Hair Loss Treatment

bm365

I am 22 year old male and for the past few year I have been loosing hair. Nothing noticable, in fact I have a good head of hair but I can see this getting worse if I dont treat it.

So my question is what are the best product on the market for hair loss? Would you recommend Viviscal?

Deadeyes

The best thing you could get is a shaver. Don't try to cover up hair loss just go for a blade all over. Any documentry or critical study of hair loss treatments would appear to indicate that none of them or much good and only the most expensive ones have any effect, but only while you continue to use them, and even then their benefits are limited.

Wibbs

From what I gather, you can hang onto what you have at the moment or stave off further loss for a few years anyway with as Deadeyes said expensive treatments. Regrowing doesn't seem to happen though. Unless you're severly depleted in vitamins then supplements won't work for male pattern baldness.

deadhead13

Your not going to lose all your hair overnight, it will take years and in alot of cases it will stabilize at some point. Cut your hair short and forget about it.

jessbeth

I don't think any of those hair loss products work, otherwise there wouldn't be a bald man on the planet.

Just shave it off if it starts to go bald, this patchy thing looks worse and there is nothing worse then a man trying to drag it over the bald patch from the other side.

I've had male friends who tried all these things in order to prevent hair loss but nothing works.

Everyone loses between 40 & 120 strands a day so you may be worrying for no reason

J.S. Pill

Deadeyes wrote: »

The best thing you could get is a shaver. Don't try to cover up hair loss just go for a blade all over.

Unhelpful

Deadeyes wrote: »

Any documentry or critical study of hair loss treatments would appear to indicate that none of them or much good and only the most expensive ones have any effect, but only while you continue to use them, and even then their benefits are limited.

Wrong - you might want to try reading more than the abstract in future.

Finasteride based treatments work. I've been on it for a year and it has worked for me. I had a check-up in the blackrock clinic last week where I was shown what my hair looked like a year ago vs what it looked like now; I could see improvements throughout the year of course but seeing the before and after shots brought a big grin to my face. While it is true that you have to take the meds continiously, they are relatively inexpensive; I really don't thnk taking a pill every morning is too much of an inconvenience all things considered. There can be side effects of course, I have never experienced any personally but the medical professionals will guide you through these.

jessbeth wrote:

I don't think any of those hair loss products work, otherwise there wouldn't be a bald man on the planet.

wibbs wrote:

Regrowing doesn't seem to happen though

Its really best not to look at available treatments in terms of absolute cures but many of them can bring very significant improvements - regrowth does occur. My receding hairline has been reversed somewhat but as I get older there will come a day when the meds will loose their effect, I probably take a razor to my head then but I have managed to postpone this day by many years.


To the OP:

Have a look here

PM me if you have any questions about the place.

bm365

Thanks for the advice, but no offence, when asking about advice on product such as viviscal it really is annoying when someone says shave off your hair.

Trinity

My partner paid 3500 for laser therapy, it didnt work. He had to get a loan out to pay for it so it wasnt cash he had lying around, he was gutted. He was taking herbal tablets every morning and applying some serum etc.

He has tried several products off the shelf and got a few off ebay from the states.

Nothing worked for him. Its very devasting for him but unfortunately he seems to have tried it all. I doubt a shaved head would suit him either so he just has to style it in such a way his bald spot is not as noticable.

If you find one please let us know hes only 28 and it has knocked his confidence terribly.

Mulan

I'm 34 and started going bald at about 22 also. Telling someone to shave their head is not helpful really. I had hair down to my shoulders when it started to disapear!!. I gradually cut it down to size in the space of about 3 years and now I give it a no.1 once a month. The only person who ever asked me if i wanted to do something about it was my mam. I put that down to her being concerned for me.
It doesn't bother me in anyway now, my little girls think i but the hair from my head on to my belly to keep my tummy warm!!!

My advice to you is, thats life really, keep your hair well ie get a trim more often now. Looking smart all the time is the key.
If I leave my hair go for over say 8 weeks I start to look like a fuzzy tennis ball so my wife tells me.
But anyway don't let it effect you. Im sure the important people in your life aren't bothered by it.
Thats my 2 cents worth

Good luck

danh789

All this guy wants is a bit of info on Viviscal or chinese herbs or stuff like that not stories of going bald or shaving your head. I know i was in the same situation, I noticed strands of hair coming off my head (all over not just the top). I used Nourkrin (now Viviscal). My gp thought it might be stress related. It stopped after about 10 months. Dont know for sure if it was the Nourkrin but I believe it helped.

speaktofrank

Viviscal, never heard of it, on the other hand try finasteride known by its brand name Proscar (in5mg) or Propecia (1mg) I have been taking 1 mg of Finasteride a day a year and its working well. *SNIP*

Wibbs

speaktofrank medical advice, even well intentioned medical advice is not allowed on this forum for obvious reasons. None of us know what underlying medical condition may be present in the OP. As such any medicine should be taken only under the direction of an authorised medical professional. Thank you.

AARRRGH

Shave your head and start lifting weights. The Bruce Willis/Vin Diesel look is a good one.

