Hair loss

Before I decide to take the razor to my eroding hair line, how effective are current treatments? Rogaine I can get from Rite-Aid, but has anyone had any success? I know someone on here is using propecia, but I haven’t seen any results with it? How effective is that? And what is this new something-or-other-eride (dusteride?) that t-mag has brought up twice? Just curious. If anyone can help, thanks.

I took Rogaine years waaaay back in 1991-1992. I did find that it worked in stopping loss & regrowing some of the hair. I gave it up after a while because: A) It was getting too damn expensive B) I was really starting to hate that I was getting so vain about losing my hair.

I’ve heard a few good things about propecia from a few postings years ago on a newsgroup. Haven’t heard of dusteride.

Hope this helps!

I recommend the web site hairsite.com and going to the Waseda forum for the latest on hair loss remedies. Minoxidil on it’s own is very weak and propecia is showing some negative long term recent findings. dutasteride is an oral drug that blocks both forms of dht but I am not thrilled with this effect systemically in the body. I prefer to use various topicals for safety reasons and have been using the homemade zinc oxide regime found on hairsite which also goes into various herbs for hairloss(topical). There’s this chinese guy named Waseda who seems to know all there is on the various factors of hairloss and I bet t-mag readers would find his stuff interesting. his broken english comes out in his typing but you can get through it. it’s a no bs forum and theres no hucksters, just a community of folks sharing thoughts and ideas on hairloss. Stay away from the stuff on the radio like kevis and avacor…professsional snake oil salesmen. good luck.

I recommend that if you have a round head to shave it off.

I’ve used Propecia for a year now. The only thing I’ve noticed is that I don’t have much hair fallout. But I haven’t noticed any new growth. The Dusteride is supposed to be much better than Propecia and should come out sometime in the beginning of next year. We’ll have to wait and see. I hate spending money on drugs, especially when it has to be used every day and takes years to really get benefits. I’d love to shave my head, but I don’t have a round head. If you do, just shave it off!

Hi,
The latest, greatest studies seem to indicate that at the root (sorry) of hairloss is an autoimmune situation which arises. While DHT was once believed to be the direct culprit, it is now believed that DHT sets off a series of events causing your body’s immune system to reject hair follicles. Under microscope, around the hair follicles, it looks just like tissue rejection, except the tissue involved isn’t foreign in this case! FAST FORWARD…
I’ve been an oral supplement called Moducare (a beta sitosterol supplement) that clinical studies have shown to modulate your immune system. It’s been about 6 months and I’m started to get some vellous (little white hairs) growth. Please note that Moducare is NOT marketed as a hair loss remedy. However, given the probable pathophysiological pathway of hairloss, it seems reasonable this MAY work. I’ve literally got nothing to lose!
peace!

Propecia (finasteride) is useful for slowing hairloss, maybe even halting it in some cases, but you won’t see much in the way of regrowth. Minoxidil regrows hair, for some people, but it tends to only be noticable in the crown area of your head. Another substance you might want to look in to is spirolactone. Then, there is the Nizoral/Head and Shoulders shampoo regime many people swear by.

Perhaps the best approach is to use a “stack” of products.

Have you noticed any estrogenic side effects (some people using propecia have reported this)? How about beard growth? Has it slowed?

I further Micheal’s reccomendation. I’ve been using Waseda’s zinc oxide formula for the past few months and just started his other formula called Morehairen. They both block DHT and stimulate hair growth. The tightness in my scalp is gone. I’ve tried everything else on the market and this stuff is the best. Propecia will help to stop hair loss but you can’t expect regrowth on it. Dusteride sounds promising.

I haven’t noticed any kind of estrogenic side effects. At least none that I’m aware of. My only concern was any affect on my libido. But I haven’t noticed it doing anything negative, as I have no problem having or maintaining an erection. And I still get as horny as a dogg all the time! hehehe.

As for the sexual side effects of finasteride, the studies show less than 2% see anything noticeable and these few cases often lessen over time.

I commend you, my fellow T-Men on the abundance of information you have supplied on this thread!
I only have an anecdotal addition, for I have not researched hair loss or regrowth. A girlfriend of mine has a brother(I know, I know, my cousins sisters brothers best friends uncles sisters neighbor stuff, but I know the guy) was balding quite badly, and started taking propecia. he has experienced a halting of hair loss, and new hair growth. he will not comment on the sexual side effects, and I am not going to pry at a guy about what is going on in his pants… just thought I would toss that out. Have a good one!

I was on Propecia for about 8 months but went off for cost reasons. I did not notice any side effects what so ever. I think sexual side effects and gyno occur more frequently at the 5 mg dose used for prostate. The long term studies out on Propecia indicate that it may have a negative impact on the immune system (see www.hairsite.com and go through the posts for more info). I think topical DHT blockers are the way to go (such as Waseda’s formula’s). They are also quite inexpensive.

I have a warning about Nizoral. I used it 3 or more times a week for months with great success in thickening up my hair. However, I also started noticing symptoms of low testosterone (no sex drive, lethargy, slow (or no)gains in the gym, etc.). The active ingredient, ketoconazole (an antifungal), is a potent androgen suppressor when taken orally. This is probably why it stops hairloss. The drug manufacturer claims that it shouldn’t have this effect topically but I must say that my experience indicates otherwise. It took weeks before I started to feel like normal again.