| Author | Message | ||
     Anonymous |
Hi Tom, You seem to be a man in the know about MPB... I am 20 and have been losing my hair for about 1-2 years, receding at the hairline. Presently I am taking Saw Palameto and using Nizorelle 2 times a week. You can see my hairloss here: http://www.hairlosshelp.com/websites/ukone/ The thing is I am kinda hanging around for this FNS stuff by Osmotics which I'm hoping will solve my problem. - by the way, if this stuff does work then it may prove your theory correct about blood supply to follicles and exercise. What are your thoughts on the present progress and do you have any suggestions for me to stop my hair loss / grow more hair... Thanks alot Will | ||
| Freddie |
Will, If i may jump in...Get on finasteride (propecia or proscar) as soon as possible. Its the only thing proven to slow down hair loss in the majority of men. It does regrow a little hair but its main benefit is allowing you to hang on to the hair you have for a long time - or at least until a cure arrives. The sooner you do this, the better as it is easier to keep hair than regrow it on a bald scalp. You can get generic finasteride from overseas at www.medicinedrugstore.com or www.drugsrus.org without the hassel of a prescription. Get either Fincar or Finast (this is equivalent to proscar). Cut each 5mg tablet into 5 pieces and take one part a day for 1mg equivalent of Propecia - its really cheap. Forget about Cyclosporin and broad spectrum anti-androgens like Spironolactone. Just be sure you have mpb. Once you are on finasteride, then you may consider other treatments to add on once you've researched them. The only other thing besides finasteride I can recommend is minoxidil 5%. I'm sure Tom will tell you the same as well. I wish someone was there to tell me all this when I started losing my hair  Fortunately, its not too late for me. As for alternate treatments, Tom's scalp exercises are worth a try I guess. If nothing else, its a good way to pass time when you're on the bus. Just be sure Tom's spies are not there to collect 10 dollars off you everytime you do it  | ||
| Anonymous |
Thanks for your response Freddy, but I am a little reluctunt to get onto Finasteride at my age.. I have been advised by people at www.hairlosshelp.com not to take things that mess with hormones at my age. Maybe they were wrong, but the side effects worry me... I could of course wait for dutasteride since it will be more effective. Cheers Will | ||
| Freddie |
Will, the side effects are minimal and that saw palmetto you are taking is already messing with your harmones in more ways than you know. You are 20 yrs old which is past the 18 mark so developmentally you have little to fear. Usually hair loss begins to accelerate from your age onwards unless you take proper action. If you don't take things that "mess with your harmones", your harmones are soon going to be messing with you (your hair). If not at your age, then at WHAT age are you suppose to treat your hair loss effectively? Reducing DHT is the ONLY way to drastically reduce the progression of mpb. Obviously after you are bald, its not going to do much good taking finasteride. Please do not listen to the ignoramus on hairlosshelp. This is an FDA approved drug and if you ever wanted to get off it, your DHT levels will return to normal within a week. But if you don't get on it to stop your hair loss, your hair line will never return to normal. If you want to save your hair, the only thing out there is finasteride (and perhaps minoxidil). Please believe me for I have done more research and investigation of hair loss than you can imagine. | ||
| Anonymous |
Thanks Freddie, I am beginning to seriously think about Proscar - the second link you gave me had finasteride very cheap - an indian brand - will it be as effective? Also, how do I split the pills? Where do I get the tools? I already have minor sexual side effects with Saw Palameto - will Proscar be worse? What experiences with Proscar have you had and were they positive? Thanks Will | ||
| Freddie |
Will, Taking action now will save you a lot of grief later on. The main strength of finasteride is in helping you keep the hair you have. Although studies also show it regrows *some* hair for the first 2 years, the amount you can expect to regrow is minimal. This is why it is important to get on it sooner (before you have bald spots showing up) rather than later. Yes, Fincar by Cipla and Finast by Dr. Reddy's Laboratories are both Indian brands. They are generic (copies) of western brands namely Proscar. Like proscar, they come in 5mg dosages. Since propecia is 1mg of finasteride, you have to split the pill into 5 pieces and take 1 piece a day to get the equivalent dosage. Most people split them into quarters (4 pieces) for convenience. Basically you go to any drug store and ask for a "pill splitter". This is a cheap little thing with a razor blade where you position the tablet in a groove and "chop" it in half/quarters..etc. In your money it will cost about 2 pounds for that. You don't really need it but its more convenient to split pills that way. The one worry people have about medicines from elsewhere is if its the real stuff or a sugar pill. Cipla and Dr. Reddy's are pretty big drug companies in India, sort of like Glaxo in the UK. But