Hair thining of young men

EddyR · 04-11-2011 5:24pm #1

hi there,
I am a 19 yr old male student and my hair is very thin. Compare to my bros and friends my hair is very thin. like i have short hair but when it goes long i would expect to thicken up a little but no. people have said it to me before. i am kinda self conscious about it so would love if anyone could help with this. i would love for me to have a better head of hair, kinda cheesy i know but i would.

thanks

Pawsome54 · 06-11-2011 3:40pm

Google "Propecia", apparently its the best tablets you can take for it. Its prescription though as far as I know. I actually found out about it through boards.ie, I heard a good few people singing its praises on a couple of threads. I'm gonna look into it myself too, bit worried bout the aul male paternal baldness kicking in too soon.

CyberJuice · 14-11-2011 1:24am

embrace the bald,shave it all and enjoy :P
thats what i do

Scanlas The 2nd · 14-11-2011 5:30pm

Spectral DNC

smcgiff · 14-11-2011 5:38pm

Probably the wrong forum as all the regulars here have embraced the, er, aero dynamic look.

Growing your hair long wont thicken it. If anything it can drag on it and show up the thinning all the more.

Do you have a history of balding in your family (mothers AND father's side)?

You may not like to hear this, but if you're thinning at 19 it doesn't look good to keep it even using the likes of Propecia/rogaine. Besides, I don't think Propecia can be got through traditional channels in Ireland.

However, there are other reasons for losing hair, such as stress. If you don't have a family history of it you might want to got to a doctor. 19 is very young. Good luck.

shockwave · 15-11-2011 2:28pm

My brother started to go bald around 17 and and he lost it very fast, he just shaved it all off, anything else just looks crap on a young man.

BrianG23 · 17-11-2011 12:49pm

Well lad, I started to notice i'm losing the hair and i'm 19. Hair has receeded and is thining on top(noticeably balding to me but I doubt anyone else would see unless they are looking for it). Search the internet, you'll find the 3 main things to stop or slow down it are Finasteride(propecia) Minoxidil and Nizoral anti dandruff shampoo. hair restoration Blackrock will get you a prescription for Finasteride. Although Imo they are unprofessional. Didn't even check my head for MPB. Which it highly likely is but still. Minoxidil can be bought over the counter, it's called Rogain, but I recommend Ebay for that since it's much cheaper and exactly the same product(the patent ran out for Minoxidil so Kirkland stole it). Kirkland Minoxidil. Nizoral is over the counter too and helps stop the build up of the stuff that makes hair fall out(it's called Dihydro testosterone).

Problem is side effects. Finasteride can cause permanent loss of sexual function and make it stay limp for good basically.(worst case scenario and rare), I experienced this very mildly when I noticed it wasn't as hard as it should be, so I lowered the dosage and it's all grand. I've been taking Minoxidil for about 2 months, Finas for about 1 and Nizoral for about 2.5 months and on hairline I can already see regrowth. Hairloss with treatment gets much worse before it gets better too so and 6 months is recommend before results start to show(the first 6 months are the worst apparently as affected hair from DHT just drops out for a while and grows back within a year) the 6 months is for Finasteride, Mioxidil can show results within two months. Eh...yeah that's it really. You could just shave it off if your willing. Most people know baldness doesn't suit everyone though so just assess yourself on that if you're thinking about it.(guarantee your friends will get used to it within a few months though) getting a 1 all over will make it less noticeable.

Cost is about 200-300 a year as well. I dunno if a GP will give prescription for Finas but HRBR cost 150 for a visit. So think about the cost of it as well. My main reason for waiting was because I was afraid to tell my mam I was basically balding, then I told her and that was it and I was shi* scared of the side effects of Finasteride.

Finas is by far the most effective Hair loss treatment btw. The 3 together are very good though.

karlito0000 · 18-11-2011 2:00am

google poland hair transplant,there is a place advertising for about 2300 sterling might be worth a look

BrianG23 · 18-11-2011 8:46am

God no you can't get a hair transplant when you're only thinning. More hair will just thin out and you'll be left with what you started with....requiring a second hair transplant to cover up the first(so on so forth). Although if you have the thousands there to spare, go ahead. Also i'm not sure about this, but after a hair transplant, it's recommended you take Finasteride to stop the transplanted hair from getting DHT damaged and also falling out. Hair transplants are typically for advanced baldness

The first few stages can be completely stopped for up to 15 years on Finasteride alone. Hair transplant just isn't right for anyone who still has some of a fringe for example. Check out Wayne rooney, he got a big bald patch on the front of his head covered up. It was all bald so that's why a transplant is the best thing for it.