MarkN

hi OP. Went to the surgeon in Blackrock Clinic and rather than surgery he said I should try non surgical options first.

So about 18 months ago I started taking Rogaine foam, Finistride quarter tab a day and Nizoral shampoo 3 times a week.

The different is HUGE.

Rogaine works for some lads and others not so well and I still have a bald spot at the back of my head which I can live with as it looks normal enough but the hair at the front part of my head is much thicker and darker in colour - I tried the shaved head and now I've hair that I can gel again etc I'd take the gel look over a blade 2 all over anyday.

The last time I visited the surgeon for a review, the before and after shots just blew me away.

As I haven't had surgery the cost has really been quite minimal - his website is here.

http://www.hairrestoration.ie/live/lv_pres_main.asp?strPage_Name=Profile

Rogaine foam can be bought here. I would say though that Rogaine will work better with Finistride.

http://www.minoxidil-direct.co.uk/Rogaine_Foam.htm

Jimi-Spandex

As lads have already mentioned Finistride and Minoxidil(Rogaine) are the only proven treatments, I'd highly recommend booking in with the Hair Restoration Clinic. Just remember there are no miracles, you can't regrow hair you've already lost but it can halt the process for a few years and strengthen weakened hair.

Most other "treatments" are snake oil. I know from experience.

Permabear

This post has been deleted.

sobriety

I have to post about this one...

Ok, I did years of minox and other meds and in the end, I kept going bald. Yes, they work for a while. It gave me a boost for a few years, but check www.hairlosshelp.com and you will find out the truth about these things.

I don't recommend meds.

So I did something about my hairloss - I got a hair system. €150 and you have decent hair for about 4 or 5 months. IMO, this is the best deal if you're a baldy.

Now, before you slag me off as a wig wearer, look at my pics:






Takes me about 1.5 hour per week to use the above hair system. I can swim, go on a rollercoaster, let ladies pull it, etc. It's gotten to the stage where I've totally forgot I'm even wearing a hair system and it's just a part of life. I can't feel it and it's totally breathable...

Problem solved

Let me know if you need any help to get a hair system. It has really helped in my happiness and confidence.

Edit: ATTACHMENTS ADDED!

sobriety

1 million € to anyone who can guess where my hair system starts and my real hear ends

quad_red

In my late twenties now and I have no choice but to shave it. Twould look a disaster otherwise.

It does come down to what you can live with. I supposed I'm just used to shaving my head. But I had the *serious* fear before I did it. Didn't think it would suit me at all. Had hair down to my shoulders in my late teens. Always the one with the tousled out of bed hair in college.

But I did go down the shave route and as scary as it was at the start, it's also sort of liberating. And ye totally forget yer going bald as well.

Anyway, good luck whichever way ye go!

sobriety

quad_red wrote: »

But I did go down the shave route and as scary as it was at the start, it's also sort of liberating. And ye totally forget yer going bald as well.

Anyway, good luck whichever way ye go!

You are lucky if you can pull off the shaved look! Because of the shape of my head, and also my nose shape, I look pretty ugg with a shaved head. I'm also very white, and not incredibly muscular.

If you have the right head and face for it (cos a shaved head places all attention on the face) then go for it and shave. It workes especially well for black people, and people with very well balanced facial features (e.g. Brad Pitt). A lot of white people look kind of sick with shaved heads though...

Trinity

sobriety wrote: »

1 million € to anyone who can guess where my hair system starts and my real hear ends

When you say system, it an actual hair peice? How is it stuck on?

Could you PM me details please?

Das Kitty

I saw those hair systems on the Late Late, they looked very well.

sobriety

When were they on the late late? I wonder was it one of those rip off merchants in Dublin charging over a grand for something I can get for €150! beware of those hair studios... go the DIY route and you'll be glad

There are various ways of attaching. I use a small amount of special adhesive, and sometimes special tape (if I need a super strong attachment). You can hardly notice this stuff on your head, and it's virtually invisible.

I go for 1 week at a time, although those studios will sometimes stick the thing on your head for up to 3 or 4 weeks - that can't be good hehe..

sobriety

Trinity wrote: »

When you say system, it an actual hair peice? How is it stuck on?

Could you PM me details please?

Yeah, I suppose at the end of the day it's a hair piece. I like to say hair system cos it sounds kind of cool and doesn't conjure up images of bad rugs and dodgy old men in thick wigs, with a bad colour match :eek:

Das Kitty

Over a year ago. They were the same thing and the cost depended on the amount of hair to be replaced as far as I remember. Wasn't massively expensive. they do them for Alopecia sufferers as well.

It was a thing where you go in for your first lesson once and then you do it yourself. Same as yourself I'd imagine.

BTW your above links aren't working

Trinity

sobriety wrote: »

When were they on the late late? I wonder was it one of those rip off merchants in Dublin charging over a grand for something I can get for €150! beware of those hair studios... go the DIY route and you'll be glad

There are various ways of attaching. I use a small amount of special adhesive, and sometimes special tape (if I need a super strong attachment). You can hardly notice this stuff on your head, and it's virtually invisible.

