finasteride ACCELERATING male pattern baldness - TRUE/FALSE

[Julialosingthefight]

Started finasteride 5 months ago to battle very sudden hair loss at the temples. In month 1-2 I thinned rapidly in the forelock. In the last 6 to 8 weeks it has spread to the mid scalp and vertex while my hairline has pretty rapidly retreated. Ive never had what I’d call a shed. It appears that this will progress to complete diffuse thinning. I can actually see the u shaped ring of thinning which is now uniform in decreased density across my entire scalp. I know some say it’s impossible but I’m convinced this is in response to the finasteride because there is zero chance that at age 45 I just lost all density all at once in a matter of a few months. I also have an identical twin brother who does not have any hair loss aside from the normal maturing hairline. I wish I could travel back in time because after reading all of the stories about RH i would never have taken this drug. Even if I would’ve lost this hair anyway it would’ve taken years to lose what this did to me in a few short months. I’m now stuck agonizing over whether I ride this out another six months or stop and hope for a miracle. I told my 11 year old son the other day that I may need to shave my head at some point. He cried.

It's funny tho I haven't mentioned it yet in my story that I also have a twin whose hair is thicker than mine and no sudden hair loss in herself.

 

[Julialosingthefight]

So you think the FDA approved a medication for hair loss which can accelerates hair loss? You're always better with it than without it. The guys who are losing on finasteride have aggressive hair loss and finasteride can't control it or it could be a shed. finasteride also doesn't lose effectiveness, chemical reaction of 90% type 2 DHT inhibition will ALWAYS happen, but the balding process can take over after some time for some individuals.

If you keep losing on finasteride post one year, you need to either:

-Transplant for those areas that are "giving up" and stay with finasteride

-Consider something stronger or different to add or replace such as Minoxidil, dutasteride, RU. All have pros and cons

-Do nothing and accept the loss

I don't think you are always better with propecia .... there are many drugs and treatments that are supposed to help diseases and health conditions that - for a minor percentage, either make things significantly worse instead of better or in worst case scenarios, negative side effects can cause permanent damage and/or death. You wouldn't tell someone on a drug like prednisone who gets sudden heart failure that they should keep taking it, would you? So why would anyone tell someone who has massive shedding from propecia to keep taking it? It just doesn't make sense. It may work for many - it may work for NEARLY EVERYONE - but I'll tell you as a witness to my own experience, it took away 25 per cent of the hair on my scalp in the last six weeks I was on it. So no, not a good idea to keep taking it.

 

[mannyFJ]

My burning itching scalp has been going on for about two months, along with the accerated hair loss. Comforting to hear it might just be the drug. I've only been off propecia for a few weeks, so I will see if the burning and itching stop in time. My doctor prescribed me cortisone scalp lotion and if you can get some, it's very helpful and the lotion actually evaporates quickly and doesn't leave your hair looking weird.

please let me know how you make out...i'm tapering off finasteride (from 1mg to .5 to now .25 and been on finasteride for 10 months...it has destroyed my hair) experiencing the same exact thing...burning and itching but no dandruff and it burns and itch and kinda sore feeling at times and a lot of that happening at crown...and diffusing thinning badly!

how long were u on finasteride and at what dosage?

 

[mannyFJ]

Every dermatologist I’ve been to is pushing PRP. Did you get any results? I think the trick with needling is the right depth 1.5mm or more plus combining with a topical like minoxidil. More than a few guys on this forum are seeing cosmetic results in a fairly short time. Not that this will work for everyone but it’s cheap and there is some science behind it to go along with the anecdotal evidence.

have you read ppl having horrible shedding with prp (could be from injections)....i tried to inject but its too painful so i dermal rolled with a lesser depth to be on the safer side (i want to approach with caution)...im suffering accelerated hair lost from finasteride so i can't say of any improvement from prp dermal rolling...i am now using minoxidil to salvage how finasteride destroyed my hair....at the moment, less is more and process of elimination right now what is working and what isn't working and the culprit for me so i'm just tapering off finasteride and caffeine shampoo and minoxidil...keeping it simple

if i would have known how finasteride could destroy my hair, i would have just tried prp instead....oh well.

 

[MKP05]

have you read ppl having horrible shedding with prp (could be from injections)....i tried to inject but its too painful so i dermal rolled with a lesser depth to be on the safer side (i want to approach with caution)...im suffering accelerated hair lost from finasteride so i can't say of any improvement from prp dermal rolling...i am now using minoxidil to salvage how finasteride destroyed my hair....at the moment, less is more and process of elimination right now what is working and what isn't working and the culprit for me so i'm just tapering off finasteride and caffeine shampoo and minoxidil...keeping it simple

if i would have known how finasteride could destroy my hair, i would have just tried prp instead....oh well.

Yeah. It’s amazing how often this happens with finasteride. This forum is littered with stories. Yet every dr will tell you it’s impossible or never heard of such a thing.

 

[Julialosingthefight]

At first my dermatologist said no way it was the propecia... but now she’s saying she’s not sure- reading this forum I am 95 % convinced it was the propecia that caused areata type sudden hair loss— I will know for sure in a few months from now- in the interim I would suggest that if this is happening to you then f$&k tapering- just stop taking it and read up on other things you can do like laser comb, minoxidil, rosemary oil, supplements, saw palmetto and sprironolactone - I am also getting monthly injections and have a topical cortisone lotion for the burning and itching- hair is growing back in the patches already

 

[Julialosingthefight]

6

please let me know how you make out...i'm tapering off finasteride (from 1mg to .5 to now .25 and been on finasteride for 10 months...it has destroyed my hair) experiencing the same exact thing...burning and itching but no dandruff and it burns and itch and kinda sore feeling at times and a lot of that happening at crown...and diffusing thinning badly!

how long were u on finasteride and at what dosage?

6 months and high dose of 2.5 mm a day

 

[Julialosingthefight]

6

6 months and high dose of 2.5 mm a day

I quit cold turkey about 4 weeks ago

 

[neddy2016]

I quite Dutasteride cold turkey and experienced a couple of sides from stopping it. i think my hormones are only starting to fix itself recently.

but at the same time... i dunno i think something went abit wrong along the way.