Hair Loss From Steroids.com
The #1 resource on the Internet to learn about and prevent androgen-related hair loss.
Information based on academic, professional and nearly a decade of personal experience.
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(Including Specific Hair Loss and Steroidal Issues)
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Low Level Laser Therapy (LLLT)
Low level laser therapy was approved by the FDA for treating hair loss in January 2007. People undergoing treatment can use laser helmet and laser hoods at doctor's offices. Smaller hand-held commercial are devices sold as well.
How it works
Low powered lasers stimulate hair and scalp tissue by activating ATP, protein synthesis, and androgensis. The hair cycle remains the same but the added stimulation encourages hair growth and in some cases, hair regrowth.
Effectiveness
An increasing body of peer-reviewed clinical trials have allowed certain laser devices to earn FDA-approval.
One of my hair restoration doctors, Dr. Glenn Charles, is one of the biggest advocates of low level laser therapy and presents the findings on a 2003 study that examined a specific device that what was later commercially released as the "Hair Max Laser Comb".
Results of the 5 subject examined are found on the table (appendix 3, table 4) to the right.
All subjects increased their previous hair count over a 6 month period.
My Experience
As noted in the product recommendations, I was initially very skeptical of low level laser therapy, or frankly any "devices" that promise to promote hair growth or prevent hair loss. After my latest hair restoration surgery in April 2010, I had the opportunity to try low level laser therapy to encourage healing and new hair growth. Found the $250,000 laser device quite effective.
I was recommended the X5 Hair Laser by Spencer Forest and believe it is very effective to stimulate hair growth in follicles that might have shed or would otherwise remain dormant after exposure to high levels of androgens.
Like many cutting-edge products, quality matters - don't buy a cheap laser if you get one.
There was a product that was once available on eBay called "The Amazing Hair Laser Brush"
that followed the FDA-approved blueprint and had legitimately strong and safe lasers.
That product was discontinued however after some copyright issues.
The Science
Ketoconazole Will Help Prevent Hair Loss From Steroids.
As of July 2011, ketoconzole is the only shampoo ingredient that clinically proven to prevent hair loss from DHT.
Belgian scientists state that ketoconazole is as effective as 2% minoxidil in preventing hair loss and recommend it for the "long-term treatment of androgenic alopecia".
In this study published in the 2005 "Journal of Dermatology" by the Department of Dermatology at the Juntendo University School of Medicine, researchers found that ketoconazole can actually help stimulate hair growth. The mechanism that stimulates hair growth or hair regrowth is unclear however.
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The Products I Use and Recommend to Prevent Hair Loss From Steroids
I personally use all of these products.
I DO NOT work for any of these companies that sell the products that I recommend.
The Best Formula For Preventing Hair Loss
(DISCONTINUED January 2012- Thanks, US Government)
Most guys, especially those most prone to male pattern baldness, have very little success with topical minoxidil formulas. I am no exception. Some of the newer formulas (w/ Azelaic Acid) are actually pretty effective however.
As of July 2011, I believe that Perfect Image's 15% Minoxidil w/ 5% Azelaic Acid (discontinued) is the best topical formula for eliminating DHT on your scalp and preventing hair loss from steroids. It significantly reduces hair loss for me.
I have tried at least 20 different minoxidil products. This is the best. It dries quick too.
Update- April 2012
The Perfect Image formula was discontinued.
So I recommend the NEW Lipogaine 5% Minoxidil w/ 5% AA.
Azelaic Acid Can Help Prevent Hair Loss
The "magic" ingredient the high quality Azelaic Acid that can inhibit up to 100% of BOTH types of DHT in your scalp - as detailed by a 2005 study published in the "American Journal of Clinical Dermatology".
I believe that Azelaic Acid is the best topical anti-androgen, FAR BETTER than Spironolactone.
High Quality Minoxidil Makes a Difference
Although myself and most men have experienced limited regrowth with minoxidil, I believe it reduces hair loss - especially while washing your hair. You just have to be consistent with it and use it daily.
A study discussed by the International Society of Hair Restoration Surgeons actually confirms my hunch:
Men who used 5% minoxidil for a year lowered their hair loss from washing (when taking a shower)from a mean of 69.7 hairs to 33.8 hairs. I certainly lose a lot less hair while showering if I am using just about any minoxidil product - but especially this one.
Best Shampoos For Preventing Hair Loss From Steroids
After trying about 15 different "anti-hair loss" shampoos while using steroids, I feel any of these 3 Ketoconazole shampoos will help equally as significantly.
