Panicking over possible MPB

[Tracy C]

Hi keepingmyhair,

Don't panic. Your hair line is just the normal and natural adult male hair line. The crown is showing signs of thinning but you are catching it early enough that you would probably do fine with non-surgical treatment alone. It would be best for you to talk to a doctor who specializes in treating hair loss. Here is a link to help you find a good one.

http://www.iahrs.org/hair-transplant/

[keepingmyhair]

Hi keepingmyhair,

Don't panic. Your hair line is just the normal and natural adult male hair line. The crown is showing signs of thinning but you are catching it early enough that you would probably do fine with non-surgical treatment alone. It would be best for you to talk to a doctor who specializes in treating hair loss. Here is a link to help you find a good one.

http://www.iahrs.org/hair-transplant/

Thanks for the link Tracy. All the doctors in Florida (where i'm at) are all very far away, but I'd be willing to drive there hastily if they are the best ones to go to. Do you have a recommendation for any specific one out of the 5 in Florida?

I was considering doing the free consultation with a Dr. Marina Pizzaro near where I live. http://www.drpizarro.com/ Do you think it'd be better to skip her and go to one of these derm from the iahrs?

When you say non-surgical treatment alone does that mean rogaine? I really, really, REALLY want to avoid having to alter my endocrine system with a 4th drug like propecia. I pretty much always end up with the side effects of all drugs, and after you've been on atypical antipsychotics off label... (for anxiety, not psychosis) you end up not wanting to ever touch another drug again. With my natural drug fear + the OCD anxiety about permanent effects from things like propecia i'll end up causing myself permanent impotence or never having a sex drive again. Scaring myself just thinking about it.

[8868alex]

Hi

If you live in Florida, you should contact either Dr Alan Bauman or Dr Glenn Charles - both will be able to assess and advise you correctly. At a glance, I would say that you have started to thin in the crown, but it is in the early stages and you do have options. I agree with the others, don't panic and seek out a quality doctor, you will feel better after doing this.

[25 going on 65]

When you say non-surgical treatment alone does that mean rogaine? I really, really, REALLY want to avoid having to alter my endocrine system with a 4th drug like propecia. I pretty much always end up with the side effects of all drugs, and after you've been on atypical antipsychotics off label... (for anxiety, not psychosis) you end up not wanting to ever touch another drug again. With my natural drug fear + the OCD anxiety about permanent effects from things like propecia i'll end up causing myself permanent impotence or never having a sex drive again. Scaring myself just thinking about it.

I'm going to be brutally honest. If you have male-pattern hair loss (it does seem you're in the early stages from your pictures, but a hair loss specialist could tell you for sure), and you're unwilling to take proven DHT suppressants like finasteride (aka Propecia), you won't be able to stop the process. Minoxidil (aka Rogaine) alone won't maintain your hair.

Which medications you use is up to you, of course. For what it's worth, the rate of side effects is quite low on finasteride, although I understand your reluctance to add another pill to your daily routine.
During a period of extreme stress and anxiety, a doctor put me on clonazepam for about 4-5 weeks (actually he suggested I take it longer but I quit on my own), so I have an idea of how intimidatingly powerful those drugs are. In my experience, finasteride is a very "light weight" medicine by comparison.

That said, I'm no physician, so talk to a doctor about your options. But I agree with others that there is no need to panic; you do have options. We are the first generation who really has the ability to effectively treat genetic hair loss. You'll be OK.

[Tracy C]

Do you think it'd be better to skip her and go to one of these derm from the iahrs?(

I do not know anything about Dr. Marina Pizzaro, other than she is not an IAHRS member doctor. She may be an excellent doctor but IAHRS membership is pretty important and significant. The IAHRS is a patient advocacy organization. As such it is very difficult for a doctor to become an IAHRS member. IAHRS members are held to a much higher level of standards and ethics. Something for you to think about.

I do not know any of the IAHRS doctors in Florida. However Dr. Bauman and Dr. Charles seem like very nice people who truly enjoy doing what they do. That tells me a lot about them. They also seem reasonably and responsibly open minded, which is a major plus to me.

When you say non-surgical treatment alone does that mean rogaine?

That means Propecia (or generic Finasteride), Rogaine (or generic Minoxidil) and possibly Nizoral shampoo and low level laser therapy as adjunct treatments.

Finasteride is the most effective and most important because it blocks the hormone that triggers hereditary hair loss. Minoxidil stimulates re-growth but it can only do so much if you are unwilling or unable to take Finasteride.

I can only try to understand your concerns but I am unable to relate to them because they do not apply to me. I do know that these are the only medications that are proven to work. These are the only medications FDA approved for the treatment of hereditary hair loss. These are the medications that are most likely to help you. Currently there is nothing else that actually works. It is what it is. If you are unwilling or unable to use the medications that are most likely to help you, you need to learn how to come to terms with accepting that you are going to loose your hair – and find a way to live with it.

[keepingmyhair]

... and you're only 28? Are you sure you need those??