lotar · 18-11-2011 9:46am

the only way is to use Matt Gardson's method and homemade masks
I've been on it for about a year and my hair has constantly got thicker and thicker, even full sunlight now doesn't even show my scalp
or,..another option is to simply shave the head bald

smcgiff · 18-11-2011 1:01pm

Pepper and Mustard - Really! Where's my credit card - must give this guy $16

cflanagan · 15-12-2011 8:06am

This is a rare case as usually men this young don't get hair thinning unless there are other underlying conditions. Have it check with your dermatologist.

rab!dmonkey · 15-12-2011 8:32am

If you're using shampoo with sodium laureth sulfate (google it) in it (i.e: most if not all of the main brands), stop. I'm 20 and I haven't used shampoo in about 6 months. I think it's slowed the thinning a bit, but it's impossible to say for sure.

horsemeat · 20-12-2011 12:42am

Mod Edit: Propecia has known side effects for one's gentleman's equipment.

BrianG23 · 20-12-2011 2:18am

I agree side effects of Propecia happen much more than 2% of the time, but as far as i've found in my internet travels, barely anyone gets the persistent side effects. Only those on Propeciahelp as far as i've seen(which makes sense since that's where they hang). I had side effects so far, although i'm not sure if it's me or the drug(when you think more about the problem, it takes your mind of the arousal). From week 3, it was harder to get it up. BUT that is on my own while barely in the mood(but enough for a ****). Anyway, if more than slightly in the mood it's up fully like it should be. I was taking 1.25mg. I simply cut the pills up even smaller in .625 mg which got rid of the side effect almost entirely. Atm, my mickey works perfectly. This is 3 months in. Just remember OP. There is a chance, it is a very small chance, but a high risk, that your cock will stop working in a sexual way. Have a look at propecia help. But they have blown it madly out of proportion, they act as if it's a fact that finasteide will kill your cock. What about those that have been on it for 15+ years with zero side effects besides the full head of hair??

Imo the makers of propecia are lying about the side effects, at least the percentage of people who experience them('d say closer to 30% than 2%) but persistent ones are probably much lower. Here I go saying this like I know anything. It just seems more like that, when talking to people and looking at various forum's.

Doc Ruby · 20-12-2011 5:22pm

smcgiff wrote: »

If you don't have a family history of it you might want to got to a doctor.

A trichologist might be a better option, there's a good one in Galway, helped me with a spot of alopecia in the beard line.

Dermooo · 04-01-2012 7:16pm

Hiya mate.

Firstly if your hair is thining, do something about it now and dont wait for more to fall out. I've been there, tried everything. left it too late and ended up costing me more

Firstly do not take another step or listen to any other 'know all' who thinks they know the cure. There is only one guy you need to speak or email to. That's Spex [not his real name]

Here is his website: http://spexhair.com/

Don't be put out by his website, he is a genuine guy who has gone through years of magic potions, and dodgy hair transplants. I've met him face to face in the UK in pursuit of the perfect head of hair which I now have. Back then he offered everything fro free which he still does only now he sell an info pack on his site.

I use the meds now as maintaince but I left it too late to act on my thinning and had to go to the US to get a PROPER and cost effective hair transplant.

Do not go on any one's recommendations of cheap transplants in Poland or Ireland or UK.

NOT UNLESS SPEX RECOMMENDS THEM!

BornToRun88 · 22-01-2012 7:18pm

My fringe goes around in a M shape around my head should be I worried? Baldness isn't in the family, my Dad isn't bald while my Dad's father wasn't bald and my Mother's father isn't bald. I've seen some people with an M shape hairline but still with hair and they're in their 50s or 60s.

JupiterKid · 23-01-2012 3:41am

I was reading that there is a strong link between the onset of puberty and hair loss and that boys who develop very early are far more susceptible to premature hair loss. Does anyone know if this is true?

There was a fella in my school who started to go bald at 17 and by the time he was 25 had lost most of his hair.

Scarlet42 · 22-02-2012 4:36pm

that was me .. started losing it about 17 most of it gone by about 25.. before you go paying money for anything just shave it all off and see how you feel about it.

I worried and stressed about it for years ... the last time I went to a Barbers I got him to take it all off .. I was about 22, I will never forget the shock of seeing myself completly bald in his mirror, he even asked me was I ok!!

but since then I have never worried about it and it doesn't bother me one bit!

DYLF · 24-02-2012 8:52pm

Sorry to hijack...

