I'm slowly losing my hair - can I halt that process?

[xyla]

I'm 36 and still have hair on my head but it's getting lighter and lighter with the back of my head showing more and more skin in recent years.

I've heard there are products to stop or at least slow down that process considerably and it might be a "no turning back after the start" kind of situation.

Anyone here in a similar situation and decided to do something about it? How are the results and what are the costs?
Also what kind of doctor is the right one to approach with questions about side effects and that sort?

 

[thekonamicode]

There's some good information here.

https://www.reddit.com/r/tressless/comments/f5wvdn/2020_updated_guide_for_im_losing_my_hair_what_do/

 

[Johnny956]

finasteride is what I started taking as I was in a similar situation. I was 36 when I started taking it, didn't tell the wife to see if she would notice any difference and if the difference was noticeable just to me or others. She noticed it around 6-8 months in. It's definitely changed overall for me. I'm just over a year in and still looks good compared to before. Not life changing difference but filled in my hair compared to before l.

I get my prescription filled at Sams club. 90 day supply is $12


Edit: side effects can be decreased sex drive or so. Mine was unaffected by it

 

[blame space]

shve it off imo

 

[CoolAssGoat]

If you have the budget and want to avoid hair implants, you have the option of getting PRP or Dutasteride injections. I get PRP injections every 3-4 months, each session is like 250-300€ but it does make a difference and it is completely harmless because the plasma that's injected to your hair comes from your own blood. Dutasteride is more aggressive since it acts on a molecular level but if you don't plan to have kids in the upcoming months it's even more effective that PRP. The third option is finasteride pills. It's cheaper, and you can't have kids either, but it's also very effective.

Take in mind that any option that you choose should be complemented with applying Minoxidil on a daily basis.

 

[Huey]

I'm 36 and still have hair on my head but it's getting lighter and lighter with the back of my head showing more and more skin in recent years.

I've heard there are products to stop or at least slow down that process considerably and it might be a "no turning back after the start" kind of situation.

Anyone here in a similar situation and decided to do something about it? How are the results and what are the costs?
Also what kind of doctor is the right one to approach with questions about side effects and that sort?

Click to shrink...

Finasteride is probably what you're looking for. Shown to halt hair loss but doesn't generally promote re growth. It's not a no turning back situation either, whenever you stop it, your hair loss will just pick up where it left off. You can just talk to your family physician/GP about it.

 

[Rosebud]

Also what kind of doctor is the right one to approach with questions about side effects and that sort?

Click to shrink...

Dermatologist.

 

[Solomon Grundy]

Easy meat. Hit the gym. Shave your head. Grow a beard.

 

[Chosen Onez]

I was basically bald by 24. I accepted it but one day thought, nah fuck this shit.

got a hair transplant at Dr.Ciniks in Turkey for €2,000 when I was 29.

im now 31 and my hair looks almost like how it did when I was young. Well worth it

 

[Jencks]

finasteride works

 

[Aske]

Dutasteride pills from your doctor. Stops that nonsense in its tracks. As soon as I started to notice hairline recession for the first time, I got right on that shit. No side effects (YMMV), and peace of mind that I'm doing everything I can to look after my tresses. Been on it a year or so, and my hair is the same as it ever was. I'm almost 40.

My understanding is that dutasteride is more efficacious than finasteride, but can have more side effects if you're unlucky. But talk to your doctor - you have plenty of options besides shaving your head or having a hair transplant.

Never heard of dutasteride injections versus pills, and minoxodil is where I draw the line - I'd rather make peace with lost hair than put gunk on my head. Thankfully it didn't come to that for me.

 

[Deleted member 15666]

If you don't want to use finasteride/minoxidil/etc. for the rest of your life, you could try the following. It's not at all guaranteed to work but making these changes helped me out personally.

1. Use a shower filter (like this one).
2. Wash your hair with cold water instead of hot
3. Use a shampoo/conditioner combo that is free of egregious chemicals. I use this one (you can find it cheaper at whole foods).

 

[xyla]

There's some good information here.

https://www.reddit.com/r/tressless/comments/f5wvdn/2020_updated_guide_for_im_losing_my_hair_what_do/

Click to shrink...

