I just turned 30, and I’ve noticed that my hair is thinning out. Not anywhere near bald yet, but when i wake up in the morning, or get my hair wet, you can see my scalp, and that’s never happened before!
So, anyway, I started taking Propecia last September, but as of yet, I haven’t noticed any thickening of my hair. I’ve been told it can take up to a year for any results, assuming it works, but now I’m starting to worry. Is it cool to start using Rogaine as well?
I tried extra strength Rogaine…sort of on a whim just to see what would happen, but did not let my wife knowing I was doing so. After about a month, she noted that the hair in that area seemed to be a different color and was coming in fuller…so for me it seems to work. I now use the store brand regular strength.
Yes you can combine Rogaine with propecia (which, of course you need a script for unless you order it overseas). There is also some talk (I’m not aware of extensive studies though) that Saw Palmetto may also have some similar effects. BTW, propecia is basically the same drug as proscar…but smaller dosage. I guess some people are able to get proscar scripts, and then use pill cutters.
A good resource is the alt.baldspot newsgroup…complete with FAQ
Of course, be aware that hair regrowth occurs primarily in the crown area of the head…so the typical “receding hairline” is not usually not affected.
The only sucess story I know of is pretty limited. A friend of mine had the luxury of really thick, wavy hair. At age 35 or so he noticed that it was getting thinner, clogging the shower drain, etc. It wasn’t visible to anyone else. Nevertheless, he started using Rogaine (this was before Propecia became available), which successfully stopped the thinning. AFAIK it did not result in any regrowth.
FWIW I don’t think he’s had any problem with side effects.
I, of course, would instead suggest working out and cutting your hair short. Receding hairlines and bald spots are really no problem, provided they’re kept very well trimmed and the rest of the package is attractive.
[hijack]Why is it that those informercials for hair surgeons always showcase the biggest losers? I mean, you’re obnoxious, out-of-shape, and your mother dresses you funny - and you think it’s the hairline that’s a problem??[/hijack]
The ads always mention certain sexual sideeffects…without saying which ones specificially. I hope its not like the stuff grows hair so you get the woman but then you can’t perform cause you have a limpy?
This is sorta off-topic, but my ex-boyfriend was thinning significantly by 24. So he started using Rogaine, and one morning some of it had run down his forehead after he sprayed it on. He came running out of the bathroom in a panic yelling “Oh my god! I’m gonna have hair on my forehead! Wipe it off! Wipe it off!” Like it was the hair tonic in Bugs Bunny’s “Marriage of Figaro” cartoon, he’d just sprout hair…whoo. Glad that’s in the past.
For what it’s worth, though, it did seem to retain the hair he had, as he was losing it at a pretty fast clip (this was the norm for his family). Once he stopped using it, it fell out rather rapidly. I recently saw him and he said he hadn’t been using it since (about two years), and it was apparent. So it can work for some people, but once you start you’ve got to keep using it. And it’s expensive - something like $30 for a month’s supply, right?