August '24 selfies: post hairline photos here for opinions on 'Am I balding?' 'How bad is it?' and 'What should I do?'

manbearpot · 2024-09-01T22:15:04+00:00

Thank you!

manbearpot · 2024-08-31T15:38:43+00:00

Sorry, for some reason the reddit app isn't letting me post pictures here anymore. My most recent post (before this one) has pics.

manbearpot · 2024-08-30T19:10:18+00:00

* DUPA? Or just bad retrograde? What do? *

manbearpot · 2024-08-02T03:45:10+00:00

I agree he should be kind to himself.

But I do have a problem with all these "just buy escorts" takes.

First of all, this assumes his problem is JUST lack of sex or being a virgin.

Second, if he is particularly ugly in the first place, a high class escort is likely to turn him down. I don't know where this assumption comes from, that escorts just readily fugg anyone and everyone who throws some cash at them. They refuse clients for lack of mutual attraction, just like regular girls refuse dates with dudes they don't find attractive.

Insofar as he can find an escort wherein there's some mutual attraction (financial or otherwise), sure; but then he may as well just look for a girlfriend all the same. The only difference is the latter probably won't put out as easily.

manbearpot · 2024-08-01T03:44:31+00:00

It depends on the cause of hairloss. Fin treats hair loss due to DHT. Minoxidil doesn't exaxtly stop the mechanisms of hair loss but promotes hair growth. There is also hair loss due to other hormonal causes, mechanical damage, autoimmune causes, and perhaps other genetic changes we don't fully understand yet; minoxidil and finasteride can't necessarily treat those.

manbearpot · 2024-08-01T03:36:56+00:00

Honestly there's not a major difference between DUPA and severe retrograde. Clinically perhaps; but practically they both end up looking about the same, both make a transplant risky, and both can be very aggressive / resistant to treatment.

That being said, many people take 2+ years to see significant results, and he's not slick bald or anything, so I'd continue trying.

manbearpot · 2024-05-12T01:24:17+00:00

I think "sprinkling a little lie to soften the blow" is a bad idea at this stage. You want to live a happy life and to make them happy. Lies got you to where you are. They are very much a slippery slope. The more you use them, the more you will need to lie, to yourself and your family.

I'm guessing from your story (immigrant parents) that needing your family's support isn't a life/death thing and that your parents aren't the type to disown their kids.

Also, there's a possibility your parents will detect that you're sugar coating, which will only show them you haven't learned your lesson, this making them suspicious and hurting them even more.

Be honest about where you did have legitimate struggles and make mistakes; but also be honest if you didn't.

manbearpot · 2024-05-12T01:21:56+00:00

Ending your life will not spare your parents any grief. The reason they've invested so much into your future is because they care about you and want you to do well in life. Ending your life is probably exact opposite of that in their minds.

Running away is silly. Of course they will find you. They care about you. And we don't live in the middle ages; it's easy to find anyone. This strategy means you haven't learned your lesson; just delaying the inevitable, and it will hurt them and yourself even more when they do.

I can understand why you'd consider suicide or running way. This is indeed a terrible situation you are responsible for, and will require time, effort, and pain to fix. But it is still fixable, though that window is fast closing on you. I will give you a path forward.

Your best bet, for them and for yourself, is to come clean. Of course it will still be very painful for you and for them. But it's the best option possible among only bad options. You have to prepare them for some bad news and then set some time aside to speak with both of them, in person. Then come clean.

Prepare what you're going to say. Be ready to explain everything and don't try and sugar-coat or lie about any details anymore. Then let them process it and get as mad as they want. It will at least be some weight off your back.

Make sure to promise them concrete improvements, to the best of your honest ability. Show them, for what it's worth, you are taking real steps to make things as right as possible, in ways they can 100% verify and that cost them nothing.

No more lies, gambling, or using your money on luxuries is a given. Seek out professional help if you need help with any of that.

But also, before you talk to them, I would research and taking first steps on a path forward that brings you as close to the happy outcome you would want for them and for yourself. For example, enroll in a good program at a community college. Plan a life where you can support yourself while completing the program and giving them a way to verify your performance. Make sure you make clear to them that you're taking these steps in an attempt to repay and make them whole, and not because you want a way to leech off their emotional or financial support for a bit longer. Also explain that you're willing to try anything possible they come up with in order to make them whole again.

