Unusual men balding pattern - is this DUPA? (photos) Which r

Hi there
I'm 27 years old and I always had thin hair. At 16, people were already mentioning my hair was very thin and it looked like I was going to be bald soon. As you might imagine, this is not very reassuring at such age, and since early my hair has been a big concern to me.

Since I played guitar in a rock band during my high school phase, I started using my hair long, which helped concealing the hair loss.

At 18 I started taking propecia, and I have been on 1,25mg/day since then. In the beginning my hair was thin, and the thinning has always slowly progressed. Propecia didn't make me regrow any hair, but it probably slowed down the loss.


As to my balding pattern, I actually find it is quite unusual. Even though it's thinner, I still have my full hair line, and temple points, but my hair is incredibly thin everywhere, specially on top and sides. You can easily see a lot of my scalp on my sides if I'm not using concealers. It looks like female pattern baldness, and I don't know if this is common in men, but I think not.

I have some members of my family with MPB, specially my uncle and a 1st degree cousing who got severe and early MPB.

My sister does have diffuse thining, even though she doesn't look bald.

This loss has been steadily progressing for more than 10 years. I don't have any bald spots, it's totally diffuse.

I've been taking MSM 3000mg/day + multivitamin supplement (Centrum) + hair supplement + grape seed extract + omega 3 + green tea extract + resveratrol capsules for the last 3 months, and I haven't noticed any difference.

I've been using concealers (dermmatch and shabo powder concealer) for the last 2 years.

As to minoxidil, because of concealers I can't accomodate minoxidil in my daily routine. Curiously, I have used minoxidil 2% irregularly in my face, because my beard is very very weak, probably because I started propecia so early. The curious thing is that I think that minoxidil 2%, applied only sparingly about 3-4 times a week, as made vellus hair (almost non visible) grow around my eyes, and some thick hair below my hair line. If you look at my front hairline photos, those disperse hair below the hairline weren't there before I started using minoxidil.

I don't know what alopecia pattern this is, and I doubt that there will be good dermatologists in my country who know how to properly do a thorough research into my problem.

I'm strongly considering getting a good hair piece, because I can't find many solutions to try right now. I guess I'm a bit tired after so many years of struggle with this, specially in the last two years when I've started concealers.

By the way, I think my sides and back started thinning much more acutely since I started using dermmatch and then shabo concealer powder. I don't know if this could cause that.

What do you think? Is it good old MPB or anything else? Diffuse unpatterned alopecia? Is there anything I can do about it?


Thanks!

hairze - I would recommend using lugol's solution, along with a regimen similar to my own.

If I were you I would take iodine and selenium daily. Use a laser helmet 3 times a week for 20 mins and use clay as a pre-shower topical before using the helmet.

Additionally you could add topical magnesium chloride, internal ecklonia cava, krill oil, and curcumin

That should do the job

So you are sure this is totally reversible? Why?

hairze - Your hair appears to be viable enough to reverse. It will not occur in three months, nor will it fully recover in a year--however in time can, given the proper regimen and dietary changes can be achieved.

The core reason for hair loss is the dermal redox system, which involves reduction and oxidation. Unfortunately there are a lot of factors at work to this problem. Hair follicle cells can be desensitized to DHT and further, the inflammation post DHT-signaling can be down regulated. The key to success to to eliminate all forms of thyroid suppressing foods and toxications, followed with the right supplements. It's difficult to avoid all the wrong foods all the time, much less the environmental exposures, so these will keep those in check.

The how and why is a lot, spread throughout this forum.

I would suggest looking at this thread to start: http://immortalhair.forumandco.com/natural-hair-regrowth-forum-f1/hypothesis-of-male-pattern-hair-loss-t1129.htm

CausticSymmetry wrote:hairze - Your hair appears to be viable enough to reverse. It will not occur in three months, nor will it fully recover in a year--however in time can, given the proper regimen and dietary changes can be achieved.

