34 Y.O. male...is it starting to creep back? Mature hairline or start of balding?

[gregferblink]

Are you in the US? Unfortunately from my experience brand name propecia (1mg) is roughly $100/month in the US when purchased through a retail chain pharmacy. Generic finasteride was maybe 1/3 of that and even cheaper online I think. Bizarre that your Doctor won’t prescribe you generic.

I’ve been on both over the years and I felt that propecia worked better for me. Not all generics are equally effective due to quality control issues. There’s been discussion in this forum and several others about brand name vs generic going back many years. I think it’s definitely worth reading about to get some perspective.

Yep. I am in the US. And again I think the dermatologist was just kinda slimy...I think there was a reason he would only prescribe me Propecia cuz he prolly got kickbacks. "Oh, and you can buy it thru me as well!"

I have an appointment next Friday for my primary doctor, so I'm hoping I can get her opinion on finasteride vs propecia.

A few thoughts as well...once I get finasteride, should I just start with that to see how well it works? I've heard it's wise just to start with finasteride to see if that alone would thicken/regrow hair. And if you don't see regrowth after a year, then start getting on the minoxidil. Good call?

Also, a reason why I didn't think I was losing my hair was that I never saw hair on my pillow, or in the shower or anything like that. Granted most of the time I had short hair but putting in mousee or combing my hair, I never got hardly any hairs on my hand/comb. The derm did say "well, your hair could all be there, but now its just thinning and could eventually fall out. The finasteride will help make the hair follicles thicker so it fills in better." So is that a good sign it would thicken back up?

Any thoughts on dermaneedling? I went down the More Plates More Dates wormhole about him talking about hair loss and he uses a Derminator on his scalp. Maybe I should start something like that as well

I 'preciate all the input and help guys! Worst case scenario I have buzzed my hair a lot of times so if all else fails, I can just rock the buzzed hair like my uncle does, but damnit I want to just try and hold on for as long as possible! lol.

 

[NickyA]

Yep. I am in the US. And again I think the dermatologist was just kinda slimy...I think there was a reason he would only prescribe me Propecia cuz he prolly got kickbacks. "Oh, and you can buy it thru me as well!"

I have an appointment next Friday for my primary doctor, so I'm hoping I can get her opinion on finasteride vs propecia.

A few thoughts as well...once I get finasteride, should I just start with that to see how well it works? I've heard it's wise just to start with finasteride to see if that alone would thicken/regrow hair. And if you don't see regrowth after a year, then start getting on the minoxidil. Good call?

Also, a reason why I didn't think I was losing my hair was that I never saw hair on my pillow, or in the shower or anything like that. Granted most of the time I had short hair but putting in mousee or combing my hair, I never got hardly any hairs on my hand/comb. The derm did say "well, your hair could all be there, but now its just thinning and could eventually fall out. The finasteride will help make the hair follicles thicker so it fills in better." So is that a good sign it would thicken back up?

Any thoughts on dermaneedling? I went down the More Plates More Dates wormhole about him talking about hair loss and he uses a Derminator on his scalp. Maybe I should start something like that as well

I 'preciate all the input and help guys! Worst case scenario I have buzzed my hair a lot of times so if all else fails, I can just rock the buzzed hair like my uncle does, but damnit I want to just try and hold on for as long as possible! lol.

If you've read MPMD's articles on finasteride you might be interested in getting a blood test prior to starting finasteride like he suggests. He has a detailed article on what to test and how to do it.

It is generally suggested to start with either minoxidil, wait three to six months and then start taking finasteride, or start with finasteride, wait a year and then start using minoxidil. The reason is that 40% to 50% of men aren't minoxidil responders or might need tretinoin to see some noticeable effect while using it. In your case I would suggest taking both at the same time because you cannot affors to lose any more hair. If you see any noticeable changes in hair density before the six month mark just assume they are due to minoxidil and accept that you'll have to stay on it for life if you want to keep that hair. The reason is the fact that once you start using it that regrowth is tied to minoxidil use, and some other hairs become minoxidil dependent too.So if you ever quit using it you might face a big shed from which you cannot recover easily.

Dermaneedling has shown to have some effect in regrowth when using it with minoxidil. A derminator is a good pick, a more expensive option would be a Dr Pen Ultima A6 with 12 pin cartridges. Personally I dont't think dermarollers are as useful as a derminator or a dermapen.

 

[Moz5x]

Yep. I am in the US. And again I think the dermatologist was just kinda slimy...I think there was a reason he would only prescribe me Propecia cuz he prolly got kickbacks. "Oh, and you can buy it thru me as well!"

I have an appointment next Friday for my primary doctor, so I'm hoping I can get her opinion on finasteride vs propecia.

A few thoughts as well...once I get finasteride, should I just start with that to see how well it works? I've heard it's wise just to start with finasteride to see if that alone would thicken/regrow hair. And if you don't see regrowth after a year, then start getting on the minoxidil. Good call?

Also, a reason why I didn't think I was losing my hair was that I never saw hair on my pillow, or in the shower or anything like that. Granted most of the time I had short hair but putting in mousee or combing my hair, I never got hardly any hairs on my hand/comb. The derm did say "well, your hair could all be there, but now its just thinning and could eventually fall out. The finasteride will help make the hair follicles thicker so it fills in better." So is that a good sign it would thicken back up?

Any thoughts on dermaneedling? I went down the More Plates More Dates wormhole about him talking about hair loss and he uses a Derminator on his scalp. Maybe I should start something like that as well

I 'preciate all the input and help guys! Worst case scenario I have buzzed my hair a lot of times so if all else fails, I can just rock the buzzed hair like my uncle does, but damnit I want to just try and hold on for as long as possible! lol.

I think it’s better to start Finasteride alone first since that is what will significantly slow down your hairloss (hopefully) and if you’re lucky provide some minor regrowth. Wait at least 6-9months before adding topical minoxidil (which may provide more regrowth and improve density).

Male pattern baldness doesn’t necessarily have to involve intense shedding of hair. It can just be slow progressive miniaturization. Some guys go bald very slowly over the course of 10-20yrs and it just sneaks up on them. I don’t know if lack of shedding is a good sign. It’s impossible to predict how well Finasteride will work. Just need to try it and monitor.