Steroids and Hair Loss

[Alpine]

I totally agree with what Alpine said. Even if you're going to try to save your hair, you need to prepare with the inevitability that eventually, you're probably going to use it.

However, I think it is possible to hang onto your hair much longer if you take the right steps - and these steps don't need to be dangerous to your health or a royal PITA.

I started losing hair at 22, but now at 31 its thicker than it has been in the past 5 years. Everyday, I use:

every night:
~1mg Finasteride
1ml 5% Minox/2% Retonic Acid
2% Spiro at night (applied with dabber bottle to thinning areas)
Shampoo containing pyrithione zinc

every day
15% Xandrox

every other day
Hair Regrowth Shampoo (Ketoconozole with salicylic acid)
Laser Comb, 10 min

Supplements that can help maximize GH output, like GABA and PGH-T, seem to help as well.

It seems like a lot of stuff, but really its not any more difficult or time consuming than brushing your teeth. I have no negative sides whatsoever.

As you get older though, your scalp becomes more and more sensitive to the effects of DHT - and the treatmets can lose their effectiveness.

Maybe by then they'll have a cure

BV

That is a solid routine - definitely doing all you can. For anyone thinking about starting finasteride - more is not better.

.5mg is almost identical in effectiveness for hair loss as 1mg is. This has been backed up in studies. Dont go over 1mg. Stay away from Dutasteride IMO, it annihilates DHT levels (too much). Dont pay a premium for that garbage either. You can get it online (generic) for cheap and split the pills yourself.

Also, 15% Xandrox = higher concentration 5% Minox/2% Retonic Acid for those unfamiliar.

If you are running test, finasteride can help a lot. But if you are using anything else (Tren, dbol, winny, any of the new designers) it wont do anything for you on cycle. BTW, Tren gets a bad name in terms of hair loss. I found that despite it being highly androgenic, it wasnt THAT BAD. IMO, Dbol led to a much more noticeable thinning in a short amount of time. I have seen others note this also. Here is some interesting discussion.

Invalid Link Removed

 

[TeamSavage]

but for the love of god don't go to the dark side (comb over)!

True true. Comb overs are only allowed once you lose your sight and you can't see how stupid you look.

For bulking, why not just run a moderate dose of test with finasteride?

Also, I disagree with BigVrunga a little bit about needing to stay on minox permanently. This is true for the average person, but there is something to be said for using minox on-cycle to help reduce and "normalize" DHT levels in the scalp. This would help prevent excessive shedding during the cycle, and I don't think that hair would suddenty fall out if you stopped using minox after the cycle (because at that point DHT levels would be back to baseline naturally.

 

[BigVrunga]

Also, I disagree with BigVrunga a little bit about needing to stay on minox permanently. This is true for the average person, but there is something to be said for using minox on-cycle to help reduce and "normalize" DHT levels in the scalp. This would help prevent excessive shedding during the cycle, and I don't think that hair would suddenty fall out if you stopped using minox after the cycle (because at that point DHT levels would be back to baseline naturally.

Minoxidil doesnt actually do anything to help reduce DHT levels - its role in hair loss prevention therapy is mainly as a hair growth stimulant. I believe it works by increasing circulation to the hair follicles - its a vasodilator.

Although, if someone without serious MPB issues wanted to use Minoxidil only on-cycle in order to keep conditions for healthy hair growth maximized - they'd probably be fine. If you're using it to help regrow hair though, once you stop a few weeks/months later the hair regrown with minoxidil will likely fall out.

I've had it happen to me - after regrowing a bunch of hair, I got lazy and didnt keep up with the treatments. One morning in the shower most of my new hair came out in my hands...not pleasant! It took months to regrow.

For oncycle DHT prevention, you'd want to use Spiro/Eucapil/Finasteride or possibly Dutasteride. I agree with Alpine though, personally I wouldnt use the stuff. It has a half life in the human body of over 5 weeks, and inhibits something like 90% of your DHT production. It just seems a little on the harsh side to me.

However, on a cycle of Test a low dose of Dutasteride has been found to be very effective. CEDeoudes has had some great reviews using Dutasteride on cycle.



BV

 

[TeamSavage]

Minoxidil doesnt actually do anything to help reduce DHT levels - its role in hair loss prevention therapy is mainly as a hair growth stimulant. I believe it works by increasing circulation to the hair follicles - its a vasodilator.

Yes, you are correct. My apologies. For some reason I had it in my head that minox was a localized 5AR inhibitor. 100% wrong.

 

[BigVrunga]

Oh no prob bro - many minox solutions have 5% Azelaic Acid blended with them, and AA is (supposed to be) a localized 5AR inhibitor. Easy to mix the two up....

 

[Tom 185]

why take finasteride for some dht blocking, when Azeleic acid is said to block dht 100%??

 

[Cardinal]

I have the same question. I take it BigVrunga is not using AA because it maybe just doesn't seem to be that effective for him (all this stuff varies with the individual re: effectiveness).

On paper AA seems like the smartest way to go if you want to avoid the systemic sides. Reality sometimes is a different matter. Fina/duta also may have some prostate benefits.

Another question for BigVirunga. Have you been cycling AAS much this last year or two while trying to regrow hair. I would guess not, but it is worth asking.

 

[Tom 185]

I have the same question. I take it BigVrunga is not using AA because it maybe just doesn't seem to be that effective for him (all this stuff varies with the individual re: effectiveness).

