BurnieBurns

2 minutes ago, alexmillne said:

Regarding your first statement, I only rely on reliable YouTube sources such as Haircafe, The Hairloss Show, and Matt Dominance.

Regarding your second statement, I'm not entirely sure if self-monitoring is sufficient. It is well known that people often only notice hair loss when it reaches advanced stages. In my case, my hair loss gradually progressed to Norwood 3 over a decade, and I only truly noticed it towards the end.

Interesting, I follow the first two quite regularly. Kevin Mann may have used the word 'addicted' before but there is more than one way to interpret that. Bottom line is it doesn't 'make the follicle itself take less nutrients because minoxidil is picking up the slack' or anything like that.

For monitoring loss, that totally fine in your case. Everyone's different. Personally I'm very vigilant, take regular photos and to and point I'm always a step ahead (Hope that doesn't sound like a brag haha)

13 minutes ago, alexmillne said:

I was contemplating this, but my issue is really that the hairline has receded a lot, and the temple area also lacks hair. I know for sure that Minoxidil won't be able to fill these empty gaps as there is no small hair miniaturization there. There are no hairs there. So yes, Minoxidil will surely fill up my hair more and perhaps make my hairline thicker, but it won't lower my hairline or fill the gaps where there is no hair at all. Therefore, I am going to go ahead with the hair transplant in October. Additionally, I'm not sure if I want to commit to applying Minoxidil every day on my head. I'm already having difficulties remembering to take Finasteride every day. Most weeks, I forget to take it 2-3 times.

As a general rule, you shouldn't expect a treatment to give regrowth. It's main rule is preventing or slowing further loss and any new hair is just a perk

12 minutes ago, alexmillne said:

Thanks! I could have sworn, though, that I saw some YouTube videos where someone explained in percentages how the effects of minoxidil decrease over time. But I don't want to spread false information here, and since I have no sources to verify this, I will take your word on it. If I ever find the link to the video or article, then I will post it here for you to see.

Yes, I kind of feel the same way about what you said. I wonder, do you think it would be sensible to stay on finasteride and have the hair transplant. Then, once per year, go to the dermatologist to get the trichoscopy (trichoscopy examines hair stems, hair follicle outlets, and surrounding skin) and see if there are any changes. If the doctor notice that I'm actually losing more ground visibly on the camera, should I then introduce minoxidil...?

Youtube if packed with people with no idea what they're talking about when it comes to hairloss. In that topic many don't understand the difference between a treatment and a cure. Or say I treatment works a while then loses effectiveness they think the they've 'built tolerance' or something when simply their genetics have caught up with them.

You might be better of staying monitored by your hair transplant doctors (if he/she is a good one) as their more specialised in hair than most dermatologists. Otherwise yes, keep a close eye on it. You don't even need a doctor to confirm it if you can see it with your own two eyes. In that case you could either switch to dutasteride or add minoxidil, topical or oral.

27 minutes ago, alexmillne said:

Is it more beneficial to start using topical Minoxidil later in life when Finasteride is no longer effective?

I am currently 37 years old with a Norwood 2/3 hair loss pattern. I have been taking Finasteride for 1.5 years and have plans to undergo a hair transplant in October. I have never used topical Minoxidil before. My belief is that once I have the hair transplant, I will be satisfied with the improved hair density and volume.

My question is whether I should begin using topical Minoxidil now to maximize further hair loss progress. I have come across conflicting information on the internet regarding the effectiveness of topical Minoxidil. Some sources claim that its effectiveness diminishes over time as the hair follicles become accustomed to the treatment, leading to reduced stimulation.

This makes me think that perhaps it is better not to use topical Minoxidil. Instead, I should get the hair transplant and continue taking Finasteride until many years later when I notice that I am losing more hair again. At that point, I can introduce topical Minoxidil. This way, I would have another stimulant "ready" for the future that will surely be effective.

Is my thinking wrong, or does it make sense?

Thanks in advance!

Minoxidil is a growth stimulant, pure and simple and it's benefit varies per individual.

It does not make your hair become 'addicted' in the sense you are saying. Any treatment only works so long as it's being continued just like finasteride. Hair loss, if aggressive enough can of course persist in spite of treatment.

Whether to use it now or later is a personal decision. It could delay you need for a second transplant but no guarantees. If I were you and I was stable on finasteride I'd just get the transplant and only add it down the line if losing ground.

