adrogenetic alopecia.

confusedman

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i know that it isn't the proper discussion forum to enter this thread but it is about health and i suppose that a lot of men have issues about shedding hair and going bold.i have several questions.i am on propercia finasteride 0.5 mg everyday and started yesterday and i use the spray rogaine 5% minoxidil every night for 7 months now.at the begging i saw an improvement from 136 hair /cm**2 to 192hair/cm**2 in 4 months but even with the use of minoxidil somehow i reach a plateau and started to shed hair for 2 months now and i suppose that i am at 120-140 hair/cm**2 and i took the decision to start combining finasteride in my routine.i am aware of the sideeffects but i am on this drug for 1 day so it is too early to tell and the dose that i take is low.0.5 mg but efficient.

question:1)is it normal to reach a plateau with minoxidil and starting sheding hair even with the usage of minoxidil?
2)how many of you have ever tried propercia or another A-blocker pill and for how long?what were the side effects and how long did it take to become normal again after stoping medication?
3

i don't want to go bold because i am quite young 21 years old and i think its awfull at my age and i am trying to control the shedding for some years until hair transplantion becomes really improved!
 

SassySpy

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I wish I could help you, Confused- but I am 'confused' myself about this , and hadnt heard of these products being used successfully for this condition. The people I have known simply lost all their hair, at a very young age..... though I knew one guy who did have transplants it was a long and expensive procedure for a small amount of hair, I thought. Cheaper and cuter, to wear a baseball cap. :smile::wink:
any more information you can provide about your experience with this I would appreciate, just for my general knowledge.
but try not to let hair or the absence of it define you- yeah easy for me to say, I know- theres just so much more to you than your hair,ya know?:smile:
 

holsty101

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Hi Confusedman, I've had alopecia to some degree since I was about 8 or 9, only small scale and pretty consistent up to my late teens, when it started to progress, I had the last of my hair shaved of (my scalp) when I was ... uh 20 I think... anyway, I only tried rogain for about a month, and I can't remember what effect (if any) it had or any side effects, it was I thought, too late to bother with it by the time I found out it was available.

The only thing I can think to say is, just to try and accept it, and try not to let if effect you too much. I've generally found that most people were very understanding... well those people who actually know you anyway... not the ones who see you in the street & think it's fun to yell out "slaphead", or some such witticism.

Sorry I can't answer your queries about the medication, feel free to pm if you'd like to discuss this any more.
 

confusedman

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thanks for the help.money isn't an issue for me and i know that i will have trasplant surgery in the future.all i need is 9000 grafts to cover the area that will go away in the next years.thats total 15000 dollars.but it isn't the case.i work really hard everyday and i can cover the expense no problem but the i want to keep my hair for the next 8 years until cloning hair surgery give solution permanently to the problem.i think that if i save my head i would look more like man cause i have baby face and sometimes women feel like there isn't any threat about me ,although something in my legs proves otherwise and the most important thing is that the shaved look is really good on me and make me look more aggressive.i don't think is that bad.but being bold at 23-25 years old is really awfull and many people can feel depressed especcialy if that happens in women.
 

chico8

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thanks for the help.money isn't an issue for me and i know that i will have trasplant surgery in the future.all i need is 9000 grafts to cover the area that will go away in the next years.thats total 15000 dollars.but it isn't the case.i work really hard everyday and i can cover the expense no problem but the i want to keep my hair for the next 8 years until cloning hair surgery give solution permanently to the problem.i think that if i save my head i would look more like man cause i have baby face and sometimes women feel like there isn't any threat about me ,although something in my legs proves otherwise and the most important thing is that the shaved look is really good on me and make me look more aggressive.i don't think is that bad.but being bold at 23-25 years old is really awfull and many people can feel depressed especcialy if that happens in women.

We're all different. Sorry that it happened at such a young age but that's life. Why spend all that money on something cosmetic? Why not spend it on something else?
 

confusedman

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if it helps me with my self confidence i would spend way more more money in cosmetic because that makes me feel better with my self,my relationships at work and i have more mood to work harder and better and to make more money.i am studying electrical engineeiring at the moment.i will graduate from the university next year and i work as a dj in the summer season in clubs here and i have one restaurant in xalkidiki that i have put two people to work in it and i take 60% from the profits and the rest are theirs and we share the expenses.thats a fair deal cause the buldying is mine and by giving them 20% each they work really hard and to share the expenses they have to work really hard.imagine that in summer season the restaurant has 1500 euros income per day and if you minus the expenses the profits are about 850 euros per day which means 60000 euros in the summer season with the expenses on average or 36000 euros for me and with the taxes at about 28000 euros.and some other 25000 euros during the rest season of the year.so money isn't an issue but my apperiance gives me strenght to have a nice mood and to enjoy life and hard work.so,it's really important to me.
 

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i know that it isn't the proper discussion forum to enter this thread but it is about health and i suppose that a lot of men have issues about shedding hair and going bold.i have several questions.i am on propercia finasteride 0.5 mg everyday and started yesterday and i use the spray rogaine 5% minoxidil every night for 7 months now.at the begging i saw an improvement from 136 hair /cm**2 to 192hair/cm**2 in 4 months but even with the use of minoxidil somehow i reach a plateau and started to shed hair for 2 months now and i suppose that i am at 120-140 hair/cm**2 and i took the decision to start combining finasteride in my routine.i am aware of the sideeffects but i am on this drug for 1 day so it is too early to tell and the dose that i take is low.0.5 mg but efficient.

question:1)is it normal to reach a plateau with minoxidil and starting sheding hair even with the usage of minoxidil?
2)how many of you have ever tried propercia or another A-blocker pill and for how long?what were the side effects and how long did it take to become normal again after stoping medication?
3

i don't want to go bold because i am quite young 21 years old and i think its awfull at my age and i am trying to control the shedding for some years until hair transplantion becomes really improved!

