My story:
age 35
I started thinning around age 20 (genetic) and by 21, I was a Norwood 2. This progressed to a Norwood 3. My widow's peak stayed on strong, but the temple sides kept going back.
A young Jack Nicholson or Julian Sands pattern. Julian's looks good (through 80s and 90s) because it was a consistent thickness and healthy.
Sometime around age 24, someone noticed a quarter dollar sized balding spot on the vertex (love it when others notice before u do). The only known treatment in the early 90s was Rogaine. I got a script and results appeared right away. I noticed my hair looking better after only 2 weeks! Thicker hair, then little bald spot stopped. Rogaine was expensive for me then, so I couldn't keep the regimen. If I COULD have, I would most likely be a thick Norwood 2 today.
Age 26 - mostly off treatment
Age 27, I start again. I also clipped hair very short and bleached it. Using the newly available OTC minox, I maintain and regrow, but stay somewhere between a Norwood 2-3. Balding spot mostly grows back in. Not even noticeable and possibly gone.
Repeat on and off. Bleach and treat again at age 30. Works and hair gets thicker and recovers.... no problems, but never regrow temples.
All of the sudden at late 34 and off treatment, my scalp rebells. Massacre upon hair shafts is unleashed. Balding spot grows to golf ball size. It was then that I started using "Toppik". 2004 was a good year until I went off my combined treatments of minox, procerin/saw palmetto (don't laugh or ban me) and Nizoral. I also tried a few other herbal shampoos with tea tree and blue silica. I dye my hair lighter once more and it works.
My Major Observations:
1 - Recovery/Effectiveness - I recovered faster in the early days. I don't it's so much age (to a point) as how long you have been losing. I sincerely feel that people in good cardiovascular shape up to age 40 or so, will have good results. Especially if the loss history is young and more recent.
generic worked as well as rogaine... except maybe in my early days, but
2 - Dye jobs. I feel they helped. I think using a light hair dye is much more gentle than harsh bleaching. Part of it is lessening the contrast if you are light/pale. I have also theorized that the leaving the dye on for 30 minutes or so, acts as a "Scalp Peel".
I notice a difference in how my scalp feels and I notice that the hair looks healthier.
My older cousin bleaches his hair and I swear it looks as if his hair grows thicker when the dye is a regular every 8 weeks.
3 - I tried Ozbrew summer 2005- I think it may have helped, but only if it was mixed with Minox. I did not like the DMSO peel. Sorta worked, but burned like hell and I think it receeded my fragile front line. I now have less than I did on the sides...
4 - Diet. I have noticed that certain foods may exacerbate inflammation, which in turn causes the scalp to become more oily or red. I don't have a great record of what does this for me, but I'll try listed foods I eat.
Coffee - bad if over 8-12 oz a day
Red meats and fatty fried foods: They may hurt more than arteries
Breads: maybe wheat allergies causing inflammation or reaction.
Goods:
Soy: Everyday I use it in cereal or make a drink with it.
Tea - good, Green is better
Honey seems to help, but I'm not certain.
IMHO, diet and general health matters. Reducing Cholesterol probably helps.
I just finished a month of Minox 2%, Saw Palmetto, Omega 3&6 and Nizoral and I have honestly maintained. I also haven't used Toppik in a month. I was able to thicken by diffuse areas and hide my bald spot when using. Going without was hard, but at least I stopped losing. To compensate for Toppik I chose to dye my hair lighter. I'm normally a gingery light brown, but went to a dark golden blonde. Less contrast with scalp.
New regimen starting this week:
Sorry for the long ramble. I would be VERY gleeful to progress backwards to a Norwood 2 or early 3. I really don't WANT to regrow all the temple hair. I just want the top to be thicker and the bald vertex to grow back. I hope it can. there's hair growing all through it, but it's so thin and diffuse that the scalp can be clearly seen and it looks bald. I hope I'm not too late.finpecia (expecting in mail soon)
reorder minox
Omega 3/6
add MSM 1000 mg
and Couvre to help me through.
Many of the famous don't have full temples. If I was 20 I would be worried and want to stop it, but very few celebrities over 25 have full "boyhead" hair on the temples. Most are a Norwood 2 or maybe an early Norwood 3. If I still notice maintenance and results within 2-3 months, I'm hoping a good solid year of combined treatment will bode well.
Now I look forward to your stories.
[/quote][/b]