Thirty and Balding

One of the things that has really bothered me over the years is my male pattern hair loss.  It started when I was about 22 years old...all of a sudden I noticed that my hair was really thin, and that a bald spot was developing at the top of my head.  A couple of years later, things had gotten so noticeable that I decided to see a dermatologist about my hair loss.

The doctor told me that there were two FDA approved treatments for balding (at the time).  The first was Rogaine--topically applied minoxidil solution.  The second was a pill called Propecia, also known by the generic name finasteride.  At the time, I wanted to stop my hair loss, and my lifestyle didn't allow for a twice-daily topical treatment, so I opted for Propecia.  I took my pills as prescribed for two years, and my hair loss stopped with little side effects.

I lost my job in 2008, and Propecia got too expensive for me, so I stopped taking it.  For a couple of years I didn't notice a difference, but then last year people really began to comment on my thinning hair.  Once other people were noticing my hair loss enough to ask me about it, I knew it was time to do something to regrow my hair.  Here's a few photos of where my hair loss stands today:

My hair is buzzed short in these photos, but as you can see my bald spot is very apparent.  According to the manufacturer, minoxidil solution is the only FDA-approved treatment that is clinically proven to regrow hair, so I have decided to give Rogaine a try.  I started using Rogaine solution (and later Rogaine foam) on Feburary 4, 2013.  These pictures were taken on February 28, 2013.  So far, I have not noticed my hair growing back, but the maker of Rogaine says that it can take 4 months to see results. For me, that means that I should start to notice something by early June 2013.

We'll see how it goes.  So far, I've been very faithful about using Rogaine twice a day.  There was only one day in the past month that I missed a single application--which the manufacturer says should not affect my hair regrowth outcome.  I bought a bottle of the solution before I bought the Rogaine foam, so I switch back and forth between the minoxidil products depending on what I am doing for the day.  If I need to look clean and ready for work, I'll use the foam...but if I'm just lounging around the house and it doesn't matter if my hair looks wet for awhile, I will use the Rogaine solution.  Both products contain 5% minoxidil as the active ingredient so it shouldn't really make a difference switching between the two.

I am really hoping this works.  I have been very self-conscious about my hair loss recently, and I hope that my investment in this treatment was worth the money.  So far, I haven't had any side effects from the Rogaine, and it fits into my daily routine easily for the most part.  I will keep you posted of any changes...and I hope to have some amazing "after" photos of a full head of hair to show you in a couple of months!