gallup56

Hello hair loss community! This post is an update from a 2008 post: http://www.hairrestorationnetwork.com/eve/144955-20-years-old-losing-hair-i-need-help-community-picture-attached.html My hairline first started receding at the age of 18. Two years later, at the age of 20, I posted on this forum for advice and guidance. I was advised to reconsider a transplant because of my young age. I was also advised to undertake a regimen of finasteride and minoxidil. Well, now I'm 23 and a few things have happened since. 1) I've been taking finasteride (1mg) for more than two years. I started on a regimen at the age of 20. Here's how it played out for me in short: - Started taking it and within two weeks, absolutely no erections. Continued taking it for three months hoping the symptoms would go away. Symptoms never went away and I stopped taking finasteride. After a 2 week sabbatical, the erections came back. After a month long abstinence, I started taking it again: finasteride 1(mg) daily. The erections subsequently diminished. Continued taking finasteride for 14 months. Could never get an erection. Took another sabbatical. After 6 weeks, the erections came back. Stayed off the stuff for 3 months. I've been on finasteride since. Erections diminished once I went back on my regimen. My life sucks. 2) I've been on Minoxidil 5% for more almost 3 years. No adverse side effects. 3) I use a shower water filter and I've been using Nioxin shampoo and conditioner (every other day) for about 15 months. 4) According to my dermatologist, I've receded from a Norwood 2, measured at the age of 20 to a Norwood 4, measured last month (2 months before my 23rd birthday). However, she noted that I have a very thick donor area. ---------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------------- Now that you have the background info, I'd like to ask for your guidance: 1) In your opinion, should I continue taking finasteride in light of my inability to maintain erections when I have the medication in my system? In light of the fact that it hasn't reversed or stopped my hair loss? 2) Should I decide to receive a hair transplant, would that mean I would have to continue a life long therapy of finasteride? That would obviously mean a lifetime of no erections. 3) I hear a lot about not getting a hair transplant at a young age because your hair could potentially still recede and then you'd be chasing your hair loss--given you have enough donor hair. With that said, I also hear a lot about the possibility of cloning hair follicles and how it could be a viable option in the near future. Furthermore, as many of you know a recent study came out about the possibility of awaking progenitor cells through the use of already present stem cells as the catalyst. My question is this: Although nothing is for certain, in your opinion, do you think it would be worthwhile for me to engage in a high density transplant operation which would result in a highly packed packed hairline and leave me with very limited donor hair? My only reason for doing so would be the possibility that should my hair continue to recede, I could remediate the progression of the hair loss through new potential advances in hair restoration. Yes, it might sound ridiculous, illogical, and premature but that's why I'm asking for your guidance. That way, I can calculate the risk vs. reward. I would only consider such a radical position because the reward would be so great for me. I've been depressed about my hair loss for many years and as a result, I've become introverted. The hair loss makes me look much older than I really am and people are always taken back when I tell them my real age. It's horrible, embarrassing, and disfiguring. There is no other way to say it. Thanks in advance for your advice!

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/2063431/Hair-clo...re-for-baldness.html This is the company: http://www.intercytex.com/icx/products/aesthetic/icxtrc/ I would like to here the thoughts of the community about this new way of cloning hair so that we could have limitless donor hair for restoration and regrowth.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/2063431/Hair-clo...re-for-baldness.html This is the company: http://www.intercytex.com/icx/products/aesthetic/icxtrc/ I would like to here the thoughts of the community about this new way of cloning hair so that we could have limitless donor hair for restoration and regrowth.

Thinman123, I do not stress about girl troubles or school situation. I am doing well in school and I am very involved. I consider myself very popular with the ladies and my financial situation is great. So, I don't have that much stress. The main stress I have is from my hairloss. My dad is completely bald and my grandfathers on both sides are completely bald. My uncles are all bald and my older brother is going bald. It's genetics. I have taken all of your advice and I have made an appointment with my doctor to see if propecia is right for me. My appointment is on Wednesday at 3:30pm. I will let you all know what happens. I think if I take propecia with a combination of the lasercomb, it would help. But, I will have to see. I will track my results very closely and keep you guys updated. Thank you all for your support. I truly appreciate it.

