Has anyone had positive results from dropping propecia?

[Kaze]

Has any one had positive results from dropping propecia after being on it a while? Positive could mean returning to hairloss that happened before propecia, or regrowth of hair lost during propecia.


Background: Ive been on propecia for 9 months and have have had diffuse thinning irritation, itching and redbumps from being on propecia through out the 9 months. I had receding temples and no thinning before propecia.

Please no standard responses from people saying propecia cant possibly do anything bad to your hair.

 

[Axl_Rose]

Well drop it then and find out, no one can tell you exactly what will happen since everyone can react different to the drug. It's possible you have had a negative reaction such as R.H.

 

[BodyDysmorphic]

:sobbing:

 

[DoctorHouse]

I doubt its any of those..... my hair was not that bad befroe treatment...if I had aggressive hair loss then why did it speed way up after starting finasteride ?

I used to say those exact words all the time. I totally understand how you feel. The exact same thing happened to me. Its like the drug literally jump started my hair loss.

 

[Oknow]

I doubt its any of those..... my hair was not that bad befroe treatment...if I had aggressive hair loss then why did it speed way up after starting finasteride ?

I used to say those exact words all the time. I totally understand how you feel. The exact same thing happened to me. Its like the drug literally jump started my hair loss.

What Norwood are you now, and what were you before?

 

[Oknow]

well since its jump started it ... nothing else to do but stay on it..mabye it will grow back in... im on 0.5mg a day now

I read your story, really is such a shame mate considering that you may probably be on fins for the rest of your life.

I hope things pick up for you, really do.

 

[Oknow]

i dont know why everybody is hung up on asking me what norwood i am... my norwood scale is a nw2... thats not the issue.... the issue is difusse thinning on teh hwole top of my head.

That question about Norwood was directed at Doctor house. My second post which makes no mention of it was directed at you.

 

[DoctorHouse]

I think before taking Propecia over 3 years ago I was still a NW1 but slowly on my way to a NW2. Now I am a NW2 and the Propecia did not help me maintain my NW1. My overall density has decreased as well. Of course, to the public I don't appear to have a hair loss problem. Don't get me wrong, I am not complaining I am a NW2. I am very lucky in that respect but I just was disappointed because I thought Propecia could at least MAINTAIN what I still had. I have always read to start the medication at the first sign of hair loss or thinning hair so you have a better chance of keeping what you have. My failure to do that has been a big disappointment. However, I am still grateful for how much hair I still have. I have never come on here for someone to pity me like so many guys do. I came on here for answers on why this medication does not work better on someone with just minor thinning and has never had any aggressive hair loss for over 30 years. I think someone who is in their early 20's has to worry the most if the drug can hold off an aggressive case if they start balding so early but I would think someone just starting to bald later in life has more of a fighting chance with medication. My biggest concern was after I went on Propecia, at about 8 months I had the most hair loss I have ever experienced my WHOLE life. And if you read post after post, you will see so many people have the biggest loss around the 6 to 8 month mark. Whatever is the cause of that chain of events is what changes your situation forever. I think something is triggered and from them on for some unfortunate ones, you never recover ALL that loss and you start to lose more than you bargain for when you decided to start with Propecia in first place. Still a mystery to me but its very well possible I have never been a responder from Propecia from the very beginning. :dunno: Or as some will point out, I am just a very late bloomer for the mature hairline.

 

[Axl_Rose]

House are you still on finasteride?

 

[DoctorHouse]

I just recently cut my dosage again to 0.5mg of finasteride since I use Lee's 6% minoxidil plus and Proctor's Proxiphen. I think 1mg might be overkill for me. I am trying to get my doctor to administer the testing for whether or not I am a finasteride responder with the Hairdx genetic testing yet he never followed up with it. I think he thought it was a scam.

 

[Oknow]

Or as some will point out, I am just a very late bloomer for the mature hairline.

Do you think that this was the case? Or otherwise. BTW at what age did you first start to notice you were losing hair...early 20s?

 

[DoctorHouse]

My hair was fine in my 20's and early 30's. I don't ever remember any problems with thinning but maybe I did and never was aware of it. Thank goodness I was not aware of it during those ages otherwise I would have wasted the best years of my early life like so many of the posters on here are doing now. Alex, aka Kerzyguy is a prime example. Even when I was 19, my hair was never as thick as his.

 

[shootingguard]

I don't mean to go off-topic, or even sound :gay: , but I find it oddly comforting whenever DoctorHouse posts.

 

[DoctorHouse]

Thanks, I really appreciate that nice comment. I honestly try my best to help cheer up some of these miserable people from wasting their lives worrying about their hair. I think s.a.f. is another comforting poster.

 

[Oknow]

My hair was fine in my 20's and early 30's. I don't ever remember any problems with thinning but maybe I did and never was aware of it. Thank goodness I was not aware of it during those ages otherwise I would have wasted the best years of my early life like so many of the posters on here are doing now. Alex, aka Kerzyguy is a prime example. Even when I was 19, my hair was never as thick as his.