if you still want to be safe, try to get a prescription for Proscar from your local doctor. Sometimes these doctors out of sheer ignorance don't know proscar is finasteride and won't prescribe it. In that case your only recourse is the more expensive propecia or overseas Indian finasteride. I don't know what proscar will cost in the UK but remember you are splitting the pill into 5 pieces and there's savings in that. It almost certainly works out cheaper than propecia in most cases. Side effects are slightly reduced libido (not as bad as saw palmetto though), slightly reduced sex drive and sometimes watery semen. Note, not all people have these symptoms, only a small minority and those are generally the ones you hear from. That aside, its really a small price to pay for keeping your hair until an affordable cure arrives (which I believe is 8 to 10 years off?). As I said I wish I had someone there to tell me this when I first started losing my hair. When I first started losing my hair I was terribly depressed. I wondered what's the point of hair loss treatment if I'm going to lose it anyway. After intense research, I learnt there are treatments available that can help me keep most of my hair until a cure arrives. Its not a futile fight after all. I will not lie to you and say I have grown a ton of hair on finasteride. I've only been on it for 1.5 months but I have already noticed less hair in the shower strainer. I will know in 6 months if I am one of the 83% of men who retain hair while on finasteride and hopefully if I'm one of the 30% or so who get good regrowth. Freddie | ||
| Anonymous |
Hi Freddie Thanks yet again for your informative and motivational reply. Upon your recommendation I have ordered 28 x 5mg of Proscar and also 100 x L-Lysine (heard it helps a bit) and will start taking them when they arrive. Have you taken a look at my hairline photos? http://www.hairlosshelp.com/websites/ukone/ - What do you think my chances are, I feel that hopefully I will stop it early enough. What stage of hairloss or equilibrium are you at? My plan is to keep using Nizorelle shampoo, Proscar, L-Lysine and drop Saw Palmetto. Then add FNS in April. Then drop Proscar for Dutasteride which i read today has been announced for release by Glaxo in the 2nd half of the year. So hopefully we will win this fight! thanks Will | ||
| Anonymous |
oh - by the way I haven't been checked by a doctor but I am pretty sure I have MPB, can you just confirm by looking at the photos... thanks Will | ||
| Tom Hagerty (Admin) |
Freddie: You write clean, clear, honest prose. It's refreshing to read paragraphs that are not cluttered up with jargon and self-promotion. Thanks for responding to Will with good answers to his questions. | ||
| paul drummond |
Just curious, what is Dutasteride and where can i find info. on it? Thanks | ||
| Tom Hagerty (Admin) |
Paul Drummond: Dutasteride is a pill - it's taken orally. The drug developed by Glaxo was recently approved by the FDA for benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). Perhaps Glaxo will soon start phase III trials so as to get FDA approval of the drug for male pattern baldness. Dutasteride will work similar to Propecia but with one big difference. Propecia inhibits the enzyme type II 5-alpha reductase that converts testosterone circulating in the bloodstream into DHT. Dermatologists believe that DHT is responsible for the onset of pattern baldness. Dutasteride supposedly will inhibit both type I and type II 5-alpha reductase thus increasing the protection of the hair follicles to the effects of DHT. For solid information on Dutasteride go to Keratin.com and click on the Discussion Forum. From there go to the Key Word Search and type in Dutasteride. You'll find what you want to know. If you don't, you can post a question and give Kevin McElwee more work. | ||
| Anonymous |
I would like to know why is it that DHT does not attack transplanted hair. They say the hair stays for good. If thats the case is DHT thre real reason for hairloss? One more ques, why do the hair on the sides not thin and fall out? thanks. | ||
| Tom Hagerty (Admin) |
Anomymous: I would need thirty pages to give you an adequate answer to your two questions. Since I'm in no mood to write thirty pages and you're probably in no mood to read them, I'll give you a short response. Testosterone circulating in the blood is converted into DHT by the enzyme 5-alpha reductase in the scalp tissue. These potent DHT molecules then bind physically to receptor sites on areas of the hair follicle and cause the follicle to miniaturize (shrink). Certain hair follicles in adults usually have more receptor sites (and more sensitive receptor sites) than others. These follicles are in areas that become characteristically bald in males. The hair follicles on the sides and back of the head usually do not have these supersensitive receptor sites and therefore DHT cannot bind to these follicles and cause miniaturization or possible destruction. When hair is transplanted from the sides and back of the scalp (the donor sites) to the thinning areas of the scalp (the recipient sites), these donor follicles maintain their own characteristics and independence. In other words, when these donor follicles are transplanted into the crown or frontal hairline area, they are not susceptible to the onslaught of DHT. This concept is called "donor dominance." Hair transplant surgery is much more successful these days than it was ten or fifteen years ago. By successful I mean the frontal hairline looks more natural because of inovations in the surgical procedure. But still if you are thinking of hair transplant surgery, I'd like you to read an article by William Lenihan - Articles. Scroll down toward the bottom of the list to "So You're Going Bald." This article and three others by Lenihan are excellent in every way - content, style, honesty. | ||