I'm 24 and in the last 3/4 months my hair has seriously thinned! Up until now ive had quite thick hair so its now gotten very noticable to everyone. Shaving it off isn't an option (really doesn't suit me) any non medical / prescription solutions??

Thanks guys

Dusty87 · 25-02-2012 10:02am

God, yis are all getting very serious around here:eek: Getting like a councelling session.
24 myself, have the whole McDonalds M thing going on, and so what? Your really only delaying the process. When i first started i was a bit worried, after a while i didnt give a shit. I wouldnt let it worry ya man

Birdnuts · 29-02-2012 1:44am

I officially retired my comb last year when I started shaving my head after a long battle with slow but steady hair loss since the age of 27(I'm 35 now). I should have done it years ago!! - life is so much easier now and I'm no where near as self-concious as I use to be. IMO unless you have hair of the quality of Bobby Ewing et al, your just as well without it and all the faffing about trying to make it look good!!

Nothingbetter2d · 01-03-2012 12:43pm

shockwave wrote: »

My brother started to go bald around 17 and and he lost it very fast, he just shaved it all off, anything else just looks crap on a young man.

ah go on tell him to grow it back then comb it over

Choudary · 01-03-2012 11:10pm

Greetings Sirs,

Perhaps these gentleman can make growing the hairs on the rear of the head longer, then brush over on top of the front, as I do. This is very much helping to look like a lot of hair is still on the front, and no bald.

Blessings & Regards,

Choudary Chintapalli

mr.mickels · 16-03-2012 3:52pm

Onion juice and/or garlic juice rubbed on the scalp very regularly does help with hair-thinning, but you need to be persistent with it and not worry about the strong smell of onions. Look into it. Castor oil is also useful. Some people claim success mixing onion juice with some castor oil and adding cayenne pepper and other such herbs to aid hair growth. Would probably take about 3 months of commitment to see results, added to daily scalp massage, and very important to change what you are eating to avoid acidic foods and start eating alot of alkalising foods instead. Read what you can of it. I also know of another who claims success of reversing complete baldness with his own urine, by both drinking it and rubbing it into the scalp daily!!! Takes commitment to go that far but worth educating yourself on the options. I would have no faith in anything produced by the pharma industry for hairloss. Keep it short is the best advice and don't stress about it.

memphis · 27-03-2012 6:02pm

I was 16/17 when I first started to notice my hair thinning. I went through my early teens with a fine mop of hair, used even have the nickname of Beavis when in secondary school. But I didn't care one bit.

I was the youngest in the family. There was a strong history of baldness on both sides of my family for generations. I knew i was gonna go bald. I tried everything from gelling it forward, to trying to grow it longer so i could try gel it together and cover the patches.

All efforts were pointless, i was doing nothing but putting off the inevitable. I knew i was gonna go bald eventually, there was no point combating it.

By the time I was sitting my leaving cert (age 19... I did TY) I had resorted to shaving my head with a blade one all over. I was fulyl bald on top by 21 then.

My advice is just give into it, baldness is not as uncommon as one may think at late teens/early 20s. Shave it all off!! "The Lord made so many perfect heads, the rest he covered with hair".

john.west · 22-04-2012 7:27pm

Anyone here try a course of the Nourkrin medication or any of their other treatments? If so how did ye find them?

Relentleslee · 30-04-2012 5:43pm

Hi I'm 18 and am also going very thin..I'm just wondering if my GP would be able to help me out? I have a medical card so would I be able to be prescribed something from him to help me? I wouldn't be able to afford anything if I was buying it normally from somewhere else, I really don't know what to do, if anyone could help I would appreciate it

Derek_OBrien88 · 30-04-2012 6:41pm

Doc Ruby wrote: »

A trichologist might be a better option, there's a good one in Galway, helped me with a spot of alopecia in the beard line.

Hey there,

Can you offer more details about the alopecia in the beard line? Similiar situation myself. What sort of treatment did you have? Did it work?

Cheers,

Derek

Galwayguy35 · 05-05-2012 4:04pm

Birdnuts wrote: »

I officially retired my comb last year when I started shaving my head after a long battle with slow but steady hair loss since the age of 27(I'm 35 now). I should have done it years ago!! - life is so much easier now and I'm no where near as self-concious as I use to be. IMO unless you have hair of the quality of Bobby Ewing et al, your just as well without it and all the faffing about trying to make it look good!!

Same as that. Going light on top for a few years now and this year retired the comb for good. Going the comb over route or spending money on products that won't work wasn't for me. Keep it shaved to no. 1 level now and it feels great.