But you said earlier that you were on your way to a NW2, like NW1 - 1.5 I assume, when did you begin to notice this?

Oh and yeah I definently agree with you, in some ways I WISH I never found out about this site, because at 23 it has increased my paranoia immensely about going bald. Saying that, after oberving my hairline like a mad man over a period of 6 months, I can begin to relax as there has been 0 change. Plus the site has educated me about hairloss, don't think I would have ever known about DHT, kerzy etc otherwise.

 

[DoctorHouse]

I noticed my hair starting to thin and recede maybe about 4 years ago but I think my hairline was "maturing" earlier than that as I look at some older pictures. I always was worried about hair loss because my dad started losing hair at 18 years old and was definitely seriously balding in his early 20's. He is a NW6. I don't think I have the aggressive gene for that since my loss seems to be much later in life. The point is you are never safe from balding. However, I am assuming if it does not happen aggressively by 35 years old, you are pretty much safe that you won't exceed a NW3 if you use hair loss treatments to slow things down. I think doctors should be studying the genetic make up of hispanics for a cure for hair loss. I live in an area with so many Puerto Ricans and they have the best hair and hairlines. They rarely show signs of any balding even when they are in their 60's. They all wear buzz cuts so you can always tell just how great their hair looks. However, I guess the trade off is their average height tends to be lower than caucasians.

 

[Oknow]

I noticed my hair starting to thin and recede maybe about 4 years ago but I think my hairline was "maturing" earlier than that as I look at some older pictures. I always was worried about hair loss because my dad started losing hair at 18 years old and was definitely seriously balding in his early 20's. He is a NW6. I don't think I have the aggressive gene for that since my loss seems to be much later in life. The point is you are never safe from balding. However, I am assuming if it does not happen aggressively by 35 years old, you are pretty much safe that you won't exceed a NW3 if you use hair loss treatments to slow things down. I think doctors should be studying the genetic make up of hispanics for a cure for hair loss. I live in an area with so many Puerto Ricans and they have the best hair and hairlines. They rarely show signs of any balding even when they are in their 60's. They all wear buzz cuts so you can always tell just how great their hair looks. However, I guess the trade off is their average height tends to be lower than caucasians.

How old were you 4 years ago?

And does this mean that you lived in fear for the majority of your life due to hairloss?

 

[DoctorHouse]

My age is over the hill now but at that time I was in my 30's still. Yes I have lived in fear of balding all my life but never as much as I did for the past 4 years when I saw the most changes on Propecia. My strong family history of balding on both sides is really scary but I think I have been spared from getting a NW4-6 but you really never know. You twenty something year olds definitely live in more fear than I did at your age. However, I hate when I read posts that say I won't care when I am in my late 30's or 40's. Trust me if you care now, you will still care then. Being a NW3 in your twenties and a NW5 or NW6 in your 40's is still no picnic if you care. And when you reach a NW6 or 7 at an earlier age, you will care ALL your life. People like Kerzy should not be obsessed with hairloss. He will definitely have problems later in life. I know because I have been there.

 

[Oknow]

My age is over the hill now but at that time I was in my 30's still. Yes I have lived in fear of balding all my life but never as much as I did for the past 4 years when I saw the most changes on Propecia. My strong family history of balding on both sides is really scary but I think I have been spared from getting a NW4-6 but you really never know. You twenty something year olds definitely live in more fear than I did at your age. However, I hate when I read posts that say I won't care when I am in my late 30's or 40's. Trust me if you care now, you will still care then. Being a NW3 in your twenties and a NW5 or NW6 in your 40's is still no picnic if you care. And when you reach a NW6 or 7 at an earlier age, you will care ALL your life. People like Kerzy should not be obsessed with hairloss. He will definitely have problems later in life. I know because I have been there.

I guess the difference is if we got NW3 later 30s and 40s many of us that say that expect to be married, settled down with kids at that age. So losing hair isnt a big deal. It is also a lot more socially acceptable and on some guys can look good as it makes them look wise and distinguised - Hugh Laurie/Liam Neeson for example. From what I have noticed with my relatives anyway that are hitting NW3s in their 40, many are more concerned about money and power by that age.

When you are in your 20s, things are different, you are out there playing the dating game for one, and with that in mind there is a lot more pressure to look your best to increase your odds in banging the prom queen.

I have read so many nightmare stories about propecia, and the more I read them the more I rather not take it unless I really have too.

 

[DoctorHouse]

A NW3 in your 20's is not going to stand in your way to get the prom queen as long as you don't let it. If you have the confidence and she has a few drinks, you will "get her" one way or another. I guess times are different now because I never heard any girls complain about dating a balding guy when I was in my 20's. Most of the time it was all about the muscles. Most girls wanted a guy with a great physique and a big penis. They really never cared about the amount of hair on their heads.