Shedding Hair Again After Great Results On Minoxidil. Depressed, Miserable, Losing Hope :/

[SlinkyDink]

Hi guys. So I'm 27. I noticed I was thinning on my crown, and receding slightly on my right temple a couple of years ago. I wasnt worried to much about it. As time passed it became more visable. Hair falling in the shower, on my bed and was looking thinner each hair cut. Then I was obsessing in the mirror daily. So I decided to jump on Kirkland minoxidil 5% june last year (2018) I applied it all over my head. I never noticed any shedding in the first few weeks. About 4 months had passed and the results I had were absolutely Incredible. I was so happy at this point than I have ever been. My crown area had thickened up and my hairline was coming back in. My friends thought I was using concealer. I could style it any way I wanted. It got to around 5 months (November 2018) when I started to notice my hair shedding again. I read on this forum it could just be a 2nd shed so i continued with the treatment twice a day. Now nearly 12 months on, the shedding is still happening and my hair looks even worse than before I started. My whole hair has become so thin, and its wavy at the front for some reason. My crown has thinned down again and now I'm starting to recede on BOTH sides. I'm seriously so depressed and I feel sick every time I look in the mirror. Has anyone else had an experience like this? I've read about finisteride and the storys terrify me. But even then I still read about people shedding hair after months on finisteride. Is there anything I can do?

 

[SlinkyDink]

Also want to add - I also use a Derma Roller a couple of times a week, and alpecin caffeine shampoo..

 

[SlinkyDink]

Anyone?

 

[HLV]

I guess I can be considered a hair loss veteran as I started treating hair loss thirteen years ago.

I have been in the exact same situation you are in now, gained a full head of hair after four months of starting minoxidil, and then seeing shedding after a year or two.

The most likely reason you are losing hair even with minoxidil is simply that hair loss genetics are starting to over
Power the effects of minoxidil. This is completely natural and studies done in the nineties concluded that minoxidil results start to wear off after the first year or two, and at around year five you are back at baseline.

first piece of advice to you, keep using the minoxidil twice a day. At this point a lot of people have stopped using minoxidil only to shed tons of hairs. Minoxidil is still working for you to an extent, it is just that it’s losing effectiveness.

if you wish to stop hair loss long term, there are really only two options. Finasteride 1mg, or a hair transplant. if you are afraid of starting finasteride which is understandable, go to a doctor, discuss your concerns, get blood tests done prior so if you do experience side effects you can compare blood tests before and after.

Discuss any side effects with your doctor. Finasteride will keep most of your hair long term. Personal experience and all the ten year studies confirm this.

Any more questions just ask.

HLV

 

[Hairicane]

I guess I can be considered a hair loss veteran as I started treating hair loss thirteen years ago.

I have been in the exact same situation you are in now, gained a full head of hair after four months of starting minoxidil, and then seeing shedding after a year or two.

The most likely reason you are losing hair even with minoxidil is simply that hair loss genetics are starting to over
Power the effects of minoxidil. This is completely natural and studies done in the nineties concluded that minoxidil results start to wear off after the first year or two, and at around year five you are back at baseline.

first piece of advice to you, keep using the minoxidil twice a day. At this point a lot of people have stopped using minoxidil only to shed tons of hairs. Minoxidil is still working for you to an extent, it is just that it’s losing effectiveness.

if you wish to stop hair loss long term, there are really only two options. Finasteride 1mg, or a hair transplant. if you are afraid of starting finasteride which is understandable, go to a doctor, discuss your concerns, get blood tests done prior so if you do experience side effects you can compare blood tests before and after.

Discuss any side effects with your doctor. Finasteride will keep most of your hair long term. Personal experience and all the ten year studies confirm this.

Any more questions just ask.

HLV

Do you think the claim that 80-90% maintain on Finasteride is legit? I know it's anecdotal but from reading here it seems like it's about 50-50.

 

[Hairicane]

Hi guys. So I'm 27. I noticed I was thinning on my crown, and receding slightly on my right temple a couple of years ago. I wasnt worried to much about it. As time passed it became more visable. Hair falling in the shower, on my bed and was looking thinner each hair cut. Then I was obsessing in the mirror daily. So I decided to jump on Kirkland minoxidil 5% june last year (2018) I applied it all over my head. I never noticed any shedding in the first few weeks. About 4 months had passed and the results I had were absolutely Incredible. I was so happy at this point than I have ever been. My crown area had thickened up and my hairline was coming back in. My friends thought I was using concealer. I could style it any way I wanted. It got to around 5 months (November 2018) when I started to notice my hair shedding again. I read on this forum it could just be a 2nd shed so i continued with the treatment twice a day. Now nearly 12 months on, the shedding is still happening and my hair looks even worse than before I started. My whole hair has become so thin, and its wavy at the front for some reason. My crown has thinned down again and now I'm starting to recede on BOTH sides. I'm seriously so depressed and I feel sick every time I look in the mirror. Has anyone else had an experience like this? I've read about finisteride and the storys terrify me. But even then I still read about people shedding hair after months on finisteride. Is there anything I can do?

I'm certainly no expert but it's my understanding that minoxdil is a band-aid, it helps weak or miniturized hairs grow by keeping blood vessels open, but eventually every hair will shed. When that happens DHT takes over.

