jim1973

11 hours ago, Jayson1361 said:

What do you mean by shedding? You towel dry your hair and then see a few more fall or you see another 10-50 hairs fall? I would think even after shampooing towel drying hair might cause a few to fall normally or even running hands through wet hair. If 50-150 hairs shed normally, daily… that’s possibly up to 6-7 hairs an hour…so I guess I’m curious what you mean by shedding after showering.  

Good point. After towel drying, usually I see 10-15 hairs in the sink (no idea how many fall in shower during shampooing).  When I was on oral FIN and topical Min from 2013-2020, I don't think I saw a single hair fall and my hair loss stabilized as well as I could have imagined.  I only started the new regimen in 2020 once I noticed hair starting to fall daily.  It could just be that my body fought off hair loss as well as it could (and still is) but will never be 100% successful at stopping all loss. But since I witnessed first hand how my hair loss stopped 100% for that period in time, I prob think anything less efficacious than that is unacceptable.  Me getting older certainly doesn't help.  

@alopie is correct in that I'm not regrowing any new hair but my existing hair is much thicker.  I'm on 5mg of oral Min and .5mg of oral Dut.  Unfortunately I still shed hair daily in the sink after showering and I'm approaching 1 year on both of these doses of each.  I think this is as good as its going to get for me.  I'm not sure how others get into the regrowth stages but it doesn't seem to be in the cards for me.  I'm also a little older (51).  

On 3/24/2024 at 12:42 PM, Approach said:

Here I go talking about temple points again (sorry)!  Any thoughts?

Keep sharing brother.  I think this is going to look great!  My pattern is similar to yours and although I don't have as much hair as you now (much older), the pattern is the same (wider forehead since temporal points recessed).  I also think that if I were to proceed with HT, that I'd need temporal points addressed but not many doctors want to address that.  Can't want to see future updates from you!  Appreciate you sharing.  

11 hours ago, TakeAction said:

I might do this. I have SMP and my hair is also NW4 and looks decent with a one guard except for the temples. I have a large crown to cover and a below average donor. I also have plenty of good beard and chest hair.

If I just get the temples done I would legit look like I have a full head of hair with a buzz, unless someone were really looking closely at my crown.

I'm also pretty sure we spoke in the YouTube comment section of a BaldCafe video about a year ago, you had just gotten the procedure done. Thanks for sharing because this is an idea that more people should try.

As someone who is also considering something similar, if you would be comfortable sharing pics, it would be appreciated.  Of course, I understand if not.  I'm also a NW4 and always thought about SMP but since I have a lighter complexion, I always felt it would be super obvious and not blend in very well.  I'd love to see another NW4 with SMP from various angles if you're open to it.  

Thanks for the reply.  To me it seems logical, depending on how quickly one converts to system.  There just don't seem to be many stylists who are familiar with this approach in my area.  

Curious as to whether anyone has opted for a system that includes a significant amount of thinning and/or recession to mimic their real hair and then gradually and slowly maybe increasing the amount of hair to a preferred look over the course of months/years.  It may sound strange but going from no hair to hair will be super obvious.  I want to keep a very short hair style which I think will help but even then, going from a Costanza look to anything with frontal hair, even if short, will be very obvious.  So I'd essentially wear a system that looks like a balding man (mostly in front, some thinning on top) and then when I replace the system, ever so slightly allow a little increase in hair.  Curious as to whether anyone else has tried this approach.  Do they even make a hair system, not just with recession, but with a true balding look?  

Looks good.  I'd be satisfied with a buzz cut also if I thought I could pull it off.  Do you have before pics to share?  How about pics of back of head where donor hairs were taken from?  From the pics I see, I would not have a clue that this all isn't your natural hair or that much of it is SMP.  

For the last year I've been on oral MInoxidil (5mg) and oral Dutasteride (.5mg) daily.  I switched to each of these because my 7 year run on topical Min and oral Fin was no longer working well (had stabilized for 7 years before quickly losing hair).  After this year on the oral Min and oral Dut, I can tell you that the Min works well but the Dut not so much.  I say this because my hair grows fast and thick everywhere.  If you have body hair on arms/legs, it will thicken and grow fast if you are used to trimming.  Where you have strong hair on your head (back/sides), that will also thicken and grow fast.  The issue I notice is that I'm still shedding out hair from my top of my head so although some hair is getting thicker, other hair is falling out and my scalp is quickly becoming more visible by the day.  I've checked my bloodwork every 3 months over the last year and my DHT levels are very low, well below standard/average but somehow the hair on my head is still miniaturizing.  I'm actually considering switching to a topical Finasteride/Dutasteride as I am not sure what else I can do.  I would think my scalp DHT would also reduce on oral Dut but maybe not.  

