How to Make my Hair Grow Back? My Hair Loss and Regrowth
Like many men, more than 50% to be accurate, I’ve experienced some pretty severe hair loss from male pattern baldness (MPB), also known as androgenetic alopecia. I started to notice my hair loss in my mid to late twenties, mostly around the area in the back top, known as the crown or vertex. Although I’ve seen men in my family lose their hair as they aged, at this point I was still young and I didn’t feel any immediate concern.
As the months and years passed I realized my hair loss was becoming more noticeable so I started researching the options available at the time to deal with this. I started looking for information on how to stop hair loss and how to make my hair grow back. I have no problem admitting that I’m a little vain and the physical appearance of my hair is definitely something that not only concerns me, but also has the power to change my daily comfort level.
I began the quest for an affordable way to deal with my hair loss. I have a tendency to over-analyse things, but this actually helped me track down a lot of detailed information helping me find out how to make my hair grow back. You can imagine my disappointment when I found out that there was really no known permanent solution for my hair loss!
Even hair transplants (which cost far more than I was able to justify spending) require several surgeries, require you to continue taking Propecia (hair loss drug containing finasteride) to maintain the hair you have left, and don’t always provide the results expected. Don’t get me wrong, I am not knocking hair transplants, and the new procedures use Follicular Unit Transplantation (FUT), and have come a long way – leaps and bounds above the old procedure, which just didn’t look natural. Hair transplants should be a last resort though in my opinion, and considered when hair loss has reached the point of no return. You also need to be prepared to accept the cost.
How to Make My Hair Grow back? The Ups and Downs of Propecia
First, I did what many guys do – I saw my doctor and asked for a Propecia prescription for my hair loss. Propecia is the brand name version of a drug called finasteride and is used for the treatment of male pattern hair loss on the vertex and the mid-scalp area. Finasteride prevents the conversion of testosterone to dihydrotestosterone (DHT) in the body. Since DHT is the main cause of hair loss, I went for this popular option first.
Propecia can have some side effects, and although the chances of experiencing the more serious side effects are low, this is still a reason for concern. Then there’s the cost. I really can’t afford to be spending a lot of money on drugs that cost so much for a non-health threatening condition such as hair loss, but I was determined to keep my hair. Averaging $80.00 per month I watched and hoped and watched some more. I’ve read many times that this drug slows hair loss, but doesn’t always grow back the hair you’ve lost. I not only want to stop hair loss, I wanted to know how to make my hair grow back!
NOTE: I am having a lot of success now combining finasteride with minoxidil, vitamins and Nizoral/Alpecin shampoo – but I want to tell the whole story!
At that time I was fine with this, since I still had most of my hair and used Toppik Hair Building Fibers and Dermmatch to hide my hair loss. These 2 products work exceptionally well to hide hair loss but the trade-off is that for male pattern baldness, you have to keep your hair short for it to look natural. When it came to finding out how to make my hair grow back, I was dead in the water!
After about 4 years of taking the Propecia I became fed up with spending so much money, was always on edge about minor symptoms of side effects and saw no obvious improvement in my hair loss. So I quit taking it. Two years later I looked in the mirror, saw a scary amount of hair loss and basically thought “uh oh, I’m actually going to go bald”. You see, that’s the thing about finasteride (the drug in Propecia) – it’s difficult to know it was working until you stop. Then you see all the hair you were able to keep because of it starting to fall out!
It was research time again. I was determined to find out how to make my hair grow back! I then decided to try battling my hair loss with the cheaper alternative, generic finasteride from online pharmacies. I did this for about 4 more years, until the Indian pharmacy that I was ordering from went out of business. I then tried ordering from another online over-seas pharmacy (Don’t do this), but after waiting for months and two orders that I never received, I gave up on that idea as well.
After 4 months of no finasteride my hair loss was worse than it had ever been and rapidly increasing. Not even Toppik could hide it anymore (see first photo above). Little did I know this turned out to be the best thing to ever happen for my hair – and the key to my finding out how to make my hair grow back!