I go for 1 week at a time, although those studios will sometimes stick the thing on your head for up to 3 or 4 weeks - that can't be good hehe..

I saw a woman get one made up for hair loss when i was getting my hair extensions done last year in a studio, and i think it was a grand and then maintenance every few weeks at 200 a go :eek:

cantdecide

Going bald, especially earlier than most as was the case with me (I was younger than the OP), knocks the stuffing out of your self esteem but you do get over it.

OP, if you're sure that you want to go through with treatments, it does seem that what works brilliantly for one will be useless to the next. From the point of view of your mental health, it may prove to be a potentially exhausting elimination process which might be worse than just dealing with it now and moving on. I struggled on like you for a few years but now I'm on the shaver once a week. The girls love to rub my melon (which is nice;)) and the cool air on your scalp is very refreshing so it's not all bad...

sobriety

Das Kitty wrote: »

BTW your above links aren't working

Eh?? I thought some people said they worked?

Ok, I've goen back and added attachments for them all.

And just incase it didn't work:
http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/lokuttara/Blanked?authkey=HuVH_A0gn_U&feat=directlink

LegacyUser

I'm female and suffer from hair loss. Recently, I decided to go down the route of hair replacement. I got it done with the hair replacement company that appeared on the Late Late Show. I DO NOT recommend using them.

Their customer service is terrible. They told me it could take up to a maximum of 12 weeks for the system to be custom made but on average it takes 6-8 weeks and to ring after 4 weeks to check up on my order. I rang after 4 weeks and was rudely told that I shouldn't have rung, its takes 6-8 weeks. I waited another 2 weeks and called again. They told me they didn't know the status of my order, they would ring me when they did. I rang the next week and the week after that. Each time I rang they told me they would ring me back. Not once did they ring me back. Eventually, after the 13th week they confirmed that the should be receiving the system later that week.

The room where they fit the system was dusty and filthy, on more than one occasion there was hair all over the floor from a previous customer.

I let the dusty fitting room and the delay in receiving the unit slide, as I stupidly assumed because they appeared on the Late Late show they must be good. While I was getting my system fitted, I was talking to the guy fitting it. I found out a few things a bit too late. The guy's brother works as a researcher for RTE, and called them up two days before the show, asking them would they like to appear on the Late Late Show. I really wish I had talked to this guy before hand as I would never have gone with this company. And to top it off, when I stood up after he had finished cutting in the new system, I had to tell him it wasn't cut evenly, one side of the hair was noticeably longer than the other.

The hair system itself was very thick. To me when it was fitted it looked fake, it wasn't natural, far to thick, didn't match the hair on the sides on my head at all. I looked to them for guidance on the appropriate thickness, hair wave etc. I felt very let down. It is very expensive for something that is guaranteed to last for only 4 months. They charged me €1100 for the hair system. I understand, that it is hard to get right the first time, it's nearly impossibly and through time one will eventually get a system to suite them through tweaking etc, but these are people who do this every day, I stupidly assumed they would help me order a system that looked somewhat natural.

Part of me feels that they don't really care about their customers, they are just cash cows. A customer pays €1100 for the hair systems, and then every 4 weeks returns to them, so they can take it off, clean your scalp and refuse it. This costs €80-€100 each time. They also recommend that you get 2 -3 systems a year. The length of time a system last really depends on how you care for it. I asked them show me how to take it off and refuse it, I was told I wouldn't be able to do it on my own, I would need someone to help me. I felt they just carried on and ignore me.

I have since, decided not to go back to them. I have learnt how to take it off and refuse it myself without damaging the system!

I completely recommend the DIY route. There is a company in the states, who specialize in hair replacement. They are fantastic, great customer service. They have an online community of people all in the same boat. It's a great place to visit if you have any questions. Part of the reason I went with the other company was because I saw how great it can be. I was cautious of going with the online company hence my decision go to a physical place which I stupidly assumed to be good.

Ordering a system from the online company also gives you a greater freedom and allows you to tweak the system to your needs. They send a custom fitting kit in the post, everything you need to place an order is in the box, it even comes with instruction DVD. They are also lots of helpful youtube clips on their website showing how to remove, clean, attach the system etc.

Another advantage with the DIY route is the prices, it's considerably cheaper!

Sorry for the extremely long post/rant

sobriety

Unreg, would I be right in assuming that you are a fellow toplace user? Small world eh

And feel free to rant. We hairloss sufferers are in a vulnerable position and those that take advantage deserve to be named and shamed! So feel free to name the company...

Yes, I would NOT recommend going to any of these hair replacement salons - they just all seem to be crooks. I've read so many horror stories - just like Unreg has posted. Go to any of the online forums, especially ones at hairlosshelp.com, and do your research before you hand out 1000s...

Go DIY - it's easier than you might think, and you will have the support of online forums where lots of people are in the same boat.

And it costs me €150 per system. Look at my photos, I think you'll agree it's a bargain, and nobody is being ripped off