An important question to the high norwoods & diffusers

[Breaking Bald]

Hey guys,

Long time since I've posted on here, I've been checking the cutting edge section more often recently but as I expected not much is in the pipeline other than a couple of possibilities some years down the line.

In 6+ months I will turn 26 and I began balding at around 20 years old. No point in going on about how much it had an affect on my confidence because you all know the feeling. My question is to the high norwoods and most notably the diffusers as that's what I am.

When you're baldness began, how much further did it go past the starting point? As in if you started balding in the crown how much further down did it progress downwards? Did it never go past the starting point? Rr after you lost most of the hair on the top did it then begin to process further downwards on the back and sides?

I began balding in the crown pretty early and as of yet it has not progressed any further downwards from where it started. It is very obvious what area of my head is affected as the quality of the hair is ridiculously low!!! It's thin and there is no life or vitality in them what so ever. However, if it will not progress any further then I am in a very good position for a hair transplant! I have amazingly thick donor hair and as of yet there is a large amount of healthy, thick hair on the back of my head. So I really would appreciate people's advice or experience with this. Surely, if it is all going at once then it will not progress from where it started? You can obviously see what hair is doomed to go and what hair is still very healthy.

I really am considering the possibility of getting a hair transplant next year as my hair is really diminishing and I need to do something about it. Tried Rogaine and will not take propecia so a hair transplant is my only option. I'm fully aware of the risks and arguments for getting one at my age, but really it doesn't matter. I want to live comfortably in my mid twenties looking and feeling good. It's likely I will need more hair transplant's in the future and that's fine, if it progresses too much down the line then and I need to eventually shave it off then that's fine too but that won't be for some time yet. Would really appreciate some help and advice from the high Norwood's here to find out what your experiences in this is. Thank you.

Regards,
BB

 

[Agustin Araujo]

Hi Breaking Bald, welcome back.

When I first started balding, I went from a Norwood 1 to a Norwood 2 roughly within a couple of months, and I was age 16. My Male Pattern Baldness started with my hairline receding, and then from there I have diffused thinning in a Norwood 6 pattern.

Why won't you take Propecia, did you experience side effects on it? If you haven't ever been on it, you should get on it to maintain your native hair. Since you plan on getting a hair transplant next year, you'll need to keep getting multiple ones to replace the natives that'll continue to miniaturize since you're not on Finasteride.

Other than that, I hope for the best for your hair restoration.

 

[jbrog1987]

Hi Breaking Bald, welcome back.

When I first started balding, I went from a Norwood 1 to a Norwood 2 roughly within a couple of months, and I was age 16. My Male Pattern Baldness started with my hairline receding, and then from there I have diffused thinning in a Norwood 6 pattern.

Why won't you take Propecia, did you experience side effects on it? If you haven't ever been on it, you should get on it to maintain your native hair. Since you plan on getting a hair transplant next year, you'll need to keep getting multiple ones to replace the natives that'll continue to miniaturize since you're not on Finasteride.

Other than that, I hope for the best for your hair restoration.

Seriously. finasteride gets a bad rap. I've been on finasteride a little over 4 months now and have had zero side effects. I think having NO side effects at all or very mild side effects is significantly more common than having truly adverse side effects. Regardless i'd much rather have a relatively low libido with higher self-esteem/body image and a full head of hair than high libido and bald and depressed with no self-esteem related to my body image.

 

[Agustin Araujo]

Seriously. finasteride gets a bad rap. I've been on finasteride a little over 4 months now and have had zero side effects. I think having NO side effects at all or very mild side effects is significantly more common than having truly adverse side effects.

It truly is such a sad thing that Finasteride, which is the #1 treatment for Male Pattern Baldness, has such a bad reputation. I question often on how did Finasteride's reputation degrade so badly. There are so many other medications out there that can cause far worse possible side effects and could even kill a human being, but yet they don't get anywhere as much negative attention as Finasteride has gotten.

I take Dutasteride, which is basically a stronger version of Finasteride, and I've gotten no side effects. Currently since you've been on Finasteride for a little over four months now with no side effects, how has it been helping your hair so far?

 

[Breaking Bald]

Thanks for the replies guy but can we please please not turn this into a discussion about Propecia. I do not not feel comfortable taking it, I dismissed it as an option years ago and I intend to stick with my decision. I am aware that I would need more hair transplant's in the future and I'm fine with that I just do not feel comfortable taking this drug, I feel that we don't really know how important role DHT plays in the body so I do not want to take anything that affects it. I'm glad that it's working for you guys though and that you have had no noticeable side effects. I would feel much more comfortable to be honest to just get some hair transplant's and be done with it even if it meant over several years. This is why I'm interested in how people's balding pattern progressed because as I say I could easily get a couple of hair transplant's and be done with it if the diffusion does not progress down any further.

 

[jbrog1987]

It truly is such a sad thing that Finasteride, which is the #1 treatment for Male Pattern Baldness, has such a bad reputation. I question often on how did Finasteride's reputation degrade so badly. There are so many other medications out there that can cause far worse possible side effects and could even kill a human being, but yet they don't get anywhere as much negative attention as Finasteride has gotten.

I take Dutasteride, which is basically a stronger version of Finasteride, and I've gotten no side effects. Currently since you've been on Finasteride for a little over four months now with no side effects, how has it been helping your hair so far?

