I need your help! -Wannabe success story

[Rafa2534]

Hey guys,
I found this website about two weeks ago and realized that it's by far the most useful internet source involving hairloss. Anyways, I'm 20 years old and have been eperiencing hairloss for the last two or three years. I was always really proud of my long thick hair (i wore it like tennis player Raphael Nadal) But then during my junior year of high school I noticed more hairs falling out than usual. However, I didn't notice any changes in how it looked untill last year. My temples had noticably receded and the top of my head was thinner as well. I do not have a bald spot however and my hair still looks relatively normal (even though to me it looks horrible). My right temple is worse than my left one and if it doesn't fall in the right place it looks extremely thin. Most people however can't tell that I'm losing my hair, but I fear that within a matter of years that could change drastically. Fearing for my hair, I went to the dermatologist and was prescribed Finasteride to halt the hairloss and hopefully regrow some. I was on it for around 9 months without noticable gain or loss. However I recently stopped taking it due to depression-like symptoms. I have no idea if the meds were causing them but after doing research on the side-effects I'm so freaked out that I'm afraid to take it again.

I really want to keep my hair and I was thinking about trying minoxidil or maybe taking a lower dose of the finasteride. If you guys could give me any insight or found something that worked for hair like mine I would REALLY REALLY appreciate it! I plan on posting picture updates of whatever i decide to try.

 

[imbalding]

Well your still NW2 and your hair looks really good.
Minoxidil on those weaker frontal hairs will maybe thicken them up abit.

Finasteride, now we all know its good at keeping what you got, but hairloss can be depressing enough as it is.
If your hair hasn't receeded further in the last 9 months, then finasteride could of been working. If you dont want to take it again then don't just monitor your hair and maybe consider another anti-androgen to try.

 

[Rafa2534]

Thank you very very much for your input. I belive finasteride was at least keeping it where it was. But after reading all the storites out there about its side-effects and having the psychological ones, I'm just so scared of it. I want to do something though so I'm at least going to try minoxidil. What other anti-androgens are out there?

 

[IanIrving]

Everyone, including me, seems to be terrified of the Fini side effects.

Does anyone know of a study / report that details the rate at which these occur?

 

[Rafa2534]

Have you had any success with any products? Are you on finasteride now? From what I understand, finasteride side-effects occure because it lowers testosterone to a certain degree. People that have a naturally high amount of it are fine on finasteride because it lowers it to an average level. People that have side-effects have issues because it lowers their testosterone too much. I could be wrong about it, but that's how I understand it. The only thing that's clear about it is that finasteride side-effects varies depending on each individual person.