The reasons for hair loss are still not 100% clear, and there are still varying theories. Some even suggest that calcification of the scalp over time cuts off the supply of nutrients delivered through capillaries that feed hair follicles – leaving the hair follicle much more susceptible to DHT. Regardless of the theory, most experts agree that one way or another, DHT does deteriorate the hair follicle and its ability to produce a healthy hair. The best defense against this for now, is either the process outlined on this site or a hair transplant. (there’s also a few theories that some sort of head massage twice a day for 20 minutes each time may work, but I simply don’t have that kind of time to test that theory :))
Minoxidil: The First Step to finding Out How to Make My Hair Grow Back
With the cheaper generic finasteride from online pharmacies that shipped from outside the country becoming a very sketchy solution, I decided to research another popular treatment for my hair loss – topical minoxidil. Minoxidil improves the blood circulation to the hair follicle, providing the opportunity for more blood, oxygen and nutrients to be delivered to the follicle. Minoxidil is an over-the-counter drug and has several copyrighted names, the most common being Rogaine. Like finasteride, the generic form of minoxidil is far cheaper and can be purchased from online stores such as Amazon through great deals on long term supplies. The two minoxidil products I use are Kirkland Minoxidil 5% and Lipogaine.
While researching minoxidil and hair loss in general, I read hundreds of reviews on hair loss treatments explaining the experiences of users from all around the world. I watched theYouTube videos, viewed the before and after photos and researched the side effects. I also looked for any other option that might help me figure out how to make my hair grow back and serve as an effective alternative or supplement to the popular finasteride and minoxidil for my hair loss. Many people claimed minoxidil worked best when combined with a product like finasteride that inhibits DHT, but very few people have ever tried anything outside these two products.
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Shedding?
You will most likely notice some shedding when using minoxidil or finasteride, usually 2-6 weeks after beginning treatment. Don’t worry! This is normal and it will subside within a few weeks. I had some at the end of the first month and while it does seem like a setback, the new hair grows back fast. I didn’t worry because this was a known possibility during hair regrowth when using minoxidil or finasteride. I still experience occasional phases of this, but it continues to grow back in with improvement after a shedding period!
From what I had learned through researching these treatments, hair grows in cycles, and the follicles go into resting phases which last approximately 3 months. As the new hairs grow in, the old hairs are released resulting in shedding. When you start Minoxidil or Finasteride, some hair follicles may be shift from the resting phase to the growth phase resulting in a temporary increase in shedding.
This simply means it’s working! Less shedding does not mean it isn’t working though, as each individual may experience a different level of shedding.
Shampoo for Hair loss – Nizoral (ketoconazole) and Caffeine
Before I researched potential treatments, I had never considered shampoo as one of the weapons against hair loss. I’d read about several shampoos that claimed to have what I could only refer to as ‘magic’ cures, and they were WAY overpriced. Once I began to dig into to the information available and learn what others were doing and saying, I realized that shampoo can in fact make a huge difference!
Many resources implied that no hair loss treatment would be complete without using Nizoral, a shampoo marketed as an effective treatment for dandruff. Ketoconazole, the active ingredient in Nizoral, has been proven to reduce inflammation on the scalp and free up hair follicles, improving the chances for new hair growth. I use this shampoo 2-3 times per week, and use a caffeine shampoo on the off days. Not only has my hair been fuller, but any irritation that I first experienced from minoxidil has completely disappeared.
For the days when I don’t use the Nizoral shampoo, I use a caffeine shampoo. I decided on Alpecin. Studies show that caffeine helps hair to grow stronger, faster and thicker. I’m definitely ok with that! Since I’ve been using Alpecin, my hair isn’t breaking off like it used to and it has a shinier, healthier look and feel.
The way I see it, shampoo is a product we all use on a regular basis. It doesn’t cost much more, if any, to substitute my usual shampoos with Alpecin and Nizoral. This easy change now makes shampooing a very important part of my routine for treating hair loss, and only the shampoo product had to change!
Trichogen: A Perfect Partner for Minoxidil?
There was one other treatment called trichogen that occasionally came up in the information I was researching when looking for information to help me understand how to make my hair grow back. Trichogen is a combination of fourteen to eighteen different herbal extracts which block DHT and has been tested and proven to put hair back in to the anagen phase, which is the growth phase. I have been using a trichogen product called ProFolla® AnaStim Ha® Follicle Stimulator along with minoxidil products and vitamins and have had great success. There are quite a few options to add an additional layer of defense. Some might try low level laser therapy (LLLT) or additional supplements.
I personally believe that including extra efforts to provide essential nutrients to the hair follicle, such as trichogen or LLLT, is a necessary part of any effective hair loss treatment routine. You can read more about my hair loss solution by combining affordable products here.
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Back to Finasteride – The Affordable Way!
I probably should have learned sooner than later, but eventually I found out that a simple Proscar prescription from your family doctor will provide you will the exact same drug (finasteride) under a different name – but for a MUCH lower price! Proscar pills are 5 mg of Finasteride, so you simply need to split the Proscar tablet 4 ways to make 4 daily doses. That’s what I do now, and it’s extremely cost effective.