GEKKO135 · 04-09-2012 10:31pm

I'm not trying to turn people off the idea of taking propecia/finesteride but i'm currently two and a half weeks into taking the medication and I'm nearly 100% confident that i'm not as horny as i used to be. I'm using nizoril shampoo and minoxidil too. I still find women attractive so obviously nothing extreme has happened and my mood is exactly the same. Still my happy self. Having said that i stopped taking it yesterday as my erections have not been as strong as before and that is definitely unnerving! I'd say it goes to about 80% of what it used to be and it does not stand to attention without some sort of mental/physical stimulation. Another thing is that my morning glories are more like morning semis if not less.

I'm seriously afraid to continue so i'm going to see if i go back to my horny self after stopping and then try and reduce my intake of 1.25mg a day to .625 and see how i get on. Wish my genitals luck

Hope this helps...but I would also be of the opinion that side effects occur to a much larger percentage of people. Definitely not 2%. The doctor didn't do anything wrong but i have a feeling that he knew 2% is not accurate information. If anyone has any questions shoot.

BrianG23 · 05-09-2012 9:00am

GEKKO135 wrote: »

I'm not trying to turn people off the idea of taking propecia/finesteride but i'm currently two and a half weeks into taking the medication and I'm nearly 100% confident that i'm not as horny as i used to be. I'm using nizoril shampoo and minoxidil too. I still find women attractive so obviously nothing extreme has happened and my mood is exactly the same. Still my happy self. Having said that i stopped taking it yesterday as my erections have not been as strong as before and that is definitely unnerving! I'd say it goes to about 80% of what it used to be and it does not stand to attention without some sort of mental/physical stimulation. Another thing is that my morning glories are more like morning semis if not less.

I'm seriously afraid to continue so i'm going to see if i go back to my horny self after stopping and then try and reduce my intake of 1.25mg a day to .625 and see how i get on. Wish my genitals luck

Hope this helps...but I would also be of the opinion that side effects occur to a much larger percentage of people. Definitely not 2%. The doctor didn't do anything wrong but i have a feeling that he knew 2% is not accurate information. If anyone has any questions shoot.

I was the same man, I also believe it's closer to bloody 50% than 2%. Anyhow, I can't even take .625 but I have fully eh...got 100% bone back and I was taking 1.25 then /.625 for months/ I might try and go back on it at like .200

Also, yeah the doctor had no idea for me. Luckily, Minoxidil and Nizoral are working for me, I just started getting back like my whole hairline although it still has noi color, you can see it in light, starting to grow in. So if I can manage to add just a little bit of Finasteride in, might get lucky.

funkey_monkey · 05-09-2012 10:39pm

I'm in the same boat. Been taking Finasteride now for a few years but the temples are still retreating at a depressing rate. I also use Nizoral x2 per week.

Has anyone been for a consultation with a HT surgeon? How did you get on with them? I was considering HRBR for a consultation for €250 - but I was wondering if anyone has had experience of them?

I''m thinking of now starting Spectral DNC - it seems to get good reviews. Has anyone on here tried it and has it worked, done nothing or made it worse? I've read that this product produces a large initial shed but that it grows back. Is this correct?

BrianG23 · 06-09-2012 1:14am

funkey_monkey wrote: »

I'm in the same boat. Been taking Finasteride now for a few years but the temples are still retreating at a depressing rate. I also use Nizoral x2 per week.

Has anyone been for a consultation with a HT surgeon? How did you get on with them? I was considering HRBR for a consultation for €250 - but I was wondering if anyone has had experience of them?

I''m thinking of now starting Spectral DNC - it seems to get good reviews. Has anyone on here tried it and has it worked, done nothing or made it worse? I've read that this product produces a large initial shed but that it grows back. Is this correct?

That's actually where I went, I don't really recommend HRBR to be honest, they didn't seem very professional imo. He put me on the big 3 which is what I would have done anyway, he basically told me the info I found out on the net, but I thought I needed to get a Finateride prescription off him, didn't know if Gp's would give me one. I recommend adding Minoxidil to your treatment and see if it does anything because i'm having some results with that alone (+ niz)iright now. Apparently Finasteride and Minox together rocks, I use Kirkland minox from Ebay...much cheaper than Rogaine but same product(apparently)

They also tried to convince me that Finasteride has no side effects and it's extremely rare. From different boards around the net it seems different though, much more, no one really reports persistent side effects though among my travels. Seems you can either tolerate it or you can't. And have to wait for it to leave the system after that