| Anonymous |
Tom Very informative site and I appreciate your insight. I just have to ask...are you sure you have not had any cosmetic work done - at all? not that I or anyone else cares just curious. Defintely don't mean to be aounding negative or rude. Honestly. | ||
| Tom Hagerty |
Anonymous: I've been asked this question many times. The answer is no I have not had any cosmetic surgery. I've had several small areas of sun-damaged skin frozen to remove the actinic keratoses. When I was in my teens and twenties I spent too much time on the beaches of Santa Monica and Venice and on the tennis courts. Sun exposure eventually takes its toll. | ||
| Anonymous |
Freddie... can you update us on your progress with your finasteride regimine and how it has worked for you? thanks! | ||
| Peter |
Check out Pharma-corp.com -they sell 84 tablets of real merck proscar for 120 Euros = about 13 dollars a month. I've used them twice and no problems. | ||
| JAY |
I JUST NOW STARTED READING ABOUT HAIR LOSS AS I AM RAPIDLY LOSING MY HAIR. THE TOP HAS GOTTEN SO THIN THAT MY SCALP IS SHOWING THRU.. I AM 23 AND NOTICED LAST YEAR I WAS GETTING THIN ON THE TOP AND SIDES. I STARTED USING NISIM SHAMPOO AND IT SEEMED T HELP FOR A COUPLE MONTHS, BUT I AGAIN AM STARTING TO LOSE A LOT OF HAIR, SO MUCH THAT I AM EXTREMLY WORRIED.. SINCE NO ONE IN MY FAMILY ON BOTH SIDES IS BALD.. I NEVER THOUGHT IT COULD HAPPEN TO ME.. ANYWAY.. I AM GLAD FOR THIS WEB SITE.. | ||
| Dan |
Hey guys! This is a great site as discussion is the only way to come to any real conclusions regarding MPD. My question is regarding the herbal drug known as Procerin. It is composed of a main ingredient known as Saw Palmetto. From what I understand this drug has never been clinically proven to prevent hairloss. However, anywhere I check on the net for hairloss drugs I find Procerin to be the number one drug rated by consumers. Propecia and several others fall below, but after extensive searching I find Procerin to be number one. There is a site known as askwebdoc, which has several testimonials proclaiming Procerin success in keeping hair and regrowth. This is a unbiased study and not sponsored by Procerin. Can anyone tell me anything about this drug? Thank.... | ||
| Anonymous |
Again, It's a scam. I think you are one of the sales representative who's trying to advertise the product, procerin. this is just your style of selling, asking a good question about the product. | ||
| Dan |
Anonymous, First off. If you are going to use the word again as if their is a reference to Procerin in this forum make sure to do your research! There is no reference to Procerin in this forum, therefore my question is valid. There is not a single reference so again meaning a second time is not valid. Don't be so ignorant. Secondly, I am a average 26 year old male with a receding hairline. I am not endorsing this product. I am trying to find information about it. If I was a salesman I wouldn't be asking questions. I would be making statements. I was merely implying that many sites show it to be the number one product with Propecia far below. I am looking for someone who has experience with this product....Look before you leap.... Dan, | ||
| matt |
Many sites imply this? I don't think so. and if they are do they are completely incorrect. | ||
| Dan |
http://www.consumer-review.net/hair-loss.html http://hairloss-help.com/ http://www.e-consumer.org/hairloss.htm http://www.wellness-review.com/Review_HL.html?engine=adwords&keyword=hair+loss Here is a few sites that rate Procerin against other hair loss drugs. I can provide many more. Propecia is on the list, but not at the top. Dan, Dan, | ||
| matt |
Wow, they all happen to sell procerin, what a coincindence! 'there is no reference to procerin in this forum'... that is right you are the first one to bring it up, therefore it must be valid. Tom, you can quite the scalp exercises, a cure has been found! | ||
| Dan |
I consider www.hairlosstalk.com to be a very solid website for hairloss product advice. They claim that Procerin and most Saw Palmetto based products are a scam. However, they have links to several different products that you can purchase on their site. Read their site....They are very credible. Because they have links to buy products do you also find them to not be credible? Give me a break. All the websites do advertising and sell these days. There are other products on those sites that they probably sell too, but Procerin still receives the number one rating. Some of those sites just provide links. They are not selling anything. | ||
| Dan |
I just double checked your information. They only thing they do is provide a link, which takes you directly to the Procerin site. They are obviously not selling anything. All websites provide links on information they are discussing. | ||