Thanks! Just read through that, cool that he documented his journey so well.

shve it off imo

Click to shrink...

Easy meat. Hit the gym. Shave your head. Grow a beard.

Click to shrink...

Have a good beard, am in okay form but not at the head shaving point yet. Also got big ears, so I'll try to avoid that point for a while longer.

Dermatologist.

Click to shrink...

Will do, appreciated!

 

[J_Viper]

28 here. I've been on Fin for a few months.

I don't notice the hairline getting worse, but it's certainly not regrowing. I'll most likey end up adding Minoxidil to the routine.

If I somehow get rich in a few years, I'll shoot for a transplant

 

[xyla]

If you have the budget and want to avoid hair implants, you have the option of getting PRP or Dutasteride injections. I get PRP injections every 3-4 months, each session is like 250-300€ but it does make a difference and it is completely harmless because the plasma that's injected to your hair comes from your own blood. Dutasteride is more aggressive since it acts on a molecular level but if you don't plan to have kids in the upcoming months it's even more effective that PRP. The third option is finasteride pills. It's cheaper, and you can't have kids either, but it's also very effective.

Take in mind that any option that you choose should be complemented with applying Minoxidil on a daily basis.

Click to shrink...

I don't plan to have kids, that doesn't seem like a small side effect though - so they take your plasma and enrich it with something and put it back in? And the total cost for a year would be around 1200 Euro, so roughly a 100 bucks a month?

 

[cohaxx]

38, was in the same boat earlier this year. Shaved it and grew a beard, best decision I ever made.

 

[Olorin]

hit the gym, shave your lawyer

 

[echoshifting]

A dermatologist should be able to identify the cause of your hair loss and make recommendations. A lot of different things could be going on and that info will inform your approach.

 

[LossAversion]

 

[Garchia3.0]

shve it off imo

Click to shrink...

It also looks sexier that way.

 

[TorianElecdra]

Hit a beard. Grow a head. Shave your gym.

Tbh a muscular dude with hair >>>> a muscular bald dude with an overgrowth beard as a cope.

microdose on fina op.

 

[RoboPlato]

Been looking for advice too. I can't grow a proper beard and my head is tiny so shaving it would look awful. My hair is the one thing I like about myself and I hate that I'm losing it. I look so out of proportion when it's short. Completely cratered the self-confidence I had built from some weight loss this year once I noticed how bad it's gotten.

 

[Night]

I wouldn't willingly go on a prescription medicine for a vain reason. Let your genetics ride!

 

[Tsukihime]

Dutasteride/finasteride, minoxidil, or (nuclear option) MtF HRT.
Anything else is kind of a cope outside of hair transplants.

 

[Inugami]

My wife has been pointing out all the new little hairs I have filling out my crown. My hairline in the front hasn't come back at all (I have a single hair still at my original hairline... I feel so bad for it by itself...) But I'm okay as long as what I have left fills out.

And all it took was for me to replace all the testosterone in my body with estrogen....

 

[Aske]

If you don't want to use finasteride/minoxidil/etc. for the rest of your life, you could try the following. It's not at all guaranteed to work but making these changes helped me out personally.

1. Use a shower filter (like this one).
2. Wash your hair with cold water instead of hot
3. Use a shampoo/conditioner combo that is free of egregious chemicals. I use this one (you can find it cheaper at whole foods).

Click to shrink...

I'm pretty sure those things won't make a difference. Hair loss is caused by biological factors in the body. Your suggestions will protect the hair that is there from environmental damage, but won't stop the follicular changes that are causing alopecia.

Related: a lot of guys get very focused on how much hair ends up in the shower drain, but only take measures to prevent hair falling out in the shower (like less frequent hair washing). That simply means the hair will shed at other times. Shedding is irrelevant to follicular health.

Bottom line: most alopecia in men is caused by an increase in dihydrotestosterone - a shitty form of the otherwise awesome testosterone that is produced more as you age. Dutasteride and finasteride reduce this hormone. If you're losing your hair for other reasons, they won't help. Otherwise, they will.