I was a good responder to generic Finasteride from 2014-2020 then it seemed to no longer work for me.  I've been on generic Dutasteride since then but still nothing working.  I'm considering going back to brand name Propecia to see if it makes a difference.  

1 hour ago, Melvin- Admin said:

If your systemic DHT is low, so would your scalp DHT. You could be losing ground by other issues, like scalp inflammation. Are you on minoxidil? 

But aren't there studies that show some people's scalp DHT remains high even if serum DHT is lowered?  I thought I read that not everyone's scalp DHT gets highly effected by oral meds.

1 hour ago, Melvin- Admin said:

If your systemic DHT is low, so would your scalp DHT. You could be losing ground by other issues, like scalp inflammation. Are you on minoxidil? 

Yes, also on 5mg of oral minoxidil.  Also using a laser cap regularly and 2% keto shampoo.  I had a scalp biopsy done and nothing was diagnosed.  I'm thinking stomach/liver could be culprit for "non-responders" since the oral meds require proper absorption and metabolizing.  

8 minutes ago, Loso86 said:

I’m weighing up getting on finasteride (currently speaking to an endocrinologist about the risk) but what’s the point. also planning a hair transplant. 

Good idea.  I had a hair transplant scheduled but cancelled due to not being able to stabilize existing hair loss (even though for last 9 months, I'm on .5mg oral Dutasteride daily and 5mg oral Minoxidil daily.  No point in getting a HT if I can't stabilize my existing loss, otherwise, I'll just keep losing ground and hair behind HT will just fall out.  Hoping something will work for me soon.

3 minutes ago, Loso86 said:

Yes, i posted pics in my thread asking for advice. You can see there. Mainly the crown

Ah, okay sorry I missed the pics.  I am prob similar to you.  I've actually been taking the meds and my DHT is extremely low but I'm still losing ground.  I'm still fighting the good fight while looking for alternative solutions outside of just DHT.  Looking forward to hear any new protocols you feel work for you.  

On 11/1/2023 at 10:55 AM, Melvin- Admin said:

The only way to measure scalp DHT is through a biopsy.

My serum DHT on oral Dutasteride for a year is well below the normal range but I'm still losing ground.  I'm wondering if my scalp DHT is still too strong.  Have you heard of people not responding to oral medications due to stomach digestive issues or liver metabolizing issues?  If so, I wonder if those individuals could be better responders to topicals.  

On 11/15/2023 at 2:38 PM, Loso86 said:

I was on topical Minoxidil for 2 years but didn't notice much change, even when coming off it. But nothing else

I wish I would have tested my hormones prior to getting on meds like you did.  Are you losing hair? I only ask because if your DHT is low and Min didn't do much for you, then wondering how aggressive your hair loss is (if at all).

6 hours ago, mustang said:

Starting point 

Now

Hair is longer and got darker so it’s hard to compare. Overall it’s a good improvement but nothing dramatic as suspected. The added coverage might be an illusion due to the hair being longer although if definitely feels thicker 

If you don’t want medication and have had multiple hair transplants it’s a nice way to preserve and maybe thicken a bit your existing grafts.

No sides so far

Topically daily and with a dermapen once a week 

A topical product for prostate?  Wouldn't need to go systemic in order to work?  But you state no sides so maybe sides so minimal you don't notice.  That's something I never thought I'd see but glad its working for you so far.  Hair def looks darker.  Keep us posted.  Thanks.  

I haven't read many posts where people are confirming their scalp DHT results when taking medication such as Finasteride or Dutasteride (or possibly other topical products).  Is that because there really isn't an easy and efficient way to test scalp DHT?  I'm one of those individuals who doesn't seem to be responding to oral Dutasteride .5mg/day (and oral Min 5mg/day) so was considering checking scalp DHT to see if its truly DHT or something else.  Has anyone else tested scalp DHT and how different was it than your serum DHT?  What did you change to lower it appropriately?  I'm considering switching to topical products and stopping oral products as it seems this might be better for me.  Thoughts?