Anyways, I'm pretty sure you have MPB altough you should actually go to a hair transplant office and get a miniaturization study.... your hometown dermatologists won't know shit

boy were you right about that one... I just got back from the dermatology NP. She was absolutely clueless.. at one point she got her iphone out in front of me to check if propecia has drug interactions. REALLY??!? I would never, EVER do that in front of a patient, much less one that already told me they have a history of being scared of drugs! When she found the random name that came up she checked with ME to see if I'd heard of that drug it interacts with because she never had heard of it.

She didn't really answer if there was hairloss at all. She just said if there is and it's genetic there's no miracle cure. Try propecia and rogaine. She said the amount of stress i've been through the last 4 years could be to blame but truly she had no F***** clue. She saw my scalp seemed inflamed a bit and wrote a prescription out for something she didn't explain and laughed and said it was probably its own problem unrelated to my hairloss. I asked, "well, what could be causing the inflammation?" ::silence:: "some people it just happens, it's common" I gave up at this point. The highlight of the appointment was getting the small wart on my toe sprayed.

Ok, so I leave there and call this Dr. Pizarro's office because I had a feeling it was going to go down that way. The receptionist at this hair transplant dr's office within 5 minutes was more knowledgeable and capable than the NP was. She attempted to comfort me, she asked me to send over all my pictures and looked at them while I was still on the phone, she ensured me that Dr. Pizarro has done nothing but hair for 21 years, it's her sole focus. I'm going to go in for free consult tomorrow at 2 p.m.

The receptionist (Joann) said from my pictures I need to take a deep breath, I probably have some thinning from MPB (I still don't know how this is happening to me) and that propecia will probably be the solution. She said I really shouldn't be afraid of the finasteride, as even if I'm in the rare group (I always am) that gets side effects, the half life is apparently 6 hours and it would be out of my system quickly.

TLDR; terrible dermatology NP experience, getting opinion of an MD focused on hair tomorrow, and then also probably getting a second opinion from one of the doctors you guys have listed to me.

I'm about to rant, please don't read if you don't want to hear whining, but I have to write to get it out. I think I'm in shock or denial.

Still upset that I am most likely male pattern balding?? WHY?!! every father, mother, cousin, uncle, aunt, grandparent and great ______ above got to not express their gene but I do? Thanks universe/god/biology! Make me ugly, ruin my life. I thought I'd had my fair share given all the meds i'm already on for the many other health problems I have (GAD, gastritis, IBS, Esophagitis, hiatal hernia, depression, hemmorhoids and more..all before age 30!) but I guess my external beauty must be taken too. I was hoping to find a partner by my early 30's, but my now sub zero self-esteem should prevent that from happening. Guess I have to lower my standards and won't be able to date people that i'm extremely attracted to. All those super hot people have nice hair, and most likely expect the same in return. /end rant

I mean no disrespect to everyone else going through this, and are probably worse off or more worse off than I am.. I know I sound like a total brat. I've had lots of health issues already, but they're always internal and don't affect my ability to make myself feel and be as attractive as possible the way your hair does.

[mnx]

Well, since you are the same age, have a seemingly similar hair situation, and the same level of anxiety about it all as me, I feel compelled to reply.

I think about the only thing you can do for your anxiety is to do everything possible to deal with the situation, and then do your best to take it out of your mind(easier said than done).

Also, I think you might be able to warm up to the idea of Propecia.

Anyways, best luck.

[keepingmyhair]

Well, since you are the same age, have a seemingly similar hair situation, and the same level of anxiety about it all as me, I feel compelled to reply.

I think about the only thing you can do for your anxiety is to do everything possible to deal with the situation, and then do your best to take it out of your mind(easier said than done).

Also, I think you might be able to warm up to the idea of Propecia.

Anyways, best luck.

MNX, your story was what I first found while searching online, and then I joined the forum to be able to private message you but then forgot to do it, so it is nice to see that you instead found me. Let us help one another if possible.

[mnx]

Sure. I find it helpful to come on here when I can't get it off my mind, I'm sure you will find it that way too.

[Maradona]

Maradona, I went and watched the replicel stuff..do you think this stuff will really happen ASAP? I'm schooled in psychology so I'm very much used to the concept of constant "advances" but never any "cures" just "remission" of a permanent problem. I hope that stuff is really all going to happen. We need to cure things, instead of always medicating with damaging side effects.

I'm trying to stay positive. I know we're all supposed to be kum-ba-ya about inner self love is what matters, but who are we kidding? Still, to get the first, second and 3rd dates...my hair has always been a highlight feature of me being cute/adorable/attractive/sexy or whatever adjectives i've been described as in my 28 years on this earth.

It won't happen ASAP bro. i suggest IF YOU HAVE MPB, you calm down, it's not the end of the world, things will change of course.

It's gonna be tough but it's not a life sentence, if that doesn't comfort you, we have many companies close to a cure/better treatment.all of us valued our hair as much as you did otherwise we wouldn't be here.

You might not have MPB and from what it looks like, it's really really slow so you will benefit from future treatments. Hang in there bro.