Thanks for all the advice. I actually saw your pictures in another thread and it seems at least your top hair is very similar to mine. I'll have to read up on your blog later tonight.

Are there any studies backing up that Propecia and Proscar in 1/4 slices work the same? Not that I'm doubting you, but I just would like to read up on it as I might have to bring it to my dermatologist for a prescription and I would need to be able to convince him.

Well, bad news. The pains didn't let up over the weekend, so my doctor ordered me off Rogaine for at least 2 weeks to judge whether or not they're related to that or something else. Probably better safe than sorry, though.

So for now, I'm going to move on to starting with the Nizoral and finasteride combination to see how it goes over the next 6 months. In the meantime, I shaved my head down pretty low this weekend and am growing a decent goatee just to see how I look. My hair has never styled particularly well so you never know. Some guys pull it off well. As I said, my brother has a perfectly healthy head of hair and shaves it every week. I probably shouldn't mention that as everyone here is likely to want to kill him.

The one thing I know though I refuse any more to play the "cover up" game. My hair was starting to look ridiculous. If I can't live with the hair line I have now, then I'm going to do something about it, whether that be surgical or to get a hair piece. If I can, that's just as well. But I'm finished playing games.

sorry to hear the minox maybe causing problems I know of another product out there called spectral RS that is a minox free topical maybe google it don't know to much about it.

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I like having hair on my head...

Well, for now I think I'm going to stick with the Propecia/Nizorol combination. I wish I had known about Nizorol sooner just for how much it helps my itchy scalp! I've been using Selson Blue since college, which was effective against the dandruff, but would still leave my head itchy sometimes. My head still itches a bit sometimes, but not like it used to.

The Propecia seems to be already having an effect. I'm still noticing a few hairs in the sink or if I run my hand through my hair, though not as much as what was happening before. It could be my imagination so I'll just keep an eye on it to see if it keeps up before celebrating.

I heard back from two out of the four online consultations I sent out. Dr. Alvi Armani recommended about 3100 grafts. Dr. Wong from Hasson and Wong recommended about 4000-4500 to restore the hairline. At least I know what I'm dealing with now if I want to go that route. I'm kind of backing away from that at the moment though for a combination of the cost and the scarring.

I have no idea what to do with the 3 month supply of Rogaine I bought. I'll try taking it back to Wal-Mart, but I can't imagine them taking it back.