I won't hijack your thread Breaking Bald but to answer this question it's hard to say as it seems i still have further miniaturization around my hairline but it's progression has seem to have slowed down pretty dramatically and I no longer have the inflammation sensations I had a couple months ago. So far my hairline is still pretty solid and loss isn't all that noticeable to your average person. I think the 8 month mark will be very telling in terms of being able to assess how much it's truly helping.

 

[GoldenMane]

I'm curious too... If you're diffuse thinning in a NW5 pattern, does that mean that you're destined for NW5? Or could it progress beyond your initial diffusing pattern to an NW6 or 7?

 

[DoctorHouse]

The real question is if you are diffusing in a NW5 plus pattern, will you reach that final pattern on finasteride? Another words will you be a slick bald NW5 plus or will you stay a diffuse NW5 plus? I know for a fact that finasteride may buy you 5 to 10 years more time before you start to show your true Norwood. Its happening to me. I had some minor diffuse areas at the front and vertex and now its ALL OVER (no pun intended). This happened in just one year on my 10 year finasteride anniversary. Now I don't know if this is just a shed or its actually going to be my destiny unless something better comes along to reverse it.

 

[GoldenMane]

The real question is if you are diffusing in a NW5 plus pattern, will you reach that final pattern on finasteride? Another words will you be a slick bald NW5 plus or will you stay a diffuse NW5 plus? I know for a fact that finasteride may buy you 5 to 10 years more time before you start to show your true Norwood. Its happening to me. I had some minor diffuse areas at the front and vertex and now its ALL OVER (no pun intended). This happened in just one year on my 10 year finasteride anniversary. Now I don't know if this is just a shed or its actually going to be my destiny unless something better comes along to reverse it.

This really is the scariest thing about finasteride, not the slight possibility of side effects, but that it may stop working one day. 10 years is a lot better than nothing, but if it stops working, all there is left is dutasteride (or spironolacetone if you're hardcore). We can only hope that something better is coming...

 

[Dench57]

This really is the scariest thing about finasteride, not the slight possibility of side effects, but that it may stop working one day.

Really? Not the sides? If it's worked for you for 5 or 10 years you've got nothing to complain about really. Contrary to many people I think we'll have new treatment options 5-10 years from now to be used alongside/instead of finasteride.

 

[winnyblues]

If something doesn't come up better than finasteride in the next 10 years ill be highly disappointed

 

[DoctorHouse]

This really is the scariest thing about finasteride, not the slight possibility of side effects, but that it may stop working one day. 10 years is a lot better than nothing, but if it stops working, all there is left is dutasteride (or spironolacetone if you're hardcore). We can only hope that something better is coming...

According to the experts, finasteride never stops blocking DHT so technically it does not stop working but its effectiveness becomes less the longer you are on it. If it were a cure, your hair loss would not progress. Buying a medical "time machine" i.e. finasteride to offset your balding a decade or more was worth the "price". What possible new treatment is coming in our future to reset the "time machine" for another decade?

 

[David.G]

It truly is such a sad thing that Finasteride, which is the #1 treatment for Male Pattern Baldness, has such a bad reputation. I question often on how did Finasteride's reputation degrade so badly. There are so many other medications out there that can cause far worse possible side effects and could even kill a human being, but yet they don't get anywhere as much negative attention as Finasteride has gotten.

I take Dutasteride, which is basically a stronger version of Finasteride, and I've gotten no side effects. Currently since you've been on Finasteride for a little over four months now with no side effects, how has it been helping your hair so far?

What about the reports that finasteride could increase your chances of getting aggressive prostate cancer? Those reports are why I stopped taking it a few months ago and my hair loss has continued.

 

[g.i joey]

What about the reports that finasteride could increase your chances of getting aggressive prostate cancer? Those reports are why I stopped taking it a few months ago and my hair loss has continued.

Actually they have debunked that theory. I hope this helps you re evaluate your decision http://www.m.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/news/20130814/18-year-study-finds-drug-cut-prostate-cancer-risk

- - - Updated - - -

"You take Proscar for six months to a year and it halves the size of your prostate, but the cancer inside your prostate does not shrink," Brawley said. "If I'm performing a*biopsy*on a smaller prostate, I'm more likely to hit that cancer than if I am sticking into a larger prostate. This drug wasn't causing more prostate cancer. It's causing more prostate cancer to be diagnosed."

 

[David.G]

Actually they have debunked that theory. I hope this helps you re evaluate your decision http://www.m.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/news/20130814/18-year-study-finds-drug-cut-prostate-cancer-risk

- - - Updated - - -

"You take Proscar for six months to a year and it halves the size of your prostate, but the cancer inside your prostate does not shrink," Brawley said. "If I'm performing a*biopsy*on a smaller prostate, I'm more likely to hit that cancer than if I am sticking into a larger prostate. This drug wasn't causing more prostate cancer. It's causing more prostate cancer to be diagnosed."

Thanks for that! I've been reading on this issue for a while now but never saw that link. I think I'm going to start it again. The amount of hair I've lost since stopping treatment is insane.

 

[g.i joey]

do it bro, probably the best decision ive made in 2015 was getting on finasteride.

 

[Breaking Bald]

So I see this turned into a discussion about finasteride as always...anyone got any input into the actual question? There must be some high Norwoods here and I'm sure it's a question that a lot of people are interested in. Thanks.