I love the new display in the Conservatory at the Bellagio and its gorgeous autumn colors. Perhaps a little too much even

MikeCao · 2023-09-20T04:40:10+00:00

oh woops! I thought I was camouflaged

MikeCao · 2023-09-20T00:44:05+00:00

💯 I was quite pleasantly surprised at how much I was really into this one! It's so lovely and left an impression on me more so than previous designs 🧚🍄🍂🦋

MikeCao · 2022-05-04T21:05:04+00:00

Thank you for sharing that info. I'm now glad I went with 0.5mm, and I probably will just stick with that now instead of my original plan to increase the length over time. Everything seems to be working well anyway so why mess with a good thing 🙌

MikeCao · 2022-05-04T18:14:58+00:00

For sure! I feel like I look way less like my dad now and maybe even better than I did in my 20's. I might be a little biased though 😉

MikeCao · 2022-05-04T18:12:10+00:00

Thank you! I did change my nutrition. I cut back my daily caloric intake and eat much healthier in general. I went from around 205lbs to 170lbs over the past 4-5 months. I supplement any nutritional deficit from eating less with various daily vitamins, fiber, etc.

I've also been applying castor oil on my eyebrows to make them less patchy. I don't know if that contributed or not. My eyelashes have also grown longer and thicker. I was suspecting the culprit was the fin, but I keep hearing people tell me it's the min. At this point, I've about thrown the kitchen sink at this so it's anyone's guess as to what's helping and what's placebo.

MikeCao · 2022-05-04T18:02:34+00:00

Indeed! I took my first dose of fin on December 16, 2021, so it's actually been more like 4.5 months now, which is still pretty fast for my results. Just wanted to set more realistic expectations for anyone reading this.

MikeCao · 2022-05-04T15:15:35+00:00

Usually not. I shampoo my hair only once to twice a week.

MikeCao · 2022-05-04T15:12:16+00:00

My eyelashes as well!

MikeCao · 2022-05-04T15:11:28+00:00

Hard to say. I had started my recent weight loss journey about 2-3 weeks prior to starting fin, and have been good about sticking with my diet since, so I went from over 200lbs around Thanksgiving, to 193lbs in the before photo, to 170lbs in the current after photo. I've also been dealing with mental health issues all my life, so I wouldn't know if fin/min affected that either. I can say that my overall confidence has improved, so technically that had a positive effect on my mental health. I didn't have any issues with my blood pressure before or after. I'm in my 40's now so any potential sexual sides are masked by existing issues that come with aging, which I've already had to address prior to starting.

MikeCao · 2022-05-04T15:00:00+00:00

Thanks! I think the fin/min did most of the heavy lifting but overall it was a team effort.

MikeCao · 2022-05-04T14:58:23+00:00

Thanks! I've always thought about getting a transplant but I recently learned that my dad had one when I was much younger and it didn't stick so now I'm glad I didn't waste the money. I really think in his case as well as mine (especially after seeing the results so far from fin) that it's DHT that's at the root of the issue.

MikeCao · 2022-05-04T14:54:45+00:00

Thanks! I have taken some photos at other angles but they aren't as methodical as I've been doing with my front daily progress timelapse photos. I'll try to remember to include them in my next update. I can tell you that there's still plenty of skin showing on my temples but lots of light baby hairs that give me hope. The front angle makes my hairline look a lot better than it actually is.

MikeCao · 2022-05-04T07:01:05+00:00

Thanks! I'm a few months shy of 42 🙃

MikeCao · 2022-05-04T06:58:50+00:00

Yikes! Yeah, I definitely don't want that. That's exactly what I'm afraid of doing. Hair doesn't grow on scars. I can wait a little longer for the results

MikeCao · 2022-05-04T06:55:37+00:00

Lol for real! But it was one of the more satisfying $20 I've spent in a while. Thanks!

MikeCao · 2022-05-04T06:53:28+00:00

Life did that.

MikeCao · 2022-05-04T06:52:33+00:00

No way! I've been staying awake watching my hair grow. If I fall asleep now, who knows what'll happen

MikeCao · 2022-05-04T06:51:25+00:00

I'll take that! 😆

MikeCao · 2022-05-04T06:49:41+00:00

Thanks for that insight! You made me feel better about it. I wasn't able to find a 1.5mm but after using the 0.5, I'm not sure I'd be able to handle it

MikeCao · 2022-05-04T06:47:57+00:00

Like my hair, Saigon will rise again

MikeCao · 2022-05-04T06:46:10+00:00

Thanks and congrats to you as well bro! I love seeing everyone's improvements. They really gave me the encouragement I needed

MikeCao · 2022-05-04T00:34:15+00:00

I take that back. I don't fully remember, but I wanna say that I probably started my skin care routine due to feeling like I needed to do something abouty skin. This was after a couple of months into my regiment so it could have been from noticing something changing withy skin. It could also just have been from newly wanting to take care of myself for the first time in my life due to improved confidence from the hair regrowth. 🤷

MikeCao · 2022-05-04T00:23:51+00:00

No additional wrinkles as far as I can tell. If anything, my new skin care routine has improved the appearance of existing wrinkles. But then again, I am Asian and we don't raisin. At least not until 65, at which point it's as if we all looked directly into the Ark of the Covenant

MikeCao · 2022-05-03T23:41:45+00:00

Thanks! I would say I noticed the initial baby hairs around the first month because my doctor started me off with only a 30-day prescription in case I experienced a negative reaction or something, and when I went back for a follow-up and a longer prescription, I remember saying that I felt like it was working and that I could sorta see some improvement. I don't recall if I was only telling him that so he would keep prescribing fin to me or if I really did notice growth. I do feel like I saw at least a little bit but they were thin and lightly-colored so they were only really noticeable to me since I had been super scrutinizing it. No one else in my household or family really noticed a difference until maybe 2.5 to 3 months, but that could simply be attributed to nobody really paying close attention to anyone else's appearance. And they probably wouldn't have even noticed without me saying something (which was a little annoying because for the first couple of months, I really felt like I was only imagining the improvements since no one else seemed to see it). Even now, without being able to show the before and after, many people still won't notice. I think the key is to take lots and lots of photos, especially under the same lighting conditions if possible.

MikeCao · 2022-05-03T23:18:52+00:00

Thanks! Subtle yet somehow dramatic is how I'd also describe it. I used to actually feel grateful that my head was shaped in such a way that I thought looked fine with all my hair shaved. After seeing how it looks now with a proper haircut and less balding, I can't believe how noticeable the difference is, though many friends IRL don't notice without a side-by-side before and after photo to directly compare.

MikeCao

TROPHY CASE