md2002 said:
Hey Socks -
I started noticing my hair loss at about 18 yrs old, I am 31 now. I got some transplants at about 22 and 25, which is when I realized I needed more because my har was getting very thin, and lots of hairs in the shower and on my hand when showering. This is when Propecia came out, after trying alot of bullshit witch potions, I decided to give it a try as baldness runs in my family and I didn't want to go that route.
So, to answer your question. I ABSOLUTLEY think Propecia slowed down, if not STOPPED my hair loss all these years. I've been using Propecia since it hit the market ( it may even be more than 6 years ? ) There is no doubt in my mind that without it I would be bald right now!!
Very interesting! Thank you for sharing
md2002 said:
However, the reason why I am on this board and looking for answers is, I should first say that I am satisfied with the way my hair looks right now, is because my hair seems to be thinning alot at this time. It seems I am losing more and more of my hairline all of a sudden and my hair is getting thinner.
This could be from Propecia tolerance, this could be becouse I started Nizorel, this could be because I am getting older. I don't know why it is happening but it's happening. So after all this time on Propecia I am going to change things and add to my regimen to try to maintain what I have. I figured I would start with Proscar and Nizoral 2%.
One more thing awhile ago I started taking Propecia every other day, this also may be why it started thinning out???
I know what ya mean... It is impossible to figure out, IMO, what event or events is responsible for a change in the status quo. Addressing some of your concerns (in no particular order):
From my understanding, when you inhibit DHT your body responds by producing more androgen receptors (the site androgens like DHT bind to which then starts the process that leads to hair atrophy and death). This may or may not be a factor in long term use of drugs like Finasteride and could be compounded even further if Finasteride was to lose it efficiency due to a drug tolerance.
A counter to this may be:
1. Skipping days to reduce a drug tolerance
2. Using topical spironolactone and Retin-a. spironolactone blocks the AR sites and Retin-a, through long term use, decreases the number of ARs.
Of course being that this is just a theoretical possibility this may or may not be a relevant solution.
Nizoral is a possibility too. While it is suppose to be beneficial (has been for me) some guys feel it makes their hairloss worse. This may be due to irritation that some men may experience with Nizoral... I personally would stick with Nizoral unless you're sure it is causing irritation... In which case I would use Nizoral 1% if you're using the 2%... If you're already using the 1% you might consider dropping Nizoral all together...
Age could be another factor... It is known that as we age our hair thins due to the decrease in blood flow. I forget the study but, if I recall correctly, by age 80 a man's blood supply to his scalp is substantially decreased.
A possible counter to this might be Folligen (copper peptides). Copper peptides are suppose to help with blood supply though I'm not sure how well they work in this purpose.
I doubt skipping a day of Finasteride is the cause though. I say this because studies show it takes days for DHT levels to rise after the last dose of Finasteride (You can
Click here to see how DHT is reduced after a single dose of Finasteride).
I would recommend the following:
Finasteride (either once a day or skipping days)
Nizoral 2% every 3rd day
Zix in the morning (homemade B6/Zinc topical)
Folligen in the evening
You could modify your zix to include spironolactone to address the AR sites if you like. Personally, unless you got lots of money to blow, I think the above is about the best you can do short of trying Dutasteride.
