Finasteride Doesnt Reverse Miniaturization

[bluecyclone]

I know. I could have waited years instead I bought the whole ‘the sooner you start...’

Any ideas on what to do now?

Topical Finasteride
Oral Minoxidil 2.5
Keto 2%

Also have a topical steroid. Use occasionally.

 

[EndlessPossibilities]

Anything is possible but my experience has not been great so far. These are pictures of left temple from May and yesterday. May be as much an an inch wider and higher. What you can’t see is the forelock and midscalp have also thinned out dramatically since I started. Haven’t tried a detmapen yet but I might try it just at the bare spots on the temples since those can’t really get worse.

Ahh i see. Well id say you are also at the point where things arent too bad. Do you have any symptoms with finasteride besides the thinning? I wonder if its the rumored hyperfeflex effect they say people sometimes experience

 

[EndlessPossibilities]

I know. I could have waited years instead I bought the whole ‘the sooner you start...’

Any ideas on what to do now?

Topical Finasteride
Oral Minoxidil 2.5
Keto 2%

Also have a topical steroid. Use occasionally.

Honestly man its up to you. But ive seen people say they were losing for months and then at the 1 year mark hair growth suddenly.

 

[MKP05]

I know. I could have waited years instead I bought the whole ‘the sooner you start...’

Any ideas on what to do now?

Topical Finasteride
Oral Minoxidil 2.5
Keto 2%

Also have a topical steroid. Use occasionally.

I’m on oral finasteride and topical minoxidil plus Keto (dr regrnepure) so a slightly different regimen even though the same meds. I’m certainly not as knowledgeable or experienced as most of the other members here but my opinion is that you should not introduce anything additional until you’ve given an appropriate amount of time to see if your hair cycles and starts improving. The exact amount of time I’ve seen people post here is anywhere from 6 months to 2 years so I totally understand your point. You don’t want to keep doing something that may be hurting rather than helping. And you want to stop the hair loss ASAP. I’m in the same boat although my hair loss only started in May with treatment starting in July. I’m tempted to start using a dermapen but if I do I think I might start very conservatively and try to hit just the left temple where my hair loss is the worst and therefore the least to lose. I’d be afraid to f*** with anything else until I see results there.
I definitely don’t want to make matters worse and maybe it’ll help me get accustomed to the routine if/when I start needing to do a larger area.

Also not sure if you use a concealer but I put a bit of derm match on the forelock where i still have some hair and it gives just enough of an illusion of density that you can’t see 2-3 inches up my forehead that’s thinned out. Keeps me a little more sane and not so worried when I’m out.

 

[bluecyclone]

Brontzu!

thanks. I will stic with it for at least 6 months. At this pace I can tell people it’s chemo going from long black hair to NW4.

 

[MKP05]

Brontzu!

thanks. I will stic with it for at least 6 months. At this pace I can tell people it’s chemo going from long black hair to NW4.

I hear ya brother. Keep me posted. We’re close in age and, although I totally understand that we’ve been lucky to get this far, losing hair this rapidly is not pleasant no matter your age.

 

[MKP05]

Ahh i see. Well id say you are also at the point where things arent too bad. Do you have any symptoms with finasteride besides the thinning? I wonder if its the rumored hyperfeflex effect they say people sometimes experience

It looks ok from the pics but i assure you that it’s thinning underneath all the long hair beyond my temple. Started at the forelock. Then moved up a few inches. Now it’s everywhere. Maybe it will never progress to the point of being noticeable if I keep my hair long. But I think that may be wishful thinking. I’m praying to god this is not the reflex hyperandrogenicity I’ve read about bc I don’t think there’s any coming back from that.

No sides whatsoever besides the thinning. I’ve noticed that I may have more random itches than I used to. But that could be me being hyper sensitive about what’s going on. Good luck!

