Hello doctor, I am a 28 year old male. For the past four years, I have been experiencing hair loss. About two and a half years ago, I started using Finasteride once a week along with a Ketoconazole shampoo 1 % and Lipogaine, which is similar to Rogaine. I would use this only at night usually using about 2 to 2.5 ml total around my temples and at the vertex. The ingredients in Lipogaine are water, propylene glycol, ethanol, minoxidil 5%, azetinol, saw palmetto, beta-sitosterol, oleic acid, gamma & alpha linolenic acid, apple polyphenol, biotin, niacin, biotinoyl-tripeptide, phosphatidylcholine vitamin B6 and B12. The treatment was working well, and I grew back some hair, but about four months ago, I started experiencing a drastic increase in hair loss. I would wake up in the morning after applying the Lipogaine, and my hair would be extremely dry, brittle and stiff which would cause it to fall out very quickly. Around the same time, I developed a circular rash on my forehead which I received while doing cardio at an unhygienic gym. I went to the gym with no rash and left the gym with a 2 inch rash on my forehead. I went to see a dermatologist who told me it was seborrheic dermatitis but he thought it was weird that it took a circular shape on my forehead. Around the same time, my overall activity level dropped as well. I was much less active although I still go to the gym every day. I would go to bed late around 4 AM and wake up at about 12 to 1 PM. I recently switched to regular Rogaine which has shown an improvement as far as my waking up hair quality is concerned, but now I am experiencing scalp dandruff possibly because I am using it twice a day. I also increased my Finasteride usage to two to three times a week. I am still losing hair, but I do believe it has slowed. My hairline has receded since the start, and I feel that I have been losing hair somewhat evenly everywhere on my head except for my sides. Before I believed it to be a hormonal imbalance like a thyroid issue, but lately I am leaning more towards an immune response brought on by the rash on my forehead and my high quantity of Lipogaine usage, which would cause some scalp irritation, along with my lack of daily activity. Also, even though the doctor did not see it, I have noticed occasional small red bumps on my scalp. After using Rogaine for about three weeks, I decided to try the Lipogaine just for a night and got the same dry and brittle hair response as before. Please help. I would love to keep my hair as long as I can, but it is a losing battle right now.
Hello. From your description, I would say you have a male pattern hair loss also called as androgenetic alopecia. If you are comfortable using Rogaine solution, you can continue with it or consider Minoqilib 5% (Minoxidil) solution 1 ml at bed time over the scalp. If you have seborrheic dermatitis or dandruff then that needs to be controlled with Ketoconazole 2 % shampoo to wash the scalp twice a week. Because, if you apply Minoxidil over the scalp in such a condition, it will lead to more irritation. As you are applying Minoxidil and want to use Finasteride topically consider using a combination instead of separate applications. Also consider procedures like PRP (platelet rich plasma) or hair mesotherapy for better results. For more information consult a dermatologist online -->