Best to keep your regime as simple as you can get away with.  

On 2/3/2023 at 9:20 AM, arthurSam said:

I am now sure that Parati liposomal formulation is the same as Xyon.

This is how Xyon gel is designed from the paper :

 

and this is the parati formulation :

So we can get Xyon gel in Europe 🙂

This is odd. I got topical dutasteride from Farmacia Parati and the ingredients on the tube are not this at all.. Might explain why I still got sides from it. If anyone's interested I could type them out

3 hours ago, bobbleboy said:

5 months in and feeling, honestly, discouraged. My crown seems MUCH thinner than when I started. First photo is from March which was about 6 weeks in, second is from today. 

I’ve been taking the XYON Dut twice a week, Monday and Wednesday. 
Curious about everyone’s thoughts. 

your crown is in the shade in the first pic and strong light in the second. Either way it's probably worth trying to apply more frequently

1 hour ago, MaximusEastwood said:

Month 4 update! Front is coming in and it even looks like i have a hairline when you view it straight on. Crown is slower to come in but starting to see some growth

Amazing progress for 4 months! I can't see any sign of your scar now at least from the angles you've taken.

8 hours ago, milito_22 said:

yes, like minoxidil since I was 16-18 and then finasteride/dutasteride. I have been on medication for more than 10 years now

I see. Hang in there mate, it can't be easy

Overall I think it looks like great work. Considering the your age and potential for future loss your hairline is in a good place for have enough donor to give adequate density in future. Hairlines also always look a little lower when grown out. 

Another thing to consider is nobodies face is perfectly symmetrical, or is anyone's hairline. The only option now is to wait for the result to come and if your bothered by it then it won't be a big undertaking to tweak with another surgery.

On 5/24/2023 at 5:56 AM, milito_22 said:

Hello everyone, I think I will just post pics 9 months post op when I will send an update to Dr. Wong as well. But I can tell you that pretty much nothing has changed since the last update. And I don't think anything else will change until month 12 unfortunately

Sorry to hear there's no improvement. Sorry if you've answered this already but are you on any preventative medication?

12 hours ago, FollicleFella said:

Thank you burnsauce. Your support from the beginning has been appreciated.

The best I can describe the horizontal row pattern behind the hairline as it relates to potentially greater appearance of density is that it definitely seems to have made my frontal 1/3 (behind hairline though) hair quality more “vertical” if this tracks…as it’s turned out practically speaking there’s definitely thin parts on on my top that I don’t see through to anymore. Looks/feels very natural too. Hair quality changes with age organically anyway. Certainly not the kind of thing anyone would notice other than myself knowing what to look for. 

Definitely. The fact it minimises scalp tarauma is especially important for diffuse thinning to avoid shock loss or and 
 

Dr. Wong is a G! Respectfully I was somewhat apprehensive when I met him (though I was overly impressed with the techs) because the process was so quick, he doesn’t talk a lot, and we spent like what felt to be not a whole lot of time together but one really can’t fathom the thousands and thousands of times he’s done this over decades across different scenarios. As time has gone on it’s shown he really knew what he was doing haha. He’s looking at the whole experience/equation with such a crazy frame of reference and wealth of knowledge to draw from. As is the case for career niche artists performing at that level for so long and I’m sure is also true of Konior, etc 

I probably felt like I had more time as I did FUT and he spent a good hour or so taking out the strip. He seems very results focused which should always always paramount. My first surgery with terrible results was with a doctor who was very chatty and charming..

Happy growing!

Dr Edward Ball

4 hours ago, FollicleFella said:

Hey everyone

7 month update. Straightforward today. Not post wash, but no product/fibers/styling. I once heard that a good ht “creates the illusion of density” and while I think I was relatively early for a ht patient in general, these shots illustrate that to me here. I appreciate Dr. Wongs work/choices more as time has gone on. I don’t know how to explain it but the more horizontal row-thing behind the hairline makes sense for density when you see it grown out.

Still living the success story portion of the journey lads. Genuinely don’t think about my hair these days beyond having good self esteem about it and that’s worth more than money. I’m hoping I see improvement for the whole 18 months post op but patience/temperance is a virtue and beggars can’t be choosers. Already happy. 
 

