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hellouser

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  • Posts

    4
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Basic Information

  • Gender
    Male
  • Country
    Canada
  • State
    AL

Hair Loss Overview

  • Describe Your Hair Loss Pattern
    Receding Hairline (Genetic Baldness)
  • How long have you been losing your hair?
    In the last 10 years
  • Norwood Level if Known
    Norwood II
  • What Best Describes Your Goals?
    Maintain and Regrow Hair
    Considering Surgical Hair Restoration
    Considering Non-Surgical Treatments
    I'm here for support

Hair Loss Treatments

  • Have you ever had a hair transplant?
    No
  • Current Non-Surgical Treatment Regime
    Nizoral Shampoo

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  1. Are there any real numbers of the side effects people have from using Propecia? Dr. Cotterill (a local hair transplant doctor in Toronto who was an investigator for Merck Corporation on finasteride) said about 2-3% suffer from side effects. Thats a relatively small number, but can you guys confirm these numbers? In terms of my hair loss, can I expect regrowth in my hairline and crown or JUST stopping hair loss by using propecia/rogaine or a combo of both (or does it vary from person to person?).
  2. If the Rogaine Foam works, does it work forever so as long as its still being applied? I'd rather use a topical solution rather than the pills. But I've heard from people that Rogaine stops working after a certain period of time. If true, that SUCKS and my only real remedy would be Propecia (excluding a hair transplant).
  3. 3 replies in a row, all of them Propecia, the only remedy that I really want to avoid given the sexual dysfunction horror stories. Are you guys recommending it because it helps receding hairlines specifically or because it 'generally' just works? I'm willing to try Kirkland's minoxidil (doesnt cost much). Right now I'm on Saw Palmetto 320gm (daily) and Nizoral (2-3 times a week). I've only seriously started my remedies two weeks ago and I'm still doing as much research as possible.
  4. So I've been told by some people that my hairline is receding and I've noticed it myself a couple years ago. Looking back at some old photographs of myself, this is especially true since I can tell that I've come to have a widows peak. So naturally, like many of you, I've started stressing over this and seeing some photographs of myself recently I either; have acquired a more receded hairline or I've become paranoid about it after people have pointed it out to me. One thing is for sure though, some recent pics of myself, my forehead does sometimes look bigger, though not by much and it always depends on the angle. I have some questions now about my receding hairline, baldness, genetics, how to keep my hairline/stop hair thinning on my crown and potentially regrow my hair. To make this easy, I'll provide some photographs of myself below in yearly stages. I'm 27 years for the record and my hairline has began to shift since I've been around 20 years old. Pictures: Me @ 18 years of age: Me @ 21 years of age: Me today at 27: Exact comparison from 2009 and 2011: 2009 vs. 2011 1) Genetics: Grandfathers hairline in mid 20s: Grandfathers hairline in mid 70s: My grandfather on my mothers side had the exact same situation as I do at the exact same time in his life. However as you can see from the photographs, he never went bald, just got the Widows Peak and it stuck with him for life. Neither my dad or mom have this, and my grandfather on my dads side had no baldness whatsoever. My moms hair, however, is thin and so is mine (a little) on my crown and generally on the top. There is no one in my family that I know of who's gone partially bald or completely bald from either side of my family and thats also going back to further generations passed my grandfathers. I've seen photographs, and everyones got a full head of hair. Can MPB still skip that many generations if there was someone with a bald head in my family a few generations ago? How likely or even possible is it for me to go completely bald on my crown and top? Given the genetics and family history, it looks like I'll be stuck with my grandfathers hairline. But is it still possible for baldness to continue? It seems that in the last few years my receding hairline has slowed down and remained more or less the same. I guess my early 20s the receding hair line kicked in and its now been sitting still (or has it?). Whats interesting is that the very bottom of my point of my widows peak seems to be more or less in line with my old fuller hairline but the rest has gradually risen, making my forehead look bigger. 