After using Propecia, then generic finasteride, on to stopping finasteride completely for quite a while and now Proscar, I can tell you first-hand that finasteride really, really does work. It take patience to see the results, but if you stick with it you will most likely be among the many who have improved their hair loss significantly with this drug. Combining it with the other treatments as explained on this site worked out incredibly well for me personally.
Vitamins and Supplements for Hair Loss: The Final Ingredient
I read comments from a large number of people online who swore that providing the proper nutrients for their hair through vitamin supplements helped immensely. I use Lipogaine, a minoxidil solution that includes proprietary herbal blend DHT blockers and Vitamins into oneformula. I also take a multivitamin every day and added these 2 supplements:
- Saw Palmetto: A popular herbal remedy believed to block some DHT without the use of drugs.
- MSM: Maintains structural proteins, forms keratin proteins which make up the hair fiber and helps the immune system.
Note: I used to take biotin supplements, as biotin is known to promote health of cells, metabolism, skin, nerves and your digestive tract. However, upon further research I learned that you should really only ever take biotin supplements if you have a deficiency.
Summary
By combining products that provide essential nutrients to the hair follicle, such as trichogen and supplements, with Nizoral / Alpecin shampoos, minoxidil and finasteride (through a lower cost option such as splitting Proscar), I have had fantastic results and saved myself a tremendous amount of money.
I am not a doctor, just a guy who wanted to keep my hair and find out how to make my hair grow back. I’ve invested a lot of time and effort into finding something that worked great for treating my hair loss, and it would very likely provide great results for others as well.
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Thanks for your kind words, I’m glad you found it of use!
i m using minoxidil 10% along with finasteride in the brand name of finpecia of cipla,although some new hair growth is visible but still there is continuation of hair fall especially in the crown area…pls help
10% minoxidil seems a bit much in my opinion and based on research and experiences of others, 5% should be plenty to be effective. I had poor results from finasteride both in the generic form and with Propecia. The method explained on this site, using trichogen and minoxidil has provided me with the best results to date. The generic Kirkland minoxidil is used to keep cots low, but the Lipogaine, with it’s vitamins and natural DHT blockers is essential to the mix if this method is to work. As for the crown, this is where the Lipogaine would come in to the picture the most, as trichogen provides to most benefit to the frontal hairline area when minoxidil is least effective. As you can see this keeps all areas treated.
I wish there were more I could offer here in the way of advice! Have you had any side effects from finasteride?
**UPDATE** May, 2016
I have been taking finasteride again for quite a while now and combined with the other treatments mentioned in my routine article, it creates a VERY rounded and powerful solution to hair loss! I was holding my own but I knew I could do better. I can’t express how well these all work together!
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Thanks! It’s called Responsive and it’s great and easy to customize.
Hey man. this is the second time around I come to read your article. The first time was maybe a year ago and although it inspired me I didn’t get around to purchasing anything. I am determined now. I just have to ask you if this is the real deal? So many scammers out there… Also, do you have any recent pics? Thanks alot.
I can understand your being cautious, and I would never claim this is a cure. It’s simply a logical way to stimulate weak follicles for regrowth and maintain the hair still left… And an affordable way! I don’t I sell anything directly on this site. There are affiliate links to Amazon and any small amount of money they generate is contributed to hosting fees – no big ticket items sold here lol!
why dont you use lipogaine big 3 shampoo
Lipogaine shampoo essentially provides similar benefits as the Lipogaine topical solution (minus the minoxidil), and it would no doubt serve as a great way to compliment the Lipogaine topical solution. I initially set out to find the most affordable way to have a well rounded treatment, including as many of the treatments that have been known to provide benefits to users as possible – at the lowest cost possible. The Alpecin shampoo provides the caffeine benefits to preventing hair loss, lipogaine/Kirkland provides the minoxidil and other beneficial ingredients, and ProFolla AnaStim Ha provides the trichogen.
So in short, I certainly see the benefits of using the Lipogaine shampoo, but I have simply been trying to find a way to include the most well known treatments with the fewest reported side effects at the lowest cost into a routine.
Nice site with great information. Thanks for sharing!! Question: I shave my head bald, do you believe this will work if I continue to shave while I implement daily treatment?
Absolutely – in fact, I often think how much easier applying would be in that situation. The biggest pain in the butt is that these products, while meant only for being absorbed in the scalp, tend to get all over your hair. In your case this wouldn’t be an issue! I’d certainly think though that you may wanna give your scalp a quick once over with a damp cloth once the product(s) dries in.
Hi there,
Thank you for this blog, it’s an interesting read.
I am 28 and have been slowly losing my hair since I was 20. My dad is bald so I have inherited the gene.