Still medication free, still feeling good about that for now, and will most likely be open to it before getting another surgery, hopefully not sooner than 3-5+ years from now as we see how this one plays out over time and how I progress. As I’ve said before the fibers were a game changer for me as well and I may have not gotten surgery for another couple years had I known about them prior. Wouldn’t change a thing in my case, but for anyone considering surgery who doesn’t know about the fibers, do check em out alongside some tactical styling/product placement. Really makes a big difference.

Hope everyone has a great day! Ht may not be for everyone and if you can tolerate the meds then why wouldn’t you  do just that as long as possible, but…for anyone who may be in the position I was: I’m happy to report it feels like a solid investment. Let’s hope I’m still saying that in another 7 months lol

 

 

It's so uncommon to see an incomplete result this dense without even any finasteride. Very stoked for you. 

There's definitely a 'method to the madness' with the rows. The sense I get from Dr Wong is he never stops refining his craft. 

Excited to see the rest of your progress

3 hours ago, arthurSam said:

Hello,

I know that Eucapil (fluridil) must be applied on a dry scalp.

But I need to apply minoxidil as well.

I know that minoxidil foam dries very quickly... Does anyone use eucapil (fluridil) after an application of minoxidil foam ? Do you think it is possible?

Thanks !

Just apply one in the morning and one at night. Applying minoxidil twice a day instead of once is super negligible and not worth doubling the expense 

Topical minoxidil is near useless as a monotherapy. You'd be very unwise not try finasteride for at least a year before even thinking about surgery

'medicated shampoos' and other lotions and potions aren't even worth a glance

7 hours ago, twentyone said:

Hi all, would love to hear everyone’s recommendations on doctors or clinics that are best for hair transplants with diffuse thinning. here are my pictures as a reference. thanks!

If you're not on any treatment you shouldn't even be thinking about surgery. There's a possibility you could get significant regrowth

7 hours ago, JP28 said:

The only question I’ve had for 2 years now since this whole topical dut came out is when are we gonna have any studies?

Cause to this day we still don’t know if any of the Dutasteride penetrate the scalp.

 

It absolutely penetrates. Unfortunately there is little to no chance of a randomised clinical controlled trial ever happening

1 hour ago, eyeofnewt said:

I got a similar message from H&W and was quite disappointed. I've been on oral dutasteride and finasteride for many years but quit last January due to the irreversible side effects. I thought I'd never go back on these medications in my life but it seems almost a prerequisite for many of these doctors and facilities.

It's probably worth trying the topical dutasteride

2 hours ago, Sunset Dune said:

I honestly would prefer just taking oral Finasteride everyday I even bought the Propecia brand pills from Walmart pharmacy. It sits in my kitchen cabinet everyday but I never used it. The idea of a medication affecting my hormones just disturbs me so I’m hesitant in trying 

That’s totally understandable. The reality is even topicals will to some extent, Xyon and farmacia Parati dutasteride appear to do it the least 

Generally it’s thought fut first is better but it’s not essential. You can do fue first but you just run the very small risk of affecting the growth of surrounding hairs.

you’d be wise to consult with multiple surgeons to get a wide range of perspectives before choosing the one you feel most aligned with. 

6 minutes ago, Ericgruff said:

I'm in the UK and the NHS GP's don't really care about looking into issues like this. They just tell you that its most likely stress related to try and push you out the door. 

Hmm, isn't Dutasteride a stronger version of Finasteride? Isn't it more likely to give me issues? 

Wouldn’t think they would, you’d probably have to find a private clinic specialising in men’s health.

dutasteride is a stronger chemical however it goes significantly less systemic than finasteride when applied topically

It is the only means of taking 100 percent of the most dht resistant donor hair and maximising scalp donor overall combined with FUE

Nice, which formuala are you using? 

Any reason for not opting for topical Dut?

Topicals are trend about town these days and have become a big cash cow for many clinics. 

The reality is most who use these would be fine on oral medication anyway. They are simply less intimidated by using a topical than taking a pill. 

To Xyon's credit, they are the only company that have invested in a vehicle that actually reduces absorption to any significant extent.

Sounds like your GP is very uncaring about this (As many GPs are about non threatening conditions). Other doctors would see low libido as an issue to be treated.

Either way, you should look into Xyon or Farmacia Parati topical Dutasteride. At least they have some evidence for negligible systemic hormone impact.