I got my hair back on minoxidil and then lost it all after two months on finasteride: is this a typical shed?

[hair2stay]

First pic was my crown in August 2021. I took minoxidil 5% twice a day AUGUST 2021 and by late January - February (6 mos)it had completely filled in. It was still thin but not noticeable unless you looked hard. It was visibly filled in with no scalp showing: see shaved pic
.
I also started oral finasteride December 15, 2021. My doctor prescribed 2.5 MG's per day instead of 0.25. I was on 2.5ngs daily for almost 5 weeks before switching to 1mg three times a week. By end of February my hair seemed thin again all over and the crown scalp was showing again (see third pic)

Summary 6 months on minoxidil filled my hair in. However 2 months on finasteride and I've lost all my gains...

Is this a finasteride shed? Is it possible to have reverse effect on Finasteride?

 

[Ajamilo]

I got recently Shed on either oral minoxidil or finasteride. I did upper my dosage on the finasteride and lower the dosage on minoxidil. Scary asf

 

[hair2stay]

I got recently Shed on either oral minoxidil or finasteride. I did upper my dosage on the finasteride and lower the dosage on minoxidil. Scary asf

Yes it was discouraging. I got my hair back EXCITEDLY....then lost is DISCOURAGINGLY.

So I hope it's just a shedding of dying hair and new ones will come in

 

[DoctorHouse]

Yes it was discouraging. I got my hair back EXCITEDLY....then lost is DISCOURAGINGLY.

So I hope it's just a shedding of dying hair and new ones will come in

Just be patient. Honestly, your hair looks rather stable to me in all photos. Anytime you change your treatments, you can potentially have a Telogen Effluvium.

 

[hair2stay]

Just be patient. Honestly, your hair looks rather stable to me in all photos. Anytime you change your treatments, you can potentially have a Telogen Effluvium.

Thank you Doctor! Any possibility the finasteride will fill in the thin patches? There is still hair there but it's miniaturized so it sounds like potential for healthier hair there.

I'm using topical finasteride 0.025% .

Do you recommend anything else? Alfatrafiol, spiranolactome OR just patience?

Thank you

 

[losingbattle88]

Thank you Doctor! Any possibility the finasteride will fill in the thin patches? There is still hair there but it's miniaturized so it sounds like potential for healthier hair there.

I'm using topical finasteride 0.025% .

Do you recommend anything else? Alfatrafiol, spiranolactome OR just patience?

Thank you

Alfadratiol and spironolactone is bs. Tried it for months.

 

[DoctorHouse]

Thank you Doctor! Any possibility the finasteride will fill in the thin patches? There is still hair there but it's miniaturized so it sounds like potential for healthier hair there.

I'm using topical finasteride 0.025% .

Do you recommend anything else? Alfatrafiol, spiranolactome OR just patience?

Thank you

There is always a possibility so be patient. If not, consider not getting worse a success. I can still see the thinning in the shaved photo and its no different than the other two. It only looks less obvious because a shaved head will blend in the bald spots. Some people feel that oral minoxidil is better than topical. Have you tried it?

 

[hair2stay]

Alfadratiol and spironolactone is bs. Tried it for months.

Good to know....but might it work like finasteride in that it takes 9 months or more and only works to prevent further loss?
Or is it possible you were not a typical responder?

If only Janey Elizabeth was still here....she encouraged me to drink minoxidil...it was disgusting...

 

[DoctorHouse]

Good to know....but might it work like finasteride in that it takes 9 months or more and only works to prevent further loss?
Or is it possible you were not a typical responder?

If only Janey Elizabeth was still here....she encouraged me to drink minoxidil...it was disgusting...

I honestly don't understand why someone would want to drink that stuff when you can take an oral version of it in pill form. I know liquid minoxidil is easy to access but I would rather take the pill.

 

[hair2stay]

I honestly don't understand why someone would want to drink that stuff when you can take an oral version of it in pill form. I know liquid minoxidil is easy to access but I would rather take the pill.

It's not my cup of tea...the oral sounds risky and drinking it ridiculous...

 

[DoctorHouse]

It's not my cup of tea...the oral sounds risky and drinking it ridiculous...

I only stick with topical as I feel the same way. I have been using Revita shampoo and Spectral DNC-N and my hair is looking good. Back in the day alot of people were using it with positive results. The key is to keep trying new products to see what works best for you.

 

[losingbattle88]

Good to know....but might it work like finasteride in that it takes 9 months or more and only works to prevent further loss?
Or is it possible you were not a typical responder?

If only Janey Elizabeth was still here....she encouraged me to drink minoxidil...it was disgusting...