After reading your blog, I was going to take the following:
– Use a Trichogen product
– Use a Lipogaine Shampoo
– Take the 2 vitamin supplments you mentioned.
What do you think of this?
Hi Liam. Thanks for visiting the site, I’m always happy to hear this info has been helpful! I would include minoxidil for sure with the Trichogen. Kirkland minoxidil is very affordable, and the minoxidil is the last thing I would omit from the daily routine. For shampoo I have been recently using Nizoral a few times a week and Alpecin for the other washes in between. Trichogen is great for supplementing the minoxidil because it treats the frontal hairline, but I would not rely on Trichogen alone for the crown area. I hope this answer helps!
John
I am just starting to try generic propecia and rogaine combo. I like the idea of combining trichogen but would this be too much of a dht blocker? Can I mix my combo with some of the supplements you suggested? Much appreciated. Hope I have similar success as you.
Hi. I doubt there would ever be an issue of too much DHT blocking but I can certainly understand why you’d ask that question. Propecia is finasteride, which blocks the production of DHT internally. Topical DHT blockers (I use Trichogen & Nizoral) help to remove the DHT already attacking the follicle in the scalp. I think both is a smart move in terms of doing all you can to fight hair loss. Add the minoxidil in there to stimulate the follicles and you’ve got a great approach in the works!
Hope that answers the question and all the best of luck!
So after reading, I’m still a little unclear what your current daily/weekly regimen is. Clearly youve scrapped some things along the way and added others. Could you write out a skeleton program that is relevant for you/us today? Thanks so much, I appreciate the site, and plan to buy through a couple of the links to help the site out, but i just want to essentially mimic the combined program you’re seeing great results with. Thanks man! (I’m 33 yo w much of the front n crown thinned out, started at age 26)
Hey Dmac!
Yes, I have been tweaking the routine as I experience what drives the best results. I will do up a PDF of this and provide it in a download link, hopefully sometime soon!
Thanks for your comment and I really appreciate the visit.
All the best!
John – HFK
The article posted was very informative and useful. You people are doing a great job. Keep going.
Thanks Herta!
Hi there. Thanks a lot for sharing your story. Can I just use the products what you are using except proscar? I really don’t wanna take prepecia or proscar because I used to take propecia for a month only and I had side effect. Do you think I would have a good result like yours without taking proscar?
Hi Joey,
Yes, absolutely you can use minoxidil, trichogen, Nizoral Shampoo/Alpecin without finasteride! I did for years before I added finasteride back in. I’d drop finasteride in a heartbeat if I experienced side effects. We have to have our priorities straight!
I was getting fantastic results without finasteride, but I noticed that my frontal hairline was slowly looking a little thinner, so consdiering how low the cost of prescribed Proscar and a pill cutter is, I decided to add finasteride back in. Within the first 5 months I did see my frontal hairline filling in so I am glad I did – but again, it was slight thinning and I would NEVER sacrifice having side effects, I just have been fortunate and not had any.
I hope that answers your question.
John -HFK
Sir i want to ask tht i m using fincepria 1 mg 1nc in a day n minoxidil 10 % foam 4 my hair
Cn this help me 2 regrowth my hair again from whr it has gone
Plz reply waiting for ur answer
Hi Ziyad,
This really depends on how far your hair loss has progressed, and how well you respond to these treatments. The sooner you begin treating hair loss after it occurs, the better the changes of stopping it and regrowing lost hair. Some people have better results than others and there are many variables that determine this.
Also, I would personally stay away from anything higher than 5% in a minoxidil product. There has been no research I am aware of that suggests a higher percentage of minoxidil will yield better results.
I hope that helps!
John – HFK
Hi, thanks for sharing your experience on your website! I have a quick question for you; I’ve heard that while minoxodil will grow your hair back, especially the crown area, if you stop using it then the effects will wear off and your hair will start falling off. Can you confirm this? Oh also, is it true that the effects of minoxodil taper off over time?
Hi Mickey,
I’m glad you found this resource useful, and you’re welcome!
Minoxidil should help atrophic follicles become stronger and healthier, and grow thicker hair for about two to three years. After that point, minoxidil continues to work towards keeping hair in its anagen phase. This way, any newly regrown hair will not fall out again.
Many assume they have developed a tolerance to minoxidil after 2-3 years, and they sometimes consider stopping the use if it. If they stop, any hair they have regrown will fall out in 3-4 months and they would lose all the growth that was achieved.
To answer your questions, no minoxidil does not stop working, and yes, if you stop using it, the hair growth you gained will be lost again. It’s also worth mentioning that once you stop minoxidil (or finasteride), you will lose the hair MUCH faster than the time it took to grow it!