Have no idea about the spectral stuff. Anyway, you can try HRBR if you like but they'll probably put you on Minoxidil and if it doesn't work, offer a hair transplant/ They didn't mention any other treatments at all to me while I there, the Miniturisation test was also sceptchy too, I thought it was supposed to be done under a microscope to have confirmation? The guy took pictures of my temples and there were a few mini hairs though so I dunno if that is valid or not

Ah Hairloss, proof god either doesn't exist, or is a ****

Hillmanhunter1 · 06-09-2012 1:15pm

I'm 50 and I've been bald since I was 19 or 20. It bothered me a little at that age, all things considered I'd have preferred to have a head of hair. At that age, when all but the most confident are to some degree socially awkward, and perhaps especially when it comes to the pursuit of women (speaking for myself at least), I felt I could have done without losing my hair.

The good news is that if baldness were unattractive to women then natural selection would have eliminated it millennia ago. It has not because, for the most part, women don't really care.

I have two young sons, one has his mother's hairline, but I think that in a few years I'll be giving this advice to the other!

TerrorFirmer · 06-09-2012 10:43pm

I've been hit pretty bad with receding hair the last few months, it was grand until I was 24, then close enough to my 25th, both temples started peeling back pretty rapidly. I am going to give Minox/Niz a go, but I refuse to try Propecia, I know the odds are unlikely but there are too many horror stories out there surrounding its use, the worst being permanent impotency. As for taking .2 Fin etc, what's the point - why not try something like Saw Palmetto, which works more or less like a very weak Finasterade. I figured I'd give that a go too, alongside Minox and Nizoral, but if it doesn't help much I figure I'll just have to get a buzz cut. Funny thing though, that only since I started receding have I noticed that more or less 50% of men I see daily around my age or slightly older do have receding hairlines, I just never would have noticed before.

GEKKO135 · 07-09-2012 11:12pm

Off propecia for five days now and i am already feeling like my old sexually frustrated self. Quite a relief but still upsetting knowing ill be losing my hair. I'm sure I'll come to terms with it at some stage though

GEKKO135 · 14-09-2012 10:58pm

OK, wasn't going to post this due to embarrassment but I think it's too important to keep from people who are considering propecia to prevent hairloss. I am now two weeks off propecia. I came off the drug because I was feeling side effects with regards to sexual functionality etc [check previous posts]. After 4 or 5 days my libido was back to normal and it was all hunky dory. However, 3 days later after work I wasn't feeling well. I had a sickish feeling in my lower abdominal region, my testicles where extremely sore and my lower back was stiff. I thought nothing of it but the next morning my balls were still sore and still had the bad feeling in my lower abs.

I went straight to the doctor. He tested a urine sample which was negative meaning infection was ruled out so he put me on an anti-inflammatory. Two days later the swelling had subsided as well as the pain in my balls. Unfortunately it's been replaced with an aching feeling in my perineum/gooch area making it difficult to sit down for long and is just uncomfortable in general. Another visit to the doctor and still no infection and he was slightly baffled to be honest. He said there was no doubt that the finesteride was the cause for my problems and said to continue with the anti-inflammatories.

My simple theory is that finesteride served one of its other functions and had shrunken my prostate by blocking DHT. So once I stopped taking finesteride I imagine my prostate has now had a negative reaction to or is unable to cope with the increased levels of DHT. As a result my gooch is killing me and after reading horror stories on the internet, not so dissimilar to mine, I'm fearing that I may now have a condition called chronic prostatitis. It's still early days but I'm now in a state of panic and will probably be getting blood tests done next week. I've no idea what to do really and hopefully the pain will subside. I will make sure to give an update soon.

On one of my first posts I said that I'm not trying to stop people using this drug but now I feel like I have a obligation to tell people not to. I would never recommend this drug to anybody. If I could go back to 3 weeks I would punch myself in the nose and throw the propecia down the toilet. That's what I'd do anyway. Please don't take the risk, It's not worth it if you consider the position I'm now in.

GEKKO135 · 17-09-2012 8:37pm

Just want to give one last update on how I'm getting on. Had a very rough week last week with side effects especially pains in what could only have been my prostate. Thankfully the pains have subsided a lot and I'm hoping my hormones levels and whatnot are back on track and that they'll stay that way. I can't explain how frightened I was. It was probably the scariest thing that's happened to me. I spent days on the internet to see what was happening to me and it was actually worrying to read the amount of similar stories to mine. What really worried me was the fact that nobody really mentioned that they recovered so my head was in a right tizzy.

