Keeping Your Hair Can Be Done

[TheSentinal]

Anyone who feels their hair helps them from an appearance standpoint should be concerned about AAS use and hair loss. It is generally advised to be cautious and not assume you are safe from MPB (male pattern baldness) regardless of family history. I thought I would never lose hair until a 12 week cycle of SUS 250 suddenly changed my mind. At week 8, I found out that Mother Nature had MPB clearly in my future and I had brought it to myself years early through AAS use. This occurred about 9 months ago and I was able to quickly educate myself on how to fight and win the hair loss battle. Many of us here will just face the inevitable and shave it off. I am one who was not ready and chose to keep my hair as long as I can. I wanted to take some time and outline the symptoms, basics medical factors and treatment that stopped my hair loss and reversed it. I am not a doctor nor is this a promise to cure MPB. However, it worked for me and I believe it can help others as well. Here we go:

Why it happens when using AAS

First, AAS do not cause MPB, period. They do speed up the process if you are genetically predispositioned to hair loss. For those who will get or have MPB, DHT sends a signal to your immune system to attack your hair follicles. DHT is a byproduct of Testosterone and occurs naturally in your body. When you are taking AAS, the amount of DHT increases substantially and overwhelms the natural chemical relationship in your scalp. The extra DHT starts a series of interactions that cause certain hair types to be recognized as intruders to your body. These hairs are typically located on the top and crown of your head. Once started, the process cannot be reversed, it can only be halted and managed. You can restore hair, but you will never be free of MPB. For me, I calculate that I started the MPB process 8 months ago that would have naturally occurred 20 years from now.


Symptoms and Signs
The symptoms and signs of my impending hair loss were not clearly evident at first. I mistakenly thought I was experiencing side effects from AAS use.

1. Itching Scalp – I thought this was a side effect of AAS similar to acne. I was wrong. An itching scalp is a primary symptom of MPB. It is what occurs as your hair follicles are being attacked in your scalp. Anyone who begins to have a daily itchy scalp should begin treatment immediately.
2. Frizzled / Kinky Hairs – We all know our hair. As your hair is attacked, you will see them begin to change shape and texture. Looking closely, you will see that the hairs on the top of your head will begin to look kinky, curling, bent, hard to control. I have straight hair and these effected hairs were noticed when I took a good look at them in the gym. Once you begin treatment, you will find these hairs begin to relax and go back to normal.
3. Thinning / Whispy Hairs – Contrary to popular belief, MPB does cause you to lose hair permanently at once. True, hairs fall out, but they will grow back smaller and thinner. This is called the minuturizing stage. This occurs over and over till they are gone. As this occurs, you will find your hair becomes very thin and whispy. The weight and thickness of your hair becomes noticeably absent as compared to your healthy hairs.
4. Hairs Everywhere – This is obviously the biggest sign. Wherever you go you find hairs. Countertops, car, shower and bed. You will also feel them falling onto your face and shoulders. Running your hands through your wet hair will produce 5-10 hairs which is fairly alarming to those wanting to keep the carpet.

Attacking the Problem

The following advice worked extremely well for me. I have stopped and reversed my hair loss but know it is always waiting for me if I stop treating it. Today, I choose to retain my hair.

1. Dutas / Dutastride – This drug is available here as a research chemical and also on the web. It is the most potent weapon to fight MPB. Combating hair loss is an off-label use. It is primarily used to treat enlarged prostates. It works by reducing DHT in the scalp. I won’t discuss research articles and percentages here. Feel free to on your own. The stuff works. When on cycle I take 0.5 mg in the morning and 0.5 mg in the evening. If my scalp continues to itch I add another 0.5 mg at noon. Off cycle I use 0.5 mg each morning. I purchase a 90 day supply in advance to always have it on hand and to get a bulk price break.
2. Minoxidil - Generic Rogaine. I buy the full strength version at 5%. Used as directed, I apply it to my scalp after a shower each morning and right before bed. It works by reducing DHT in your scalp from a topical perspective. I purchase it at Sam’s because of price. Avoid Rogaine. It is overpriced.
3. Nizoral Shampoo – It is available in 1 or 2% strengths. I use 1% EOD. The 2% version is not available in the US without a prescription. You can find web sites to purchase the 2%. I have used both but really can’t tell a difference. Similar to Minoxidil, this acts on the scalp to reduce DHT. It is an anti-fungal and reduces dandruff and scaling which can occur with repeated use of Minoxidil.
4. Conditioner – I use a decent conditioner because the Nizoral tends to strip the hair of its natural oils and ability to be combed easily.

Summary
You can be prone to MPB and still do AAS. You can keep your hair and build muscle. This is what worked for me when using Test-based AAS. I do not recommend this treatment for anything other than Testosterone based steroids . If you decide, as I did, that shaving your head is not for you, then I believe this will help you. I am not an expert, but I do have my hair! Good luck. Feel free to PM me if you like.

[shrpskn]

F'ck my hair...I'd rather do without it...just gimme a bic and I'm good to go...

BTW, I think this thread would be better served in the AR spa forum...

Thanks for the input.

[seff]

Agreed. I've been treating hairloss for a few years now and I have never been on any cycle. Ive tried it all, my genes have severe and aggressive mpb but through personal experience, research and trial and error I can help shed some light.

Finasteride, 1mg daily = the only thing that will keep you from losing your hair. It doesn't lower DHT in the scalp only per-say, but specifically in your blood... you may experience dht lowering (estrogen increasing) sides such as weight gain in female areas. Everything said above is true except for the part about minoxidil

"2. Minoxidil - Generic Rogaine. I buy the full strength version at 5%. Used as directed, I apply it to my scalp after a shower each morning and right before bed. It works by reducing DHT in your scalp from a topical perspective. I purchase it at Sam’s because of price. Avoid Rogaine. It is overpriced"

Minoxidil is the active ingredient in 'rogaine' but it does NOT have any effect on DHT. The only thing it does is increase/promote hair growth. DO NOT just take minoxidil in hopes of keeping your hair because the culprit is DHT. That said, the combination of a DHT inhibitor (fin) and a growth promoter (minoxidil) is the best bet out there - it has regained what I had previously lost and im exctatic for it.

if you're going to get minoxidil, shell out a few extra bucks and get the foam off ebay.. its 35% more effective in terms of absorption. I had little effect with the liquid generic versions, but since i switched to foam the top of my head is like a jungle.

[gooer]

great post

[rbehniwal]

Thanks great info

[finny]

Great post.

I've got the itching scalp 4 weeks or so into my test e cycle. Not sure if I'm MPB prone, but better be safe than sorry. I started taking about 0.3mg of fina ED and the itching seems to have eased a bit.

Don't think I am losing any hair yet, but you never know. Just bought the Nizoral 2%. It kind of pricey and I would like to find an alternative. What is the active ingredient that is of interest to us?

I'll be using it EOD when I wash my hair.

Also, I usually wash my hair eod, but I'm finding that it's getting pretty greasy. Might have to switch to ED. Any advice on the greasy part?

I will have to look into Minoxidil as well.

Now, I know some of this hair prevention can hinder some of your gains from AAS? Any input in there?

Thanks.

[the big lebowski]

thanks for the info, hopefully itll help me as well

[AandF6969]

Which steroids are DHT based?

[Random]

Which steroids are DHT based?

Proviron , winstrol , masteron , anadrol , primo, anavar , furazabol etc etc