I hope this answers your question, and thanks for the visit and comment!
JB – HFK
Is proscar (Generic) equally effective? And how do you take it
Proscar is every bit as effective. It is finasteride that blocks the DHT, and Proscar tablets are 5 mg of finasteride. I use a pill cutter and cut the Proscar into 4 equal parts to take one part daily. 30 Proscar tablets actually last 120 days, making it WAY less expensive than Propecia.
Propecia are 1mg tablets of finsateride and sold as that brand. You could try to cut the Proscar 5 ways, but that can be difficult to do with any accuracy.
Feel free to ask if you have any other questions!
JB – HFK
Thank you so much for replying I really do appreciate but one last thing can I buy proscar online or do I need a prescription.
I went the prescription route, but you can buy generic finasteride from some online pharmacies without a prescription. I have tried that in the past and am not a fan of the unpredictability of arrivals times. The last time I used the online non-prescription route it just didn’t arrive at all. You’ll find that the most credible online pharmacies still require a prescription.
It’s your choice obviously, but I’d advise being selective with the online sellers if you go that route.
Is proscar safe
Hey Dan,
Proscar is finasteride, which has been approved by the FDA for use as a hair loss treatment. The confusion over this drug comes from the hype about the finasteride side effects, but it is important to remember that the side effects are only experienced by a very small percentage of people who take the drug. AND – the side effects are reported to go away once they stopped taking it. There will always be those people who would have had the libido symptoms of the drug anyway, because in many cases it is older men experiencing accelerated hair loss who are taking the drug, and older men often experience reduced libido without any drug.
Bottom line, there’s always a lot more noise made about the negative than there is about the positive. I have researched all this quite a bit, and the numbers I see for the percentage of men who claim they experienced side effects are between 1-3% in different sources, based on doctors and studies. In one study in particular, the difference between the treatment group and the placebo group was 0.3%. It is also worth noting that the side effects almost always stop with continued use as well, and are only experienced at the beginning!
Personally, it hasn’t caused me any problems at all in the past year and my hair loss has stopped entirely with significant regrowth. When I first took finasteride years ago (I used Propecia then), I felt as though I had some minor side effects but not really severe enough to be sure it wasn’t all in my mind – so I guess they weren’t that big of a deal! I would say overall that yes, proscar is safe. Do your research and if you decide to take it, just gauge yourself and proceed accordingly.
I hope that helps.
JB – HFK
i started taking minoxidal and generic finasteride together for 11 weeks now and have just started using nizoral shampoo as well,noticed alot of shedding but reckon thats a good thing as its working and hopefully thicker hair will come through,one thing i have noticed was that some of my hair at the front was fine and wispy but sames to be a bit thicker now. well post agin further gains i experience.
Awesome to hear! Yes, the shedding is a real part of the process, but a sign of success. Finasteride and minoxidil together Nizoral to address scalp inflammation is pretty much the best routine option we have to date. I also noticed the wispy hair in frontal hairline got thicker and eventually was able to grow longer once I added finasteride back in the mix. In fact, the improvement in my front hairline is perhaps the most noticeable change I saw after going back on finasteride.
Congrats and yes, keep us updated!
Thanks,
JB
Hey thanks for this article and I had a question. I have minoxidil apart and I use once in a day while sleeping and sometimes I use to while leaving for work. Do u think it’s better to use before taking bath or after the bath ?☺
Hey Maverick, that really depends on how long before you wash / wet your hair you apply the minoxidil. It also depends on your schedule and what’s most convenient to you. Once you apply minoxidil, you should wait 3 or 4 hours before washing your hair – so that can make a difference to when you use it, based on when you shower/bath.
I try to have it in when I am sleeping or home for the day when possible, because it can change the texture of your hair. Lipogaine is great..it dries fast and doesn’t seem to dry out hair as much as the generic minoxidil. If I go out with minoxidil in, I try to make it Lipogaine.
Hope that helps,
JB – HFK
Is there an upper age limit on using any of these treatments?
Not so much an age limit, but often (certainly not all cases), older means more hair loss and the longer a person waits to treat hair loss, the less effective the treatment. The more miniaturized the follicle, the more difficult to revive and strengthen it. Also, regarding age, it’s always smart to get regular check ups. There are some minor side effects to minoxidil and it can lower blood pressure. That’s minor for most people, but it’s important to tell your doctor what medications you take, at any age.
Thanks for visiting the site, and hope that answer’s your question!