I was losing ground slowly and you need to apply that sh*t everyday spironolactone even twice a day and spironolactone is a steroidol which means it Will activate t and dht receptors while blocking Them at the same time. This is why they no longer use it in prostate cancer patients anymore. Just go with oral minoxidill twice a day 5mg or higher and nuke your systemic dht entirely with 2.5mg dutasteride and use ketoconazole shampoo daily leave on for 15 min. Go hard or go home I say.

 

[hair2stay]

I was losing ground slowly and you need to apply that sh*t everyday spironolactone even twice a day and spironolactone is a steroidol which means it Will activate t and dht receptors while blocking Them at the same time. This is why they no longer use it in prostate cancer patients anymore. Just go with oral minoxidill twice a day 5mg or higher and nuke your systemic dht entirely with 2.5mg dutasteride and use ketoconazole shampoo daily leave on for 15 min. Go hard or go home I say.

Do you mean 5% minoxidil or 5ml of 5% minoxidil?

Why dutasteride and not finasteride for you?

I agree: hairloss ain't a boys game Daniel: it requires a man's approach!

 

[losingbattle88]

Do you mean 5% minoxidil or 5ml of 5% minoxidil?

Why dutasteride and not finasteride for you?

I agree: hairloss ain't a boys game Daniel: it requires a man's approach!

U remember my name it means u love me.

 

[Moz5x]

First pic was my crown in August 2021. I took minoxidil 5% twice a day AUGUST 2021 and by late January - February (6 mos)it had completely filled in. It was still thin but not noticeable unless you looked hard. It was visibly filled in with no scalp showing: see shaved pic
.
I also started oral finasteride December 15, 2021. My doctor prescribed 2.5 MG's per day instead of 0.25. I was on 2.5ngs daily for almost 5 weeks before switching to 1mg three times a week. By end of February my hair seemed thin again all over and the crown scalp was showing again (see third pic)

Summary 6 months on minoxidil filled my hair in. However 2 months on finasteride and I've lost all my gains...

Is this a finasteride shed? Is it possible to have reverse effect on Finasteride?

You are likely just experiencing a normal shed in the first year of Finasteride. Plus you changed your dose of finasteride after 5 weeks which potentially kicked off another shed. Anytime you change treatments/dosage you risk triggering a shed. I don’t really see a huge difference between the first and third pics.

If you are tolerating Finasteride then just stay the course with treatments and reevaluate at the 9 or 12 month mark. At this point you need to just keep everything consistent and let your hair cycles synchronize and cycle back to the anagen phase. It takes time.

 

[losingbattle88]

Do you mean 5% minoxidil or 5ml of 5% minoxidil?

Why dutasteride and not finasteride for you?

I agree: hairloss ain't a boys game Daniel: it requires a man's approach!

No im saying oral minoxidil at 5mg twice a day. Dutasteride for me because it causes less severe side effects.

 

[hair2stay]

There is always a possibility so be patient. If not, consider not getting worse a success. I can still see the thinning in the shaved photo and its no different than the other two. It only looks less obvious because a shaved head will blend in the bald spots. Some people feel that oral minoxidil is better than topical. Have you tried it?

Hey Doctor, I know the middle photo doesn't seem like much of a gain yet just prior to buzzing it, I had visibly thicker hair. The balding areas where scalp was showing were filled in. The hair was still thin but visibly better. I should have taken photos!

 

[hair2stay]

No im saying oral minoxidil at 5mg twice a day. Dutasteride for me because it causes less severe side effects.

My doctor won't give me oral minoxidil....is it alot better?

 

[losingbattle88]

My doctor won't give me oral minoxidil....is it alot better?

Yea it is. I use the liquid minoxidill 5% and swallow 7 drops in a capsule twice a day. Many do this on this forum already. It works.

 

[hair2stay]

You are likely just experiencing a normal shed in the first year of Finasteride. Plus you changed your dose of finasteride after 5 weeks which potentially kicked off another shed. Anytime you change treatments/dosage you risk triggering a shed. I don’t really see a huge difference between the first and third pics.

If you are tolerating Finasteride then just stay the course with treatments and reevaluate at the 9 or 12 month mark. At this point you need to just keep everything consistent and let your hair cycles synchronize and cycle back to the anagen phase. It takes time.

Thanks, the first and last pic are pretty similar but i swear that in the middle just before I buzzed it, it was visibly thicker and though still thin the scalp was hidden.

Yeah I went from 2.5mgs daily ( 4.5 weeks) to 1mg 3x a week for two weeks to one week no finasteride to one week topical at .008% to two weeks topical now at .012 % so I definitely changed things alot in the last few months.

So thanks...as I tolerate topical I will increase %.. will this increase also cause shedding? I wasn't aware of the consistency issue. I assumed finasteride builds up in system and changes in dose didn't matter too much.

Good to know!