I recommend these 3 shampoos over Nizoral (the shampoo most familiar to the bodybuilding/fitness community) for 2 reasons:
1. Any of these shampoos will be much easier on your scalp so you can use it every day. Nizoral is actually a high powered anti-dandruff shampoo and gives a lot of guys dry scalp.
2. These shampoos all contain ingredients [such as salicylic acid] that help ketoconazole and minoxidil absorb better.
The 3 Best Shampoos Are:
Perfect Image Hair Loss / Regrowth Shampoo 6 oz $19.99 (click for amazon.com reviews)*
Regenepure DR Shampoo 8 oz $25.00 (click for amazon.com reviews)
DS Laboratories Revita Shampoo 6.08 oz $25.69 (click for amazon.com reviews)
*Discontinued
I don't feel you can go wrong with any of them.
Seriously, these 3 shampoos all beat Nizoral for daily use. I think you'll find that as well.
For more details about the "Best Hair Loss Shampoos" check out this page.
Spencer Forest X5 Hair Laser
I have always been extremely skeptical of the effectiveness of "devices" that claim to prevent hair loss.
After reading academic research, hearing personal testimonials, and being recommended low-level laser therapy by my two personal hair restoration doctors, Dr. Glenn Charles and Dr. Ken Siporin, I do believe low-level laser therapy can be effective for helping to maintain your hair.
This is the one and only device that I can recommend for low-level laser therapy.
This is not say that the other combs do not work, I just have not used them.
This is an expensive device, $166, but not surprisingly the only one that receives a largely positive rating among the reviews on Amazon.com.
I don't think that you "need" this device, but is definitely worth a look if you have the money.
I also encourage you to click over to Amazon.com to check out what other people say about the following treatments.
I will NEVER EVER suggest or recommend any products that I have not personally tried.
I will NEVER promote any phony "garbage" that does not work.
... most topical formulas suck - but there's a few that actually work pretty well.
If you just want to know what works
this is all you need to know: (Updated April 10, 2012)
(See below for a comprehensive discussion and explanation of the products I recommend)
Best Topical Formulas for Preserving Hair
Since 15% Minoxidil Formulas are no longer available, I use a basic Generic 5% minoxidil:
Best Anti-Androgen (Anti-DHT) Topical Formula
Aziderm's 10% Azelaic Acid Cream (back in stock!)
Aziderm's 20% Azelaic Acid Cream (apply once a day, before minoxidil, lasts a LONG time)
Best 5% Minoxidil w/ Azelaic Acid Formula (NEW! April 2012)
Best Hair Loss Prevention Shampoo
Best Product to Add Volume to your Hair (amazing)
Questions?
Need [non-medical] Advice?
Shoot me an email: Temporarily Unavailable
(April 2, 2012)- Hey guys, I've been helping my Dad after his open heart surgery and taking care of my Mom who has Alzheimer's for the past 5 weeks. I haven't been able to get to a lot of emails. If you've emailed me, I'll get back to you in the following week. I'm sorry for the delay.
Plan your cycle out (make sure your doctor approves).
Avoid overly androgenic steroids.
Review (Specific Steroids and Hair Loss) for a list of the best and worst steroids for hair loss.
Discuss and get a prescription for finasteride from your doctor.
You can get Propecia (1mg finasteride) or Proscar (5mg finasteride, much cheaper) and cut them into fourths with your doctor's approval. Finasteride will prevent hair loss from testosterone-based steroids.
See below (bottom of the page) for my thoughts on finasteride and the potential side effects.
Get a ketoconazole shampoo. Use it every day or every other day.
Ketoconazole is clinically proven to inhibit the synthesis of scalp DHT.
My only suggestion is Regenepure DR. (more info below)
Since 15% is no longer available, get a topical 5% minoxidil. Use it at least every 12-24 hours.
This is the product I use in the morning is Lipogaine 5% Minoxidil w/ 5% Azelaic Acid.
Unlike generic minoxidil, Lipogaine isn't oily and dries super quick.
This is the BEST topical formula since Perfect Image's minoxidil was pulled by the FDA.
For even more protection from scalp DHT-
Get a 5 or 10% azelaic acid cream. Use it at every 24 hours.
Since minoxidil with azelaic acid has been discontinued - you have to buy it separately.
Azelaic acid is clinically proven to inhibit type 1 and type 2 DHT.
This has been working really well most guys.
My suggestion is Aziderm's 10 or 20% Azelaic Acid. The tube lasts for a pretty long time.
Finasteride (Propecia or Proscar) - By Rx Only
Finasteride, the generic name for "Propecia", was the second of two FDA-approved treatments for androgenic alopecia.