JB – HFK
Hey man, just wanted to reach out to you to say thanks a lot for posting all of this useful information. Really glad and happy to see how you politely answered everyone’s questions, you have done a fabulous job. Before i ask my question i just want to provide you with a background information about myself, i am 20 years old and i first noticed my bald spot around my middle scalp area at the age of 15. It was very small so i didn’t bother with it, but after a while the area became bigger and i went to see a dermatologist. The dermatologist told me that this is happening because i comb my dry hair a lot and tend to pull them which damaged my hair follicles, which was true because i used to comb my hair a lot until they would hurt. She also told me that this bald spot will recover within 2 years if i stop messing around with my hair. It’s been 3 years since i last saw her and i haven’t seen any improvement and i also think that the bald spot on my middle scalp has gradually increased and extended to my frontal area from my middle scalp area. It is much more noticeable now than it was ever before, i can hide it if i just comb my hair to the side but it really bothers me when i come out of the shower and look at my hair. My question to you is that should i use the same medications and minoxidil that you suggested on this blog, and do you think that there is any chance that this will stimulate new hair growth and i will not need to use these medications forever, like for example if i use all these things you said for a few years, is there any possibility that this will give me my hair back and i can discontinue the use of them and still have no hair loss. Is this possible because i think it is very time consuming and kinda annoying to use all these things for the rest of your life. Please reply to my question at your earliest convenience my brother.
Hey Syed, thanks for the comment and I appreciate you taking the time to mention my efforts on here!
You experienced hair loss at a young age, and it makes sense that you’d investigate any other possible causes besides male pattern baldness. I’d suggest taking note of your family, and how common baldness is there, on both your mother and father’s side! If men in your family are balding, did they also begin early? These kind of facts can help you paint a pictureof how your hair loss may progress.
Although ‘most’ men begin to experience hair loss well into their 20’s and older, it is possible to have genetic hair loss that can start early. As I always say, it’s NEVER a bad idea to visit your doctor and find out if there is any other potential cause, such as immune or stress related issues, and more. Just to be safe!
If it is genetic hair loss, male pattern balding, then unfortunately you can’t just use available treatments such as minoxidil and finasteride for long enough to stop it, an then quit the treatments. This would result in a rapid loss of any hair you kept or regrew as a result of the treatment. I know it’s not encouraging news, but the only course of action in the case of genetic hair loss, is to catch it early, and hope that medical science comes up with something to use sooner than later! This way, the treatments available now, will allow you keep as much hair as possible until that time comes. A it looks today, there are quite a few things coming down the pipe – stem cell transplants, new topical treatments, etc.
Another option is a hair transplant or rocking the shaved head look, but of course these depend on your personal choice and in the case of a transplant, if you really want to spend that kind of money!
I wish I had more positive news, but then the way things are advancing out there, you may see some huge improvements in the treatments available. Also, you’re only young so you will hopefully see many changes in medicine in your lifetime!!
Thanks for visiting and drop by any time!
John – HFK
Hi,
Amazing article and great determination for getting your hair back,.. Your article gives a detailed perspective of how different treatments can work together to provide a all rounding results… Thanks for such elaborated article..
You have mentioned that you will be providing a link to pdf which will capture your routine using Minoxidil, Trichogen, finasteride, Nizoram & Caffeine Shampoo & use of Vitamin supplements. Any luck to publishing it soon..
It would be helpful for many of the people who visit your site to get going with the treatment…
Thanks Amit! I will do that and thanks for the reminder. I’m really glad you found this information helpful – that’s the goal!
JB – HFK
loved your thread or blog whatever it is 😀 and i really appreciate the way you respond to an answer for every question in that much detail….i had thinning hair on my left side of hair i dont know how but suddenly you can say within a week i lost too much hair overal and after that when i took bath i can see too much balding on my front hairline and middle scalp thats very very horrible i cant imagine to loose my hair…..only thing which is bothering me is why it happened soo damn fast within 1 week….before this i had some bald pathces in the middle and right side of the scalp possibly due to some shock as i was going through very intense coughing i started taking vitamins b pills and that really helped and worked within a month or 2 my hair grew back and those patches were gone but now again too much balding and i can clearly see my scalp especially middle front scalp….1 thing i want to share is that i noticed when i massaged for period regularly the places i massaged throughly gradually grew some hair but after some time that hairs shed much faster and in more quantity from exactly that place….i never massaged my hair from middle front hairline and at that time my hair was fine but when i massaged them they got worse and now i can see my scalp….its really embarrasing i am only 23years old…..
Thanks for sharing this information Jazz, and I’m glad you found this site helpful! What you describe sounds like alopecia areata. You can read more about that in these two articles: Alopecia Areata Facts, and Ruxolitinib, an Alopecia-Areata Cure?
