Help Me Make My Decision...extremely Aggressive Hair Loss.

[TheRaxar1]

Hello everyone. I've resorted to creating an account on here to ask the community for advice to make my final decision. I am currently 23 right now and over the last couple of years I've had severe scalp itching which caused my aggressive hairless to take place. To put it in perspective, I've had a full head of hair (old Justin Bieber style) in the beginning of 2014 to virtually just the back and the sides right now in 2016.

It's not even that my hairline is receding because I'll see occasional hairs grow right on the front but I've been having an itchy scalp and have tried all kinds of shampoos to fix it. It's right after itching that I believe the majority of my hair falls out. I just feel like at this point, give it another year and I will have no hair at all.

I've been hesitant about Propecia/Rogaine but at this point I feel like I have no options despite me hating to put drugs in my body. I've had appointments with my derm before and that's all they prescribe of course.

I don't know why this itching and combination of hairless took place but I remember it starting around my senior year of high school when my hair would just itch uncontrollably after playing basketball or running, practically as soon as I started to sweat.

I've shaved my head bald in May of this year and did notice that my scalp had light red marks all over which are probably contributing to my scalp condition. I did also develop flaky dry dandruff looking stuff in my ears which I never had before until last year.

I've tried all sorts of natural remedies like apple cider, coconut oil, egg shampoo, but although its soothing temporarily, the itching never goes away. I feel like its getting worse now too as sometimes I'll itch and notice large piece of dandruff along with hairs come off or dried tiny red pieces of blood.

I will take whatever advice is given to me on this thread as I no longer have any options...Thanks.

 

[shookwun]

time to start shaving.

Not enough grounds to grow, and layer it out.

finasteride is your only saving grace to maintain, and possibly thicken existing hairs that are dieing,

 

[Shazbot]

Get a DHT blood test. Then get on dutasteride/minoxidil. Then in a few months check your DHT levels again. Dont scratch your head, and get a prescription for antiinflammation like hydrocortison butyrate.

 

[buckthorn]

yeah man, your hair is gone. You need to shave it off. I know that sucks. you may respond well to propecia, I would at least start using minoxidil.

 

[TheRaxar1]

Is there a chance that Propecia would at least stop the itching? That is my number one concern right now... *sigh*

 

[Sokubo]

Is there a chance that Propecia would at least stop the itching? That is my number one concern right now... *sigh*

It would stop the DHT which is likely causing the itching and your hair loss. It's possible to come back from this at least a little, but you should really act now if you want any prospect of it. You might be a great candidate for Propecia.

And, this is stylistic, but I wouldn't comb your hair forward like you seem to be doing. Just slick it back and keep it shorter until you have more progress.

 

[[email protected]]

If you've lost all this in the span of 2 to 3 yrs then you may experience regrowth if you act soon and aggressively.

That impossible itch is a common symptom of Androgenetic Alopecia.

If you're concerned with hair loss:
Start using nizoral 1 or 2% 2x a week. Leave it in for 5 mins before rinsing. Start liquid minoxidil 2x a day, using a few ml per application to cover your scalp in loss areas. If you experience scalp irritation from minoxidil liquid, switch to foam or a liquid without PPG. Start using at least finasteride daily. If you're serious, you should just do dutasteride instead. If you're really serious, also start dermarolling with 1.5mm roller once a week. Try that for 6 months and see how you respond. Be consistent and don't change anything unless you have side effects.

If you're only concerned about the itching:
For most, finasteride or dutasteride use resolves the itching. If you don't want to take a systemic anti androgen, then you can try RU topically at 5%, I've read of some experiencing itch relief; although, you may experience increased scalp itch or irritation from the vehicle used to deliver the med to your scalp. Alternatively, you can just wait it out... Once the hair is gone, so will the itch usually. If you've gone from beiber hair to this in a few short years, then another year or 2 will probably do you in if you do nothing.

 

[Hangin'on Hair]

If you're getting red patches with flaking over it on your scalp, you might have seborrheic dermatitis. This is inflamation that is itchy and it can cause your hair to fall also.

 

[GoldenMane]

I have that itching and flaking in my donor zone, face and even in my ears. It's psoriasis or sebhorric dermatitis. I used to have an itch in my frontal region, mid scalp and vertex but that stopped when I got on finasteride.
DHT itch and sebhorric dermatitis/psoriasis itch may be separate issues. finasteride/dutasteride will hopefully fix the former but not the latter.
Your hair loss is really bad, well past shave it time. I would say though, if you respond well, you might regain the hair you lost over the last 6 months to 1 year...

 

[kj6723]

dude finasteride and minoxidil are pretty much your options right now. Since you say most of it happened in the last couple years, you might get some decent regrowth, but no way of knowing until you try

 

[TheRaxar1]

It's just the only thing that is stopping me are those side effects from Propecia..I just know I literally have no options at this point and if it can at least cure the itching my life would be so much better.

 

[Shazbot]

Im taking 5mg finasteride and .5mg dutasteride DAILY right now for quite a while. I have absolutely no side effects. Get on the boat while its still tethered.

 

[KO21]

Im taking 5mg finasteride and .5mg dutasteride DAILY right now for quite a while. I have absolutely no side effects. Get on the boat while its still tethered.

5mg of finasteride daily?
Isn't it known there's almost no difference between 1mg and 5mg?

 

[Dante92]

As others rightly said, your options are quite limited. Time to shave it off, I fear...

 

[Shazbot]

5mg of finasteride daily?
Isn't it known there's almost no difference between 1mg and 5mg?

Yes daily. I believe there is not much difference in the "maximum" DHT you can lower. However, I suspect I'm one of those genotypes whose liver/kidney function etc etc might be too effective at metabolising finasteride, so I might need more mg to reach the same effects as 1mg. I did a dht blood test and it came out of on the high end of the normal range, even after taking finasteride 1.25mg for nearly a year + dutasteride .5mg for a month. Gonna continue now with 5mg finasteride and duta for a while before I redo the test again.

I seriously think there is a lot of misconception about effective dosages. So my tip for all of you is: Get a DHT blood test done before u get on any meds, and then again in 6months or so to see if there is infact a difference. Looking at the mirror is not enough imho

 

[mr_robot]

I really really suggest you try T-Gel for Greasy Hair, the one with piroctone olamine the difference it made for me was amazing. I've used the Coal Tar based T-Gel, Sensitive Scalp T-Gel and Nizoral but none of them have been as effective for me.

I use it every day and it keeps my scalp "calm", if I miss a day I can feel the itch starting to come back the next day but unlike Nizoral you can use PO based shampoos every day without dryness.

 

[Allesandra]

I'm so sorry you're having that incredibly intense itching but I have heard that is unbearably frustrating. Have you considered a mega transplant? Hair transplant network.com. any of those Coalition doctors can you restore your front pretty well

 

[TheRaxar1]

I'm so sorry you're having that incredibly intense itching but I have heard that is unbearably frustrating. Have you considered a mega transplant? Hair transplant network.com. any of those Coalition doctors can you restore your front pretty well

I don't need surgery if the primary cause is an itch...