Guys,

We all have gone through the ringer in searching for medicinal treatments to treat our hair loss. I want to help take out a lot of the confusion surrounding hair loss treatments. It's time for us to really share what works and what doesn't. I can use your help.

Post what you use in your medicinal regimen that you feel helps in your fight against your hair loss. Include how long you have used the product, how often, doseage, the pros and cons, etc. I would also love to hear what you have used previously that you found didn't work at all.

I want to eventually compile this information in full reports to post so members can use it as an all-encompased research tool to help them decide what they may want to add to their own regimen.

Your participation helps to keep this community alive. Thank you in advance for taking the time to help out.

-Robert

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Check out the results of my surgical hair restoration performed by Dr. Jerry Cooley by visiting my Hair Loss Weblog

I'll go first.

Currently, I use:

<UL TYPE=SQUARE>
<LI> GSK Avodart - .5 mg per day. Used since November of '04. Some heavy shedding at first, but thankfully passed after the 6 month mark. No side effects noticed as of yet. Works well. Continued thickening of the crown and vertex, though no real benefit seen to the hair line.

<LI> Minoxidil 5% (generic) - 3 to 4 mL per day. Used regularly since April of '04. I apply applications at least 4 hours apart, but not necessarily 12 hours apart. I use 1 mL per application on the crown for two applications per day. I use 1 mL per application on the hair line for at least 1 and sometimes 2 applications per day. This stuff is greasy and can be a pain. I never apply it if I know I am going to be leaving the house in the next two hours, so I usually confine the applications after I am home for the day. Great benefit seen in the crown and vertex at first, but I believe I am just maintaining now.

<LI> Nizoral 2% and sometimes 1% if I run out of the 2%. I use it 3x per week and leave it on for 5 minutes at a time. I think it really helps with the "minoxidil itch" and keeps the scalp feeling healthy. Used since April of 04 so it is impossible to know if it has any real regrowth benefits on its own or if regrowth seen since that time was in conjuction with or solely the minoxidil. Will continue using indefinitely.

<LI> Nioxin Actives Cleanser and Scalp Therapy. In my opinion, one of the best shampoo and conditioners on the market. Used since ~1999. I don't claim to have seen any regrowth or even maintenance, but it works well as a thickening agent and leaves the scalp feeling great and the hair manageable. Will continue to use.

<LI>Alpecin caffiene shampoo and after shower lotion. Used since ~about a month ago. I ordered this out of curiosity and I am glad that I did. Much too early to tell if it actually has any regrowth properties but on the days I use it, my scalp feels great, my hair feels great, and it has a great smell. I drink a lot of coffee so I don't think the added caffiene gives me any kind of rush but your mileage may vary. The after shower lotion smells great and leaves the hair feeling good too. I will continue to use this for a few months to report back on any (if any) results.[/list]
-Robert

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Check out the results of my surgical hair restoration performed by Dr. Jerry Cooley by visiting my Hair Loss Weblog

I am not using any drugs yet, but that will change soon.
i have generally thinning hair. getting to norwood 5,i think. Anyway, i have been using
country life maxi-hair vitamins for about 2 months now, and it does seem to have some effect on the way the hair feels. still early for that though.
I have been using emu oil for almost 2 years, and i really like it. it's not going to stop hair loss, but i think it does very well for the hair you have, lot more managable, and shiny and feel healthy in general.
I will be adding propecia soon.

Paris.

I'm not sure what NW I am, but I noticed hairloss starting about 3 years ago. My current regimen seems to have curbed any significant loss, and I don't have any discomfort or noticeable side effects with any of the meds:

1) Avodart (probably standard dosage), generic name: dusteride. I use this every other day, alternating with the next med on this list. Just started about three months ago.

2) Propecia (standard dosage), generic name: finasteride. I use this alternately with avodart. I started using this probably two years ago. I haven't stopped, so I can't really tell if it's been a significant player in keeping my hair. All I know is that when i stopped using minoxidil but kept propecia, I lost a little bit more hair, alhtough because of the time lapse, who knows what's really going on. My opinion: better safe than sorry!