Anyway, thankfully that chapter of my life is over and I can move onto the next one, that being the bald mid-life crises finasteride relapse part....haha i doubt that somehow.

funkey_monkey · 17-09-2012 10:39pm

GEKKO135 wrote: »

Just want to give one last update on how I'm getting on. Had a very rough week last week with side effects especially pains in what could only have been my prostate. Thankfully the pains have subsided a lot and I'm hoping my hormones levels and whatnot are back on track and that they'll stay that way. I can't explain how frightened I was. It was probably the scariest thing that's happened to me. I spent days on the internet to see what was happening to me and it was actually worrying to read the amount of similar stories to mine. What really worried me was the fact that nobody really mentioned that they recovered so my head was in a right tizzy.

Anyway, thankfully that chapter of my life is over and I can move onto the next one, that being the bald mid-life crises finasteride relapse part....haha i doubt that somehow.

That sounds rough. I think there are a lot more suffering from Propecia than is known. The side effects are massive ranging from those you outline above to problems with semen viscosity, lack of sex drive, penile shrinkage etc.

Out of interest, have you got any more feedback from your GP as to what actually happened? I've been to my GP for a check up and mentioned that I was taking it and suffering some side effects. I'm still awaiting a response - it's an approved drug for hair loss, but I think the manufacturers are lying big time about its side effects.

I've just noticed that the FDA are re-opening a safety review of the drug. You might have made a good call there!

GEKKO135 · 18-09-2012 12:42pm

My GP didn't really have a definite diagnosis and he didn't comment to much on the drug as he wasn't extremely familiar with it. That said he still believed it was the cause and said that hormones are not worth experimenting with for the sake of having hair. He really did give me peace of mind though as he ruled out most of the potentially serious conditions ie prostate cancer, epyditimitus, prostatitis. I wouldn't say I'm out of the woods though as I still have very mild pains as if I've been lightly kicked in the nuts or something but still improving every day.

Can I ask how long you're on propecia and how you're finding it? From my research the worst affected from propecia are those who come off of it after years of use.

funkey_monkey · 18-09-2012 7:33pm

GEKKO135 wrote: »

My GP didn't really have a definite diagnosis and he didn't comment to much on the drug as he wasn't extremely familiar with it. That said he still believed it was the cause and said that hormones are not worth experimenting with for the sake of having hair. He really did give me peace of mind though as he ruled out most of the potentially serious conditions ie prostate cancer, epyditimitus, prostatitis. I wouldn't say I'm out of the woods though as I still have very mild pains as if I've been lightly kicked in the nuts or something but still improving every day.

Can I ask how long you're on propecia and how you're finding it? From my research the worst affected from propecia are those who come off of it after years of use.

I was going to reply via PM, but I think it is important that any others reading this are made aware of the problems with propecia.

I've been on it for approx 4 - 5 years. I've currently no balding at the crown although my temples have receded to the point where I've got a definite widows peak.

I'm trying to 'wean' myself off it in the hope that slowly decreasing myself off it will lessen the problems you've had rather than going cold turkey.

I've had the dull ache that you've mentioned. I've seen my doctor about it and am concerned about many of the issues as I've had a few of them. I've also seen that Chinese researchers have seen it reduces penis size in mice (or possibly rats).

The side-effects vastly outweigh any benefits. Therefore, I'm coming off it now. The fact that the FDA has opened a new safety review of the drug. I'm not waiting around to find out what I think will be an obvious outcome. Far more people are being effected that the manufacturers quote. As the side-effects gradually kick in I think many men just accept it or assume that it might be age related.

Are you now giving up on hair loss products or are you going to try something else?

TerrorFirmer · 18-09-2012 9:01pm

Thanks for sharing. It's hugely important to share these stories, I read through hundreds of them over the course of a few weeks and decided to avoid Propecia, it's high success rate comes at a high price for a lot of individuals. That said, however, a friend used it, and had absolutely zero side effects - it's a game of roulette really, you're simply not going to know until you try, but it is a chance I'm not willing to take. Not when, at the end of the day, a receding or balding head never stopped anyone from achieving anything in life, really!

I've started using minoxidil foam, taking saw palmetto and using Nizoral shampoo. If it's not going to help, I'm just going to accept the inevitable.

GEKKO135 · 18-09-2012 10:24pm

I definitely think weaning off of it is a good idea. I imagine it will result in less of a shock to the system so hopefully your body can readjust at a gradual pace and hopefully your prostate wont flare up like mine did.

I think it's great that the FDA is having another safety review of the product as the studies previously taken really don't stand up to scrutiny. I found it ironic/frightening that the anti-inflammatories I've been using are produced by Merck, the same company that produces finasteride!! Kind of surprised they haven't made me spontaneously combust or something.