It is a pill that is available by prescription only for men.
How it works
Finasteride helps prevent hair loss by reducing the amount of DHT that is in your body. As of July 2011, DHT is thought to be the primary catalyst to genetic pattern hair loss in those predisposed to androgenic alopecia. When you reduce your DHT levels, hair follicles, that would otherwise be attacked by DHT will get the chance to survive. Additionally, if you lower your DHT levels, hair follicles that were previously under attack may be able to return to their prior size and thickness, provided the hair follicle is not too thin. The International Society of Hair Restoration Surgery further details the role of finasteride in combating androgenic alopecia.
Effectiveness
The American Hair Loss Association reports that according to a Merck study, the manufacturer of Propecia: 1mg of finasteride can lower your DHT up to 60% which stops the progression of hair loss in 86% of men. Although this Merck study, highlighted here, has been debated, the pharmaceutical company won FDA approval of Propecia with their clinical study. The American Hair Loss Association considers finasteride to be the single best option for prevent androgenic alopecia from the natural conversion of testosterone to DHT.
My Experience
If you are prone to male pattern baldness, taking finasteride is a must if you want to prevent hair loss from steroids. Please be aware that finasteride will only prevent hair loss from testosterone-based steroids and will not reduce DHT or prevent hair loss from androgens, such as Dianabol or Trenbolone that convert to DHT by other means than the 5AR reductase.
For every 250mg of testosterone that I would take, I would take an additional 1.25mg of finasteride.*
* This was my personal experience, clinical research suggests that just 1mg should reduce your DHT by ~60% regardless of the amount of testosterone you are taking. I take 1.25mg of finasteride daily.
I highly encourage you to get a prescription for finasteride from your doctor and get it from an American pharmacy.
Products from international pharmacies and "research" chemical vendors were simply not as effective for me.
Finasteride is a lifetime commitment, but a worthwhile one.
January 13th 2012
Hey whats up guys.
If you’ve been a loyal user of the Perfect Image 15% Minoxidil or Minoxidil Max’s 15% minoxidil (with 5% azelaic acid) formula I got some lousy news for you – it seems like the FDA, likely with the support of Rogaine (the brand name minoxidli manufacturer) and/or Merck (the brand name Propecia manufacturer) has demanded the discontinuation of all the 15% minoxidil with azelaic solutions under the guise “not proven safe”.
The real reason obviously was that these formulas worked extremely well and likely took business away from mentioned companies. What a bummer.
I don’t know if they will come back. It may have to reach the higher courts similar to the temporary ban on ephedrine. We’ll see.
While the FDA/DEA can take away our right to buy a premade minoxidil with azelaic acid solution, they cannot take away our right to buy the two ingredients separately. That is what I’ve been doing and so far so good.
While the discontinuation of the Perfect Image products are annoying. I’m actually not too worried about it. I’ve found a routine that has worked fine to re-grow and preserve my hair. It may be even better - we'll see.
This is what I’ve been doing: http://anabolicminds.com/forum/steroids/190433-saturated-my-head.html
I’ve recently switched over to generic 5% minoxidil* with the Aziderm's 10 or 20% azelaic acid cream and it’s working fine (surprisingly, if not better?). The key is consistency.
*I use the Spectral DNC minoxdil if I’m going out, it dries fast and it’s not oily like generic minoxidil. Spectral has always been good, it was the product that restored my faith in minoxidil.
I may sound like a broken record but- back 4-5 years ago, I used to think minoxidil was worthless and maybe the older formulas were. Sometime after, I started using it again when the formulas became less expensive. I noticed that I was losing less hair in the shower.
Then while working for Livestrong.com, I came across this study discussed by the International Society of Hair Restoration Surgeons (ISHRS): ‘Men who used minoxidil daily for 12 months lower their hair loss when washing/showering from an average of 69.7 hairs to 33.8 hairs’. That’s is over a 50% reduction in hair loss. That is significant. Again, the key is consistency.
My current routine (and recommendation) is this-
This is EXACTLY what I do (April 2012)-
In the morning (after showering)-
- Finasteride (1mg – 1.25mg every day, or 2.5mg every 3 days)
- Lipogaine 5% Minoxidil w/ 5% Azelaic Acid (1-1.25 applications after showering, hair is damp but not wet)
Before bed- (since I still have a few more bottles/tubes of generic minoxidil and azelaic acid)
- Generic 5% Member’s Mark Minoxidil (1-1.25 applications at night)
- Aziderm’s 10 or 20% Azelaic Acid (applied at night to thinning areas before you apply the generic minoxidil)
- Regenepure DR Ketoconazole Shampoo (used daily or at least every other day)
I also use, but optional-
- * Tricomin Conditioning Shampoo (excellent for appearance of your hair-- Looks way thicker)
- (Nioxin doesn't stop hair loss, however, it's REALLY good at giving volume/thickness to your hair. One bottle will last 4-5 months.)
