Suddenly shedding more hair ....suggestions please?

[Guest]

I have been thinning for over 5 years and started something called ETG 2 years ago, which basically is electromagnetic stimulation of the hair. I also started 1/4 proscar every 2 days 10 months ago.

 

I recently stopped the ETG as I have seen continued loss and felt it wasnt stopping the loss or regrowing from any dormant follicles as the program suggested it would. I have started using the Hairmax laser comb 3 weeks ago.

 

I woke up on the weekend, cleaned off the sink and brushed my hair with a thin brush to find 50-60 hairs now in the sink. If I am loosing 50 or more with just washing my hair, it should be all gone in no time.

 

I want to wait until I am around 40 to see a specificic pattern of thinning before I go for a HT and am 34 right now.

 

Any suggestions on what is happening to me or what else I can do to slow the loss??

[Guest]

I have been thinning for over 5 years and started something called ETG 2 years ago, which basically is electromagnetic stimulation of the hair. I also started 1/4 proscar every 2 days 10 months ago.

 

I recently stopped the ETG as I have seen continued loss and felt it wasnt stopping the loss or regrowing from any dormant follicles as the program suggested it would. I have started using the Hairmax laser comb 3 weeks ago.

 

I woke up on the weekend, cleaned off the sink and brushed my hair with a thin brush to find 50-60 hairs now in the sink. If I am loosing 50 or more with just washing my hair, it should be all gone in no time.

 

I want to wait until I am around 40 to see a specificic pattern of thinning before I go for a HT and am 34 right now.

 

Any suggestions on what is happening to me or what else I can do to slow the loss??

[Teddw2ds]

As we all know, hair loss is so unique to each individual person, so it's hard to say really what is going on with your head. There are all different patterns and rates of loss. It's also hard to say if the laser comb is helping (or even hurting) your hair loss.

 

I would definitely stay on the Proscar, though, and if your loss continues to progress rapidly, it wouldn't hurt to make an initial consultation with a good HT doc. He or she may be able to give you an estimate of what your ultimate stage of loss might be, and then you may want to consider a HT earlier than age 40. I'm 32 right now, and I was only at a NW 3 stage. I didn't want to wait until I had any more significant loss, because if I get it taken care of now, it will not be so noticeable that something is different. I plan to just keep up with it as I lose more (hoping that doesn't happen, but being realistic also).

 

Tedd

[Joecifus]

Try posting in the ask-a-doc section. I don't know much about it, but have heard that it might be expected to loose thinning hairs as stronger hairs are pushing thru. Please don't take this as a given, I just seem to recall the like.

 

My Pix and Hair Mentor page with advice on Choosing a Doc, anti-swelling and healing advice

[Guest]

Tedd, I read from a IAHRS convention transcript about it being difficult to perform HT on the very young(under 35) and very bald.

 

I want to wait as long as possible, so I dont end up with an island of hair up top and scars in back. Maybe paranoia is setting in, but thanks.

 

Joe, great pics btw, thanks for the suggestion, will post in that section.

[Teddw2ds]

I know what you mean! I was really worried about that too. I thought, "What if I keep losing my hair? Isn't that going to make the transplanted hair look really weird?" Not really, as it turns out. I was thoroughly impressed with the skill of my surgeon, Dr. Paul Rose. He worked with me for a long time to come up with a HT pattern that I was comfortable with, but which would also look good even if I continued to lose more hair.

 

I'm sure you've seen guys with thin, wispy hair on top, right? (Personally, I notice EVERY man's hair... I'm sure I'm not the only one that studies every hairline I see). While this may not be the most desireable outcome, it also does not look freakish. If I lose all the natural hair in my recipient area, this is what I'll likely end up with, because Dr. Rose has interspersed transplanted hairs among those areas where I still had hair, in addition to those areas where I'd already lost it all. So it will never look patchy. It may look thinner all throughout as I lose more, but in that case, I just have to decide if I want to go back for another HT.

 

Do you have a link to that IAHRS article? I would be interested in reading that. From what I've read on here, most docs seem comfortable working on someone 30 and over, and some as young as 25, but any younger than that and you're starting to get into the "questionable ethics" realm, I think. But then again, I have seen guys who are a NW4 or NW5 at 23 or 24 years old! Hell, I went to high school with a guy who had lost more hair than I did before my HT. What a rough way do go through high school! Of course, I think he flunked out several years, so he was probably 30 by the time he graduated!!!

 

Tedd

[Guest]

I know what you mean about looking at every hairline. Sounds like Rose did some great work on you.

 

I just want to make sure I dont go and get a HT and then end up a NW7 or something like that. My dad had a good hairline until 50ish and then started loosing it along with the density he had lost and now at 67 he has lost a lot, but it donesnt look bad at that age. If I followed his pattern and had a HT I would have a patch up top and scar showing in the back and I dont really know how bad that would look.

 

My grandfather wore a brush cut into his 80's and looked good.....damn genes. That article was hard copy that somebody loaned me, sorry I cant give you a link.

 

I know what you mean about age. I saw a guy in his late 20's to early 30's with not bad loss getting some temples to look like he was 20 again and thought...In this field you can get whatever you want, but that wouldnt be what I wasted FU's on.

[Guest]

Just found a hairmax laser comb chat group and it seems that hairloss during initial treatment is rather common. Most users have hairs grow back in fuller, but was cautioned that everybody reacts differently.

 

Will keep the group informed with pics if it works.