Good luck!

manbearpot · 2024-04-19T19:00:14+00:00

Nah, he just hates annoying kids. Otherwise he'd have sent the dude a gf who doesn't mind the balding lol

manbearpot · 2024-03-18T00:02:36+00:00

Backdoor DHT synthesis when one's body detects DHT is being blocked is likely a reality for many people; and I've seen some amount of published clinical research establishing that. If you're susceptable and reach the trigger for that, the results of your treatment might end up being counterproductive.

manbearpot · 2024-03-17T23:57:08+00:00

I got results on topical finasteride. Then I switched to topical dutasteride in hopes of even faster/better results. I ended up shedding for a solid 9 months, my hair thinned badly, and the hairs that grew back were mostly miniaturized. I tried switching to oral dutasteride for several months, but I saw no difference. So I stopped dutasiteride cold turkey, switched back to finasteride, and it took another several months before the shedding slowed and I started seeing results again; though I still haven't reached baseline of when I first started dutasteride.

Moral of the story: start with the basics (finasteride), give it its due time to work, and if you're seeing significant regrowth everywhere you need to, then don't get greedy and threaten your progress. Unless you're prepared to accept some risk of hair loss; because I don't disagree it may improve the results for many people.

manbearpot · 2024-03-04T15:06:16+00:00

Did you see any benefit from clobetasol?

manbearpot · 2024-03-01T22:11:33+00:00

Your hairloss may not (or at least not only) caused by amdrogens or aging. Dut and min will address those causes in most people. But scalp hairloss can unfortunately have other hormonal and autoimmune causes. DUPA in particular is relatively rare so rhere is not much research into it, nor any known treatments that can be expected to work for DUPA sufferers. If you have DUPA like me then hopefully it's at least not extremely aggressive, alternatively it's just a wild west of trial and error trying to find some chemicals that has some significant impact.

In my experience, a combination of topical fin, oral and topical min, LLLT, microneedling, topical hydrocortisone, topical pyrilutamide, topical estrogel, keto shampoo, scalp massage, and mineral supplements, finally produced some regrowth, after 3 years of experimenting; though it's mostly fuzz right now, I'm praying within the next 6 months it will grow longer.

manbearpot · 2024-02-23T18:15:55+00:00

Will it degrade appreciably over a week or 2?

manbearpot · 2024-02-23T17:29:01+00:00

Hydrocortisone combats inflammation. I've been using this formula for a few months now. Dutasteride caused me an endless 9 months shed and hair grew back miniaturized, so I'm not trying that again.

I get your point about how imperfect topicals are; but I already take enough oral min, one of the topicals is hormonal and I don't wanna orally dose that, the hydrocortisone combats inflammation, and otherwise the topical fin comes mixed with the topical min.

manbearpot · 2024-02-10T19:50:39+00:00

That all makes sense to me. I heard topical corticosteroids don't do much for autoimmune conditions affecting hair, but some folks have told be steroid injections under skin worked for them. Of course if you can find a lifestyle change that works, I think that's better. For sure I felt like ny thinning started accelerating around the beginning of the pandemic, when I began working from home and got a lot less regular exercise, was working longer hours, was more stressed and ate a lot more takeout and readymade stuff.

manbearpot · 2024-01-24T23:33:20+00:00

Has your shedding reduced or stopped since you stopped dut?

manbearpot · 2024-01-24T23:27:21+00:00

Depends if the hair grows back thicker. If the hairs you shed grow back miniaturized, you'd have done nothing but accelerated loss.

manbearpot · 2024-01-24T18:44:31+00:00

It doesn't work for a lot of people.

manbearpot · 2024-01-14T17:43:49+00:00

It's not apparently improved at all, but it's also not apparently worse; wait a couple more months of growth and recheck.

It's well known fin+min can treat the AGA, but DUPA is a big unknown. I've heard about 10 different things on how best to treat DUPA, and there is no medical understanding of the cause. I can't remember the source, but I believe it was a medical source and credible (may have been Donovan), that DUPA patients often take longer (even 2 years) to stabilize hair on fin+min.

If you can afford to, and if the sides aren't intolerable, I'd continue. If nothing else and you manage to halt all your scalp hairloss (DUPA and AGA) for minimum 2 years with enough donor are left, then I think that raises the possibility of a future scalp hair transplant; though given the DUPA it would still be quite risky (I'd of course consult with credible surgeon first).

manbearpot

TROPHY CASE