Remember that hair goes through growing phases: Anagen (growth), Telogen (rest), and Catagen (fallout). Hair generally stays in place longest during the growth phase (2-6 years), but if you see fallout remember that your hair may be at the end of the growing cycle. Hair must fall out in order for new growth to occur. If you see small, even hairs along your hairline, that's a good sign. The problem with hair loss due to excess androgen production is that the new growth is sometimes thinner and softer than the previous hairs that were lost. Minoxidil inhibits androgen production and keeps the hair shaft DHT free so that new growth can occur.

That said, if your mother's father was bald, chances are you will be too. Genetics has a way of sneaking up on us. I suffered a certain amount of hair loss due to birth control pills and researched this to death. Women lose hair differently than men, but I remember what I read about men's hair loss so I thought i'd pass this on. The problem with using minoxidil is that you're stuck with it once you start using because it loses its efficacy as soon as you stop using it. I tried rogaine and the side effects really sucked and it didn't work well on my hair. I haven't tried propecia, but have been taking saw palmetto, b-complex vitamins, and CoQ10 for my hair. So far, so good. I've heard good things about propecia with men, but some of these treatments are very much trial-and-error.

At any rate, good luck in your search and efforts.
 

chico8

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It sounds as though you're really driven but life is more than just money and how much hair you have.

I wish you luck but remember the older you get your appearance will matter less. What's most important is what's inside.
 

confusedman

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thats great advice man.i don't say that what's most important isn't what's inside but i would love to maintain my rich hairline for a couple of years until new treatment comes in the scene.that's my point.also,i am free spirit and i can't compromise with problems like that i want to fight them and solve them.
 

Ethyl

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thats great advice man.i don't say that what's most important isn't what's inside but i would love to maintain my rich hairline for a couple of years until new treatment comes in the scene.that's my point.also,i am free spirit and i can't compromise with problems like that i want to fight them and solve them.

Don't be sorry about that. Hair loss can be devastating. I freaked when I started pulling out handfuls of hair in the shower a year and a half ago. It took a while to figure out what the problem was and by then I'd lost about a 1/3 of my entire volume. Thankfully I was able to stop the excess shedding and regrow some of the lost volume. The sooner you can stop the shedding, the better chances are for regrowth. Keep your scalp in good condition if you're waiting for transplants. Some people don't and they end up with infections (seriously. I have a friend who's a stylist and has seen it. Ugh).
 

latinguy

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I have had some very good results with hair replacement for the past few years at a hair replacement center about an hour away from where I live. They are very helpful and understanding and when I go in every month for my haircut, they remove the hair replacement, clean it and the underlying scalp, and then reattach it. Nobody and I mean NOBODY can tell I wear hear.

This particular hair replacement center is a member of something called Transitions International. When I went to Las Vegas last year, they gave me the name of another hair replacement salon in Vegas that I could visit while I was there. Another Transitions member studio, I presume. So I've had very good service from both, and I am extremely happy.

I can absolutely understand the self-esteem thing. Mine was way low until I was able to get hair back. And it really does make a difference at work and in social relationships.

You might want to check them out, if you think it might be helpful. Their website is Hair Replacement And Restoration Products And Treatment System.

Cheers,
LG
 

simcha

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Here is yet another racket, the hair loss "cure" industry.

Dude, I have thinning hair. My hairline had crept north for many years. For some reason it's stopped. Now I'm going gray.

I'm so sorry it happened to you at such a young age. Yes, it can be devastating to a man's self-esteem when people in society and in the hair loss "cure" industry bombard you with messages that you aren't good enough when you are bald, or on the way to bald.

The fact is there are women and men who find bald and balding guys sexy.

Creams, pills, potions, ointments, and lotions don't really work. Implants all too often look like rows of corn planted on top of your head and once the alopecia works on the implants, it looks even worse.

I hope you find your "holy grail" that gives you the confidence boost you need. Short of a cure, I hope that you learn to love the way you look and that you find others who are attracted to you. We all deserve that.
 

leenyc97

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The combination of Minoxidil and propecia is the most effective treatment available in the US. The monoxidil stimulates circulation to the area and propecia reduces the hormone that causes the hair follicles to go dormant. It is not 100% effective, but it slows the thinning/balding.

There is a Dr. Lee in southern California who has been researching and making treatments since the early 80's when the minoxidil discovery was first made. He has his own formula that include both main ingredients. I think it is called Xandrox. Check out Regrowth.com
 

latinguy

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You always get what you pay for. I tried the Monoxidil stuff and you're right. unless you keep it up, you loose more. And all it basically does is help you try to keep what you still have left.

I didn't have enough hair left to be a candidate for transplants, so that was out. What I needed was more hair, and so I went the hair replacement route. You have to be careful in who you select to do it. There are really first class operations with very skilled technicians, and there are operators out there who are so bad you want to run the other way.

I guess I lucked out. The folks who take care of my hair (about once a month) have been around for years, and I can see why. There are guys I see in the lobby who I know are clients but if I saw them on the street, I would never guess they wore hair like me.

Take a look at the second picture down the page here: Mens Hair Replacement Systems for Hair Loss.

It's a closeup of a front hairline. This is what I'm talking about.

You're right. When there's a cure for male pattern baldness, I'll be the first in line for it. Until then, this is the best I've found for me. It may not be for everybody, but it works for me.

L