In the case of your situation not being standard male pattern balding, I would suggest you see a doctor to try and evaluate if there is an underlying cause, such as stress, at the root of your hair loss.
Please feel free to update us if you get any answers!
Thanks,
HFK
Hye I’m from Malaysia. I started losing my hair since I’m 17 years old n I hv tried a lot of method to overcome it but fails. Now I’m 21 years, after reading ur article I decided to try alpecin, lipogaine, kirkland minoxidil n vitamins. Is it ok if ignore the nizoral and trichogen?
Hi Kani,
Thanks for visiting. First off, because you are experiencing hair loss at a younger age, it’s worth making sure this is simply genetic, and harmless. Male pattern baldness is the most common cause of hair loss, but it never hurts to check in with a doctor or dermatologist, just to be certain! ‘Most’ men begin to experience hair loss well into their 20’s and older, but it is possible to have genetic hair loss that can start early.
You’re young and I’m thinking you’ll see some pretty big changes in hair loss treatments in your lifetime! For now, yes – minoxidil, a hair loss shampoo and the proper vitamins and nutrients would be a really good start (again, first be sure the hair loss is not a result of any other condition that would need to be addressed first!). You are too young for finasteride and even minoxidil should be discussed with a doctor at your age in my honest opinion. Trichogen, like laser hair growth, is a supplement to a routine that should already be providing results, so no, it does not make a significant enough of an impact to be a ‘must have’.
Please check back and let us know how you make out and thanks so much for your comment and visiting Hair for Keeps.
HFK
Hi. May I know what you meant by this? “However, upon further research I learned that you should really only ever take biotin supplements if you have a deficiency.”
Is it still ok to take biotin though, even if we are not deficient? Just to be sure that we are getting enough nutrients that we need to regrow hair… Even if its not for hair regrowth, biotin helps thicken hair right? I naturally have thin hair. How do we know if we have biotin deficiency anyway?
And between biotin and MSM, which do you think is more important to take?
Hi Deniz,
Sure, let me clarify – Biotin (B7) deficiency is not common. Most people who do not have any existing genetic disorder should be able to get all the B7 needed by eating a healthy and balanced diet.
That being said, there is no real danger in taking a Biotin supplement, whether you are lacking it in your diet or not. Biotin is a water-soluble vitamin, so any excess is excreted safely. These days I take it on and off for a few weeks at a time. Honestly though, I have no reason to believe I am biotin deficient. I just like to make sure I am fighting hair loss on as many fronts as I can… and it’s highly unlikely that a person can get ‘too much’ biotin.
The signs of a Biotin deficiency include muscle pain, skin infections/rashes, brittle hair/hair loss and more. Again, most people get adequate amounts of biotin from food, so these symptoms are not common. If you are concerned though, seeing a doctor would be a good idea!
MSM is in my opinion more beneficial as a supplement, because research suggests that it is more common for people to lack adequate amounts of sulfur. MSM has multiple benefits as an excellent source of sulfur and promotes detoxification.
I hope this answers your questions and you can find more info on vitamins and nutrients needed for hair growth in the article on this site nutrients for hair growth.
All the best,
JB – HFK
Hi I’m using finasteridine and minoxidil daily….how many days it might take those any visible results
Hi Surya,
This is a very popular question among users of finasteride and minoxidil, and the honest answer is that it varies from one individual to another. That being said, you should begin to see results by 6 months – but it can take over a year to really begin to see growth. Please feel free to keep us up to date on how you make out!
HFK
Hi, I’ve read that there could be side effects of finasteride and infertility. It has been doing wonders for me after taking it for 6 months – already having hair growing out at my widow’s peak. I don’t have any other side effects but I’m just afraid that if I were to take it for long-term it could affect my fertility when I would like to try for a baby next time. Did you experience any problems with that?
Hi Keagan,
I had my worries yes, and was pretty paranoid about it. The reality is that some men (though a very small percentage) do experience side effects, but they are said to disappear after you stop taking finasteride. I have had no issues in the past few years to report so I assume I’m among the fortunate! I also understand that in the vast majority of cases, the side effects disappear after the first few months, and the first time I took finasteride I recall feeling slightly off the first few months.
I can’t say for sure for obvious reasons, but I’d guess you would be out of the woods by now after 6 months. Please feel free to check in and update us!
HFK
Hi, excellent website, I’m 31, I noticed some slight thinking around my crown and edges of my hair line a few years ago and recently started generic minoxidil, I’m using the Walmart generic 5% and take saw palmetto supplements, I will be implementing the other items in your daily regimen (except finasteride, I prefer to avoid that). However, I’ve heard of people also using minoxidil to grow their beard, any thoughts on this?
