The beginnings of balding (pix included) - what should I do?

bojangles

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I've posted a few times before, around when it really started to hit me that I've got a receding hairline and I was freaking out (around half a year ago). Lately I've been feeling insecure about it again, and I really can't go into denial thinking that this is a problem that will just "go away"....it only gets worse.

I admit that my hair doesn't look bad per se, but it's certainly a bit worse than it was a year ago, which was worse than it was a year before that, etc. What bothers me most, though, isn't so much how it looks now but the fact that it'll get worse, and I really dread that. Here are a couple pictures I took today. Sorry if the lighting isn't great:

http://img222.imageshack.us/img222/5323/img90649ho.jpg
http://img222.imageshack.us/img222/3500/img90658sw.jpg

I should note that the bald areas on the sides of my forehead go back a bit further than it looks in that first pic, there's just some hair covering it up.

The "giant U" shaped hairline has only gotten worse, and it's quite thin at the front....very diffuse, and those hairs are getting thin. So far I'm not noticing any balding elsewhere, although as you can maybe tell from the pic it seems to be thinning a bit along where the hair naturally parts, on both sides, although maybe that's just partially the parting effect.
It seems it's at its worse at the very front of the hairline, like maybe the first inch or so, but I've notcied that when my hair is either wet or standing up the top of my scalp is kinda visible under certain lightings, so I can't really tell where all it's thinning out.

I'm sure there are lots of people here who have it a lot worse, and by god, know that I feel for you. :( But this is still really bothering me, especially since I already have sh*t for self-esteem and confidence, despite being an otherwise good looking guy. I've had 'personal' problems in the past, and at 24, I've never even been on a date or had a girlfriend, so the idea of balding before I've even done any of that just KILLS me. I'd perhaps even opt for the shaved head, but I really don't think I have the face for it (if I had a smaller nose and longer, more defined eyebrows then maybe I'd go for it...my eyebrows really suck under some lightings).

So, what options should I consider? I hate the idea of using some itch-inducing topical treatment twice a day that doesn't even address the root of the problem. And Procia with its countless side-effects I've heard of (everything from sore nipples and growing tits to loss of sex drive, messing with your prostate, whatever the hell lowering your DHT does to you) scares me. Ideally I wish I could just use something that doesn't have any weird side effects and halts my hair loss for a few to several years and hope some miracle treatment is available by then. But it doesn't look as though that's realistic. What should I do?
 

techprof

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if you don't want to use propecia and minoxidil, use nizoral shampoo (2%) twice a week and Nano shampoo 4 times a week or more. Let the shampoo sit on the scalp for 2-3 minutes before washing it out.
Your Norwood is not bad. You might just have a naturally receding hair line.
 

bojangles

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Thanks, I'll look into that. I've heard this Jason line (or whatever) of thickening shampoos is really good.....is that something that might help?

I forgot to add that my father is (from what I can tell from the Norwood pics) a NW5. I don't think his hairline was as bad as mine in his mid 20s, though. On my mom's side, I think my grandfather was almost as bad as my dad, but not at my age, and my uncles on that side are I'd say closer to me than my dad's hair. So there's certainly hairloss in the family, albeit nothing absolutely major, but it looks like I'm getting the short end of the stick as far as how bad it is this young. I could certainly live with how it is now, but if it keeps getting worse at this rate, I could officially be "balding" within the next couple years.
 

-cj-

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I'm in the same boat as you. I even discussed Finasteride with my dermatologist, but didn't go through with it.

I've started using Nizoral, but that's about it. A lot of supplements which I don't know if they've helped. I do know that MSM has increased overall growth rate.

Your hair overall looks pretty good. Get out there and get a girl bro.
 

Aplunk1

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My friend, Propecia's side effects are overexaggerated on these forums. FDA trials prove that there are only 2% of people who get side effects, and they diminish during the course of the treatment or diminish after stopping the medication.

Propecia is your best bet.

If not, try minoxidil to retain your hair. Make sure you use Nizoral shampoo, as well.
 

Aplunk1

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MSM is a supplement. There are some studies out there showing that it improves the vitality of your skin, hair, and nails. It rejuvenates the collagen in your body, making your joints better. It's kind of like a super vitamin, in that it works on everything. I personally use it, and love it.

As for your hair, you'll notice that it becomes a lot more shiny and that the rate of growth is increased by a factor of 2 or 3.
 

bojangles

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umm, heh, does it affect hair growth anywhere else? I have a bit of a back/shoulder hair problem, and I'd hate to speed up hair growth there. Probably a stupid question, though. Also, how much should you take every day?
 

Aplunk1

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Yes, it makes your entire body hairy. I forgot to mention that. lol. You'll notice a huge difference in the rate of growth along your body, eyebrows, eyelashes, chest, etc.

gourmetstylewellness.com has an article that recommends 3 grams a day. I take 5. There is no toxicity limit of MSM. It's like water in the sense that you can never do too much. I would suggest about 2-3. I took 2 grams for about 2 months. It totally worked.
 

bojangles

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Damn, that sucks. I really don't need more body hair.

