Hey everyone,
A few weeks ago I noticed something I’ve never seen before – my scalp showing through my hair. I’ve always had dense, thick hair, and never really noticed excessive shedding (some hair here and there, but nothing alarming). On my dad’s side there’s male pattern baldness, so I know genetics aren’t exactly on my side.
I’m 25, vegan, exercise regularly, and eat a clean diet. I cover my vitamins, but I suspect I might have some iron deficiency (waiting on recent blood test results). I’ve also dealt with folliculitis for 3–4 years and have been actively seeking treatment. I was on isotretinoin last year but had no hair loss until now. I rinse my hair daily and try to keep my scalp as healthy as possible.
Two weeks ago I started 1mg finasteride daily to block DHT while I figure out what’s going on. I also use Ketoconazole shampoo a couple of times a week for scalp health. I have some topical minoxidil foam but haven’t started it yet — debating between:
- a) Staying on fin alone for a few months to see how it goes until my derm appointment.
- b) Adding topical minoxidil now (just not sure how often I’d realistically keep up with it).
- c) Skipping topical and going straight to low-dose oral minoxidil to cover all bases.
Also wondering if, given my early stage, I should stay on fin or switch to dutasteride early for stronger DHT suppression. I’ve read about side effects for both minoxidil and dut, but most stories seem anecdotal. I’m in good health and train regularly, so I feel like I could monitor and manage any issues.
Any advice from people who’ve been in this early stage? Should I ride it out on fin, or hit it harder now with min/dut to salvage as much as possible? I’ll link pics in the comments for reference.
Thanks in advance for any guidance — I’m just trying to give myself the best shot at keeping what I’ve got.