The core reason for hair loss is the dermal redox system, which involves reduction and oxidation. Unfortunately there are a lot of factors at work to this problem. Hair follicle cells can be desensitized to DHT and further, the inflammation post DHT-signaling can be down regulated. The key to success to to eliminate all forms of thyroid suppressing foods and toxications, followed with the right supplements. It's difficult to avoid all the wrong foods all the time, much less the environmental exposures, so these will keep those in check.

The how and why is a lot, spread throughout this forum.

I would suggest looking at this thread to start: http://immortalhair.forumandco.com/natural-hair-regrowth-forum-f1/hypothesis-of-male-pattern-hair-loss-t1129.htm

Thanks for your answer.


Well... my hair is extremely thin overall, I don't know how recoverable it will be...


I've always suffered from extremely oily skin and scalp. My sister and father suffer from the same problem.

My hands and feet are always cold, but when I take a very hot bath my skin gets very red afterwards, including scalp. Even though my extremities are usually cold, I tend to always feel very very hot (I'm usually the guy with the tshirt, when everybody's wearing a pullover), I sweat quite a lot and I'm a very anxious person (even though my family has a strong pattern of anxiety disorders)


I've been taking msm 3000mg/day + resveratrol + centrum 1pill a day + omega 3 (higher nature flax seed oil 1000mg) + grape seed extract + green tea extract - for the last 3 months - shouldn't I at least notice a subtle difference for the better? I didn't notice any improvements in my hair.


I've been reading for 2 hours this forum and it is quite simply OVERWHELMING. Different theories shooting from everywhere, and everybody seems to think that hair loss is related to a single problem which can be solved with a certain supplement they found and tested... the problem is that when you find so many different "truths", it becomes almost impossible to find yours. Besides that, doing proper tests of every supplement would take endless years, and would be extremely unpractical, due to all the variables at play.


Besides that you say it would take months to see subtle improvements, at least a year to see any noticeable improvements, and there will be a good probability that I wont recover, is that right?


As if that wasn't enough, I'm still under thirty years old, I have a preety busy and hectic life, during the week I usually sleep only 5-6 hours/day, and I usually go out and drink about half bottle of wine and 3-4 tonic gins 2-3 times a month.

My energy has been a bit low in the last years, and my motivation sometimes succumbs, but I see that almost all of this dissapears when I sleep 8-9 hours/day for some days.

As I told you before, after 10 years on propecia (fortunately with no side effects), I'm tired of this struggle. I've been taking centrum daily for years and my hair is still shedding.

As to my food regimen, I've been a vegetarian for 8 years (I eat dairy products and eggs), even though there are plenty of times when I eat fish and seafood, specially when I'm in cities with a low offer on vegetarian products.


Judging from all of this, could you please tell me what options do I realistically have?

Thanks!

hairze - Would recommend reading through my site: www.Immortalhair.org

It will provide all the basic information.

With regard to your regimen: MSM 3000mg/day + resveratrol + centrum 1 pill a day + omega 3 (higher nature flax seed oil 1000mg) + grape seed extract + green tea extract

Centrum is a synthetic isolate, truly a waste of money. Would recommend taking something like Brewer's yeast instead.

Flax seed oil is very poorly converted into EPA and DHA in males, usually only up to between 1 and 2%. In addition, it uses up an enzyme that requires zinc, b6 and magnesium. Would recommend switching to a more potent source of Omega-3 such as Krill oil.

You'll get more help from resveratrol if you add curcumin to it.

It seems evident that you're low thyroid. Iodine and selenium would be highly recommended.

Consumption of alcohol always presents a challenge, and we have many who love it on here--check out all the alcohol threads. Hypoglycemia is typically found in anyone who regularly drinks, it's also quite common in MPB as a whole.

Would recommend you take plenty of vitamin D. 5,000 IU is a good place to start without weighing any other variables.

My favorite antioxidant is Ecklonia Cava and when you read the site above, you'll see why.

CausticSymmetry wrote:hairze - Would recommend reading through my site: www.Immortalhair.org

It will provide all the basic information.

