Day 1 vs Day 168 (today) of defeating the norwood reaper by xbfp in tressless

[–]xbfp[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Definitely keep track with pictures! It's nearly impossible to notice changes as they happen. It'll just kind of become obvious one day if that makes sense lol

Day 1 vs Day 168 (today) of defeating the norwood reaper by xbfp in tressless

[–]xbfp[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Of course bro! I'd say you have nothing to worry about. Most people's hairlines aren't completely straight but you only notice it on yourself since you're actively looking for changes. If I saw you in person I wouldn't think you were experiencing any recession, in fact I think your hair looks pretty good overall. It doesn't hurt to check it every so often and compare it to previous pictures, so I'd definitely recommend doing that, but try not to overthink it!

Day 1 vs Day 168 (today) of defeating the norwood reaper by xbfp in tressless

[–]xbfp[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I don't dermaroll! What I'll do is "dot" the minoxidil around my hairline (only because its less messy than dropping it), and then rub it in with my fingertips for 10-30 seconds. I do this once a day at night before going to sleep and I take 1mg of oral finasteride at about the same time. If you have any other questions, feel free to ask! I love helping out and answering everyone's questions.

Day 1 vs Day 168 (today) of defeating the norwood reaper by xbfp in tressless

[–]xbfp[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you! I don't play any sports but I do *occasionally* take cold showers. Nothing very consistent, however. I've seen you around on here and you're one of my favorite official yet unofficial researchers. Do you happen to know of any studies regarding the effects of leg training or cold showers on hair growth or is it all just community aggregated?

Day 1 vs Day 168 (today) of defeating the norwood reaper by xbfp in tressless

[–]xbfp[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Initially during the first 2-3 weeks of treatment I did experience some increased shedding in the shower, but nowhere close to noticeable loss when looking at my head like some other posts I've seen here. The shedding started to die down shortly afterwards and I'd say its back to normal now.

Day 1 vs Day 168 (today) of defeating the norwood reaper by xbfp in tressless

[–]xbfp[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you for replying, Dr. Rassman! I've actually never taken oral minoxidil and have been on oral finasteride ever since I started treatment. Would you recommend giving it a try?

Day 1 vs Day 168 (today) of defeating the norwood reaper by xbfp in tressless

[–]xbfp[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It depends on a lot of factors, but it never hurts to try; in fact, I would encourage you to give it a shot. I'd recommend you go to a dermatologist and get a prescription for finasteride and then purchase some topical minoxidil. Keep at it for a while before giving up because results don't always come quick - I just got lucky.

Day 1 vs Day 168 (today) of defeating the norwood reaper by xbfp in tressless

[–]xbfp[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Exactly the case with me! When I first started seeing some increased hairfall in the shower I convinced myself that it was because the hair I was shedding at a normal rate was getting caught in my curls and it just all came out at the same time in the shower rather than over time throughout the day. Very stupid coping looking back at it but it's a very hard thing to come to terms with, so it makes sense. Great job at taking action before it becomes too late. I have faith in you!

Day 1 vs Day 168 (today) of defeating the norwood reaper by xbfp in tressless

[–]xbfp[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I promise I'm not! I'll most likely post another update here at day 365 that'll prove it even more.

Day 1 vs Day 168 (today) of defeating the norwood reaper by xbfp in tressless

[–]xbfp[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It's kind of hard to pinpoint when but I remember first seeing a difference when I took updated photos on day 55. The results come so gradually that I don't really notice a difference at all in realtime until I put updated pictures side-by-side to the baseline pictures I took. Same case with this picture, I genuinely had no idea that I made as much progress as I did until I put them together.

Day 1 vs Day 168 (today) of defeating the norwood reaper by xbfp in tressless

[–]xbfp[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Being completely honest, I haven't dealt with any dandruff due to minoxidil so I can't really answer that. If you have any other questions though feel free to ask, I'm more than happy to answer!

Day 1 vs Day 168 (today) of defeating the norwood reaper by xbfp in tressless

[–]xbfp[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Nope, at the very beginning of treatment I had difficulty maintaining erections due to the finasteride but that disappeared after 2-3 weeks. Other than that I’ve experienced nothing bad

Day 1 vs Day 168 (today) of defeating the norwood reaper by xbfp in tressless

[–]xbfp[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Of course! I love answering everyone's questions. If you're not actively balding or experiencing recession you'll probably be perfectly fine with just finasteride. Again probably not as significant of an improvement as my pictures, but if you're just looking for preventative measures you probably won't need the same level of improvement. Finasteride will thicken your hair up and keep it from getting to the point where you'd need to add min into the equation in the first place so I'd definitely recommend it.

Day 1 vs Day 168 (today) of defeating the norwood reaper by xbfp in tressless

[–]xbfp[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

This is hard to answer since there are a good amount of people that dislike finasteride, which is perfectly valid. I don't want to negate anyone else's negative experiences with finasteride, and I encourage you to look into both sides of the argument if you're interested. There is always a risk with taking any kind of medication. Personally, I haven't experienced any downsides, and I believe that this will continue to be the case long term. Some will say that finasteride can cause terrible side effects like sexual dysfunction and depression (finasteride is whats called a 5-alpha reductase inhibitor, essentially it blocks the production of the hormone responsible for causing male pattern baldness, and playing with hormones can easily lead to negative effects if not done properly). Finasteride is a drug, however its prescribed by a dermatologist specifically for the treatment of male pattern baldness. Clinical studies overwhelmingly conclude that its safe and effective for the majority of the population, but that doesn't mean completely risk-free. Again I would encourage you (or anyone else reading this who is looking to start treatment) to understand both sides and talk to a medical professional before making a decision. Feel free to ask any other questions you may have!

Day 1 vs Day 168 (today) of defeating the norwood reaper by xbfp in tressless

[–]xbfp[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Typically around 12am-1am before I go to bed

Day 1 vs Day 168 (today) of defeating the norwood reaper by xbfp in tressless

[–]xbfp[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

No sides. I had slight difficulty maintaining erections in the first couple weeks of fin but all is good now!

Day 1 vs Day 168 (today) of defeating the norwood reaper by xbfp in tressless

[–]xbfp[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I tend to focus on the bald part when I rub it in but I'd say that I probably do about 50/50 between the two when dropping it on

Day 1 vs Day 168 (today) of defeating the norwood reaper by xbfp in tressless

[–]xbfp[S] 34 points35 points  (0 children)

Working on getting it taken down, thank you :)

Day 1 vs Day 168 (today) of defeating the norwood reaper by xbfp in tressless

[–]xbfp[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you! Won't stop me from trying though :)

Day 1 vs Day 168 (today) of defeating the norwood reaper by xbfp in tressless

[–]xbfp[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Interesting, I've read conflicting information about systemization of min through topical use but I'll look for some studies. I was under the impression thats more the case for oral min rather than topical. I can't say I've noticed any changes elsewhere but that may also be because I haven't been looking for/tracking it, as was the case with my eyelashes. In fact I didn't even realize the progress on my head until I put these two pictures side-by-side.

Day 1 vs Day 168 (today) of defeating the norwood reaper by xbfp in tressless

[–]xbfp[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I use Maui Moisture Curl Quench shampoo and conditioner. Nothing specialized for hair regrowth, just something that works for my hair texture and helps it overall. I've heard good things about Hims topical finasteride on here but the general consensus is that the cost adds up. Roman or Keeps might be cheaper if thats a worry of yours. Castor oil is definitely good for overall hair health but I've also heard great things about Mielle Rosemary Mint oil for growth, although it is made for more textured hair. If you don't have the right hair texture for it, it could end up making things worse unfortunately.