Help...Hair loss is increasing after taking suggestions!!!

[notsure]

Dont know if you remember me...wrote awhile back asking for suggestions on hair transplants or hair loss help.

 

I am 20, started temple are hair loss at 18, subsided for awhile with KEVIZ but then about 6 months ago it started falling out more in the front of my head....receding hairline they call it.

 

At this forum it was suggested before I looked into transplants that I take propecia and try rogaine.

 

I have been taking propecia now for about a month and also using rogaine. No other products. Hair loss was about the same rate until a week or so ago when it started falling out all over...top, back, sides. LOTS COMING OUT...more than I can handle. It is affecting my confidence and performance at school. I do not know what to do. First the fall out was limited to the front, now it seems to be coming out massively from everywhere. Scalp is visible no matter what angle you look at me.

 

I am only applying rogaine to the areas where it has been falling out previously. Should I apply it all over the top of my head as well.

 

My question is, is this normal, or am I doomed to lose all of my hair? If normal, will it come back in? I thought the propecia only helped you keep what you had...or does it cause it to fall out and then come back?

 

HELP - need answers, need to know if there is hop or if I am doomed here.

[notsure]

Dont know if you remember me...wrote awhile back asking for suggestions on hair transplants or hair loss help.

 

I am 20, started temple are hair loss at 18, subsided for awhile with KEVIZ but then about 6 months ago it started falling out more in the front of my head....receding hairline they call it.

 

At this forum it was suggested before I looked into transplants that I take propecia and try rogaine.

 

I have been taking propecia now for about a month and also using rogaine. No other products. Hair loss was about the same rate until a week or so ago when it started falling out all over...top, back, sides. LOTS COMING OUT...more than I can handle. It is affecting my confidence and performance at school. I do not know what to do. First the fall out was limited to the front, now it seems to be coming out massively from everywhere. Scalp is visible no matter what angle you look at me.

 

I am only applying rogaine to the areas where it has been falling out previously. Should I apply it all over the top of my head as well.

 

My question is, is this normal, or am I doomed to lose all of my hair? If normal, will it come back in? I thought the propecia only helped you keep what you had...or does it cause it to fall out and then come back?

 

HELP - need answers, need to know if there is hop or if I am doomed here.

[arfy]

I am not a doctor and I am not an expert on Propecia, but I can tell you some things I tend to read other guys say, over and over...

 

First some general information...

 

If you are shedding, some guys say that means you are a "responder" and should end up with a positive result. The meds have caused your hair to go into a cycle. After the shedding subsides, that hair should be replaced by new growth of presumably more sturdy hairs.

 

I've also read that if you are in a shed phase that you need to hang on and ride it out. Your body is reacting to the meds and will adjust. If you quit, your body will begin to adjust back to the original state. In other words you will just prolong the "adjustment state" and never have a chance to reap a potential benefit.

 

I hope you will do your own research and make your own decisions... I don't want to be known as "the guy who made your hair fall out". All I can do is give you some feedback based on what I hear other people say.

 

In general, if your hair is still pretty good, I would not start out with both Propecia and Minoxidil at the same time. I would start with Propecia and use that for a while before adding Minoxidil unless you have already lost quite a bit of hair. In your case I think you have a few different options. First is to quit all treatments completely. Second would be to stay on Propecia and quit Minoxidil. Propecia is more of a preventative medicine while Minoxidil is a growth stimulator. My hunch is that the Minoxidil may be the culprit. Another option would be to stick with both treatments and try to ride out this difficult period, but I know it is tough to shed hair, so do some reading and some research and make up your own mind. I would not increase the area you are putting Minoxidil on, until you stop shedding hair.

 

You should also discuss this with your doctor. I assume you got a prescription for Propecia from a dermatologist or your general practitioner? It can help to work with your doctor and get guidance from somebody in-person.

 

You haven't been using these drugs for all that long (one month) so you haven't built up a dependence on Minoxidil yet. If I were you I would stay on Propecia and think about stopping Minoxidil for the time being, until the shedding stops. You should gather some other opinions too.

 

Hope that helps...

 

[This message was edited by arfy on January 20, 2004 at 01:08 PM.]

[Freaky D]

I agree with the first responder -- you should try using the Propecia only for a few months. I had similar results when i used just Rogaine many years ago -- whereever I applied it, the hair fell out rapidly making me balder than ever. I hung in there for a year, thinking maybe the shedding was a good sign, as some people claim, but it was a mistake -- the hair I lost while on Rogaine didn't grow back. However, with Propecia I have had great results -- I have the same amount of hair, even some extra actually, than when I first started it five years ago.

 

The problem with starting out with more than one treatment, is that you don't know which one is working or not working. I'm not a doc either but I bet it's the Rogaine that's making your hair fall out.

[Freaky D]

Oh, when I said "try using Propecia only for a few months", I meant quit the Rogaine and only use the Propecia and see what happens in the next few months.

 

When I started Propecia, for the first three months it seemed like I was loosing my hair faster, but after four months I started seeing some good regrowth.

[MeHairBeGrowin]

NotSure

 

If you live close to S.F. e-mail me, if you would

like to try some new hair-stuff for free.

 

Belanger@ByteShark.com

[notsure]

saw the dermatologist who prescribed the propecia - he (also a propecia taker) said that propecia will not cause an increase of hair loss, neither will Rogaine.

 

Is there credible information that he is not correct?

 

ALSO - he said I should not stop either product.

 

Really perplexed.

[arfy]

I've heard that you can have a shed response (like I mentioned) and in some guys the treatments will not work, but technically speaking the medications can't actually make your hair loss worse.

 

I would definitely stay on Propecia, the Minoxidil I am not sure.

 

If you are under a doctor's care, then you need to decide if you are going to follow his advice. The guy saw you in person and he is a doctor. I've never seen you. If my advice is wrong, what can you do... if his advice is wrong you can read him the riot act.

 

Hang on because sheds should be temporary... don't know what else to say.

 

Ask your doctor about taking a half Propecia (half dose) and/or using Minoxidil 2% instead of 5% and see what he says. This would be a temporary step until your body adjusts, then go back up in dose. It doesn't hurt to ask.

 

Good luck.