Has the fight against hair loss been worth it?

[kalbo]

The only requirement for this poll is that you have been using hair loss treatments for over 2 years now. The reason is because there's speculation (fact?) that dht inhibitors such as finasteride usually work well for the first two years then levels off.

So for the 2 year veterans, has the fight against hair loss been worth all the trouble? Has all the money and time you spend doing research, frequenting message boards, buying products, going through your regimens, and dealing with side effects been worth the results you got? I'm sure people debating whether or not use treatments would like to know the general consensus before jumping into things.

Note: when viewing the results, also take into account that many successful users may not visit these boards too often and hence, not participate in this poll because they're too busy enjoying their new life as a non-baldy.... although, that can be debatable too.

 

[RTJBJ]

Well this one easy,,

if the things is working out for a person then the response will be yes

Otherwise No

 

[not me!]

A resounding "Yes" for me. Perhaps it's because I started thinning so early (17) and so fast (I was a NW4 by 25) but I lived my life under a ball cap for over 8 years. To be able to not worry about it now is like the largest weight ever being lifted off my shoulders. I can now concentrate on my life instead of my hair loss.

 

[Aplunk1]

A resounding "Yes" for me. Perhaps it's because I started thinning so early (17) and so fast (I was a NW4 by 25) but I lived my life under a ball cap for over 8 years. To be able to not worry about it now is like the largest weight ever being lifted off my shoulders. I can now concentrate on my life instead of my hair loss.

Not me!

You're one of my hairloss heros. I have one question for you... How often do you see stray hairs fall out? I'm just wondering because we both use Avodart, and I see hairs come out all the time... although, there's still improvement.

As for the vote:

Let's see, I've been on internal DHT medicines since December '05, and some Rogaine before that.

So, it's been a year and a half since I've began a hairloss regimen.

I'm going to vote a Yes, anyway.

Yes, it's been worth it. I'm getting results, slowly but surely, but they're coming in. Overall, the hair does look better than how it did.

 

[not me!]

"hair loss heroes" - I like that! That is awesome!

As for your question, even before I ever did anything about my hair loss I never saw an accumulation of shedding hairs. Not on my pillow, in my brush, or in the shower. I mean, I would see hairs (esp. in the shower) but it never seemed excessive. Of course, I'm the most ADD-riddled person on planet Earth so I can't say I ever paid much attention.

How long have you been on the Avodart? It may be just one of those hellish initial sheds people get in the first couple of months of use. I know I certainly got one or two. They pass, I promise. Stick it out.

 

[powersam]

i guess i'm around 2 1/2 years of treatment now, and the results are getting better. was maintaining for the past two years but in the last 6 months everything has thickened up and have seen some regrowth.

money isnt really a problem and it doesnt take much time to swallow half a propecia pill and apply a little somethin somethin before bed.

 

[Aplunk1]

Hey not me!

I'm almost at 7 months of Avodart. Th first 5 months were great... regrowth and no shedding. For the last 6 weeks or so, I've been shedding pretty consistently. I hope it ends soon.

 

[Holmes]

"So for the 2 year veterans, has the fight against hair loss been worth all the trouble? Has all the money and time you spend doing research, frequenting message boards, buying products, and going through your regimens been worth the results you got?"

I buy 60 tabs of Proscar which I cut in fourths so that lasts 8 months
I buy Kirkland 5$ minoxidil bottle of 4 that lasts 4 months
I use Nizoral Shampoo
I take a multivitamin

Is that any trouble? You gotta shampoo and should take a vitamin anyway. So oce every 8 months I buy Proscar and once every months I but minoxidil. Thers no research the stuff works we know that. All of that stuff costs about 120 bucks really not a big deal. Keep it simple!

 

[global]

"So for the 2 year veterans, has the fight against hair loss been worth all the trouble? Has all the money and time you spend doing research, frequenting message boards, buying products, and going through your regimens been worth the results you got?"

I buy 60 tabs of Proscar which I cut in fourths so that lasts 8 months
I buy Kirkland 5$ minoxidil bottle of 4 that lasts 4 months
I use Nizoral Shampoo
I take a multivitamin

Is that any trouble? You gotta shampoo and should take a vitamin anyway. So oce every 8 months I buy Proscar and once every months I but minoxidil. Thers no research the stuff works we know that. All of that stuff costs about 120 bucks really not a big deal. Keep it simple!

in the end all the research and chatting on these forums etc becomes a bit like a hobby, OK a hobby I'd rather not have but it passes the time.

 

[kalbo]

Well maybe the research and the message boards aren't too bad, but I do think many people will find that the money, regimens, and side effects are burdensome.