Which is better for treating hair loss? Dutasteride (Avodart) is used to treat enlarged prostate and help with prostate cancer reduction. It is also approved to treat male patter baldness but, not in the US. While dutasteride is officially approved to treat enlargement of the prostate gland, Clinical trials for dutasteride as a hair loss drug were undertaken, but called off in late 2002. The reason the trials were called off is not publicly known. Industry sources speculate that Avodart would have been seen as too similar to Propecia to have proved profitable as a hair loss treatment. However, phase II results indicated that dutasteride 2.5mg generated a superior hair count to finasteride 5mg at 12 and 24 weeks. Finasteride is identified as a 5-alpha reductase (type 2) inhibitor. This means that it inhibits the action of 5-alpha reductase (type 2), one of the two forms of the enzyme. Dutasteride, a more recently developed drug, inhibits the action of both forms of the enzyme: type 1 5-alpha reductase and type 2 5-alpha reductase. Dutasteride is currently approved by the FDA for use in the medical treatment of BPH under the brand name Avodart. While dutasteride has been used in other countries for treatment of MPHL, it has not yet received FDA approval for that use in the United States. Clinical trials of dutasteride as a treatment for MPHL are currently underway in the U.S., and investigators have reported successful outcomes. Propecia contains 1mg of Finasteride while Proscar contains 5mg of Finasteride; However, Propecia is more commonly used. I can get either of the three without a problem. I just want to know which is best for treating hairloss? Any comments? Thank you to everybody for all your help!

Which is better for treating hair loss? Dutasteride (Avodart) is used to treat enlarged prostate and help with prostate cancer reduction. It is also approved to treat male patter baldness but, not in the US. While dutasteride is officially approved to treat enlargement of the prostate gland, Clinical trials for dutasteride as a hair loss drug were undertaken, but called off in late 2002. The reason the trials were called off is not publicly known. Industry sources speculate that Avodart would have been seen as too similar to Propecia to have proved profitable as a hair loss treatment. However, phase II results indicated that dutasteride 2.5mg generated a superior hair count to finasteride 5mg at 12 and 24 weeks. Finasteride is identified as a 5-alpha reductase (type 2) inhibitor. This means that it inhibits the action of 5-alpha reductase (type 2), one of the two forms of the enzyme. Dutasteride, a more recently developed drug, inhibits the action of both forms of the enzyme: type 1 5-alpha reductase and type 2 5-alpha reductase. Dutasteride is currently approved by the FDA for use in the medical treatment of BPH under the brand name Avodart. While dutasteride has been used in other countries for treatment of MPHL, it has not yet received FDA approval for that use in the United States. Clinical trials of dutasteride as a treatment for MPHL are currently underway in the U.S., and investigators have reported successful outcomes. Propecia contains 1mg of Finasteride while Proscar contains 5mg of Finasteride; However, Propecia is more commonly used. I can get either of the three without a problem. I just want to know which is best for treating hairloss? Any comments? Thank you to everybody for all your help!

Thank you Dr. Carman and Behappy for your help. I will make an appointment with my physician to see if finasteride (Propecia) is right for me. I was using rogaine foam for 1 year and it did not stop my hair from falling out. My hair continued to fall out at an alarming rate and it was not till I purchased the Lasercomb that the hair loss stopped. I understand now that I have a limited amount of donor hair and I will take my time and not rush into restoration surgery. I will keep you all updated and let you know what I decided to do when I see my doctor. Thank you all for your help. I greatly appreciate it.

Here is another attached photograph. So you can all see the pattern better.

Thank you all for the very very enlightening information! I couldn't have gotten information this valuable anywhere else. I will go ahead and take my time and research Propecia a little more. Hopefully, if I decide to use Propecia, it can stop my frontal hair loss. I know it probably won't grow my hair back but, it's something I will definitely start researching more. Dr. Gaffney is a doctor with Hairclub. Bosley was horrible and I will never go back there. I will definitely research the doctors you all mentioned. I live in the Los Angeles area. I have gone to clinics in all over Southern California. However, location isn't of concern for me. I have another attached another photo so you all can see my overall patern. Any comments?

