hopeful...

[alex82]

Hello, thought it was about time I posted as a fairly long term reader of these boards...

I started noticing the signs of the dreaded MPB when I was about 27-28 at I'd say NW1.5 - 2. Didn't seem too bad at the time as had very thick hair and easy to style etc.. Fast forward 2 years and now very noticibly thin at front and receeded with an obvious widows peak (uneven too ) Very sad as my hair is one of my only good features lol!

Last year I started to seriously look into the options. Fin, niz minox lllt and alternatives. Found this site http://www.hairloss-research.org/ProtocolMen08.html quite interesting for its holistic approach to battling hairloss.

Anyway, took the plunge in nov '11 and started Proscar (pfizer branded) at 1mg (cut into 5ths) and soon developed crippling sides in 1-2 months (poor erections, testicular pain, watery semen) athough these are par for the course with Fin I'm led to believe!

Rather than stopping cold turkey I have reduced my dosage to approx 0.25mg (as best as I can measure) per day. I wouldn't say I'm 100% but much better regarding sides although still a bit worried

In total my regimen based on various sources of advice is as follows:

Fin 0.25mg each day (since Jan, 1mg previously since nov '11)
Nizoral 1-2 times per week
Emu oil and aloe each night before bed
LLLT 11 Diode laser comb (home made!lol) 15mins 2-3 times a week
Biotin 300ug each day (just started)
Nettle root extract (pretty much ditched this now)

I'm kinda fumbling in the dark like everyone else and sad to say that my only results so far are that I've lossed probably near 30% in sheds of what I had as baseline in the front and top when starting + recession is on way to NW3 now. I'm beginning to think based on everything I'm reading and that NOTHING works for top and front bar HT at this point but will continue at least until 6month stage.

[NotBelievingIt]

Join some of us on the Toco8 kick!

[2020]

I'm kinda fumbling in the dark like everyone else and sad to say that my only results so far are that I've lossed probably near 30% in sheds of what I had as baseline in the front and top when starting + recession is on way to NW3 now. I'm beginning to think based on everything I'm reading and that NOTHING works for top and front bar HT at this point but will continue at least until 6month stage.

You have a good regimen and those sheds are a sign that your follicles are ready to start producing "better" hair. WAIT IT OUT. 6 months is a minimum. Results can show up after as much as one year. JUST WAIT IT OUT.

In the meantime, don't be tempted to do a hair transplant as much much better treatments are right around the corner.
Here is something to motivate you:

http://histogen.com
http://replicel.com
http://aderansresearch.com
http://follicabio.com

I'm sure one of them WILL have something by 2015.

[NotBelievingIt]

Anyway, took the plunge in nov '11 and started Proscar (pfizer branded) at 1mg (cut into 5ths) and soon developed crippling sides in 1-2 months (poor erections, testicular pain, watery semen) athough these are par for the course with Fin I'm led to believe!

Nah, its not par for the course.

More like back to back double bogeys by a pro golfer at the ProAm.

It happens even to the best, but definitely not that often.

[alex82]

Nah, its not par for the course.

More like back to back double bogeys by a pro golfer at the ProAm.

It happens even to the best, but definitely not that often.

Cheers heres hoping!

[alex82]

You have a good regimen and those sheds are a sign that your follicles are ready to start producing "better" hair. WAIT IT OUT. 6 months is a minimum. Results can show up after as much as one year. JUST WAIT IT OUT.

In the meantime, don't be tempted to do a hair transplant as much much better treatments are right around the corner.
Here is something to motivate you:

http://histogen.com
http://replicel.com
http://aderansresearch.com
http://follicabio.com

I'm sure one of them WILL have something by 2015.

Cheers for the encouragement! have read a lot about the new stem based treatments and was tempted to sign up for the clinical trial of replicel... Although surely if on fin they would not want you in

[2020]

Although surely if on fin they would not want you in

you're on the Internet, you already do not qualify They don't want their subjects to post anything about their results on the Internet...

[alex82]

you're on the Internet, you already do not qualify They don't want their subjects to post anything about their results on the Internet...

Lol, yeah guess this would be the case

[Tracy C]

I'm beginning to think based on everything I'm reading and that NOTHING works for top and front...

A couple of things...

Norwood 2 is just a mature male hair line. This is a natural and normal male trait. This is one of the physical characteristics that differ between males and females. I'm not sure if there is anything a male can do to prevent the mature male hair line from developing. Time will tell. If the hair in your hair line grows back 12 to 18 months from now we will know.

You have only been on the medicine for four months. It takes at least 12 full months before you will know if Finasteride is working for you. It takes longer before you will know how well it is working for you.

[stratofortress]

A couple of things...

Norwood 2 is just a mature male hair line. This is a natural and normal male trait. This is one of the physical characteristics that differ between males and females. I'm not sure if there is anything a male can do to prevent the mature male hair line from developing. Time will tell. If the hair in your hair line grows back 12 to 18 months from now we will know.

That's true, but if he has frontal thinning, then that's not part of a mature hairline. From what the OP describes though, it sounds like he caught it early. If he can thicken things up at the front, a thick NW2 at 30 isn't bad at all.