3) Minoxidil (5%). I used to use the OTC rogaine, extra strength, but I got fed-up with the dandruff, itching, application, and itchiness (what eventually made me stop - i did not know that it was necessary to keep it up at the time, and my hairloss was not that great so I decided what the heck). About three months ago, I switched over to special formulations from a local HT surgeon (Dr. Panagotacos - mixed reviews on this guy), but his applicators are very nice. They don't leave my head feeling greasy, and they seem to have helped with stuff up there. I can't tell how much I use because there's no measurement device. But it's very easy to use, and I have one for night and one for day. I space these out usually about 8-10 hours apart. Occasionally, I'll miss one out of the two doses because I'm traveling or something, but this won't happen for more than a few days at most. I was on minoxidil starting three years ago, but used it sporadically, not applying everyday, taking months off, etc. Only from about 3 months ago have I made it a point to continuously use it...forever. Or until they develop a black magic hair growing spell.

4) Shampoo: Head and Shoulders classic. Someone told me the ingredient helps to stimulate blood flow and hair growth...I don't know if it does, but I don't have any itching or dandruff problem anymore, so I like it. I occasionally mix it up with the Vive thickening thing - not because I think it does much, but it couldn't hurt and it smells better and has conditioner. I switched to H&S about three months ago.

5) Note: I almost always use a concealer every day: toppik. My routine is usually apply minoxidil formulation in the special applicator, and either air dry for 5-10 minutes, or blow dry after waiting a few minutes. Than I put in the toppik. Before I sleep i shower again and re-apply minoxidil for the night. Rarely, if I am going to sleep and cannot or will not wash out my toppik, I will, if available, apply rogaine (because it has the drip applicator) on top of the toppik. I'm not sure if this works. But i feel better about myself in the morning...I've been using toppik for about 9 months.

Results: I've kept my current hair status pretty consistently over the past year, maybe getting a little better. I was totally up and down before that. I have no real recession in my hairline, but my crown and on top of my head are thinning noticeably.

Just for the record, there is no "standard doseage" for Avodart for use for MPB. The standard doseage for Avodart for the treatment of BPH is .5 mg per day.

During FDA trials for Avodart, these results were found:

At 5.0 mg and 2.5 mg per day, Dutasteride suppresses almost 100% serum DHT. Comparatively, 5.0 mg of Finasteride per day suppresses around 70% serum DHT.

At .5 mg per day, Dutasteride still suppresses around 90% serum DHT and 55% scalp DHT. According to GSK, during both the first and second years of the two-year trial, .5 mg Dutasteride daily decreased around 92% of serum DHT concentration.


-Robert

__________________
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Check out the results of my surgical hair restoration performed by Dr. Jerry Cooley by visiting my Hair Loss Weblog

jonjon,
I've never heard of anyone using Avodart and Propecia at the same time. Is it safe? Did a doctor tell you to take both?

I'm no medical expert, but I surmise that it would be safe. From what I know, avodart (dutasteride) blocks both types of DHT (or something), and propecia (finasteride) blocks only one type. So if you take both, half the time you're blocking, one, and the other half you're blocking both, so that makes sense (I don't take them together, just alternately). A doctor did tell me to take them alternately, and I looked up what dosage I have - .5mg it looks like from the scrawl on the prescription...

jonjon,
So if Avodart blocks both, then what's the point of taking Propeica at all? And I think each one stays in your body well after the day that you've taken it, so they're both in your body at the same time?

I'm not trying to give you a hard time, I just want to know if there's an advantage to taking both. I might try it myself if I know it's safe.

Haha, no worries. Honestly, I really don't know how it works. I think the doc may have just wanted me to ease onto one in case there would be side effects. Although, he did say that if I didn't have side effects with one, I wouldn't with the other. I don't really trust doctor's blanket advice, because everyone is different and we may react differently to different things. He may have just told me to alternate because (I think) I may have told him that I still had propecia so just to save me from wasting it. I may just switch over when I run out of propecia.

I have been using topical spironolactone for about the last 6-8 months mainly on my crown and midscalp. It seems to be helping out. It appears that I've gotten a little bit of regrowth in the crown and that I have reversed minitiarization on some of my hair in the mid scalp region. Anybody else use spironolactone?