On paper AA seems like the smartest way to go if you want to avoid the systemic sides. Reality sometimes is a different matter. Fina/duta also may have some prostate benefits.

Another question for BigVirunga. Have you been cycling anabolic steroids much this last year or two while trying to regrow hair. I would guess not, but it is worth asking.

BUMPPPPPPPPP

 

[Alpine]

Guys, AA alone is not a rock solid proven remedy for the DHT issue. Yes, it has potential to be an anti-DHT in the scalp. It cant hurt, so its added in with the minox in the Xandrox formula (and clones). The only way you are going to see much benefit is by reducing overall DHT with finasteride. There is science behind AA "helping" but its not on the same level as finasteride. Not even all companies include AA in their minox formulations. It's still considered an "unapproved" treatment for MPB. Minox and Finasteride ARE approved.

I wouldnt put much faith in AA alone dealing with the DHT issue.

The is basically the one decent study that is always used to back up AA.

Inhibition of 5 alpha-reductase activity in human skin by zinc and azelaic acid.

Stamatiadis D, Bulteau-Portois MC, Mowszowicz I.

Laboratoire de Biochimie B, Hopital Necker-Enfants-Malades, Paris, France.

The effects of zinc sulphate and azelaic acid on 5 alpha-reductase activity in human skin were studied using an in vitro assay with 1,2[3H]-testosterone as substrate. When added at concentrations of 3 or 9 mmol/l, zinc was a potent inhibitor of 5 alpha-reductase activity. At high concentrations, zinc could completely inhibit the enzyme activity. Azelaic acid was also a potent inhibitor of 5 alpha-reductase; inhibition was detectable at concentrations as low as 0.2 mmol/l and was complete at 3 mmol/l. An additive effect of the two inhibitors was observed. Vitamin B6 potentiated the inhibitory effect of zinc, but not of azelaic acid, suggesting that two different mechanisms are involved. When the three substances were added together at very low concentrations which had been shown to be ineffective alone, 90% inhibition of 5 alpha-reductase activity was obtained. If this inhibition is confirmed in vivo, zinc sulphate combined with azelaic acid could be an effective agent in the treatment of androgen related pathology of human skin.

Notice: if, could...

NOBODY will recommend AA alone to combat DHT.

 

[Tom 185]

Guys, AA alone is not a rock solid proven remedy for the DHT issue. Yes, it has potential to be an anti-DHT in the scalp. It cant hurt, so its added in with the minox in the Xandrox formula (and clones). The only way you are going to see much benefit is by reducing overall DHT with finasteride. There is science behind AA "helping" but its not on the same level as finasteride. Not even all companies include AA in their minox formulations. It's still considered an "unapproved" treatment for MPB. Minox and Finasteride ARE approved.

I wouldnt put much faith in AA alone dealing with the DHT issue.

The is basically the one decent study that is always used to back up AA.


Notice: if, could...

NOBODY will recommend AA alone to combat DHT.

good find alpine..i was wondering that for a while..i'll stick to my still taking my finasteride..thanks!

 

[BigVrunga]

Exactly what Alpine said - while AA has the potential to inhibit DHT on the areas applied, it hasnt been proven. And it might not even work for everyone. I do use AA, its in 5% concentration in the Xandrox15 solution.

NOBODY will recommend AA alone to combat DHT.

That's right - its like using pyrithione zinc shampoo, it might help, and it doesnt hurt, so you might as well toss it in there

IMHO, the addition of 1mg Finasteride and 15% Xandrox to my treatment regimen has had the biggest impact on hair regrowth. My hair is thicker now than it has been in at least 5 years.

Another question for BigVirunga. Have you been cycling anabolic steroids much this last year or two while trying to regrow hair. I would guess not, but it is worth asking.

No, I havent used androgens in about 2.5 years. I may run a cycle this year, however.

BV

 

[Alpine]

Saw this so I figured I would add it:

FDA just approved the Laser Hair Comb. I had no idea...

That makes 3 officially approved treatments. It takes a lot to make a case for approval. There must be something there, I have never personally looked into any research on it though.

Damn things cost $500 though.

 

[CEDeoudes59]

Exactly what Alpine said - while AA has the potential to inhibit DHT on the areas applied, it hasnt been proven. And it might not even work for everyone. I do use AA, its in 5% concentration in the Xandrox15 solution.



That's right - its like using pyrithione zinc shampoo, it might help, and it doesnt hurt, so you might as well toss it in there

IMHO, the addition of 1mg Finasteride and 15% Xandrox to my treatment regimen has had the biggest impact on hair regrowth. My hair is thicker now than it has been in at least 5 years.



No, I havent used androgens in about 2.5 years. I may run a cycle this year, however.

BV

This is a bump from the super past, but over ~4 removed from this post and after the DEA has discontinued Dr. Lee's formulas, Xandrox (don't know if you guys knew that... go to Invalid Link Removed, he says he's been shutdown for selling 'drugs' as classified by the DEA) -- I've learned from experience that any compound is really only has good as the carrier that its in. In the past 4 years new stuff has been brought to the marketplace that def. has superior potential than 4 years ago.

I review my near decade of experience combating androgen-related hair loss Invalid Link Removed. The very 'best' formula that I've used has 15% minoxidil and 5% AA, but seemed to work a lot better than the original Xandrox, which was def. ahead of its time.