If Finasteride Is As Effective As Claimed

[Hairicane]

Bit of a leap to claim someone with a NW6/7 pattern will see no benefit from finasteride/dutasteride. Both are extremely effective as proven by science when used properly. Thousands of people with a 'destiny' of NW6/7 have halted their hair loss with these drugs.

I hope it can halt mine.

 

[Chemichal Castration]

It really depends what is meant by something in the line of "80% of finasteride users report hair loss halting". I dont think finasteride "stops" the hairloss in 80% of the cases, but I believe its better than placebo in 100% of the cases for sure. Some people are great responders, others not so good but everyone benefits from it.
Maybe the problem is people having great expectations when it comes to finasteride. Thinking finasteride will stop hair loss and induce regrowth is not realistic (not saying its impossible either, but definitely rare).

 

[Hairicane]

It really depends what is meant by something in the line of "80% of finasteride users report hair loss halting". I dont think finasteride "stops" the hairloss in 80% of the cases, but I believe its better than placebo in 100% of the cases for sure. Some people are great responders, others not so good but everyone benefits from it.
Maybe the problem is people having great expectations when it comes to finasteride. Thinking finasteride will stop hair loss and induce regrowth is not realistic (not saying its impossible either, but definitely rare).

Considering that Merck has claimed it halts hair loss for 83% of users I don't think that expectation is the problem, but (if the claim isn't true) the claim.

I'm still not sold the claim is false. It just seems forums like these are full of people disappointed with finasteride.

Im just praying it halts my hair loss.

 

[shidoin]

Considering that Merck has claimed it halts hair loss for 83% of users I don't think that expectation is the problem, but (if the claim isn't true) the claim.

I'm still not sold the claim is false. It just seems forums like these are full of people disappointed with finasteride.

Im just praying it halts my hair loss.

I just read it takes at least one full year for it to be 80% effective. The problem is people stop way before it starts working

 

[wemustchange]

Considering that Merck has claimed it halts hair loss for 83% of users I don't think that expectation is the problem, but (if the claim isn't true) the claim.

I'm still not sold the claim is false. It just seems forums like these are full of people disappointed with finasteride.

Im just praying it halts my hair loss.

When thousands upon thousands of people are using a drug 5% of them not reaping the benefit will be a sizeable vocal group. How many people are on this forum? A few hundred people claiming that finasteride didn't do anything? And of that group, how many used the drug properly including dosage and time without quitting 4 months in? I recall being 20 and using finasteride for the first time. In 8 months my hair went from visibly thin when grown out to not being able to tell I had loss other than the temples (which were nearly obliterated prior to use).

 

[Hairicane]

I just read it takes at least one full year for it to be 80% effective. The problem is people stop way before it starts working

That's great but I wish I had started a long time ago. In a year my forelock will be gone.

 

[Hairicane]

When thousands upon thousands of people are using a drug 5% of them not reaping the benefit will be a sizeable vocal group. How many people are on this forum? A few hundred people claiming that finasteride didn't do anything? And of that group, how many used the drug properly including dosage and time without quitting 4 months in? I recall being 20 and using finasteride for the first time. In 8 months my hair went from visibly thin when grown out to not being able to tell I had loss other than the temples (which were nearly obliterated prior to use).

Did you see any signs that indicated you were responding well?

Is it still working for you?

 

[wemustchange]

Did you see any signs that indicated you were responding well?

I didn't pay attention on a day to day basis. Suddenly, I realized I could style my hair like Anderson Copper and cover my temples. In my prom picture, it was obvious my hair was thinning. 2 years later and less than a year on finasteride you could not tell I had loss. My hair quality became much better. If you're asking about things like nut ache or shedding - when I was 16-18 I could run my hands through my hair over the sink and fill the sink. Tub drain would get clogged with hair. On finasteride none of that was going on. IMO get on dutasteride and do not pay attention to your hair for many months. 8 months in hone in on it and try to be objective. Take baseline photos if you must but don't kill yourself thinking about results 4-5 months in, especially if you think your hair is worse. On the flip side, don't try to convince yourself 2 months in that your hair is improving.

 

[Hairicane]

I didn't pay attention on a day to day basis. Suddenly, I realized I could style my hair like Anderson Copper and cover my temples. In my prom picture, it was obvious my hair was thinning. 2 years later and less than a year on finasteride you could not tell I had loss. My hair quality became much better. If you're asking about things like nut ache or shedding - when I was 16-18 I could run my hands through my hair over the sink and fill the sink. Tub drain would get clogged with hair. On finasteride none of that was going on.

I'm still shedding a ton. I don't think it's finasteride induced shedding because it's about what was going on prior to starting the drug.
I've only been on it a month though. Keeping fingers crossed.

 

[wemustchange]

I'm still shedding a ton. I don't think it's finasteride induced shedding because it's about what was going on prior to starting the drug.
I've only been on it a month though. Keeping fingers crossed.