Anyway, to answer your question funky-monkey, I'm going to continue using Kirklands Minoxidil and Nizoril shampoo for the next year anyway.

Good luck with coming off the drug anyway. If it does cause side-effects just try not to panic, give it a couple of weeks maybe even months seeing as you're on it for a while. At least you know that I got through it. Actually, I should of mentioned that I did some things that did help with the pain - jogging seemed to really help and may have increased blood flow to the area, taking very hot baths helped to relax the muscles and drinking loads of green tea to detox. Hope this helps man, good luck.

tonto9999 · 21-09-2012 1:36pm

I've being on propecia, minoxidol and nizoral for 1 year.For the first month i experienced small side effects like tightness when going to the toilet, lasted about 2 weeks and thought i was losing my sex drive but i think the whole sex drive thing was just worry i reckon because of some of the stories i heard.Im 27 and was losing hair on my hairline and temples.
My hair has gone so much stronger and thicker in that 1 year and not perfect but i was seriously impressed.I went to hair restoration blackrock 250 euro, he took a few photos and talk me through the different treatment.Seriously over priced for what it was plus the treatment costs but I went too a 2 doc's in Kerry and they wont prescribe propecia because it was not licensed in Ireland for hair restoration.
Anyone know doc's in Kerry or cork will prescribe propecia?
I don't fancy driving up from Kerry to Dublin for 40 minutes chat to a get another script.

Jumboman · 20-12-2012 1:07am

Propecia is poison:eek:

http://www.propeciahelp.com

john.west · 22-12-2012 9:20pm

tonto9999 are you using the 1mg Finasteride tablets or the 5mg Proscar tablets broken into quarters? Do you mind me asking how much your paying for them?

I'm in a similar situation to you. I'm 31 and have being receeding in the temples and thinning in the frontal hairline over the past 3 to 4 years. It wasn't too bad and I didn't take too much notice until it got worse about a year ago. Then it really started to annoy me and knock my confidence. Apart from that I have a pretty strong full head of hair. No sign of any being lost at the crown or on top of my head where for the most part its pretty thick and full to be fair. I have being told I am NW3.

I am on the same medication to yourself for the last 6 to 7 months. Generic minoxidil with the brand name Kirkland bought online (works out at about one third of the price of Regaine and is the exact same product). I have being buying Proscar 5mg online from a country where they are over the counter and breaking them into quarters. There are 30 tablets in a box so a box of them lasts 120 days or three boxes per annum. The guy I have dealt with is pretty thorough in fairness. The townland in my address can have north or south in it. Fisrt time I ordered I never input North and he emailed me back to check if I was North or South.... Judging by his name he is Irish. To be honest I don't think I could afford the Finasteride longterm.

As the Proscar is for treating Prostate cancer I don't think a doctor in Ireland can prescribe them for hairloss but stand to be corrected on that one. Proscar cut into 4 is effectively the exact same as Finasteride except Finateride is 1mg while if you get an exact quarter of a Proscar pill its 1.25mg...difference is nothing worth talking about. It can be a bit of a b!tch to get 4 even quarters and often when they break you will get a bit of powder but I just lap up the powder also.

The one little thing is that you do run the small risk of customs siezing the package at Dublin airport. However, the guy I buy of said he never seen it happen and he has sent many many packages to Republic of Ireland at this stage, so its a riak Im willing to take. I would get it in Ireland if it was a case of walking into my doctor and him prescribing me Proscar in the knowledge I was going to cut it into quarters and take it accordignly but something tells me that wouldn't happen. Finasteride would be too expensive and even if I could get my hands on it in this bloody country Proscar probably would be too.

I have noticed noting in the way of side effects from the Proscar. My sex drive has not changed immensly, no notable difference. In fact if anything I'm a bit better able to maintain erections for longer which I've read can be experienced by some men using it. I will say though that everyone is different and I appreciate that the medication can have potentially serious side effects for some guys so please not accordignly

I am also washing my hair with Nizoral shampoo once a week or every 5 days. Now as for the results. Overall I'm pretty disappointed really. I had a serious shed when I started the medications. This was very tough for me as my hair looked cat in fairness. However, I got over it as I had read its good if you shed a lot of hair at the start. The weaker hairs that are barely hanging in there fall out as a stronger more fuller hair takes root in the folicule underneath. As such I looked past it as best I could and got on with things in the knowledge that the medication was working as intended.

However, 6 to 7 months on I'm back to where I was just about before I started the medications, maybe marginally better.