Does it just speed up the growth of already existing hair, or does it actually make your body more hairy in the long run?
 
D

DanHLT

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Hey, I have exactly the same hair problem as you. I'm 29 and I've had it like this for about 2 years now. I freaked out when I first noticed it; actually a couple of relatives noticed it before me. I used to comb my hair straight up, but now I have to do the "messy look" because it's too weak and thin at the front to comb up.

I'm just on Nizoral now. My hairdresser recommended Nisim last weekend and said that it was working for some people, so I bought it from there, but I read on this board that it's a scam :)

I'm probably gonna wait a year and then see how it goes.. if it starts getting worse I'll take the plunge and go with Propecia.
 

bojangles

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One thing I haven't really seriously considered. I was reading the faq here and came across this:
Q: Is stress a factor in hair loss?

A: Sometimes stress can play a role in diffuse loss. Stress-induced loss ordinarily regrows within a year of eliminating the cause.
Has anyone experienced this? I must say, I started noticing my receding hairline a couple months after I started to really worry about a financial problem, and the past several months I've been dealing with worrying about moving on to the "next phase" of my life, etc etc. Could that possibly be a cause? Plus, it seems what I'm experiencing is diffuse hairloss, if I'm understanding what "diffuse hairloss" is.
 

JasonAnthony31

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Re: The beginnings of balding (pix included) - what should I

dwb122 said:
I've posted a few times before, around when it really started to hit me that I've got a receding hairline and I was freaking out (around half a year ago). Lately I've been feeling insecure about it again, and I really can't go into denial thinking that this is a problem that will just "go away"....it only gets worse.

I admit that my hair doesn't look bad per se, but it's certainly a bit worse than it was a year ago, which was worse than it was a year before that, etc. What bothers me most, though, isn't so much how it looks now but the fact that it'll get worse, and I really dread that. Here are a couple pictures I took today. Sorry if the lighting isn't great:

http://img222.imageshack.us/img222/5323/img90649ho.jpg
http://img222.imageshack.us/img222/3500/img90658sw.jpg

I should note that the bald areas on the sides of my forehead go back a bit further than it looks in that first pic, there's just some hair covering it up.

The "giant U" shaped hairline has only gotten worse, and it's quite thin at the front....very diffuse, and those hairs are getting thin. So far I'm not noticing any balding elsewhere, although as you can maybe tell from the pic it seems to be thinning a bit along where the hair naturally parts, on both sides, although maybe that's just partially the parting effect.
It seems it's at its worse at the very front of the hairline, like maybe the first inch or so, but I've notcied that when my hair is either wet or standing up the top of my scalp is kinda visible under certain lightings, so I can't really tell where all it's thinning out.

I'm sure there are lots of people here who have it a lot worse, and by god, know that I feel for you. :( But this is still really bothering me, especially since I already have $#iT for self-esteem and confidence, despite being an otherwise good looking guy. I've had 'personal' problems in the past, and at 24, I've never even been on a date or had a girlfriend, so the idea of balding before I've even done any of that just KILLS me. I'd perhaps even opt for the shaved head, but I really don't think I have the face for it (if I had a smaller nose and longer, more defined eyebrows then maybe I'd go for it...my eyebrows really suck under some lightings).

So, what options should I consider? I hate the idea of using some itch-inducing topical treatment twice a day that doesn't even address the root of the problem. And Procia with its countless side-effects I've heard of (everything from sore nipples and growing tits to loss of sex drive, messing with your prostate, whatever the hell lowering your DHT does to you) scares me. Ideally I wish I could just use something that doesn't have any weird side effects and halts my hair loss for a few to several years and hope some miracle treatment is available by then. But it doesn't look as though that's realistic. What should I do?

I really feel for you, man! I know what you are going through; both with the hair problem and the lady problem....And I have been worrying about that for a long time. I have always been a very shy guy, and I don't have alot of experience with the ladies...And when my hair started to recede, I thought, "oh crap, why now?" It's hard enough to attract the ladies with a full head of hair, but with a receding hairline and who knows what else, it will be really hard!
The hairline is the hardest thing for some reason. It doesn't make sense. DHT is supposed to be the main culprit behind male pattern baldness - or so they say. And if this is true, when you lower your overall DHT levels, male pattern baldness should stop...But it doesn't always work that way. It's frustrating, really frustrating........But I would advise you to get on Propecia/Proscar....At least give it a try and see what happens....
 

jc444

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yes, get on propecia now! you are worried because you have read about sides from people on here and you have psyched yourself out. This is just the very small minority who have these problems.

chances are you wont eperience any sides at all, and if you do they may well be quite manageable. at the end of the day, if you are one of the very unlucky few who cant deal with it (highly unlikely) then you can always stop the treatment.

minoxidil is another good weapon against your recession. You say you cant be bothered applying it twice a day. well its for you to consider if this tiny inconvenience is worth keeping your hair for. Once you are in the routine, you dont even know you're doing it. In fact, i love applying my minoxidil because the physical act of applying the liquid to my hairline gives me reassurane that i am taking all the steps i can to fight this problem.

propecia and minoxidil are your best hope to keep the hair you have now. go for it man!
 