 

[HLV]

Do you think the claim that 80-90% maintain on Finasteride is legit? I know it's anecdotal but from reading here it seems like it's about 50-50.

From personal experience, personal observations and all the studies done over the years, yes it’s at 80-90%.

That doesn’t mean you might not lose some hair over the years, but you will keep most of what you have. I have never since being on these forums from 2008 and in real life seen evidence of someone going bald on finasteride. It just doesn’t happen.

If this has occurred to anyone please post pictures as it would be interesting for me to see it for the first time as it would go against the numerous studies done over the years and my personal experiences.

HLV

 

[Hairicane]

From personal experience, personal observations and all the studies done over the years, yes it’s at 80-90%.

That doesn’t mean you might not lose some hair over the years, but you will keep most of what you have. I have never since being on these forums from 2008 and in real life seen evidence of someone going bald on finasteride. It just doesn’t happen.

If this has occurred to anyone please post pictures as it would be interesting for me to see it for the first time as it would go against the numerous studies done over the years and my personal experiences.

HLV

So even non-responders won't lose it all?

 

[HLV]

I'm certainly no expert but it's my understanding that minoxdil is a band-aid, it helps weak or miniturized hairs grow by keeping blood vessels open, but eventually every hair will shed. When that happens DHT takes over.

So even non-responders won't lose it all?

You’re asking me that because you think you’re a non responder and feel like you need some assurance.

I did the exact same thing when I started finasteride. I was convinced it wouldn’t work and constantly asked questions. I didn’t listen to people telling me to just relax back then because I was convinced it wouldn’t work.

The key in hairloss treatment is finasteride. If you’re on finasteride, do not stress. You will be fine.

HLV

 

[SlinkyDink]

Could the DHT really take over that fast though? I've literally lost so much hair in the space of 5 months?? That's how long the shedding has been going on for. Doesn't seem like its letting up. I had blood tests to check my iron levels and they were fine. I dunno, I'm on a waiting list now to see a dermatologist. But I'm worried by the time I get an appointment all my flipping hair would have gone :/

 

[Yoadrian]

I guess I can be considered a hair loss veteran as I started treating hair loss thirteen years ago.
DO YOU THINK you should start minoxidil in small area of your crown for a while and see how she goes? That way if you candle handle the shedding or whater, you can stop? I wonder if people do that. Got pics of your hair?

I have been in the exact same situation you are in now, gained a full head of hair after four months of starting minoxidil, and then seeing shedding after a year or two.

The most likely reason you are losing hair even with minoxidil is simply that hair loss genetics are starting to over
Power the effects of minoxidil. This is completely natural and studies done in the nineties concluded that minoxidil results start to wear off after the first year or two, and at around year five you are back at baseline.

first piece of advice to you, keep using the minoxidil twice a day. At this point a lot of people have stopped using minoxidil only to shed tons of hairs. Minoxidil is still working for you to an extent, it is just that it’s losing effectiveness.

if you wish to stop hair loss long term, there are really only two options. Finasteride 1mg, or a hair transplant. if you are afraid of starting finasteride which is understandable, go to a doctor, discuss your concerns, get blood tests done prior so if you do experience side effects you can compare blood tests before and after.

Discuss any side effects with your doctor. Finasteride will keep most of your hair long term. Personal experience and all the ten year studies confirm this.

Any more questions just ask.

HLV

 

[Deliciadecu]

Impossible to tell you what happened, but since you're only 27, any possibility that you go to the gym and made the stupid idea of taking creatine?? If you don't know, creatine raises your DHT levels to legit high levels (+50%), I took creatine for one month before knowing this and I lost a lot, A LOOOOT, of hair during 3 months because of it.

 

[SlinkyDink]

I go to the gym a few times, but I dont take anything like that. Just water

 

[Riq636]

Drop the dermaroller and thank me later. That sh*t only made me lose more hair. I was better off on minoxidil alone.

 

[Maxihair]

finasteride or dutasteride the only things that work well to me.

 

[SlinkyDink]

Just an update. I seen a dermatologist today and she perscribed me with 5mg finisteride, and a pill cutter. 1 tablet to be cut up into 4, so I will be consuming 1.25mg of finasteride daily. A routine of taking 1 week of mon-fri and another week of mon-sat. I just hope this will fix it :/ I will post another update in a couple of months with pictures

 

[SlinkyDink]

Sorry going slightly off subject. Can anyone tell me how I post a new thread? I can't for the life of me remember how I did last time...

 

[Hairicane]

Sorry going slightly off subject. Can anyone tell me how I post a new thread? I can't for the life of me remember how I did last time...

Go back to the men's general hair loss page, directly under "men's general hair loss" you will see "post new thread".

 

[djhype]

From personal experience, personal observations and all the studies done over the years, yes it’s at 80-90%.

That doesn’t mean you might not lose some hair over the years, but you will keep most of what you have. I have never since being on these forums from 2008 and in real life seen evidence of someone going bald on finasteride. It just doesn’t happen.



HLV

Funny. I've been on this forum a month or two and seen plenty of docmented pics of people going bald on finasteride.

 

[HLV]

Funny. I've been on this forum a month or two and seen plenty of docmented pics of people going bald on finasteride.

By all means, please link them all in this thread.


HLV