How to start?

[cobey60]

Hi all, can anyone give me some guidance as to how I should start in the fight against male pattern baldness?

For me it will be pretty much preventative. I am probably only a Norwood 1.5 at the moment and most of you guys would tell me not to worry about it yet, but my mum's dad was a full Norwood 7, I am feeling a very itchy scalp of late and looking in the mirror can just tell that I'm a bit thinner on the top and at the crown. And everyone says that it's easier to keep hair than regrow it.

Since I'm pretty much just preventing more damage should I just go on finasteride (I'm crossing my fingers no side effects) and nizoral?
Is minoxidil a bad idea if you have a relatively full head of hair? I don't really understand all the talk about becoming 'dependent' on minoxidil, does that mean that if brad pitt went on minoxidil he would have a shed and then become dependent on minoxidil. Or would it just do nothing to him because he has healthy hair?

 

[Strat54]

If I were you, I’d start using finasteride and Nizoral tomorrow.

But I’m not a doctor or an expert. I just repeat what I’ve learned from the web and other posters.

So first, you should go see a derm.

Don’t use minoxidil yet. Give finasteride at least a year. Maybe you’ll never need to use minoxidil (cross fingers).

Only hair grown with minoxidil is dependant on minoxidil.

 

[Guest]

Yep, my advice would also be to start on finasteride and Nizoral at first. Your goal is maintenance and this is what finasteride is best known for. When people talk about how hairs become "dependent" on minoxidil, they mean that the hairs who have maintaned or regrown by minoxidil need minoxidil applications otherwise they will fall out. Good Luck with your hair!

 

[MPBWarrior]

that's right, finasteride and nizoral are a must if u want to start fighting male pattern baldness now. minoxidil is just for regrowth, which by the sounds of it, u dont really need now.

 

[hair_tomorrow]

It's interesting how we think. (what'd he say?)

My personal opinion (agreeing that finasteride is the bomb) would be in such early stages - not to pull out the big guns until necessary.

I'd be more tempted to go w/ some naturals like zix or super, topical caffeine, (OK, niz2 , topical acv, nano shampoo . . .

and save finasteride for a little bit down the road.

If something as simple as zix or nano or niz2 could help - why not try that first?

 

[Strat54]

"...and save finasteride for a little bit down the road"

Yeah, save it for a rainy day, when you’re a NW4, and you feel the raindrops hammer down like bullets on your shiny bald head.

 

[cobey60]

Thanks guys. I'm starting on nizoral 1% today and going to see a dermatologist in the next few days to see what he thinks about going on finasteride.

I was also thinking about getting on nano shampoo to alternate with the nizoral because that seems like an easy thing to do and luckily cash isn't a massive issue for me at this point so prepared to spend a bit if it will help.

hair_tomorrow, are all the things you mentioned (zix, super, caffeine...) in nano shampoo? Or are they different topicals?
And is 'niz2' nizoral 2% or something else?

Thanks

 

[TheGlamorous]

Thanks guys. I'm starting on nizoral 1% today and going to see a dermatologist in the next few days to see what he thinks about going on finasteride.

I was also thinking about getting on nano shampoo to alternate with the nizoral because that seems like an easy thing to do and luckily cash isn't a massive issue for me at this point so prepared to spend a bit if it will help.

hair_tomorrow, are all the things you mentioned (zix, super, caffeine...) in nano shampoo? Or are they different topicals?
And is 'niz2' nizoral 2% or something else?

Thanks

Honestly, get on finasteride. The sooner you get on it the better. I wasn't able to start finasteride for heaps of reasons:

1. I appear to have been born with a NW3 hairline, which grew to a NW2 hairline when I was a kid, and has in the last year, gone back to being a NW3. It's really weird and I don't understand it, although I think it might have to do with my 8 weeks premature birth.

2. I'm 18, and have only been for a few days.

You have the best possible chances mate. Don't just "wait and see". 8)

 

[blaze]

I appear to have been born with a NW3 hairline, which grew to a NW2 hairline when I was a kid, and has in the last year, gone back to being a NW3. It's really weird and I don't understand it, although I think it might have to do with my 8 weeks premature birth.

Thats interesting spec. I was also born with a NW2 hairline. I have never had hair at the temples really. Always had a receeded look to my hairline since a very young age. I wonder why that is?

 

[s.a.f]

Ok, I dont want to do a Ronaldkia here but, Do you think that it makes any difference how much hair you had when you were born. I had none and it eventualy grew to extremly fine silky baby hair after about 4months. The reason I ask is that I've seen some newborn babies with a thick head of hair even with strong nw1 hairlines. I just wondered if these kids would be more likely to have good hair for life.

 

[hair_tomorrow]

Thanks guys. I'm starting on nizoral 1% today and going to see a dermatologist in the next few days to see what he thinks about going on finasteride.

I was also thinking about getting on nano shampoo to alternate with the nizoral because that seems like an easy thing to do and luckily cash isn't a massive issue for me at this point so prepared to spend a bit if it will help.

hair_tomorrow, are all the things you mentioned (zix, super, caffeine...) in nano shampoo? Or are they different topicals?
And is 'niz2' nizoral 2% or something else?

Thanks

Hey. "SuperZix" is a variation of Classic Zix. Super Zix is an inexpensive home brew (alcohol, distilled water, zinc, b6, saw palmetto and polysorbate 80) that you make at home and apply topically. An adjunct to zix is adding azaelic acid flakes to alcohol and using that as a separate topical.

caffeine is just as its name implies, caffeine, which has been shown to help halt hairloss. Folks add it to their shampoo.

niz2 = yes, nizoral 2%. Reports show that the 1% is just about as effective as the 2%.

ACV = organic apple cider vinegar. People add cayenne to it and pour it over their scalps while in the shower. Great for scalp health.

And just and fyi, I'm not putting down finasteride. I use it myself. But in your case, it just seems a bit of a drastic measure if you really don't need it.

If you're intersted in some of the alternatives, lmk, and I'll get you the specifics.

Best regards and good luck.