My current condition [pics] - what regimen for me?

[preservationist]

Complete newbie to hair-loss treatments. What products should I try?

Hey Everyone!

I am 33 and have had this hairline for ever. Lately, I became aware that it is visibly worsening. Especially, in the front-right area where it is cutting deeper into my midscalp.
Another thing is that my temporal sections are getting seriously grey.

A few years back I was looking into some treatments but I gave up on it because I was told I was "fine." and was discouraged by the "hassle" of the treatments. Now I am more determined (too late?) and planning to follow a good regimen all the way and post my results on the forum.

Here is my hair hygiene routine, please point out anything that maybe bad for the health of my scalp.
My hair is pretty fine so I have to use a combination of putty and hairspray to style it. FRUCTIS is the only brad that does not really causes itching. Even with that I still do get psoriasis/itching sometimes so I use t-gel tar/salicylic acid shampoo quite a bit to control that. Maybe the itching comes from food? Or just too much hair product...

I am in good health. All vitals are solid. My diet is good - lean meat and veggies, smoothies. I eat very little processed foods. No illnesses. Non-smoker. I exercise regularly and get enough sleep.

I want to try the big 3 and see if they are safe for me. What brands should I get and where? What do you guys usually pay?
Also what is the best way to start taking finasteride so I can observe if I am a good responder?
I would rather learn from your experience before I spend time and $ on the wrong products.

Finally, what about spot-transplanting some hair to fill in that temporal recession sometime. What would that cost and can it actually work for my hairline?

I am really looking forward to learn from you guys and post my experiences.

 

[alex85]

hair transplant+finasteride would work best for you. Seriously. Don't waste time with minoxidil

 

[usier]

800 grafts should fix it.

 

[zzzzz]

hair transplant+finasteride would work best for you. Seriously. Don't waste time with minoxidil

this

but big 3 works too if you are satisfied with not having your teen hairline again. If you want a good hairline, you will need a transplant as finasteride+min cant regrow the totally bald temple areas. You would want to talk to your hair transplant doctor about whether minoxidil is worth it. Brand doesn't matter, dosage doesn't matter, just take daily a standard dose somewhere between .5-1.25mg. Buying proscar and fincar with a pill cutter and splitting the pills into fourths (they are 5mg pills an unnecessarily large dose) and take a fourth daily is the cheapest way.

Just start whatever regimen, finasteride + min, and after 12 months you should have a fairly reasonable idea of how well it is working for you, if you are an excellent responder you will know earlier than that.

 

[Cincinnati Kid]

I think a hair transplant plus finasteride would do nicely for you. You're basically a true Norwood 3 judging by your photos, and that's someone who's just been slowly receding in the front over time, but doesn't yet have any crown loss. I feel like if you grew your hair out another inch or two and rocked a nice forward style haircut like a side sweep or a Caesar or something along those lines, you could make your hairline look a lot stronger... and in actuality it's not all that bad. A lot of dudes on here would really love to be a Norwood 3. But if you can afford a hair transplant, and you feel like it's something that would make you happier with your appearance, then you should go for it.

 

[preservationist]

Thanks for the info guys. So I ordered Kirkland minoxidil to test it out. Now, I want to get the meds. Question is should I just try minoxidil first without the meds to see what is effective? Or should I just try the meds alone. Can one work without the other? I want to see what effects do I get from particular treatment. Based on what people say here, that would require a few months trial period.

As far as a the finasteride. I guess I would like to start by getting a small amount of the cheapest effective product on the market and see what that does for me. So which way to go?

Hope all you growers out there are having a great Sunday!
Cheers!

 

[preservationist]

Howdy Ya'll and thanks for the responses. I decided to get some finasteride first and test how I respond to it. What is the cheapest and most effective way to take it? Where do I get it from?
zzzzz: What do you mean proscar AND finar, should I take both at the same time?
Hope all you are growing some serious hair out there!
Cheers

 

[bram1988]

Howdy Ya'll and thanks for the responses. I decided to get some finasteride first and test how I respond to it. What is the cheapest and most effective way to take it? Where do I get it from?
zzzzz: What do you mean proscar AND finar, should I take both at the same time?
Hope all you are growing some serious hair out there!
Cheers

I asume he means one of either. They are both 5mg versions of finasteride if i remember correctly. What he probably means is for money purposes you should buy the 5mg version (as proscar and fincar are) and cut it up in 1/4th's. Reason for this is that this is 5 times cheaper than buying 1 mg pills. Active ingredients are the same. 1 mg is made for hairloss and thus more expensive, 5mg to reduce prostate size and other prostate issues, a lot cheaper.