Anyone Else Dealing with Diffuse Male Patterned Hair Loss?

[ManeTaine]

Does anyone know which treatments have been most effective/ least effective for those with diffuse male patterned hair loss?

About me - 26M with diffuse thinning AA all across the scalp (except donor area as far as I can tell). I'm pretty sure if I let it run it's course I'll be a Norwood 6/7..

Hair loss kick started with Telogen Effluvium shed which did not grow back. Jumped on finasteride a couple months after. Currently on finasteride for 1 year (recently added non-FDA approved experimental treatment) with no observable results (tricholab at 6 months noted some positive change to hair thickness due to finasteride but still losing in overall hair count.)

Really looking to set a long-term plan to slow down hair loss as much as I can before I jump on a hair growth promoter. I know Minoxidil is the main one people push but as someone who gets several sides from finasteride (decreased ejaculate/diminished libido, weaker erections, occasional nipple sensitivity, diminished eyebrows, and diminished beard/all around body hair) I'm concerned minoxidil is going to hit me with several side effects and minimum results as well..(aged skin, heart palpitations/swollen feet, black eyebags, etc.) and it's something that if I stopped would wreck havoc...

Any thoughts on Fluridil/Eucapil or Azelaic acid? I get the feeling I won’t know if any are effective without trying all of them unfortunately..which is both time consuming and expensive.. I've thought about Topical Dutasteride but I'm thinking if Finasteride has given me poor results...why would Dutasteride do any better, I'd just be taking a greater risk with very little pay off.

If anyone was in the same boat / has an idea to best approach, please do share

Pics:

https://imgur.com/LagB3oL

https://imgur.com/aPJBc9R

https://imgur.com/SljFBOC

https://imgur.com/UA87p9a

 

[ManeTaine]

I don't know if I'm diffuse but i was losing ground all over my scalp and hair was just impossible to comb due to frizziness and low density. I sarted dutasteride and it stopped my loss but what gave me a real regrowth was oral minoxidil specially on top of the head. The only side I've notice is hypertrichosis, but in my case, i dont care because I already had lot of hair on my body.

I'm guessing you took oral finasteride before you decided to jump on Dutasteride? How often do you take take oral dutasteride now? Its too great a risk for me to take oral dutasteride. Most I'd do is topical dutasteride. couple times a week but there's some people on here who seem to have accelerated loss as a result.

Did you try topical minoxidil before you jumped into oral?
Any other anti-androgens besides dutasteride that might be worth looking into? I know there's RU but I seem to be non-responsive..

 

[ManeTaine]

Your Doctor started you on dutasteride before finasteride? Haven't heard of that before. Unless I'm mistaken, I don't believe taking oral dutasteride daily is the general recommendation. Did your Doctor prescribe it daily for 0.5mg? I'm guessing you must be tolerating it really well with none to minimal side effects from either medication.

I don't think I'll be that lucky

 

[Caillou]

I have extremely similar hair loss to you mate, even sharing the same double cowlick

Try the minoxidil + dermapen combo and see what will happen

 

[ManeTaine]

Thanks for the reply Caillou.

I have extremely similar hair loss to you mate, even sharing the same double cowlick

Try the minoxidil + dermapen combo and see what will happen

Haha what are the odds!

I'm trying to hold off on minoxidil until I can stabilize the hair loss. Then I'll likely jump on. Looking to give Fluridil a try.. but not going to lie, the sides of minoxidil worry me, especially since something like aging skin can't really be reversed and I seem fairly prone to side effects...

 

[Caillou]

Thanks for the reply Caillou.

Haha what are the odds!

I'm trying to hold off on minoxidil until I can stabilize the hair loss. Then I'll likely jump on. Looking to give Fluridil a try.. but not going to lie, the sides of minoxidil worry me, especially since something like aging skin can't really be reversed and I seem fairly prone to side effects...

I truly believe phenotypes affect hair loss and how it works. I have the same forehead as you as well, but my hair type is a bit different -it's more wavy/curly-

Anyway, i also don't want to start minoxidil because i don't want to deal with all the skin side effects. You can use dermapen on it's own like i will do. There was a famous study that demonstrated how dermapen even when used alone without any topicals is still more effective than using minoxidil 5% without dermapen in terms of regrowth/thickening

 

[ManeTaine]

I truly believe phenotypes affect hair loss and how it works. I have the same forehead as you as well, but my hair type is a bit different -it's more wavy/curly-

Anyway, i also don't want to start minoxidil because i don't want to deal with all the skin side effects. You can use dermapen on it's own like i will do. There was a famous study that demonstrated how dermapen even when used alone without any topicals is still more effective than using minoxidil 5% without dermapen in terms of regrowth/thickening

I wouldn't be surprised, I think genetic sensitivity trumps all. If it's really high, which I think is the case for me, then there's not much that I think will have drastic results.