- * N2 Shampoo (optional, but recommended: a bottle last for like 3+ months if you don’t use it everyday, it smells good too!)
I’ve been doing that exact routine for over a month now and it’s working great.
I’ll check back in at the 2 month mark to let ya know how it’s going.
Here’s a few more notes:
Regenepure is the best ketoconazole shampoo. Unlike the former Perfect Image Ketoconazole Shampoo, it doesn’t contain sodium laurel sulfate. Sodium laurel sulfate is a cheap ingredient that makes shampoo/soap foam up.
While I think that the concerns about sodium laurel sulfate are probably overblown, sodium laurel sulfate does cause inflammation in “frequent moderate-long” exposures. Inflammation is a lesser-discussed catalyst of hair loss. Let’s put it this way- inflammation doesn’t ‘cause’ hair loss but it accelerates it. Ideally, your using your ketoconazole shampoo daily or every other day and keeping it on your head for 5 minutes or the duration of your shower. That might constitute “frequent moderate-long” exposure. So it’s probably better to avoid sodium laurel sulfate products.
Instead, Regenpure has aloe vera, an anti-inflammatory- a better choice than sodium laurel sulfate.
My only knock on Regenpure is that for some reason, my hair seems to have slightly less ‘volume’ after I use it. Sometimes, it seems sort of ‘flat’- if that makes sense. If you already have thin hair, it’s not ideal.
My solution is to also use or alternate with a volumizing shampoo that improves the appearance and fullness of my hair. I use currently use Nioxin shampoo (33.8oz bottle costs $28.50 and lasts like 8months). I’ve also used Tricomin Conditioning Shampoo, which is better, but more expensive (8oz. bottle costs $21.27 and lasts like 3months). If you get that one, make sure you get the conditioning shampoo, it’s both a conditioner and shampoo. I thought it was better than the ‘revitalizing shampoo’ which is simply the shampoo.
Some guys don’t care about how ‘full’ their hair looks, but I assume that guys that are trying to prevent hair loss probably care. So those are my recommendations to have a fuller head of hair and if Regenpure leaves your hair ‘flat’.
Truthfully, if you are trying to save money, all you need is generic 5% minoxidil, 5 or 10% azelaic acid and Regenepure.
It’s super cheap for a big supply.
An important note to you
I recommend Regenepure Shampoo
My thoughts on the potential side effects from Propecia-
Here's my thoughts on finasteride and potential side effects-
Understandably so, I get a lot emails about guys that are worried about the potential side effects of Propecia, while there is legitimate potential I don't think Propecia is any more 'dangerous' than any other Rx drug.
Further, I just want to suggest that nothing with this drug is permanent and not to let a less than 1% chance of lasting side effects make you paranoid.
DHT eats on (progressively miniaturizes) hair that are genetically prone to hair loss (areas most prone are the crown and hair line)
propecia lowers DHT levels, if you lower them too much, your libido will lessen (or not exist)
for 99% of guys when you stop taking it, your DHT levels go back up (thats why its a lifetime commitment)
for the guys that have 'permanent' side effects, their DHT levels are too low to get/sustain erections
simply giving them HRT (hormone replacement therapy) corrects this problem, synthetic testosterone gets their DHT back up
while being on HRT is not ideal for some guys (1 shot of testosterone every 10-14days), it's not the end of the world and it will negate any problems or hormonal imbalances that propecia has caused
my point is - the side effects from propecia won't be permanent. they are treatable with HRT if worst comes to worst
if you're already dealing with side effects, it would be wise to discontinue propecia
the guys that had their DHT permanently hindered likely experienced several short term side effects but continued taking the propecia
if you aren't experiencing side effects, you won't wake up one day and your dick with cease to work
propecia is basically like Arimidex - but works on DHT. If you stop taking Adex you estrogen will return to its natural levels. Same deal with Propecia.
i just want to assure you guys that the 1% chance is unlikely and if it does happen, it's reversible.
- Chris
Updated Video! (April 2012)
New Lipogaine Formula + Regenepure = Best Thing Going
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April 12, 2012
Chris discusses the new Lipogaine formula and has couple more thoughts.
