- Reaction score
- 147
Hello everyone,
I think it would be good to preface this post by introducing myself and telling you guys a little about me and my situation.
Over the last few months or so I've been lurking these forums (among others) so frequently that I thought it was time to just give in and join your ranks
. The dearth of information on here has been so helpful (or at least informative, LOL!) to me that I also felt it would be nice to give back and tell you guys about my experience.
So my name's Steve. I'm 22 and a third year chemistry student at a university in the western US. I've always been a super social guy and known in my friend circles as "the cute one" or a ladies' man which I attribute in no small part to my hair. I first noticed thinning at 19, but I guess it didn't really "click" that it was male pattern baldness and figured that it was just my crazy-thick juvenile hair simmering down to a more adult level (oh-ho-ho). Fast forward a year and I got my head buzzed for the first time in a long time and noticed some pretty bad thinning around my crown area. I scheduled an appointment with my long-term dermatologist who did an exam and told me that although he couldn't be 100% sure without a biopsy he was 99% sure I had Androgenetic Alopecia.
He explained the basics of minoxidil and finasteride to me as well as offered a topical finasteride/min solution and PRP injections. I wasn't too concerned about my hair loss at the time because I was still a reasonably thick NW0. I did however think it would be prudent to get on finasteride preemptively so I called him back and got the script filled.
I cut the 1mg tabs into quarters and started taking one every day without reading too much about it and forgot all about my hair situation (oh, the naiveté).
Fast forward another two months and my dink fell off.
Okay, not in so many words but I wound up in the hospital with some pretty serious insomnia and sexual side effects that I was pretty damn freaked about. The doctors told me it was ost likely the finasteride but its side effects may have been magnified because I was also on a short course of corticosteroids (dex) at the time and to stop taking both, so I did and all sides dissipated.
After that ordeal I told myself that no amount of hair was worth risking the ol' Fred Flintstone so I wrote off my hairloss and told myself to just enjoy the time I had left with my hair. Three months later I began experiencing some further thinning and immediately freaked out and started swallowing any and all info re: hairloss that I could absorb.
Which brings me to my current state. I'm still a NW1 with no (noticeable) thinning except for a dime sized spot on my crown, but if I had to guess I'd say my hair has lost 40-60% of its original density and soon I feel I won't be able to conceal it anymore. If I buzzed it down again I believe there'd be more scalp than hair visible in the back. This has led me to the tentative conclusion that I have DPA, because where the hair all over the top of my head seems to be diffusing, my hairline is still relatively straight and my sides and donor zone are still thiccc.
About two weeks ago I began a combination of minoxidil foam 5%, RU58841 1ML/day and Wick & Strom hair loss shampoo (1% keto) as well as 640mg saw palmetto a day. I currently have an appointment scheduled at my same derm to hopefully take him up on the offer of topical Min/finasteride mixture.
Thus far into my short experience with Minoxidil I can tell you that I'm experiencing a distressing amount of shedding, but most people seem to say that this is to be expected and can possibly be an indicator that I'm a responder so woo-woo :/
That's about it for me. It's been a humbling experience coming to this point and I can only imagine what more will come as I steadily march down (up?) the Norwood scale to my fate. I at least take comfort in the community you all have created in the midst of such a stupid, pointless disease and would like to thank you guys here for the support and information you have indirectly provided me.
I'll leave you guys with a few questions, if you don't mind:
1.) If I get the finasteride/Min topical solution, would it be unwise to continue RU-58841 with it? I've heard combinations of AA+RU can cause heart problems.
2.) Is itching an expected result of Min use?
3.) If I had sides on 0.25MG/ED would lowering the dose/frequency have any hope of preventing them? Should I try again (yolo)?
TL;DR Hi I'm Steve I'm 22 and balding. I take minoxidil and Ru-58841 every day. finasteride gives me sides. Sup
I think it would be good to preface this post by introducing myself and telling you guys a little about me and my situation.
Over the last few months or so I've been lurking these forums (among others) so frequently that I thought it was time to just give in and join your ranks
. The dearth of information on here has been so helpful (or at least informative, LOL!) to me that I also felt it would be nice to give back and tell you guys about my experience.So my name's Steve. I'm 22 and a third year chemistry student at a university in the western US. I've always been a super social guy and known in my friend circles as "the cute one" or a ladies' man which I attribute in no small part to my hair. I first noticed thinning at 19, but I guess it didn't really "click" that it was male pattern baldness and figured that it was just my crazy-thick juvenile hair simmering down to a more adult level (oh-ho-ho). Fast forward a year and I got my head buzzed for the first time in a long time and noticed some pretty bad thinning around my crown area. I scheduled an appointment with my long-term dermatologist who did an exam and told me that although he couldn't be 100% sure without a biopsy he was 99% sure I had Androgenetic Alopecia.
He explained the basics of minoxidil and finasteride to me as well as offered a topical finasteride/min solution and PRP injections. I wasn't too concerned about my hair loss at the time because I was still a reasonably thick NW0. I did however think it would be prudent to get on finasteride preemptively so I called him back and got the script filled.
I cut the 1mg tabs into quarters and started taking one every day without reading too much about it and forgot all about my hair situation (oh, the naiveté).
Fast forward another two months and my dink fell off.
Okay, not in so many words but I wound up in the hospital with some pretty serious insomnia and sexual side effects that I was pretty damn freaked about. The doctors told me it was ost likely the finasteride but its side effects may have been magnified because I was also on a short course of corticosteroids (dex) at the time and to stop taking both, so I did and all sides dissipated.
After that ordeal I told myself that no amount of hair was worth risking the ol' Fred Flintstone so I wrote off my hairloss and told myself to just enjoy the time I had left with my hair. Three months later I began experiencing some further thinning and immediately freaked out and started swallowing any and all info re: hairloss that I could absorb.
Which brings me to my current state. I'm still a NW1 with no (noticeable) thinning except for a dime sized spot on my crown, but if I had to guess I'd say my hair has lost 40-60% of its original density and soon I feel I won't be able to conceal it anymore. If I buzzed it down again I believe there'd be more scalp than hair visible in the back. This has led me to the tentative conclusion that I have DPA, because where the hair all over the top of my head seems to be diffusing, my hairline is still relatively straight and my sides and donor zone are still thiccc.
About two weeks ago I began a combination of minoxidil foam 5%, RU58841 1ML/day and Wick & Strom hair loss shampoo (1% keto) as well as 640mg saw palmetto a day. I currently have an appointment scheduled at my same derm to hopefully take him up on the offer of topical Min/finasteride mixture.
Thus far into my short experience with Minoxidil I can tell you that I'm experiencing a distressing amount of shedding, but most people seem to say that this is to be expected and can possibly be an indicator that I'm a responder so woo-woo :/
That's about it for me. It's been a humbling experience coming to this point and I can only imagine what more will come as I steadily march down (up?) the Norwood scale to my fate. I at least take comfort in the community you all have created in the midst of such a stupid, pointless disease and would like to thank you guys here for the support and information you have indirectly provided me.
I'll leave you guys with a few questions, if you don't mind:
1.) If I get the finasteride/Min topical solution, would it be unwise to continue RU-58841 with it? I've heard combinations of AA+RU can cause heart problems.
2.) Is itching an expected result of Min use?
3.) If I had sides on 0.25MG/ED would lowering the dose/frequency have any hope of preventing them? Should I try again (yolo)?
TL;DR Hi I'm Steve I'm 22 and balding. I take minoxidil and Ru-58841 every day. finasteride gives me sides. Sup