And I somehow completely left out I do use a derm machine at 1.5mm/week. Thanks for the reminder, I haven't noticed much change but seeing as it's easy and not drug based I got no problems with it. Do you have a link to that study by any chance? That sounds incredible

 

[ManeTaine]

Yeah I haven't had any side effect with dutasteride. The only side is hypertrichosis with oral minoxidil. It's common to see doctors presrcribing dutasteride in my country. The dosage is 0.5 mg daily first year, after first year you use it every other day. If you stabilize it every other day, u can try 3 times a week.

That's unreal! You're very lucky in that regard.

Now to see what else is worth looking into besides finasteride/dutasteride/min... a lot to research..

 

[Raccooner]

Does anyone know which treatments have been most effective/ least effective for those with diffuse male patterned hair loss?

About me - 26M with diffuse thinning AA all across the scalp (except donor area as far as I can tell). I'm pretty sure if I let it run it's course I'll be a Norwood 6/7..

Hair loss kick started with Telogen Effluvium shed which did not grow back. Jumped on finasteride a couple months after. Currently on finasteride for 1 year (recently added non-FDA approved experimental treatment) with no observable results (tricholab at 6 months noted some positive change to hair thickness due to finasteride but still losing in overall hair count.)

Really looking to set a long-term plan to slow down hair loss as much as I can before I jump on a hair growth promoter. I know Minoxidil is the main one people push but as someone who gets several sides from finasteride (decreased ejaculate/diminished libido, weaker erections, occasional nipple sensitivity, diminished eyebrows, and diminished beard/all around body hair) I'm concerned minoxidil is going to hit me with several side effects and minimum results as well..(aged skin, heart palpitations/swollen feet, black eyebags, etc.) and it's something that if I stopped would wreck havoc...

Any thoughts on Fluridil/Eucapil or Azelaic acid? I get the feeling I won’t know if any are effective without trying all of them unfortunately..which is both time consuming and expensive.. I've thought about Topical Dutasteride but I'm thinking if Finasteride has given me poor results...why would Dutasteride do any better, I'd just be taking a greater risk with very little pay off.

If anyone was in the same boat / has an idea to best approach, please do share

Pics:

https://imgur.com/LagB3oL

https://imgur.com/aPJBc9R

https://imgur.com/SljFBOC

https://imgur.com/UA87p9a

Have you tried Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) with Adipose Stem Cells? I read it's good if hair is thinning but not completely lost. I have this situation and will be getting this done. It is expensive and it works for 75%-80% of people and can have lasting effects for many months, years (maybe even permanent changes in some respects). The difficult question is finding the right doctor for the procedure. Too many variables. Asking for references is the way to go in choosing a doctor, which I need to do.

 

[Caillou]

I wouldn't be surprised, I think genetic sensitivity trumps all. If it's really high, which I think is the case for me, then there's not much that I think will have drastic results.

And I somehow completely left out I do use a derm machine at 1.5mm/week. Thanks for the reminder, I haven't noticed much change but seeing as it's easy and not drug based I got no problems with it. Do you have a link to that study by any chance? That sounds incredible

Randomized trial of electrodynamic microneedle combined with 5% minoxidil topical solution for the treatment of Chinese male Androgenetic alopecia - PubMed

<span><b>Background</b>: In treating androgenetic alopecia, 5% minoxidil is a commonly used topical drug. By using electrodynamic microneedle at the same time may increase absorption of minoxidil and further stimulate hair growth.<b>Objective</b>: A 24-week, randomized, evaluator blinded...

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

 

[Caillou]

Have you tried Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) with Adipose Stem Cells? I read it's good if hair is thinning but not completely lost. I have this situation and will be getting this done. It is expensive and it works for 75%-80% of people and can have lasting effects for many months, years (maybe even permanent changes in some respects). The difficult question is finding the right doctor for the procedure. Too many variables. Asking for references is the way to go in choosing a doctor, which I need to do.

I heard PRP is pretty useless and has no evidence of working, many people claim it's an obvious scam

 

[cursedDemon]

I am also suffering