My Hairloss / Restoration Q&A Compendium!!

[MadMod]

Hi Everybody,

 

Firstly I'd like to say- I've been a member of the site for about 6 months I believe, and a visitor for much longer. It has been, at times, a daily support for me on my journey- and will continue to a huge help.

 

The purpose of this post is to address a large number of questions I still have rattling round my head. I've tried to find definitive answers for these by searching, but thought I'd try to put them in one place as I'd struggled finding a concise and direct answer to my questions:

 

1. As part of my daily regime, I use Alpecin shampoo, which I have to say doesn't seem to have helped my situation particularly. I've just switched to the Fat Hair range. Are there any chemicals in shampoos, conditioners and other hair products that I should specifically steer clear of? I do supplement with Nizoral 3 days a week.

 

2. Can peroxide and "bleaching" the hair affect general hairloss? I did use a few bleaching products in my 20s just before my hairloss began to take hold. Wanted to address and possibly dispel this, if it is indeed a myth.

 

3. What other supplements, such as vitamins and health supplements are most effective and recommended for good health/growth?

 

4. I've often seen the terms "thick" and "thicker" attributed to the results after using fin and minox. I've been using fin for about 20 months, and my hair seems no thicker at all. Does the "thick" description apply to the condition of individual strands, or the overall density.,. Or both?

 

5. Given the results in 4. above, should I still continue with fin? I suppose the argument will be that although I don't seem to have experienced any regrowth, it may have stemmed the tide, and stopping it could run the risk of further loss?

 

6. Since my HT in August, I've been using minoxidil, and am about 3 months in. My hair still looks a lot thinner and patchier overall than before my HT. When should I start to see the effects of minox taking hold?

 

7. Does exercise or training affect hairloss? I remember reading somewhere about supplements such as whey protein possibly impacting, but what do i need to steer clear of?

 

8. Why is using a hair dryer on a warm setting so bad? What about hot water, does this not have the same problem?

 

Thanks for your help- I think that covers everything I've been thinking about! I'm at a very tense stage of my process, and just want to make sure I'm giving myself the best possible shot of retaining and regrowing.

 

Cheers all,

MadMod

[jerzig]

Wish I had some answers for you, but most of your questions are ones that I am also wondering about. Let's hope the awesome people here chime in with some info!

[MadMod]

Shame no-one has been able to shed any light on this. I guess the most important question I have right now is which ingredients in shampoos and hair products should I absolutely avoid???

[Bill - Seemiller]

MadMod,

 

Sorry that it took so long for someone to provide some answers to your questions. Below, I've provided my answers in blue below each question.

 

1. As part of my daily regime, I use Alpecin shampoo, which I have to say doesn't seem to have helped my situation particularly. I've just switched to the Fat Hair range. Are there any chemicals in shampoos, conditioners and other hair products that I should specifically steer clear of? I do supplement with Nizoral 3 days a week.

 

Not particularly. No shampoo is proven to cause hair loss or regrow hair. There have been rumors that shampoo with sodium laurel sulfate or SLS (which is found in just about every shampoo) can cause hair loss, but this is a myth. Unless you are experiencing some kind of scalp infection, dandruff, seborrheic dermatitis, etc. you should be free to use any kind of shampoo you'd like.

 

2. Can peroxide and "bleaching" the hair affect general hairloss? I did use a few bleaching products in my 20s just before my hairloss began to take hold. Wanted to address and possibly dispel this, if it is indeed a myth.

 

Short term, excessive hair dying and bleeching can cause temporary hair loss, but this has nothing to do with genetic male pattern baldness. As long as you didn't lose any hair during the dying/bleaching process, your current hair loss is most likely not as a result of it.

 

3. What other supplements, such as vitamins and health supplements are most effective and recommended for good health/growth?

 

Remember, promoting hair growth is not the same as hair regrowth or stopping hair loss. As long as you eat healthy, there are no supplements you really need to take to promote healthy hair and growth. Male pattern baldness is a genetic condition that occurs regardless of one's health and the only proven non-surgical solutions to slow down, stop or reverse it are Propecia (finasteride) and Rogaine (minoxidil).

 

4. I've often seen the terms "thick" and "thicker" attributed to the results after using fin and minox. I've been using fin for about 20 months, and my hair seems no thicker at all. Does the "thick" description apply to the condition of individual strands, or the overall density.,. Or both?

 

There is no guarantee that Propecia and Rogaine will make your hair thicker or for that matter, work at all. However, it might be helping to prevent any further hair loss, which is what non-surgical solutions are best at accomplishing. You could always stop taking finasteride if you don't feel it's working for you however, you do run the risk that your hair loss will accelerate.

 

5. Given the results in 4. above, should I still continue with fin? I suppose the argument will be that although I don't seem to have experienced any regrowth, it may have stemmed the tide, and stopping it could run the risk of further loss?

 

See above :-)

 

6. Since my HT in August, I've been using minoxidil, and am about 3 months in. My hair still looks a lot thinner and patchier overall than before my HT. When should I start to see the effects of minox taking hold?

 

It's recommended to use Rogaine for 4 to 6 months before determining if it works for you. Keep in mind however, that most hair transplant surgeons will have you stop Rogaine prior to your procedure and allow you to begin taking it again afterwards. Each physician has their own set of preoperative and postoperative instructions, so be sure to ask your surgeon about his/her instructions on Rogaine.

 

7. Does exercise or training affect hairloss? I remember reading somewhere about supplements such as whey protein possibly impacting, but what do i need to steer clear of?

 

I have seen absolutely no evidence that working out or taking whey protein can cause or affect hair loss.

See "Does Regular Exercise and Weight Lifting Cause or Affect Hair Loss?"

 

 

8. Why is using a hair dryer on a warm setting so bad? What about hot water, does this not have the same problem?

 

There is a difference between a "warm" and "hot" setting on the hair dryer. That said, using the "hot" setting on a hair dryer won't cause or expedite hair loss but overall, it can dry out your hair and make it more brittle. Warm or hot water doesn't seem to have the same affect for some reason. For overall hair health, if you are going to use a hairdryer, it may be better to use a cool setting. But no matter which setting you use, it won't affect the results of genetic hair loss.

[MadMod]

Many thanks for the full reply Bill!! There's a pretty clear message coming through there, regarding the genetics! I'm on both minox and fin so am giving myself the best possible chance....