5 months of shedding?

[bighurt]

hi all,

first time post here. i'm very new to everything regarding hairloss, so i apologize if i ask stupid questions, but i could really use some advice/insight.

here is my story, briefly. i started using propecia 2 years ago after noticing a bunch of hairs on my hands while shampooing. began treatment just after my 28th bday (nov. '03). it started working almost immediately (within the first few weeks) and i was tremendously happy. for the next 20 months, i didn't lose a single hair (well, i know that everyone loses close to 100/day, but never really noticed any while shampooing, brushing, etc.). propecia seemed like a miracle drug. no noticeable side-effects either.

anyway, fast-forward to august, 2005. all of a sudden, i start noticing a bunch of hairs on my hands every day in the shower. i give it a little while. 2 months go by (oct. '05 now) and i called the hair specialist that originally prescribed propecia (i now live far away and couldn't go see him personally). he said that people sometimes shed during the aug/sept time frame and again right around the new year....basically, he says, "nothing to worry about. if propecia worked for you that well, it's not just going to stop working all of a sudden."

anyway, i wait it out a few more weeks and there is no change. i started doing some research online, and found this site. i learned about nizoral on this site and have been using it for the last 6 weeks or so (usually about 3 times a week, but not on consistent days or anything...sometimes i use it consecutive days and then not again for 4-5 days. not sure if this makes a difference). that hasn't made a noticeable difference. i have been using the 1%, over-the-counter nizoral.

so now, i'm left wondering what to do? should i start-up on minoxidil? should i "ride this out"? anything else i may want to consider?

can people have "sheds" after 2 years on propecia (or minoxidil or anything?)?? from the posts i've read here, it seems that shedding is always referred to in the "i've just started using finasteride and am having some shedding" context?

should i begin to use minoxidil since this 5-months of shedding doesn't appear to be ending? does anyone have any advice at all? it would be VERY much appreciated...

 

[Britannia]

Hi. Firstly you should try getting hold of the 2% strength Nizoral shampoo and use it 2 or 3 times a week. What you are describing does sound like a bad shed, and these are to be expected even after a long period on a treatment. You make no mention about the state of your hair or how bad you hair loss is (Norwood value?) so I cant really say whether minoxidil would benefit you or not. Basically, minoxidil is a regrowth agent and so will increase the amount of hair regrowth you may have BUT minoxidil itself can cause sheds, and its possible you may shed badly when you first start applying it.

 

[Jeff71913]

Shedding and stuff:

and its possible you may shed badly when you first start applying it.

He is right. You might start shedding like a mad man when you first start Minoxidil, but it could probably only help in the long run. Minoxidil probably helped me develop more hair than Propecia did. The minoxidil hair that I have grown closely resembles pubic hair. Well, it's true, however as the hair gets longer it just looks more like curly hair which actually seems to be better than my straight/natural hair as a filler. You can buy Rogaine online from their website for a pretty good price and they will send you an auto-refill every 3 months, or is it 4? I also use Nizoral, but I tend to favor Neutrogena T-Gel. The Nizoral makes my head itch like crazy right on the crown and it totally dries my hair out and makes it very hard to brush. The T-Gel almost seems to have a lubricating effect, perhaps due to the coal tar ingredient.

 

[goingoinbutnotgone]

Here I go again...

I got my eternal shed to stop within a few days with essentail oils. It's been 3 months. I lose a few, but a mere fraction from before.

Get 2-3 Oz of Emu or Jojoba oil. Add 10 drops of each of: Cedarwood oil,
Lavendar oil, rosemary oil.

Rub it on and leave it there for at least 8 hours. Then wash it out. It can get a little messy, but it's worth it. Can't hurt! Get the oils from a health food/herb store.

Good luck.

 

[Britannia]

Re: Here I go again...

I got my eternal shed to stop within a few days with essentail oils.

Essential oils do nothing to combat the cause of male pattern baldness. Either you have a type of hairloss other than male pattern baldness or these oils are simply holding loose hairs together, thus creating the illusion that you are loosing less hairs (a more likely scenario).

 

[goingoinbutnotgone]

Re: Here I go again...

I got my eternal shed to stop within a few days with essentail oils.

Essential oils do nothing to combat the cause of male pattern baldness. Either you have a type of hairloss other than male pattern baldness or these oils are simply holding loose hairs together, thus creating the illusion that you are loosing less hairs (a more likely scenario).

I am measuring my loss by hairs in the sink. There used to be a lot every day. Now, there is only a few. This has been going on for months. All 3 essential oils stimulate hair growth...it's growing faster. If it was not working for so long, I might be inclined to agree with you. And as fas as the type of hairloss, I'm a NW6 diffuse thinner. But the density IS improving.

 

[Britannia]

Re: Here I go again...

I got my eternal shed to stop within a few days with essentail oils.

Essential oils do nothing to combat the cause of male pattern baldness. Either you have a type of hairloss other than male pattern baldness or these oils are simply holding loose hairs together, thus creating the illusion that you are loosing less hairs (a more likely scenario).

I am measuring my loss by hairs in the sink. There used to be a lot every day. Now, there is only a few. This has been going on for months. All 3 essential oils stimulate hair growth...it's growing faster.

If your hair were growing faster and the underlying cause of male pattern baldness (DHT) had not been treated, then this would simply mean you would shed the same amount.