For how many years will minoxidil/finastride work?

[Einstein]

It depends on how aggressive your male pattern baldness is, but for the most part you could average maintenance for 15- 20yrs and more on finasteride + minoxidil. Most fucked up by stopping their treatment… and when sh*t hits the fan they hop back on but it doesn’t work nearly as well as it did before… then they come whining about how finasteride and min doesn’t work, pessimist bitching failing to admit their fault. I was one of those who stopped … twice!

 

[JaneyElizabeth]

Also, finasteride might last 15 to 20 years and peter out. Minoxidil with sulfurotransferase added, might last forever....

 

[Dakuwaqa]

It depends on how aggressive your male pattern baldness is, but for the most part you could average maintenance for 15- 20yrs and more on finasteride + minoxidil. Most fucked up by stopping their treatment… and when sh*t hits the fan they hop back on but it doesn’t work nearly as well as it did before… then they come whining about how finasteride and min doesn’t work, pessimist bitching failing to admit their fault. I was one of those who stopped … twice!

How long did you stop for and what happened to your hair in that time?

 

[Me Vs DiffuseThinning]

minoxidil will stop being effective for most people with moderate to aggressive hairloss after 2-4 years, if finasteride/dutasteride aren't taken alongside it.

People have reported maintaining their growth on finasteride for 15+ years. There aren't many long-term anecdotes about dutasteride because it's newer and less accessible, but I suspect, given its higher potency, that dutasteride is lifelong maintenance.

 

[Me Vs DiffuseThinning]

depends on how bad the situation is and how aggressive it is. Somebody who starts receding at 25 might maintain longer on treatments than someone who starts receding at 18.

Look at these two twins. One started treatments very early and maintained for so long and is still maintaining to this day, while the other started treatments later and his hair went downhill.

Twins Hair Loss | Stop Thinning Hair

Yep. They are both maintaining, but the one who started late has more loss because he let male pattern baldness progress for a long time before taking action.

Twin A is pretty much a fullhead since he started really early.

Twin B, the one who started late, had the same severity of hairloss in 2016 as he did 2009 (the year he first started dutasteride). He is also a success story because he maintained for 7 years.

I would love to see where they both stand now in terms of hairloss.

Twin B claims that he's not sure if he has regained any hair, but there is some regrowth in the hairline that I can see.

Twin B's Dutasteride Hair Loss Progress Photos | Dutasteride Comparison

2016

 

[Einstein]

Also, finasteride might last 15 to 20 years and peter out. Minoxidil with sulfurotransferase added, might last forever....

Are you saying minoxidil can actually be made more effective if more sulfotransferase is added? sulfotransferase metabolizes minoxidil into its active metabolite, minoxidil sulfate. By adding more we get more of the active metabolite minoxidil sulfate??

 

[JaneyElizabeth]

Are you saying minoxidil can actually be made more effective if more sulfotransferase is added? sulfotransferase metabolizes minoxidil into its active metabolite, minoxidil sulfate. By adding more we get more of the active metabolite minoxidil sulfate??

I am trying to remember. I seem to recall that minoxidil sulfate didn't stay stable maybe. I think that there were some products with minoxidil sulfate but there were much more expensive than Loniten or drinking min. Someone will probably chime in but drinking topical feels subversive.

 

[vondoom]

finasteride lasted about two years in my case until it lost its effect, maybe even earlier... to the point i dont know if thats even fake...

 

[Weatherman7]

im 29 and taking dutasteride over 5-6 years. i use minoxidil only for hairline. Dutasteride maintains rest very well

 

[jazz1]

Finasteride can last a long time, depends how you respond and be consistent with the same medication brand.

 

[JaneyElizabeth]

I am back on both finasteride and dutasteride and there's a reason to think that doing so could at least conceptually help with hair loss mitigation.

 

[HairForceOne]

I`m on year 9 on Minoxidil (foam) and Nizoral 2% once a week. I also started microneedling and zix few months ago.

I think I`m pretty much on baseline. Left pic is taken in 2012 just before starting treatments and right one was taken week ago.