| Dan |
I consider www.hairlosstalk.com to be a very solid website for hairloss product advice. They claim that Procerin and most Saw Palmetto based products are a scam. However, they have links to several different products that you can purchase on their site. Read their site....They are very credible. Because they have links to buy products do you also find them to not be credible? Give me a break. All the websites do advertising and sell these days. There are other products on those sites that they probably sell too, but Procerin still receives the number one rating. Some of those sites just provide links. They are not selling anything. I have checked those sites and the only thing they do is provide a link, which is very common when a site discusses a product or makes comments on it. The links lead to the Procerin site so re-check your facts... | ||
| Bobby |
Procerin is shit. I haven't came across one credible site that ranks it above the "PROVEN" treatments minoxidil and propecia. If Procerin is such a successful treatment then why don't they put it through the FDA trials? Why are you talking about hairlosstalk.com in this post. I'd challenge you to find one positive comment about procerin on that site. | ||
| Tom Hagerty |
I don't sell any drug or topical or nutritional supplement on this site but Google AdSense puts several small, and I hope unobtrusive, ads on my pages. I don't determine the content of the ads. These ads are links to the advertisers' sites. I see a lot of Procerin ads everywhere. If the effectiveness of a drug could be measured by the amount of advertising the company pays for, Procerin would be number one. | ||
| Anonymous |
Exactly, If they're confident about the product, then get an FDA approval. Fabao, revivogen, procerin, tricomin, NU hair, hair genesis, avacor, etc. conducted their own independent study, claiming the success of their product then show the same retouch and fake pictures to the internet. Consumer beware, used your common sense. They're all scam. | ||
| Dan |
I am talking about www.hairlosstalk.com because I find them to be credible and they do include some proven treatments or other treatments that have scientifically backed ingredients. You are correct in mentioning they do not support Procerin. I only mentioned them because of your rebuttal regarding advertisement. You can actually purchase the products they endorse from their websites. The links I provided earlier that rated Procerin 1 only supplies a link to go to the Procerin website. You are actually not buying the product there. That was the difference I was trying to illustrate, since it was claimed they are selling the product, which they are not on those provide links. | ||
| Dan |
Tricomin has been proven under FDA trials... | ||
| Tom Hagerty |
Dan: What exactly do you mean by this - "Tricomin has been proven under FDA trials..."? Isn't this a little vague? In a page on Hair Loss Talk you will read, "Tricomin products have shown effectiveness at stimulating hair growth in partial FDA clinical trials." ProCyte, the company who markets Tricomin, says that their product has undergone Phase II clinical trials showing positive results on some of the 36 men who applied Tricomin topically two times a day for 24 weeks. I don't think all this constitutes proven effectiveness for helping people with hair loss. Am I missing something? | ||
| Dan |
Well on www.hairlosstalk.com there is a link for proven products and then a link for products that are considered to have scientifically backed ingredients, which have been proven to fight dht. Tricomin falls under the proven products according to the webpage with Rogaine and Propecia. I consider that website to be the most reliable piece of information out there that I have found. They give it to you straight on Saw Palmetto and some of the other products out there that are taking your money. If you can find me a more credible site please do. I take there word on Tricomin and probably will purchase some soon. | ||
| Anonymous |
If all these products are crap and scams then what is the main product that can reduce hair loss and increase hair growth or is they not any in this world (all scams???) you just have to live with the fact that you bold | ||
| PKA |
••••! The beast never sleeps! | ||
| Ferret |
WARNING! see this posting: "By Peter on Thursday, October 02, 2003 - 04:32 am: Edit Check out Pharma-corp.com -they sell 84 tablets of real merck proscar for 120 Euros = about 13 dollars a month. I've used them twice and no problems." Unfortunately nobody told me that pharma corp is a rip off company where you pay and don't get any delivery although the site makes the impression of a reliable company. in the end it's my own fault having spent some money for nothing, but I think it is my duty to report this and to warn other people not to make the same mistake. If you watch other forums you can find postings from different people who have been ripped off by pharma-corp.com. This Peter who made the posting above has to be the holder of pharma-corp.com. He has also posted in other forums under different names. It's all a great scam and it's not the only one as we all know. |