2) Rogaine/Kirkland/Other Minoxidil products: If I should go ahead with Minoxidil, a few other questions arise: -While I know Minoxidil will not regrow any hair from the Widows Peak, I am hopeful that it will thicken the hairline and use extra hair to mask the widows peak. Would this optimism be fair??? -Can I expect regrowth in my hairline if I apply minoxidil and omit the other areas, or is it necessary to apply everywhere on the top of scalp? -I have heard Minoxidil stops working after about a year. Is there any truth to this? Has anyone been on Minoxidil for years at a time and maintained their results? -Will I need 2% or 5% for my condition or should I start off with 2% and move to 5% should it stop working after the proclaimed year? -Is application of 2 times daily absolutely necessary or is it only for more severe cases of baldness? -After results (if any) can I apply Minoxidil once daily instead of two? -If I stop taking Minoxidil, I know that male pattern baldness carries on from that point forward (or where it was before using minoxidil) and any new hairs are lost that have grown back. But, for someone like me who isn't exhibiting baldness (just the hairline and some thinning) is there any risk of progressing MPB after using minoxidil? As in, would it deteriorate the hair follicles more than they are already after quitting Minoxidil and further MPB? -How does Kirkland 2 or 5% measure up to Rogaine? Is it basically the same? Rogaine is fairly more expensive, but I want to pay for results. 3) Propecia: I've heard this drug causes permanent sexual dysfunction. I've also heard from some doctors who perform hair transplants that about 2-3% suffer from sexual dysfunction. Is it permanent? Or does sexual function improve once an individual stops taking the drug? This drug really scares me, its one thing to lose my hair, but another to lose my manhood. 4) Saw Palmetto: I've started taking 2 tablets a day of 160mg of Saw Palmetto (85-95% free fatty acid). I know its supposed to work like Propecia but is significantly weaker. Would this be a viable solution to stop/slow down a receding hairline or male pattern baldness? With this, I'd be more comfortable taking than propecia knowing it wont cause sexual dysfunction but at least help retain my hairline. I've only been taking Saw Palmetto for a couple weeks. 5) Nizoral: I've heard nizoral can thicken hair and some people have had success with it. Does the body/scalp/hair follicles get used to nizoral and eventually lose its effect on thickening hair? If so, any other products that work like this that I can interchange between Nizoral and something else? 6) Hair Transplant: This is the big one. *If* my receding hairline has come to a stop in the last couple years, or has slowed down, is a hair transplant a viable option for me at this stage in my life? About how many grafts would I need? My hair isnt very thick on top, so to match it I dont suspect I'd need a whole lot. I've watched consultation sessions with HT doctors that say that once an individual reaches the age of 35 and up, their hair loss stabilizes and a hair transplant with less future complications can be determined. I wouldn't want a hair transplant NOW only to see a few years down the road further recession above the HT area. But given these comparison photographs; 2009 vs. 2011 (theyre pretty much dead on in terms of comparison) it looks like the last 2 years of a change have been significantly slower than the previous years when my recession started (it seems as if between 20 and 24 years of age things picked up and stayed put). This being said, for just covering up a widows peak, and possibly lowering the hairline, what is a ballpark figure of such a procedure? Can I expect shelling out $3,000 US/CAD (our dollar is on par nowadays) or can it go beyond $5,000? My hair, like any other part of my appearance and general health has NO price, so I'm willing to pay, but if theres a way to save a few grand I'd be more than happy to. 7) Other remedies? Can anyone suggest any other remedies on growing back hair, even in the smallest of ways possible? Particular vitamins (i read somewhere Iron supplements may help) or something else? I've thought about how to go about this whole ordeal of mine and I'm leaning towards starting off with Minoxidil 2%, Nizoral and Saw Palmetto tablets. If this proves ineffective, I know for sure I will stress about my hairline and consider a hair transplant but the dangers of further recession really concern me as well. Thank you *GREATLY* to everyone for any kind of help, I know this thread is a long one, so I don't expect all the answers on all the points, but I would really appreciate some mainly on minoxidil and hair transplants. Thanks again!!!
  5. Welcome to our Hair Restoration Social Community and enhanced discussion forum. Feel free to customize your profile by sharing your story, creating blogs, sharing your treatment regimen, presenting your hair restoration photos, and uploading videos. You can also join groups and interact with other members via public chat and instant message those you add to your friends.

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    All the Best,

    David (TakingThePlunge) – Forum Co-Moderator and Editorial Assistant of the Hair Transplant Network, the Hair Loss Learning Center, the Hair Loss Q&A Blog, and the new Hair Restoration Social Network and Discussion Forum

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