20 hours ago, AGL77 said:

I was a NW 5-6 and had 3HT’s. One just a month ago (after 10 years). My first one I rushed into and didn’t have the best result but I was still happy. My second one made a world of a difference and was super happy and improved my life and happiness. With concealer I could pull off a full head of hair. I could have continued on but wanted to see if I could make improvements and use less concealer so I went for my 3rd. I’m 46, and although my hair loss has been fairly stable (possible slow and on fin) I still worry about further progression although there’s aways the option of additional surgery.

Had you stabilized your hair loss prior to getting your transplants?

As someone who has been interested in keeping existing hair with the usual meds, I can say that if I can't stabilize, I'll def consider a system.  My biggest concern is that my skin is very sensitive and I have a very itchy scalp (hair or no hair) so a little worried about any adhesive on my skin.  I'll be following more posts in this group though as I may find myself in a system soon.

On 9/25/2023 at 2:11 PM, Melvin- Admin said:

My advice is take it 1x per week, see how you feel. If you’re good, then slowly increase the frequency by 1x per week. I believe 4-5x per week is good enough. 

@Melvin- Admin Is there a thread that you know of that already has communication related to those who prefer topical Fin to topical Dut?  (Whether Xyon brand or others?)

On 10/6/2023 at 2:07 PM, Melvin- Admin said:

I switched from 5x per week, to daily. No sides. But I see a difference. I’m gonna update my thread. 

Using the Xyon topical Dut daily?  Seeing improvement?  What were you using either topically or orally before using this product?  I was trying to find your channel on YT to see if you've updated but wasn't successful in finding.  

On 10/4/2023 at 2:18 PM, Nicolas said:

thank you guys for your answers,

I will keep going with duasteride and minox 5mg for at leats 6months 😃

I was in a similar situation as you.  I had been on topical Min and oral Fin for about 7-8 years and although no regrowth, it stabilized and I wasn't losing any hair.  At one point (after Covid, so thinking there is a link), I began to shed and never stopped.  I switched to oral Dut and oral Min, which I'm on now (.5mg/Dut/day and 5mg/oral Min/day) and have been taking both for roughly 1 year.  Unfortunately I'm still shedding hair daily.  The oral Min works because my body hair is stronger where I have hair - arms, legs.  But I'm not seeing good results on my scalp because the oral Dutasteride isn't keeping existing hair in place and I'm still losing daily with no good progress made over the last year.  Now I'm considering either 1.) switching oral meds from generic to brand name (Avodart or Finasteride) or 2.) switching meds from oral to topical.  I share my experience because I'm going through the same thing and am not sure what my next best option would be.  

I'm about to switch from oral Dutasteride and oral Minoxidil to a topical product, since I still seem to be losing ground and don't like the water weight these oral pills give me.  I've found 2 formulations that I'm considering.  Both topical formulas contain the same amount of Minoxidil, Finasteride, Tretinoin and Fluocinolone.  The  differences are that formula A contains .25% Finasteride.  Formula B contains only .15% Finasteride but also .10% Dutasteride Latanoprost and Melatonin.  The formulas are roughly the same price.  I haven't seen feedback with reviews of using topical Dut and Fin together so wondering if anyone in this forum has experience with that or has feedback on the 2 topical formulations I'm considering.  Which formula would you take if choosing between the two?  

I'm about to switch from oral Dutasteride and oral Minoxidil to a topical product, since I still seem to be losing ground and don't like the water weight these oral pills give me.  I've found 2 formulations that I'm considering.  Both topical formulas contain the same amount of Minoxidil, Finasteride, Tretinoin and Fluocinolone.  The  differences are that formula A contains .25% Finasteride.  Formula B contains only .15% Finasteride but also .10% Dutasteride Latanoprost and Melatonin.  The formulas are roughly the same price.  I haven't seen feedback with reviews of using topical Dut and Fin together so wondering if anyone in this forum has experience with that or has feedback on the 2 topical formulations I'm considering.  Which formula would you take if choosing between the two?  

6 hours ago, 4chanhue said:

I tried both. What dose are you on and for how long? Are you on min as well? You can look at dut or combine with other meds like RU/pyri

Don't get desperate. You are looking for something that you can continue for a very long time with few sides

Currently on oral Min (5mg) and oral Dut (.5/day).  Hair loss still present daily.  It has not stabilized.  I've been on these products for a year.  Thinking about adding a compounded topical of Fin, Dut, Min, Latanoprost, Tretinoin.