I do appreciate I should really be giving the medications a full year to 14 months before I make a decisive judgement, hair can stay in a resting and hibernating phase for a period of time etc etc. I do acknowledge that I will not see any gains back in the temples where hair receeded a few years ago. Its gone for good there unless I get a hair transplant. Thats exactly what I'm planning on doing in the next few months if I dont see any futher improvement in my hairline.

I had an online consultation and was told I need approx 1,500 to 2k grafts as it stands. I won't be getting it done in Dublin with that Maurice Collins guy though. I acknowledge hes suppose to be good but approx €10 per graft....well I doubt hes that good either:rolleyes:

So thats my hairloss story. If anyone would like further details on the Proscar from me please IM me and I will supply the details of where I buy and and other info that may assist as best I can.

One other thing. For those who post on threads such as these saying shave it all off, or it cant be treated etc etc and then quote such posts saying +1 etc please stop ye fu*king idiots. It can be treated and a shaved head is not the ideal look for every guy. I would hate to have to shave my head longterm so will try to keep my hair and even regain it back if possible. Do ye not realise how fu*king idiotic a response that is to a guy who is looking to maintain and get back his hair

Jumboman · 23-12-2012 10:00pm

Its not worth the risk of taking Propecia/Finasteride

gotobread · 29-12-2012 2:18am

don't worry about it, it's dangerous if you use chemicals like them to regrow your hair

Clark2014 · 06-06-2014 1:45pm

Irish Doctor Andrew Rynne recently wrote an article warning people not to use propecia under any circumstances.

from medicaladviceforyou.com

Baldness is natural

Male Pattern Baldness - the statistics

The global statistics for male pattern baldness or hair loss are quite staggering and of course speak for themselves:baldness cure

40% of men will have noticeable hair loss by age 35.
60% of men will have noticeable hair loss by age 60.
70% of men will have noticeable hair loss by age 80.
The hair transplant business in America is worth $ 1.3 billion annually.
In 2010 worldwide 279,381 men had surgical hair transplants.

So what does all this tell you? It should tell you quite simply that male pattern baldness is a normal age related phenomena. It should tell you that it is not a disease or a condition that requires medical treatment. That said, it also shows that there are an awful lot of men out there who simply do not accept this testosterone and age related natural phenomena. And equally, there are plenty of doctors out there who are all too ready to exploit this weakness in men’s self-image and confidence.

An inability to accept yourself as you are reflects a lack of self confidence or self esteem. It comes from within not from without. As Eleanor Roosevelt so wisely pointed out: “No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.” When I see a bald man walk into a room I see self confidence and someone to be admired. When I see a man walk into a room wearing an ill-fitting toupee I see weakness and I feel sorry for him. I have always counselled patients that if they are having self esteem issues as a result of baldness then the first point of remedy should be a psychotherapist rather than a doctor.

Baldness cure - Propecia, Proscar or Finasteride

This drug group was designed and licensed to treat Benign Prostate Hyperplasia and to slow down the progress of metastatic prostate cancer. Its action is to block the conversion of Testosterone into Dihydrotestosterone (DHT) which is the potent active form of this androgen or sex hormone. In a word, Finasteride renders testosterone useless. Once the testosterone can’t act on the hair follicles it slows down the balding process. It does have side effects though.

The sexual side-effects of Finasteride

The sexual side-effects of Finasteride may appear while the man is taking it or, more usually, when he stops taking it. To say that these side-effects go away when the man stops taking Finasteride is a lie peddled by those making a fortune in prescribing it. The sexual side-effects of Finasteride remain on indefinitely and there is, as yet, no cure or proper understanding of them. Symptoms of Post Propecia Syndrome vary a lot from victim to victim but the chief ones would be:

Total loss of libido or sex drive.
Loss of nocturnal or spontaneous erections.
Penile numbness.
Testicular atrophy.
Erectile dysfunction.
Sexual Adhedonia or the inability to experience any pleasure from sexual stimulation or ejaculation.
Insomnia, anxiety, brain fog and depression leading to suicide.
Urinary frequency disturbing night’s sleep.

What percent of men taking Finasteride develop Post Propecia Syndrome? As yet we do not have accurate figures for this question. It could be as high as 2% but does that matter? If only one man in a thousand developed this horrible, hideous life sapping disease then that, in my opinion would be one too many. I would not recommend taking Finasteride as a treatment for male pattern baldness but rather consult with your doctor on alternative treatment options. If you would like to gain a professional medical opinion on how best to deal with balding then use the link to contact us for free.

Hair thining of young men

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