Hi friends,

I’m writing this post to ask for your advice on the options I have in my present condition of hair loss. I’m quite new to the world of hair loss, actually my mother detected signs of hair thinning when I went home to Germany a couple of weeks ago. So the shock still lingers, and I am presently actually quite a bit frustrated.

As you may (or may not) see from my pictures, taken after a shower (first 2), and in dry condition (pic 3), hair is thinning at the front. The crown region is also thinning.

In the meantime I went to see a specialist, and here is his verdict:
„From our examination, you have a receding fronto-temporal hairline with mild thinning from the front towards the crown. For our estimate, you will need 1050 grafts (50%) or 840 grafts (40%) to restore the hairline. Since this is a cosmetic procedure, you can choose any number of grafts that you like. (...)

For the thinning areas, we recommend the following:
1) Finasteride 5mg, 1/4 tablet once a day
2) Minoxidil 5% lotion, 2x a day
3) Ketoconazole 2% shampoo- leave the lather for 10 minutes then wash off. Do this 2x a week.”

After some consideration, I opted against finasteride because of the negative effects associated with it. I am also not prepared for a hair transplantation. So presently I just take Minoxidil and the shampoo, as well as some coconut oil now and then. Ah, and hair fibres like Toppik to cover the crown region.

I have combed through the internet a bit and found several possibilities to cover up, or improve, thinning hair. However, I feel I can’t decide without your help. So what do you think of the following options?:

1. Natural products like argan oil, castor oil, Hair Fuel Extreme (Reborn Labs). Has anyone tried any of these, or other products, and to what effect?

2. Colouring the scalp with natural plant products, like indigo. Does that work?

3. Creating an (artificial) lower hairline with DermMatch or something else.

4. Does anyone know anything about hair extensions, or rather hair thickening? Do they work to cover up the hair line? There are so many options like flip-in, clip-in, tape-in, nano rings, micro rings, bondage etc. etc. Can you do it yourself, like buy some real human hair and tape it into the existing hair, or will that mess up everything?

5. I have heard of tape-in-quikkies to cover the temples. Any idea if that works?

I live in Bangkok, Thailand, so some options available in the US may not be available here. As I live on a Thai salary, I would also go for the DIY approach, if possible. However, I am very grateful for any constructive ideas!

Thanks a bunch
Andy