Killing DHT isn't the same as killing testosterone, either. At most 15% of men experience sexual side effects due to meds that reduce DHT. 85% of us are just living our best lives with all our hair.

5α-Reductase inhibitors are overall well toleratedand show a low incidence of adverse effects.[30]​Sexual dysfunction, including erectile dysfunction, loss of libido, and reduced ejaculate volume, may occur in 3.4 to 15.8% of men treated with finasteride or dutasteride.[30]​[31]​ A small increase in the risk of affective symptomsincluding depression, anxiety, and self-harm may be seen.[32]​[33]​[34]​ Both the sexual dysfunction and affective symptoms may be due partially or fully to prevention of the synthesis of neurosteroids like allopregnanolone rather necessarily than due to inhibition of DHT production.[32]​ A very small risk of gynecomastiahas been associated with 5α-reductase inhibitors (1.2 to 3.5%).[30]​[35]​ Based on reports of 5α-reductase type II deficiency in males and the effectiveness of 5α-reductase inhibitors for hirsutism in women, reduced body and/or facial hair growth is a likely potential side effect of these drugs in men.[13]​[16]​

Click to shrink...

Dihydrotestosterone - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org

 

[jroc74]

I came to grips with this a few years ago.

Shaving it all off was weird the first few weeks. Now its just how ppl know me. I barely remember what I looked like with hair.

 

[J_Viper]

How does this mother fucker do it ?

 

[bangai-o]

Lawyer up.

 

[Grug]

Alternative suggestion: let it go. It's good psychological practice for other aspects of aging where nature starts takes more and more things away from you.

Don't let these superficial things define your sense of self-worth.

 

[blame space]

plus save on haircuts

 

[MrSpiffing]

I know nothing about hair loss but several podcasts I listen to have ads for Keeps. They claim to provide cheaper generic versions of the big name hair loss prevention meds on a monthly subscription. Could be worth a look.

 

[entremet]

Youtube search More Plates More Dates and hair loss options. He does a good job of breaking down the pros and cons.

 

[Jencks]

I know nothing about hair loss but several podcasts I listen to have ads for Keeps. They claim to provide cheaper generic versions of the big name hair loss prevention meds on a monthly subscription. Could be worth a look.

Click to shrink...

I use Keeps. They upcharge for finasteride by itself (by a lot) but with my insurance which barely covers cosmetic stuff like this, it saves me several hundred because my dermatologists requires that patients on fin get reviewed every 6 months. If OP is in a similar situation it might be worth a look.

 

[FTF]

Live damnit, live!

 

[Chosen Onez]

How does this mother fucker do it ?

Click to shrink...

He looks like that muthafucka from The Hangover

 

[Rosebud]

Why every thread about this on Era has people saying to shave it? Some people like/want to have hair, and you should like how you look.

I wouldn't willingly go on a prescription medicine for a vain reason. Let your genetics ride!

Click to shrink...

It's not vain though

 

[J_Viper]

He looks like that muthafucka from The Hangover

Click to shrink...

Ed Helms right?

 

[big_z]

You cant reverse it, only slow the loss. Nothing will regrow hair that is lost due to MPB.

Finasteride will slow the loss of what you have but there are potential sides.
minox will thicken some of what has thinned but is a pain in the ass to use.
nizoral will clean your scalp really well so if you have dandruff it will clean you up for a minox application.
*If you choose to use either product you have to commit. Taking a break or missing a too many days can cause shedding which will put you in a worse place than you started.

I've used finasteride for more than a decade. I want to stop as my hair is kinda crappy now but my scalp gets so oily. :(
And while it did slow my loss and i didn't have side effects early on, at this point i feel like there might be. Whether or not it was worth it is debatable.
Honestly OP and anyone in the same situation you should buzz your hair off no guard. See how it is and how you and others react/adapt. If it goes fine don't even bother with the drugs.

 

[GSG]

I have a few family and friends who have had a hair transplant done with a lot of success.

