male pattern baldness difficult to reverse after two years

~Doodlebug~ · 01-20-2003, 10:44 AM

i read something disturbing!!

it said that it's important to reverse male pattern baldness in women within the first two years of hair loss onset. after that, the chances of successful reversal steadily decrease.

this is too depressing.

has anyone else read anything like that? please tell me that this is false!!

KlassicalKat · 01-20-2003, 01:24 PM

Well, I guess I am in trouble, then!
What is really depressing about this is that they proclaim that you should do something about it, but then NOBODY...not even the DOCTORS know what to do!

...sorry, guess I'm a tad bit bitter

KKat

Gizmo · 01-20-2003, 03:10 PM

Seriously... It's been less than a year since my shedding got really bad, I know very well I need to do something to stop it - but WHAT? BCPs didn't help this time. I can't tolerate spiro, it makes me bleed all the time. The glucophage used to work - why did it stop??? So now I am trying flax seed and saw palmetto and lots of vitamins... and hoping really hard there is an end in site...

Oh, and looking for a new doctor since my current one won't even check my hormones to investigate this! Doesn't see a point since I'm not TTC... isn't not wanting to be bald and 25 reason enough???

guineapig · 01-20-2003, 03:46 PM

Oh, please say this isn't true. It's been less than 2 years since I noticed my hair problem, so maybe there's still time. But the doctors won't do *it about anything! I can't get anyone to test for thyroid (labs include only T4 & TSH and are a year old now) or even general hormones (estrogen, progesterone) despite the fact AF comes 2x per month for 10 days now! I have a new doc visit on 1/31...here's hoping, as I first noticed hairloss on Valentines 2001.

Gizmo, I know how you feel . Especially ER, they just don't want to be bothered unless you are wanting a baby _now_! I try to tell them: if this hairloss, AF, and libido don't improve, I won't be married TO ttc! They still don't listen. "Just go on the pill then." Arrrrgh!

Ugh · 01-20-2003, 04:34 PM

I am no success story with the andro-alopecia, since I have been losing since 16 and I am now 27. I have to say for the past year now... Aldactone 100mg, Gluc 1500mgs., Yasmin, 6 Brewer's Yeast pills with OJ every morning has seemed to help. I even grew little sprouts. However, the trend with my hair is that it will thicken up a little and then it will shed a lot once every three months or so. I notice that I lose more hair when I am eating lots of carbs and not exercising. I use Toppik on my real thin spots and it covers them up lightning quick. I don't believe every article I read because a lot of medical advice goes back and forth.

emma42 · 01-20-2003, 07:52 PM

I read on another website they mentioned 2-6 years to try and reverse hair loss but then I have also read hair follicles do not ever really die so I don't know what to believe. I hope this isn't true cause I've been losing hair since around 18 (was minor loss) but it picked up the last 2-3 years. Arghh. I went to doctors to and they told me it was hereditary, no one ever thought hormone related including me. Arghh again.

The real question is has anyone who had regrowth had it from more than a couple years back?

Gizmo · 01-20-2003, 08:43 PM

All I know is, my hair looked wonderful my first year and a half on glucophage. I don't know if I had regrowth - I was and am thin at the temples - but my hair seemed thicker, fuller, grew faster, it wasn't falling out hardly at ALL, and I could go more than a day without washing it and it wouldn't be weighted down totally flat by oils. (I have very fine hair... I was always told my hair is fine but I have tons of it... now my hair is fine and I have about half of what I had!)

So I don't know if I had regrowth, but I do know I was satisfied with my hair. Good enough for me. I wish I knew WHY is is falling out again...

All the women on my dad's side of the family had super fine hair - old lady hair, you could see their scalps... So it's very easy for me to be told it's hereditary. BUT I just KNOW I got the PCOS gene from that side of the family... so I don't know if the hair loss is just genetic... or they just had hormone issues, too! My real question, has anyone had regrowth despite a family history of baldness in women?

guineapig · 01-21-2003, 02:29 AM

I am keeping close watch for regrowth on mine...I actually thought I regrew some over the summer (took met May -> September with non-hair related ill side effects so quit) but it has begun to shed again, even the eyebrows this time! I know mine is not hereditary...mom & grandmas & aunties for generations on both sides have full heads of hair plus dad has a full head of curly hair also. I really think mine is hormone/PCOS related or environmental/nutrition related as I have a slew of other problems that scream "hormone" with a neon pink light. Also, the texture of my hair has changed over time. It is a more ashy brown than before (I don't dye, haven't in 7 years) and more straight (used to be superwavy regardless of length).

Appollonia · 01-21-2003, 05:47 AM

With PCOS hair loss and regrowth occurs in cycles. That is what people here seem to have also experienced. I think that growth can fall behind shedding with PCOS. I am going onto Androcur as am over hairloss. I am also very aware that it is directly related to bodyfat levels with carbs and lack of exsercise, for me, going through a major hairloss now. Luckily, not balding, as such.