Hey Jay, thanks! Yes I have heard of people using minoxidil for beard growth and having great results! I have read a lot on this and the main thing to know is that minoxidil will slowly stimulate growth of new hair on any area of the skin where there are hair follicles. I’ve noticed that men report significant growth of new facial hair after using minoxidil for between 1-6 months. They also claim that they experience thickening of the existing hairs and that’s a big plus!
Good luck and if you try it and have success please let us know!
HKF
I can’t seem to find this answer online. My hair has been slowly thinning and falling out at an extremely mild rate. Since 22 to 31 my hair has completely changed and is much thinner. However when I bring it up to my family and say that my hair is slowly falling out they tell me im crazy. I started ProFalla Ana Stim for the frontal thinning, and Minoxidil with the shampoos you suggested. It’s been a little less than 2 months and the shedding is crazy, that it’s making it very hard to want to continue, however I dont want to turn my back before regrowth hopefully will take place. My question is what if I never suffered from MPB, just a mild thinning due to age that freaked me out. I never had a receding hairline, never had anything close to any Norwood models. it says online that rogaine only works for people who suffer from AGA or MPB. Could i have made matters worse. I feel like my hair has lost 30 to 40 percent densisty in 2 short months, and whats weird is I havent noticed tons of hairs falling out or shedding in the sink and shower, it just seems every morning when i look especailly the last 2 weeks, it feels and looks extremely mucph thinner. I am kind of panicking, but my question, at this point do I keep on pushing with it, perhaps add Finestride with out. I hate how much my hair problems take up so much time in my head. I am constantly thinking about losing hair and worrying about it, that its making it difficult for me to work in the same capacity as i used to with healthier hair. my head is in a bad place, i find myself down and depressed more, and comparing my hair to every other mans hair i see. It’s really becoming a problem and i am praying i made the right move by reading this blog and making the decision to move forward. it was this blog that pushed me over the hump and gave me hope i could get back more hair, stronger hair and thicker hair, but i am worried now 7 weeks in that I may have put myself in a much worse place. please help.. was it stupid for me to apply these products if i still had a full head of hair with mild stages of shedding at a snails pace. I just wish i could get back even baseline before i started and apply toppix to add density. now even with the toppix my hair looks strange and not authentic
Hi Jesse,
I can only speak from my own experience, and I realize that hair loss and how it progresses is an individual thing. I can say though that the shedding phase will usually occur after the first two to three weeks using Minoxidil / hair loss treatments and continue on throughout the first few months. It happens as the telogen phase switches to anagen phase. The thinner hairs fall out as slightly thicker hairs begin to grow. According to most testimonials from other using minoxidil and similar products, it happens more often than not. It certainly did for me!
It’s a rough phase, trying to improve your hair loss situation only to see it get worse – but if the treatment is working this almost has to happen! If you’ve come this far, it might be worth sticking it out to see if this is a sign of new growth to come! Those hair follicles are not dead – they’re resting, or gone dormant. This is where many people throw in the towel. My only advice is if you are truly worried, you can visit a doctor and get his or her professional opinion. Rule out Alopecia Areata. Other than that, it does sound like you’re in the shedding phase of a hair loss treatment.
Now, I don’t want to add to your woes, but the truth is this can go on for 3 months. The average time it takes to see results of new hair growth with improved density is 6 months on average. In 12 months there can be some serious improvement.
Please let us know how this turns out, it will be VERY helpful to readers! I wish you all the luck and if you decide to stick it out… Remember, that feeling of lost hope may be replaced by improved hair growth!
Look forward to hearing about your progress,
HFK
Hello! loved your article. So am I right in saying that you use both topical minoxidil and Lipogaine? Just want to make sure that’s not too much minoxidil. So you’re applying topical minoxidil foam and Lipogaine twice a day?
Here is my conclusion of what I should start on from your article:
Finasteride
Minoxidol Foam
Lipogaine
Trichogen
Nizoral Shampoo
Good hair growth vitamins, but probably not Biotin
I have a similar journey to what you’ve gone through. So Im looking for success of course and hoping this will work!
Hi Austin,
Thanks, I’m really happy to hear you found this web resource useful! Yes, you can try those treatments in a routine, but please keep in mind that finasteride is a drug that should be approved by a doctor. Also, the Trichogen is a supplement to the other products, and a laser treatment, head massage, or a similar product you may find throughout your research can also be used in its place.
Good luck, and please keep us posted on how you make out!
Thanks,
HFK
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