 

[Einstein]

I`m on year 9 on Minoxidil (foam) and Nizoral 2% once a week. I also started microneedling and zix few months ago.

I think I`m pretty much on baseline. Left pic is taken in 2012 just before starting treatments and right one was taken week ago.

You’ve done well. Temples filled in where they were thinning before further receding and overall density/thickness was achieved. Would be interested to see how microneedling does for your temple regions. Look into adding finasteride or at least increase your nizoral to eod.

 

[Ascension]

I`m on year 9 on Minoxidil (foam) and Nizoral 2% once a week. I also started microneedling and zix few months ago.

I think I`m pretty much on baseline. Left pic is taken in 2012 just before starting treatments and right one was taken week ago.

how is that considered baseline?

 

[Hake Hedwards]

depends on how bad the situation is and how aggressive it is. Somebody who starts receding at 25 might maintain longer on treatments than someone who starts receding at 18.

Look at these two twins. One started treatments very early and maintained for so long and is still maintaining to this day, while the other started treatments later and his hair went downhill.

Twins Hair Loss | Stop Thinning Hair

So what ur saying is to start of as soon as you can and it will last longer?

 

[DoctorHouse]

They both never stop "working". The mechanism of action for minoxidil is to stimulate growth. As long as you keep using it, it will do that. The mechanism of action of finasteride is to block DHT. As long as you keep using it, it will do that. However, if your genes are programmed to aggressively make you go bald, your genes will always win the battle. If these medication were cures, we would never go bald. There is not a single person in this forum that can accurately predict exactly how much hair they will lose in a lifetime. You can estimate based on your pattern but you don't know for sure. Many of us who started early on treatments cannot predict for certain if we did nothing, we would have still been the same. I started early and maybe if I did absolutely nothing after over 15 years on finasteride and minoxidil, maybe I would be exactly where I am now. I obviously don't have aggressive male pattern baldness since I mostly maintained. There is no way I can prove if my meds did it or I was never meant to be bald. I have the gene. I was tested for it. So I know that much. We all take these meds like an insurance policy. I said this before.

 

[lord cardigan]

I have been using minoxidil for about 6 years. Still above baseline at crown. Hairline has went back a bit but not a whole norwood

 

[lord cardigan]

Been using minoxidil topical for 7 years. Has increased hair on crown and saved me from a dreaded penalty spot bald patch. Still well above baseline

 

[Me Vs DiffuseThinning]

They both never stop "working". The mechanism of action for minoxidil is to stimulate growth. As long as you keep using it, it will do that. The mechanism of action of finasteride is to block DHT. As long as you keep using it, it will do that. However, if your genes are programmed to aggressively make you go bald, your genes will always win the battle. If these medication were cures, we would never go bald. There is not a single person in this forum that can accurately predict exactly how much hair they will lose in a lifetime. You can estimate based on your pattern but you don't know for sure. Many of us who started early on treatments cannot predict for certain if we did nothing, we would have still been the same. I started early and maybe if I did absolutely nothing after over 15 years on finasteride and minoxidil, maybe I would be exactly where I am now. I obviously don't have aggressive male pattern baldness since I mostly maintained. There is no way I can prove if my meds did it or I was never meant to be bald. I have the gene. I was tested for it. So I know that much. We all take these meds like an insurance policy. I said this before.

I started pretty late, 3 years ago. Was diffused NW6. Barely had anything left (i can show you pics). I have recovered most of my hair. I come from a family of people who were all NW6 and NW7 by age 35. The whole thing is really based on luck. Sometimes it works great even for those with aggressive loss.

 

[whatintheworld]

I started pretty late, 3 years ago. Was diffused NW6. Barely had anything left (i can show you pics). I have recovered most of my hair. I come from a family of people who were all NW6 and NW7 by age 35. The whole thing is really based on luck. Sometimes it works great even for those with aggressive loss.

If you don't mind, would be curious to see your before and after pics. I've been on both finasteride and min for over 4 years and am losing ground, but maybe I'm back to baseline after 4 years which is not bad for a diffuse Norwood 5/6.