With regard to your regimen: MSM 3000mg/day + resveratrol + centrum 1 pill a day + omega 3 (higher nature flax seed oil 1000mg) + grape seed extract + green tea extract

Centrum is a synthetic isolate, truly a waste of money. Would recommend taking something like Brewer's yeast instead.

Flax seed oil is very poorly converted into EPA and DHA in males, usually only up to between 1 and 2%. In addition, it uses up an enzyme that requires zinc, b6 and magnesium. Would recommend switching to a more potent source of Omega-3 such as Krill oil.

You'll get more help from resveratrol if you add curcumin to it.

It seems evident that you're low thyroid. Iodine and selenium would be highly recommended.

Consumption of alcohol always presents a challenge, and we have many who love it on here--check out all the alcohol threads. Hypoglycemia is typically found in anyone who regularly drinks, it's also quite common in MPB as a whole.

Would recommend you take plenty of vitamin D. 5,000 IU is a good place to start without weighing any other variables.

My favorite antioxidant is Ecklonia Cava and when you read the site above, you'll see why.

I'll do some blood thyroid testing next week - t3, t4 and TSH. Is this reliable?


Let's assume I have a thyroid problem or I'm deficient in a nutrient - let's assume I correct this problem or deficiency - from what you have seen here and from your experience, what's the chance I have to regain thick and very good looking hair?

hairze - Chances are good when you identify and address all the environmental and dietary factors.

Traditional thyroid testing is not accurate. The problem is that TSH is not reliable b/c it does not take into account that
most are thyroid hormone resistant. So unfortunately, TSH has to rise quite significantly for the establishment take notice.

Instead, it is more reliable to observe symptoms of low thyroid function coupled with a Broda Barnes test.

In his book, Dr. Barnes states that 40% of Americans suffer from an inadequate supply of thyroid hormone, an ingredient vital to health in the human body. I'm quite sure this figure has only become worse since that publication.

Since about half of the population suffers from some degree of thyroid deficiency, it would follow that administering proper thyroid dosages could save thousands of lives each year.

**************************************
It is the opinion of Dr. Barnes and the author that
natural thyroid is the best kind to use because it
contains all the essential thyroid components that
are not found in other thyroid drugs such as
Synthyroid®.
**************************************

Dr. Barnes noted that hypothyroidism often goes undiagnosed because blood thyroid values are usually inaccurate. He recommends a simple test, called the Basal Temperature test, which the patient can perform at home.

Dr. Barnes has found the basal temperature to be one of the most valid tests to evaluate thyroid function. The temperature test should be done upon awakening in the morning, but before leaving your bed.

HOW TO TAKE THE BASAL TEMPERATURE TEST FOR DETERMINING LOW THYROID

1) If you are male or a non-menstruating female, take a digital thermometer or an oral mercury thermometer (which has been shaken down and placed at the bedside the previous evening) and place it in your armpit for 10 minutes immediately upon awakening while lying quietly in bed. Repeat the test three days in a row. Normal temperature is 97.8 degrees to 98.2 degrees. If your temperature is low, your thyroid gland is probably underactive.

*************Note*************
DO NOT use an electric blanket for 24
hours prior to taking your temperature.
******************************

2)If you are a female who menstruates, do the above test on the second and third day of your period in the same manner.

3) If you have a very young child and you are unable to take his armpit temperature, you can take the rectal temperature for two minutes. Normal would be 1 degree higher than the above, that is 98.8 degrees to 99.2 degrees.

4)Record your results below and bring this record to your physician.

RESULTS: TEMPERATURE:

Date:________ Day 1: ___________________
Date:________ Day 2: ___________________
Date:________ Day 3: ___________________
Date:________ Day 4: ___________________
Date:________ Day 5: ___________________

Thanks for the further info.


But now tell me... why should we trust one single doctor, against everything else? What data is there to backup his claims? As you do certainly know, thyroid supplementation is not without its risks.


Please don't think I'm being harsh... I just want to learn.