom/

[chrisis]

25 going on 65: thanks for the words of advice and support! Yeah, I think I've caught it relatively early. I still wish I'd been better informed a year ago, but that's the way it goes. I think I will have no problems with providing donor grafts for any transplant - apart from the receded areas my hair is really thick and there's no thinning. When I was a bit younger I'd have my hair "thinned out" because it was always so thick I'll see what Dr Feller has to say in May and keep the forum updated.

amadeus: thanks for the encouragement

howardroarke: I know exactly how you feel about rain, wind, buses... It's such a horrible challenge! It makes me think twice about where I go and what I do. I try to make sure I have a hat or an umbrella just in case! I didn't even have an umbrella until this year!

StressedToTheBald: I'm aware of the potential side effects and chose to take the risk, but thanks. It's important people know about it anyway.

[Tracy C]

I appreciate any advice that comes my way and maybe I can make a few friends along the way.

You are very handsome and your hair looks fine as it is. So even if you chose to do nothing, you would still be handsome.

[Tracy C]

With this said, there is no cosmetic difference I could see. Hair Thickness hasn't improved or the receeded corners haven't filled in.

It can take quite a while to achieve cosmetically significant regrowth and thickening.

I am not sure there is anything a male can do to fill in the temples since this is a normal and natural male trait.

My next plan of action is to slowly wean off minoxidil as I am not sure if I can keep up with the daily chore.

If you do plan to do that, slowly take yourself down to just one application per day about two hours before your bedtime. If Rogaine foam is available where you live, give that a try.

[chrisis]

Thanks Tracy C, but I think I better take preventative action and I can't really put into words the daily frustrations to keep it looking that good. I wouldn't suit my hair short sadly

[Tracy C]

...I can't really put into words the daily frustrations to keep it looking that good.

Trust me I know.