Johnny24601

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re:

You are a diffuse thinner in my opinion. Unfortunately male pattern baldness is a natural biological function so there is no easy "treatment" which actually has proven to have great results. Think about it, if treating male pattern baldness was so easy then it would not really be a problem.
If hairloss truly is an issue to you then finasteride has got to be your first option. I have experienced side effects (you can search my posts for my opinion) but they truely are not as bad as people say. Impotance and b**ch tits are EXTREMELY rare but you may experience occasional labido drops, but many many men report no side effects whatsoever, the drug maker reports that only 2% of finusers get sides (I think it is a bit higher but not much) and most people on this board (including me) believe that many of the sides are really just psychosomatic. The question you (and anyone else) has to ask themselves is: "How important is your hair to you"? It is clear that most men get positive results from finasteride but there is a risk of potential sides and the treatment does take time, but the best finasteride patients are ones who have a decent amount of hair and you are in that category.
Good luck.
 

bojangles

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The thing that worries me about finasteride are the long-term results. I'm very wary about putting any drugs into my body that screw around with my bodily chemicals. I mean, what are the long-term implications of lowering your DHT? I've heard that it can raise your estrogen levels.....that can't be good for a guy (and I've already got a very slight case of gyno). And if it was originally used to treat shrinking prostates, what's it going to do to my prostate?
Same with minoxidil. At first I thought it was just some gunk you put on your head, but then I read that it's used for thinning your blood and it can even havet that effect when taken topically. What's that going to do to you over time if you already don't have any blood problems?

Like I said, over time I've become very hesitant to take drugs that screw around with my body unless I need to.

Oh, another thing-- is massive shedding considered one of the side-effects? It seems you hear a lot about it here, but I've read that shedding is actually experienced only by a minority of finasteride takers. Is this true? And yeah I'm aware that technically you have to "shed" in order to grow back thicker hair.
 

Siberian

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dwb122 said:
The thing that worries me about finasteride are the long-term results. I'm very wary about putting any drugs into my body that screw around with my bodily chemicals. I mean, what are the long-term implications of lowering your DHT? I've heard that it can raise your estrogen levels.....that can't be good for a guy (and I've already got a very slight case of gyno).

I was on it 5 years, off 9 months, now back on 4 months. No breasts, plumbing still (always) works fine.

It also *raises* your testosterone. You'll be quite the stud :)

dwb122 said:
And if it was originally used to treat shrinking prostates, what's it going to do to my prostate?

Keep it healthy, normal sized, and I believe lower your risk of prostate cancer.

dwb122 said:
Oh, another thing-- is massive shedding considered one of the side-effects? ?

I don't believe it. People get obsessive when they start a treatment and start counting every hair they find, panic, and claim "I'm shedding!" Some DO have "shedding" problems, but it's likely due to other reasons, not the finasteride. There MIGHT be some logic as to why minoxidil would cause initial shedding (since it's a growth stimulator), but I can't see how lowering DHT levels would create a shed.

Honestly, it's really ashame to see people scared off from the most effective treatment available. Realize that this forum is mostly visited by people having treatment problems. It'd be like poking around on a honda repair site and deciding hondas must be unreliable because of all the problems people mention ;)
 

Siberian

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dwb122 said:
Damn, that sucks. I really don't need more body hair.

Does it just speed up the growth of already existing hair, or does it actually make your body more hairy in the long run?

Reports say it simply speeds up growth rates. It doesn't stimulate new hair growth. If you wanna be a hippie in 6 months, this is the ticket ;)

I've been on MSM for a month now, and haven't seen anything new. Considering I've got like 3 hairs on my chest, lol, I'd notice ;) Though maybe in a few more months I'll be a gorilla...
 

bojangles

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Well alright, I suppose I'm warming up to the idea of finasteride. What would be the recommended dosage for me?

Also, maybe a stupid question, but I assume I just need to go to my regular doctor (whom I see like once every couple years) to get a prescription, or what?
 

Siberian

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dwb122 said:
Well alright, I suppose I'm warming up to the idea of finasteride. What would be the recommended dosage for me?

Also, maybe a stupid question, but I assume I just need to go to my regular doctor (whom I see like once every couple years) to get a prescription, or what?

One Propecia pill (1mg finasteride) once a day. Or see if you can get a prescription for Proscar (5mg finasteride) and cut it into quarters (it's cheaper).

Yup, your Doctor will write ya a script. I think a dermatologist can too. You can also buy it without a script from overseas, but I don't trust that route.

And if someone else didn't mention it, consider taking a good multivitamin just to cover your bases (mostly for the zinc and copper balance).

Propecia + Nizoral (2% preferred) + Multivitamin and you're in great shape. Add minoxidil if you enjoy smearing oily goo on your head, lol. I HATE it, but it does work.

EDIT: check out http://www.propecia.com. Everything you need to know, including official, clinical results and side effects rates
 
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