 

[MKP05]

I’m on oral finasteride and topical minoxidil plus Keto (dr regrnepure) so a slightly different regimen even though the same meds. I’m certainly not as knowledgeable or experienced as most of the other members here but my opinion is that you should not introduce anything additional until you’ve given an appropriate amount of time to see if your hair cycles and starts improving. The exact amount of time I’ve seen people post here is anywhere from 6 months to 2 years so I totally understand your point. You don’t want to keep doing something that may be hurting rather than helping. And you want to stop the hair loss ASAP. I’m in the same boat although my hair loss only started in May with treatment starting in July. I’m tempted to start using a dermapen but if I do I think I might start very conservatively and try to hit just the left temple where my hair loss is the worst and therefore the least to lose. I’d be afraid to f*** with anything else until I see results there.
I definitely don’t want to make matters worse and maybe it’ll help me get accustomed to the routine if/when I start needing to do a larger area.

Also not sure if you use a concealer but I put a bit of derm match on the forelock where i still have some hair and it gives just enough of an illusion of density that you can’t see 2-3 inches up my forehead that’s thinned out. Keeps me a little more sane and not so worried when I’m out.

I know. I could have waited years instead I bought the whole ‘the sooner you start...’

Any ideas on what to do now?

Topical Finasteride
Oral Minoxidil 2.5
Keto 2%

Also have a topical steroid. Use occasionally.

I know. I could have waited years instead I bought the whole ‘the sooner you start...’

Any ideas on what to do now?

Topical Finasteride
Oral Minoxidil 2.5
Keto 2%

Also have a topical steroid. Use occasionally.

What topical steroid do you have? My dr suggested clobetasol for 2 weeks. I’m on day 10. I guess it helps suppress the inflammation?

 

[washed_up]

Miniaturization that is severe and late yes. It 100% reverses the early kind of miniaturization though, if you're a responder.

 

[bluecyclone]

What topical steroid do you have? My dr suggested clobetasol for 2 weeks. I’m on day 10. I guess it helps suppress the inflammation?

Clobetesol is what she gave me. I will use occasionally few times a week if there’s sensation/irritation. My first hairloss issue came as a Telogen Effluvium and ingrow scale hair.

 

[Matt Rogers]

Clobetesol is what she gave me. I will use occasionally few times a week if there’s sensation/irritation. My first hairloss issue came as a Telogen Effluvium and ingrow scale hair.

Blue cyclone let me know if clobestol did anything for you, I have some in my house. I'm in the same boat as you, started with thick dense hair. Now after 3 months of finasteride I am way worse off and thin everywhere

 

[MKP05]

Blue cyclone let me know if clobestol did anything for you, I have some in my house. I'm in the same boat as you, started with thick dense hair. Now after 3 months of finasteride I am way worse off and thin everywhere

I’m 6.5 months on fina. Thinned everywhere until about the 5 month mark. Things started to stabilize a lot over the past 6 weeks. Unfortunately the damage is done and I’m not sure if I’ll ever get back what I lost. I can only hope the next couple of cycles start to thicken things up again. Not sure if it’s connected but I also started apply clobetasol 6 weeks ago. I go 2 weeks on then two weeks off and repeat. I believe it has helped a great deal with the inflammation.

 

[Matt Rogers]

I’m 6.5 months on fina. Thinned everywhere until about the 5 month mark. Things started to stabilize a lot over the past 6 weeks. Unfortunately the damage is done and I’m not sure if I’ll ever get back what I lost. I can only hope the next couple of cycles start to thicken things up again. Not sure if it’s connected but I also started apply clobetasol 6 weeks ago. I go 2 weeks on then two weeks off and repeat. I believe it has helped a great deal with the inflammation.

