Fanjeera's Story - ( 17-year old balding! Quit BIG 3!)

[ANDREW_J_I]

Re: A 17-year old balding! Pictures!

damn! we need honesty on this board and I think that is receeding.... but not to worry. I would never recommend propecia but if you get on it good luck!

 

[Fanjeera]

Re: A 17-year old balding! Pictures!

There's no doubt I'm receding, if you look at the last picture I took: -- with short hairstyle.

 

[Devender]

Re: A 17-year old balding! Pictures!

First, and foremost, consult a competent doctor. A dermatologist doesnt qualify. OK.
Get some first class consult with a good hair restoration Doctor. Hairloss on father's side is less important then on mother's side.
But then again, it matters little if you take after your father in terms of hairloss. I know, because I did. None of my maternal uncles lost any hair.

The key is to find what meds work for you, and if they dont, what doctor works for you. They are not all the same. I mean the meds as well as the docs.

 

[Fanjeera]

Re: A 17-year old balding! Pictures!

I don't think there are any hair specialist here in Estonia. I still have to speak to a dermatologist and I have already done that -- she seemed to know stuff about Propecia and Regaine.

 

[SE-freak]

Re: A 17-year old balding! Pictures!

I think this thread wins the Oscar for worst piece of advice ever.

Fanjeera:

You are obviously receeding above the "mature hairline" border. You are here so you are not in denial. (I had to hit 27 to burst my "male pattern baldness is for others" bubble). That by itself is great.

Do not use Dutasteride topically. As some people said, the effect of anything topically applied is partially due to systemic absorption. You do not want traces of dutasteride in your bloodstream if you are already afraid of finasteride (as dutasteride is a much more effective blocker of the enzyme). Skin is permeable, it is a filter, not a plastic bag. Have you heard of nicotine patches?

You have been using Rogaine for a year now. If you drop minoxidil, you will go over a major shed and a jump to a parallel hair universe where you never used any treatment until now. If cost of treatments is what troubles you, go for generic minoxidil solution and ADD TO THAT. 16 is too early for starting finasteride and I believe you are doing the right thing to wait till you are 18 before starting.

So what is your best bet imo?

1) Read more on hair and more on your options so that your choices reflect a more objective personal view on the matter.

2) Read this:

Secrets to Success - The Three P's.

And then read it once more.

3) ADD TO your regimen, do not replace a treatment with another unless you fully understand what this means. Minoxidil (Rogaine) creates an offset of hair, some extra hair to carry along, it does not counter the cause of follicle shrinkage which is damage due to DHT. This means that stopping Rogaine(a growth stimulant) and replacing it with finasteride or topical dutasteride(!!!)(a dht inhibitor) will not help you maintain the offset of growth that minoxidil allowed you to have.

4) Start using Nizoral every third day or so.

5) Use a topical DHT inhibitor with the more substantial research backing it up (as internal DHT inhibitors are out of question until you hit 18).

6) Don't base a treatment strategy on hairloss forum gossip, rumor or anecdotal "evidence". Do not conduct personal experiments either. (like using topical dutasteride).

You have beaten denial which is a major victory , you have an extremely healthy scepticism regarding treatments (one could jump on anything promising at 16 without giving it a second thought) and you are lucky enough to be on hairlostalk forums, an area full of useful information and people willing to help. When the day ends, it is your battle, and your choices to make. So make sure you get a relatively good idea of how hair works, what causes male pattern baldness, what treatments can and cannot offer and where one can set reasonable expectations.

Best of luck.

 

[Fanjeera]

Re: A 17-year old balding! Pictures!

So you're telling me, I should add medications to my Regaine (this is the only minoxidil product on our market here ) bottle?
Thanks!

 

[SE-freak]

Re: A 17-year old balding! Pictures!

So you're telling me, I should add medications to my Regaine (this is the only minoxidil product on our market here ) bottle?
Thanks!

No, not literally add into the bottle, I meant continue your existing treatment with Regaine(even replace it with generic brand minoxidil ordered online) and add another treatment to that.

 

[Fanjeera]

Re: A 17-year old balding! Pictures!

My country doesn't allow ordering medications through the Internet .

 

[barcafan]

Re: A 17-year old balding! Pictures!

They ship it discreetly. Dont be a pussy

 

[Fanjeera]

Re: A 17-year old balding! Pictures!

What do you mean? I was told a certain "no" by the custom's.

 

[FreeloaderUK]

Re: A 17-year old balding! Pictures!

unless you live in North Korea I highly doubt Customs check everything posted from abroad. try it & see what happens.

 

[Fanjeera]

Re: A 17-year old balding! Pictures!

And risk money?
Is there a small bottle of minoxidil for sale maybe, so I can try?

 

[Fanjeera]

Re: A 17-year old balding! Pictures!

sh*t, my hair looks so good on those pictures. I have been using heavy Regaine for more than a year now and still keep receding very fast. My hair looks nothing like it does on those pictures anymore.
AND I found out today that my crown is very see-trough.

Any advice?

I am making some new pics for the first post, so it would be better to compare.

 

[hhj1247]

Re: A 17-year old balding! Pictures!

But Propecia has some heavy side effects, I have heard. I am only afraid of mental fog though.

I had sides and quit, but honestly I think a great deal of finasteride sides are mental. I cut the pill to .25 mg now and have been taking that dose since thanksgiving and I feel like a million bucks so far (knock on wood). I'm planning on graduating myself upwards to 1 eventually, but I do suggest graduation of finasteride. Some claim .5 mg will get the same results in the long run as 1 mg. Some take 1 mg right off the bat and have no sides at all. Who knows who's right.

Your hairline still looks alright, but if you go at this now with Propecia you'll be better off in the long run. I wish I started at 17, and I'm 21 now.

 

[Fanjeera]

Re: A 17-year old balding! Pictures!

Your hairline still looks alright, but if you go at this now with Propecia you'll be better off in the long run. I wish I started at 17, and I'm 21 now.

You watched the recent pics :O?

 

[hhj1247]

Re: A 17-year old balding! Pictures!

Your hairline still looks alright, but if you go at this now with Propecia you'll be better off in the long run. I wish I started at 17, and I'm 21 now.

You watched the recent pics :O?

Yea, it receded a little dude, but I personally would kill for that hairline. You starting off at the right time. As they say, the sooner the better.

 

[Fanjeera]

Re: A 17-year old balding! Pictures!

Thank god, I can still pull a haircut with a decent fringe that leaves a feeling of a hairline.

 

[Fanjeera]

Re: A 17-year old balding! Pictures!

Christmas 2008 pictures (more than 1 year of Regaine (5%) behind now!)
I got a new camera for Christmas, so I took some pictures of my hair right away. I saw no point in keeping the old shitty quality webcam pics, so I deleted them. I have been using Regaine 5% for a year and 2 months now -- it's working very well, but not enough to form a hairline, so you can still see where it SHOULD be, if it wasn't for minoxidil.
-- the left temple. I have been applying more minoxidil there, because it was balding faster.
-- the right temple. Thanks to putting less Regaine here, it's balder now.
-- my front. You can see how thin it all is and how far back I have actually receded, though, it's kind of messy thanks to the minoxidil hair.


NW2 or NW1?

 

[Fundi]

Re: A 17-year old balding! Pictures!

NW2 I think.

I don't understand why you mention in your other posts NW5 and stuff and how you'll be there in a 2-3 years...you still have a lot of hair!

 

[Fanjeera]

Re: A 17-year old balding! Pictures!

Because my father was bald at his early 20s and so was my uncle, grandfather and grandgrandfather. Only my granduncle was 40 or 30.