Thank you very much!

I am 20 years old and I am losing my hair. I have been losing my hair since the age of 18. I am a class 2 on the Norwood Scale. To be more specific, I have a receding hairline. My hairloss has been a serious cause of stress in my life because my dating life has gone down and all my friends bag on me for it all the time. Now I have tried minoxidil foam .05% but, later found out that it does not help with a receding hairline. Than, I purchased the Hairmax LaserComb- I have been using the LaserComb for 10 months and have very little improvement. I wanted to try propecia but, I was afraid of the side effects. Now, I want to try hair restoration surgery I went in for a consultation with Bosley and HairClub. They were both expensive and I personally liked Hairclub better. The physician who would be operating on me would be Dr. Jon Gaffney..who has performed over 13,500 procedures. The surgery would cost $6000 for 1200 grafts. Now here come my questions and if you guys could answer them, I would really appreciate it. 1)Would it be too soon to start a hair transplant? I am 20 1/2. If not now, what's a good age to have the procedure? 2) I am still losing my hair, what can I do to keep what I have? The LaserComb does not work! 3)If I was to have the restoration surgery now, would that protect me from a further receding hairline? I mean, if they were to transplant 1200 grafts in the front, would the receding hairline stop or would I keep losing my hair from the spot where they started the grafts going back ( I understand that I will lose hair on the crown later in life and will have to go in for another procedure) 4) #3 in other words....would the restoration surgery prevent further recession of my hairline from the front? 5) Does anybody know anything about Dr. Gaffney? I here he works on the stars and he is very good 6) Would you recommend anyone else? 7) Is 6000 too expensive? and if so, what price range should I be looking at for this surgery? I have the money ready for the surgery but, I want to get all the facts from the community before I make a decision. Please help me. I would greatly appreciate any knowledge on the subject.

I am 20 years old and I am losing my hair. I have been losing my hair since the age of 18. I am a class 2 on the Norwood Scale. To be more specific, I have a receding hairline. My hairloss has been a serious cause of stress in my life because my dating life has gone down and all my friends bag on me for it all the time. Now I have tried minoxidil foam .05% but, later found out that it does not help with a receding hairline. Than, I purchased the Hairmax LaserComb- I have been using the LaserComb for 10 months and have very little improvement. I wanted to try propecia but, I was afraid of the side effects. Now, I want to try hair restoration surgery I went in for a consultation with Bosley and HairClub. They were both expensive and I personally liked Hairclub better. The physician who would be operating on me would be Dr. Jon Gaffney..who has performed over 13,500 procedures. The surgery would cost $6000 for 1200 grafts. Now here come my questions and if you guys could answer them, I would really appreciate it. 1)Would it be too soon to start a hair transplant? I am 20 1/2. If not now, what's a good age to have the procedure? 2) I am still losing my hair, what can I do to keep what I have? The LaserComb does not work! 3)If I was to have the restoration surgery now, would that protect me from a further receding hairline? I mean, if they were to transplant 1200 grafts in the front, would the receding hairline stop or would I keep losing my hair from the spot where they started the grafts going back ( I understand that I will lose hair on the crown later in life and will have to go in for another procedure) 4) #3 in other words....would the restoration surgery prevent further recession of my hairline from the front? 5) Does anybody know anything about Dr. Gaffney? I here he works on the stars and he is very good 6) Would you recommend anyone else? 7) Is 6000 too expensive? and if so, what price range should I be looking at for this surgery? I have the money ready for the surgery but, I want to get all the facts from the community before I make a decision. Please help me. I would greatly appreciate any knowledge on the subject.

What is the difference between hair restoration and hair transplant? this may be a newbie question but, I feel that I am among a community that can help me through this process.

What is the difference between hair restoration and hair transplant? this may be a newbie question but, I feel that I am among a community that can help me through this process.