I have a lot of crown inflammation it appears. My crown itches tingles and burns sometimes. This never happened before finasteride. I'm scared to lather clobestol on it. That is powerful stuff, it turns my skin a yellowish green hue where it's applied. Scared it could destroy my follicles

 

[MKP05]

I have a lot of crown inflammation it appears. My crown itches tingles and burns sometimes. This never happened before finasteride. I'm scared to lather clobestol on it. That is powerful stuff, it turns my skin a yellowish green hue where it's applied. Scared it could destroy my follicles

I’m not a doctor but I’m fairly sure it can’t destroy the hair follicle especially since it is commonly prescribed specifically to combat certain auto immune hair disorders. It reduces inflammation. But you’re absolutely right that it’s powerful stuff and should be used with some degree of caution. I don’t lather it in. I use a few drops. Since I’ve been using it I have noticed almost a complete stop in hair loss everywhere except the hairline but that has dramatically slowed as well. Not sure if it’s just coincidence or if it’s simply that the finasteride has finally started to do its job. FYI - the 2 week on/off was recommended by a dermatologist and then supported by another dermatologist I saw afterward. You might want to check with a doctor prior to using.

 

[Matt Rogers]

I’m not a doctor but I’m fairly sure it can’t destroy the hair follicle especially since it is commonly prescribed specifically to combat certain auto immune hair disorders. It reduces inflammation. But you’re absolutely right that it’s powerful stuff and should be used with some degree of caution. I don’t lather it in. I use a few drops. Since I’ve been using it I have noticed almost a complete stop in hair loss everywhere except the hairline but that has dramatically slowed as well. Not sure if it’s just coincidence or if it’s simply that the finasteride has finally started to do its job. FYI - the 2 week on/off was recommended by a dermatologist and then supported by another dermatologist I saw afterward. You might want to check with a doctor

Do u apply it all over? My hair loss is diffusing everywhere. Thinking I should only stick to my worst area which is my crown

 

[bluecyclone]

I used it for several weeks before Topical Finasteride.

5 months on Finasteride and I lost a lot ground especially in the hairline. What’s strange is that over the last few weeks I started getting an itch I’ve never had before and my beard once incredibly thick has begun to thin out.

I started using the clobetesol as needed to calm the itch. No more than 2-3 times per week. No change in the shed though. I’ve lost so much hair and the hair quality is fraction of 1 year ago. Such a demoralizing disease. I have been lucky even though the rapid loss is painful. Feel for the young guys.

 

[Matt Rogers]

I used it for several weeks before Topical Finasteride.

5 months on Finasteride and I lost a lot ground especially in the hairline. What’s strange is that over the last few weeks I started getting an itch I’ve never had before and my beard once incredibly thick has begun to thin out.

I started using the clobetesol as needed to calm the itch. No more than 2-3 times per week. No change in the shed though. I’ve lost so much hair and the hair quality is fraction of 1 year ago. Such a demoralizing disease. I have been lucky even though the rapid loss is painful. Feel for the young guys.

I'm only 22, I went from having the thickest hair of anyone I knew. To a thinning shedding disaster this past year. Doesn't make sense. The finasteride approach is so flawed, there is much more to hairloss than simply dht.

 

[MKP05]

I'm only 22, I went from having the thickest hair of anyone I knew. To a thinning shedding disaster this past year. Doesn't make sense. The finasteride approach is so flawed, there is much more to hairloss than simply dht.

Have you considered microneedling? Quite a few in this forum have started and many are seeing results already. I bought a pen just in case the sh*t really hits the fan but I’m waiting to see if I continue to stabilize before jumping into that routine. Worth checking out due to your age.

 

[Manochoice]

I'm only 22, I went from having the thickest hair of anyone I knew. To a thinning shedding disaster this past year. Doesn't make sense. The finasteride approach is so flawed, there is much more to hairloss than simply dht.

That happened on finasteride? How long were you on so far?

 

[Matt Rogers]

That happened on finasteride? How long were you on so far?

I've been on for only 2 months. I had very light hair loss before going on. I've lost probably 40% of my hair on top if I had to guess in 2 months time.