Minoxidil especially can be considered very burdensome. Not only do you have to apply it twice a day, but you have to wait for it to dry (so you can't style your hair or wear a hat right away), you can't shower for 4 hours, dealing with the residue it causes, the side effects (acne for some), and dealing with the extreme itching. Personally, I having a VERY hard time dealing with these things and I'm also dealing with side effects due to the finasteride. 2 years from now if I were to only see minimal results, I honestly wouldn't think all this was worth it, even considering that the treatments were working.

But that's just my opinion, and maybe it'll change 2 years from now. I still want to know how other veterans are coping with their fight against hair loss.

 

[ang_99]

popp'n a pill once a day is about as easy as it gets so if it doesnt work well thats not going through much trouble.

 

[silkeysmooth]

Started treatments at 19, probably started losing at least a few years before that, and at 22 am much worse off than I was when I started.

I can't say I regret it though, since I've really just done all that I can with the available information. Even if it slowed the loss down, I'd be happy. Of course, I can't say that it has, because if anything I've been losing hair more rapidly than before treatments.

83% success rate my ***.

 

[powersam]

why is it that people who don't see success immediately assume the success rates found by the FDA must be false? do you think it so implausible that you might be in that 17%?

 

[silkeysmooth]

Sorry for bringing back this thread, but I have just now come across it.

why is it that people who don't see success immediately assume the success rates found by the FDA must be false? do you think it so implausible that you might be in that 17%?

No I don't think it's implausible. I just think that the statement regarding propecia's success is often misconstrued. The 83% number is often thrown around as a probability, more specifically that a male has an 83% chance of keeping his hair. That simply isn't true in my opinion, as every case is different.

83% may have had success, but unless you have access to the background of every patient (including, but not limited to, age at which thinning started and rate of loss) you can't really make an accurate judgement about whether the odds are in your favor.

I haven't seen the studies myself, so maybe they have accounted for all of this and made calculations accordingly, but as far as I know, success was measured as either regrowth, halting of the hair loss, or a significant reducation of the rate of loss.

On a side note, 3 years isn't in my opinion "immediately." You have a valid criticism but that was a pretty lazy comment.

 

[not me!]

I haven't seen the studies myself, so maybe they have accounted for all of this and made calculations accordingly, but as far as I know, success was measured as either regrowth, halting of the hair loss, or a significant reducation of the rate of loss.

On a side note, 3 years isn't in my opinion "immediately." You have a valid criticism but that was a pretty lazy comment.

It's also pretty lazy to comment on the studies when you haven't read them. The studies based their information on hair counts maintained. Do some reading, grasshopper. You have much to learn.

 

[Slartibartfast]

The first 5 months were great... regrowth and no shedding. For the last 6 weeks or so, I've been shedding pretty consistently. I hope it ends soon.

My God, that's the same as me! If you are intent on copying me, then at some point in the (hopefully not too distant) future the regrowth should kick in; it just might be a year (or more!) from now before you fully appreciate dutasteride's hair loss-stopping properties.

Slarti

 

[Goingat20]

i sure hope so slarti, its been nearly 2 years for me :cry:

 

[Slartibartfast]

Perhaps now that you're on a daily dose it will give you more of a boost, it did to me.

 

[Aplunk1]

The first 5 months were great... regrowth and no shedding. For the last 6 weeks or so, I've been shedding pretty consistently. I hope it ends soon.

My God, that's the same as me! If you are intent on copying me, then at some point in the (hopefully not too distant) future the regrowth should kick in; it just might be a year (or more!) from now before you fully appreciate dutasteride's hair loss-stopping properties.

Slarti

Thanks Slarti,

I'm still hoping for the best and maintaining a consistent regimen: dutasteride, minoxidil, and nizoral.

Hairline is DEFINITELY shedding, but it might come back.

When did your shedding start to diminish?

 

[silkeysmooth]

I haven't seen the studies myself, so maybe they have accounted for all of this and made calculations accordingly, but as far as I know, success was measured as either regrowth, halting of the hair loss, or a significant reducation of the rate of loss.

On a side note, 3 years isn't in my opinion "immediately." You have a valid criticism but that was a pretty lazy comment.

It's also pretty lazy to comment on the studies when you haven't read them. The studies based their information on hair counts maintained. Do some reading, grasshopper. You have much to learn.

I've done some reading, mostly second-hand accounts of the documented success of propecia (on propecia.com) but I don't have the time right now to search for the published studies. Care to provide a link?

Or perhaps it's my responsibility to look it up, as a character-building exercise in correcting my laziness?

In any event, that's irrelevant, since I don't need or want your advice on self-improvement.