LOOKSMAXXING GUIDE

This guide will cover few essential steps to help men with maintaining a healthy skin,
hair and face care routine. It will go over the necessary products and regimens needed
to maintain and enhance one’s appearance. The products mentioned are what I
personally use as well.
 HAIR CARE
This section will cover all the essentials of maintaining healthy hair and solutions to hair problems one
may have.

HAIR LOSS SOLUTION

If you are experiencing hair loss or suffer from androgenetic alopecia, and have caught it early, you still
have a chance of stopping the issue. The solution is to start taking a medicinal supplement called
Finasteride. This supplement has proven to be the most effective solution to battling hair loss/male
pattern baldness. It lowers the chemical hormone in our body called DHT (Dihydrotestosterone) which is
responsible for causing hair loss. DHT causes hair follicles to shrink in men. 55% of men are sensitive to
DHT by the age of 40.

Oral Finasteride is the best solution to take. Different doses can be found in the market, but the most
common dosage is 1mg/day. Consult with a doctor/hair specialist on what dosing will be right for you.
1mg and 5mg pills are the available doses. 1mg is recommended but 5mg may be required for those
more sensitive to DHT.

It takes 3-6 months of use to see results, but most results come closer to the 12 month mark .

Finasteride does have the risk of side effects such as low libido, erectile dysfunction and gynecomastia.
However, it has been found that side effects mostly take place as a nocebo effect. Individuals stress too
much about the product’s side effects which causes those effects to kick in. The best approach is to start
treatment and not worry about the side effects as finasteride has shown that majority of treatments
result in no side effects.

In 3 controlled clinical trials that lasted one year and included 945 men, 1.4% of patients chose to
discontinue Propecia due to adverse side effects. It is worth noting that in the placebo control group of
these clinical trials, a similar percentage (1.6%) also chose to discontinue the drug due to adverse side
effects. There are many articles that show similar research studies done that show that low % of men
experiencing side effects.

A Youtuber by the name Haircafe has excellent material on hair loss and goes into great detail with
researched studies and data showcasing the effectiveness of Finasteride. He is a finasteride user himself
and inspired me to start my treatment journey as well as I too suffer from hair loss .

Research Data Links

https://www.him.com/blog/are-finasteride-results-legit-what-the-average-man-can-expect
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/337105943_Long-term_10-
year_efficacy_of_finasteride_in_523_Japanese_men_with_androgenetic_alopecia
HAIR GROWTH SOLUTION
The next product to use accompanied with Finasteride is called Minoxidil. Minoxidil is a hair growth
stimulant. Although the exact mechanism by which Minoxidil works is not fully understood, the
treatment is a vasodilator, meaning it widens the blood vessels to deliver more oxygen-rich blood to
the hair follicles. Minoxidil also helps increase the size of hair follicles, which promotes the growth of
thicker, stronger hairs. In addition, the topical treatment shortens the resting (telogen) phase of hair
growth, which means your hair stays in the growth (anagen) phase longer.

Topical minoxidil has shown to be the most effective approach when it comes to hair growth. 5%
minoxidil is the go to choice as compared to the 2% solution.

A study shows that a total of 393 men (18-49 years old) with androgenetic alopecia applied 5% topical
minoxidil solution (n = 157), 2% topical minoxidil solution (n = 158), or placebo (vehicle for 5% solution; n
= 78) twice daily. Efficacy was evaluated by scalp target area hair counts and patient and investigator
assessments of change in scalp coverage and benefit of treatment. After 48 weeks of therapy, 5% topical
minoxidil was significantly superior to 2% topical minoxidil and placebo in terms of change from
baseline in hair count and scalp coverage. Hair count data indicate that response to treatment
occurred earlier with 5% compared with 2% topical minoxidil.

Study taken from: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12196747/

HOW TO USE:
For complete efficacy, use both 5% topical minoxidil and oral finasteride.

Minoxidil is to be taken once a day, everyday. Needs to be left on the scalp for 4 hours minimum.

Finasteride is most effective when taken everyday but needs to be consulted with a specialist first. Use
oral finasteride instead of topical finasteride.
BEFORE

AFTER
PRODUCT INFO

Minoxidil - Kirkland 5% Topical Minoxidil

https://www.samedaysupplements.com/kirkland-minoxidil-extra-strength-hair-regrowth-for-men-6-
month-supply.html

Finasteride - Essential Clinic Finasteride

https://www.essentialclinic.ca/hair-loss/finasteride-1mg-propecia
 ACNE

This section will cover the essentials of acne prevention and care.

If you suffer from acne, whether its on your face, back or on other areas of your
body, follow these remedies below.

RETINOL

Retinol increases skin cell production (proliferation). It helps unclog pores.

Retinol also exfoliates your skin and increases collagen production, which can
reduce the appearance of lines and wrinkles, giving your skin a fresher
appearance.

Usage should be 2-3 times a week. Excessive use can be detrimental as too much
can cause sun sensitivity. This means that while using retinol, your skin may be
more sensitive to ultraviolet rays and therefore more prone to sunburns and other
signs of sun damage.

BENZOYL PEROXIDE
Benzoyl peroxide works as an antiseptic to reduce the number of bacteria on the
surface of your skin. It's usually one of the first treatments recommended for mild
to moderate acne.
Usage should be 2-3 times a week.

SALICYLIC ACID
Topical salicylic acid treats acne by reducing swelling, redness and unplugging
blocked skin pores to allow pimples to shrink.
PRODUCT INFO

RETINOL - 1%
https://www.amazon.ca/Everything-Natural-Retinol-Hyaluronic-
Vitamin/dp/B086XM5SD5/ref=sr_1_15?crid=2S9OD5G6E7ZBH&keywords=retinol&qid=1699329891&s=beauty&
sprefix=retinol%2Cbeauty%2C111&sr=1-15

BENZOYL PEROXIDE - 4%
https://www.amazon.ca/PanOxyl-Creamy-Acne-Wash-Peroxide/dp/B09NYTQ2KM?source=ps-sl-shoppingads-
lpcontext&ref_=fplfs&smid=A3DWYIK6Y9EEQB&th=1

OXY PADS (contains salicylic acid)

https://oxyskincare.com/products/advanced-care-retexturizing-cleansing-pads
 FACE CARE

Use natural remedies like honey and lemon on your face to brighten your skin. It
can also help with acne.

Face wash and moisturizers are also key in maintaining proper looking skin.
It will clear bacteria and dry skin.

Use products like Tiege Hanley, Nivea and Neutrogena.