2 1/2 month Progress Report...HAIR!!!!!!

[Maxine]

Well, it's time for a little good news, right ladies? Finally, after being patient through several sheds, (hairs in my car, kitchen floor, vacumm cleaner brush, ect.---scary aint it??) I am starting to see results. Disregard the regimen you see below my signature. Here's what I have been using: Rogaine 2% since the beginning (August 1st) Xandrox night time solution which I started August 28th, Spironolactone 25mg started August 22nd, Proxin and Nizoral shampoo. 2 weeks ago, I started noticing soft dark hairs growing on my sideburn area and a mustache (eeewww) and I thought, "oh no! THAT's not where I want it to grow!" But, little did I know these were signs that I was responding to treatment. Well, my part is filling in nicely and the little bald chunk at my hair line seems to be filling in slightly too. Still not much hair growing in on the sides of my head. (I still have 'gaps' when I pull my hair back) but when I wake up and run my fingers through my hair, the sides don't feel quite as bald. THINGS ARE BEGINNING TO HAPPEN on this head of mine! So if you just started treatment, be patient and give it some time and remember, it takes some playing around with different therapies to find what works for you. The waiting and the shedding is the worst part. Mine got terrible before it started to improve. I have a picture of my head I took back in August. I just may take an "intermediate" picture tonite. I will be posting them on a Yahoo link which is my picture site so all can see results. (Can you tell I don't care what other people think?) Thanks for reading this and I wish everyone here Hair Before Christmas.

 

[jvantin1]

That's GREAT news! If you look back at my earlier posts, you can see how ambivalent I am about Rogaine and other topicals--I bought 'em all, but I can't bring myself to gamble on the hair that I have left. As I've said before, I've read a lot of posts from women about how they used Rogaine, did not see results, are balder than they were before.

Tell me, Maxine: How did you come to be so brave? I mean, what if it hadn't grown back? This is a serious question--I am so tempted to go out and buy Rogaine for a THIRD time, and use the spironolactone I'd gotten from Dr. Lee, but I am just so, so afraid.

(Guys, if you read this, please don't give me the tough-guy treatment--it doesn't help. I'm seeking support here, and trying to come to the best desision for me.)

Also, Maxine, did you experience any weight gain? I remember saying that you were quite thin, so maybe this side effect would have skipped over you.

 

[Maxine]

What did I have to lose??

Hi jv. You asked me how I got so brave. Well, it's not bravery, it's desperation AND patience. I didn't let a few bad stories other people told influence my decision. After all, Rogaine IS the most medically-proven treatment for Androgenetic Alopecia...and you never know how long some of those women telling these stories had been using it and experiencing more hair loss. If they complained about more hair loss after one or two months of treatment, that IS normal! You should expect big sheds in the beginning as your hair follicles start to become active. I'm not saying that this is true for everyone though. Rogaine and spironolactone may not be right for some women. In the beginning of treatment, my hair loss DID get worse! It was awful! My scalp itched on Dr. Lee's formula and it was red and had bad dandruff. But, my hair was already thin before! It was already bad so I figured, what have I got to lose? I knew it would take 3 months of applications with topicals to get any results and FINALLY...I am starting to see them. The shedding has slowed down to a crawl; maybe 50 hairs a day as opposed to 150-200 at the beginning of treatment. I now have little tiny hairs which I'm sure will continue to grow if I keep using the meds and nurture them. I've tried to keep and open mind and an open attitude, I've found that these products do work or at least keep you from getting worse if you give them time. I haven't gained any weight while on the spironolactone or the rogaine. My weight has stayed pretty much the same. I go work out at the gym every day so that helps keep me trim. Hey! Stay positive. And do what works for YOU. Only you can decide what's right for you. I can only share with you my experience which I am happy to report is getting better!!!! If you need any encouragement, feel free to PM me anytime! Best of luck....Maxine

 

[jvantin1]

Thanks for your answer, Maxine! I'm really eager to see your pictures. When will they be online? When they're up, please do post a link!

One more question: When you started the Rogaine, how "thin" was thin for you? Like, how much scalp could you see on just-washed, still-wet hair? Also, did it seem to you like your hair got thin all of a sudden, without noticing additional shedding?

I thought mine was doing really well, and then--bam!--about 2 weeks ago, I woke up and it felt thinner than it's ever been. But weirdly, it seems to take on thickness throughout the day. I'm assuming it's responding to weather conditions. Still, it's odd.

 

[Maxine]

My hair has been yukky for many years, JV. I was in my twenties when it first started thinning. I'm now in my 40's AND I've had a hysterectomy. I can't say it fell out all at once. But I've seen it look better a few years ago while I was on depoprovera. Unlike you, I always KNEW when my hairs were shedding. More hair balls on the floor, on my shirts and sweaters, in the shower drain...everywhere. You asked how thin IS my hair? Well, let's put it this way: when I pull it back in a pony tail, I only get a teeny finger grasp of hair about a 1/4" diameter...maybe less. My hair is about shoulder length but badly thin and broken off about 2" from the ends. My hair has been shoulder length since June when I had it cut to that length. It doesn't grow. I should just cut it off. If you pull my hair away from my face, you can see the sides of my scalp where there are noticeable bald gaps: only fine soft hairs growing there now that I am using the Rogaine. Okay so now... Does that give you a good enough description of how thin we are talking? Gosh...depressing, but we won't go there will we? Although I feel a little growth on my scalp with my finger tips, I still have a long way to go. But it's a start. I will try posting pictures on Yahoo this weekend for you to see. :lol:

 

[athleticmom]

Maxine, THANKS for the good news! Happy for you! Tell me: what is spironolactone? And why is the above poster talking about weight gain? I haven't heard of any relationship between minoxodil and weight gain, but maybe I am out of it. I have been using minoxodil for some time now, but sometimes I am better about remembering to put in on than others. Recently I have noticed increased shedding, but I remember something about the hair cycling with the seasons and fall being a biggie for shedding. Does anyone else remember that?

Thanks!

 

[laura00783]

To Athleticmom

Aldactone is the brand name for spironolactone (short for Spironolactone), it is a diuretic/high blood pressure pill that helps retain potassium while excreting sodium and water (although if you are healthy its not like you're going to be running to the bathroom every 5 min while on this). In terms of hair loss, it is an anti-androgen that blocks DHT from binding to it's receptor.

I don't know why but my gyno said to also not take NSAIDs frequently (as in a daily/every other day basis) while on it (such as Aspirin, Motrin, Aleve, Naprosyn, Lodine, Vioxx, Celebrex).

Hope that helps.

 

[laura00783]

PS

Also an article on seasonal hair loss

http://www.keratin.com/ac/baldnesspatte ... tumn.shtml

 

[msgluv]

Good news!

HI!
I was so happy to finally hear about some progress! Good for you! :lol: I have been using rogaine for almost 3 months and I see a slight decrease in the shedding. It was interesting and encouraging to read about seasonal influences on hair loss. I had a question about spironolactone. What are the side effects? I recall reading about it having some serious ones. Also has anyone heard of folligen???????????????? Hope the success continues!