 

[skeezx]

finasteride + nizoral + biotin supplements worked for me in my early 30s, though it is getting noticeably thinner in the front as my 40s nears

propecia/finasteride is your best bet. people will tell you it makes you impotent and miserable ect but that goes for about every med

 

[rjinaz]

I wouldn't willingly go on a prescription medicine for a vain reason. Let your genetics ride!

Click to shrink...

Confidence and looking your best can go a long way in a social society.

Balding can most definitely be unattractive and that can have an effect on different aspects of your life, let's be honest, society is what's vain.

Then of course a lack of self-confidence can go with it.

If you feel like it's affecting your social life, then yeah I'd say get it treated or look for options. If you really don't care, then yeah, why would you bother treating it anyway?

 

[Bessy67]

Pretty sure I saw someone on Tik Tok use Gorilla Glue to great effect

Spoiler

jk, please don't do this

 

[Classicrock78]

I'm the same use to have thick Latino hair and I went thru chemo and it got thin,so now I just shave my head with a shaver number 1.

 

[Laephis]

I've read some positive things about shampoos with saw palmetto in them (DHT blocker) but can't speak to its effectiveness first hand.

That said, I'm starting to see signs of a receding hairline in my mid-40s now and would prefer to slow that down if possible.

 

[Sinatar]

Of course you can halt the process. All the bald people in the world just *wanted* their hair to fall out.

 

[Night]

Confidence and looking your best can go a long way in a social society.

Balding can most definitely be unattractive and that can have an effect on different aspects of your life, let's be honest, society is what's vain.

Then of course a lack of self-confidence can go with it.

If you feel like it's affecting your social life, then yeah I'd say get it treated or look for options. If you really don't care, then yeah, why would you bother treating it anyway?

Click to shrink...

To each their own.

Checking out Propecia's SE and AE list I'd think twice about whether the hair is important.

Adverse Reactions/Side Effects

Endo: gynecomastia

GU: PROSTATE CANCER (HIGH-GRADE), ↓ libido, ↓ volume of ejaculate, erectile dysfunction, infertility

Misc: ANGIOEDEMA, BREAST CANCER

Click to shrink...

 

[Atom]

Shave your gym and hit your head. Lawyer up. Eat an onion.

In all seriousness there's the drug approach which works sometimes and might have some side effects (decreased sex drive, ED, lower sperm counts etc.). Lots of people like this. I did this for a while but didn't like being in a state where I was reliant on a cosmetic medication as my power source, and the fact that side effects could crop up later in life in bad ways for something cosmetic felt nuts. Too big a weak point and didn't want to risk being in a situation where I wouldn't have access to it.

Then there's the shave buzz approach. Beard and glasses, and other accessories/stylings can make this a really cool look. Depending on how you pull it off you don't even need to be muscular. Can look quite wise/sagacious/villainous/scholarly, and a bonus point is you get a lot of your aging in one fell swoop. Less to worry about later. Plus you get to join the bald men's club. Free pizza and secret handshakes.

Then there's the ultimate give no fucks approach. The Larry David. At the end of the day who cares. A lot of concerns about hair are based on a skewed perception of what others around you care about. There's a psychological aspect here that may or may not be worth discussing with someone if you think it is a big deal in your case.

Finally there are the more invasive surgeries. Elon style. I don't know much about this as the thought of getting straight up surgery for something purely cosmetic never appealed to me.

I'm sorry if the above reads as a bit flippant. Trying to keep things jovial. It's not something to feel bad about. Always remember you are more than your hair. Whichever path you choose on your journey things will probably be okay. Speaking as someone who tore out a lot of their hair from stress and developed and still struggles with some dysphoria around it.

 

[Rosebud]

Of course you can halt the process. All the bald people in the world just *wanted* their hair to fall out.

Click to shrink...

But there are ways, I know someone that did with help from a dermatologist. But it isn't something you should do by yourself because it's medication.

 

[echoshifting]

I've read some positive things about shampoos with saw palmetto in them (DHT blocker) but can't speak to its effectiveness first hand.

That said, I'm starting to see signs of a receding hairline in my mid-40s now and would prefer to slow that down if possible.

Click to shrink...

This is what I use. It's been six months now and I've been pleased with the results.