If I had sage advice to give you, it would be to go for the kill shot right from the get-go. Do not play around with alternative treatments and adding one of the big ones every few years. Go finasteride/dutasteride, minoxidil (apparently with needling), nizoral and possibly a topical AA right from the start. If I would have done that @ 19 and stuck to it I do not think I would have crawled to a weak nw3. I would get pissed off every few years because I wasn't REGROWING hair and hop off finasteride for 6-12 months before getting back on. I think a lot of old timers on these forums did the right thing - a heavy regime right from the start and logged off. Maintenance at a NW3/4 level might seem like a failure at a young age but that is a huge victory years down the road as the worst case scenario is a transplant. It becomes a new nightmare when you let your hair creep past that point.

Let's face it - hair loss is a burden. Treating it is a burden. Merely maintaining with the $ and daily time required to apply treatments is not going to sit well but you need to carry the burden or it will become much worse. Try to embrace it. I am 30 and bag beautiful women with a buzzed NW3, in part because hair loss made me stoic as f***. Hair loss at a young age is a massive deal in this age. It shouldn't be but it that's the reality. Try to benefit from it by using the pain it will cause to your advantage.

 

[shidoin]

That's great but I wish I had started a long time ago. In a year my forelock will be gone.

Jump on dutasteride! We are only 4 years apart

 

[Hairicane]

Jump on dutasteride! We are only 4 years apart

I only just started finasteride. My dermatologist will almost certainly tell me to be patient. For all i know it could be working.

 

[Hairicane]

If I had sage advice to give you, it would be to go for the kill shot right from the get-go. Do not play around with alternative treatments and adding one of the big ones every few years. Go finasteride/dutasteride, minoxidil (apparently with needling), nizoral and possibly a topical AA right from the start. If I would have done that @ 19 and stuck to it I do not think I would have crawled to a weak nw3. I would get pissed off every few years because I wasn't REGROWING hair and hop off finasteride for 6-12 months before getting back on. I think a lot of old timers on these forums did the right thing - a heavy regime right from the start and logged off. Maintenance at a NW3/4 level might seem like a failure at a young age but that is a huge victory years down the road as the worst case scenario is a transplant. It becomes a new nightmare when you let your hair creep past that point.

Let's face it - hair loss is a burden. Treating it is a burden. Merely maintaining with the $ and daily time required to apply treatments is not going to sit well but you need to carry the burden or it will become much worse.

So you are saying finasteride alone won't cut it?Or are you saying in a few years add more stuff?

 

[shidoin]

I only just started finasteride. My dermatologist will almost certainly tell me to be patient.

I'd bypass him and get it online. Many doctors won't prescribe it for hairloss. P.m. me if you need a legit source

 

[wemustchange]

So you are saying finasteride alone won't cut it?Or are you saying in a few years add more stuff?

I am saying it isn't worth the risk of finding out. finasteride/dutasteride is the foundation of your treatment. The science shows dutasteride will net you higher hair counts than finasteride. Pile on whatever else is PROVEN to work and try to lock up the extra few % of gains from minoxidil/nizoral/topical AA. finasteride will work, dutasteride will work better - go for the best right from the start. You can get a script for dutasteride from a place online that will send it to a local pharmacy. I pay less than $250/year for the script + supply of dutasteride.

 

[Hairicane]

I am saying it isn't worth the risk of finding out. finasteride/dutasteride is the foundation of your treatment. The science shows dutasteride will net you higher hair counts than finasteride. Pile on whatever else is PROVEN to work and try to lock up the extra few % of gains from minoxidil/nizoral/topical AA.

Ok.

 

[wemustchange]

Be completely content if you can maintain. Even if your forelock is fucktus, as long as it doesn't creep into massive crown loss you need to accept that as ultimate victory. At 20, I felt like if I didn't get back to a NW1 it was a failure, which caused me to cease treatments multiple times out of frustration which was a grand mistake! Maintain at a NW3 with proven treatments and save for a transplant. That's how you win until a miracle cure comes along. The science says the proven meds are most likely going to give you just that.

 

[Hairicane]

Be completely content if you can maintain. Even if your forelock is fucktus, as long as it doesn't creep into massive crown loss you need to accept that as ultimate victory. At 20, I felt like if I didn't get back to a NW1 it was a failure, which caused me to cease treatments multiple times out of frustration which was a grand mistake! Maintain at a NW3 with proven treatments and save for a transplant. That's how you win until a miracle cure comes along. The science says the proven meds are most likely going to give you just that.

The hair I'm shedding from the front and crown are long, dark, mostly healthy looking hairs. Those will grow back in the next cycle, even without finasteride, correct? They won't just fall out and never come back at all.

 

[Chemichal Castration]

Yeah, great words wemustchange.

The thing is DHT is not the only issue here. In theory finasteride inhibits 5ar from reducing testosterone and DHEA into more powerful forms of androgens. But thats only half of the equation. Simplifying: [androgen] + [androgen receptor] <-> [gene expression].
Reducing androgens will reduce the extension of the reaction. However, there are several mechanisms within our cells that can mediate gene expression throught co activators and other facilitators that ultimately end up increasing the mRNA transcriptional factors resulting in "one androgen" producing more target proteins by the rybosome than what it should be producing. Thats what people usually call as "sensivity".

So yeah, if you think getting on finasteride is going to save your hair, forget it. It might only get you some years tops. The best thing you can do here is a combination of treatments such as 5ar inhibitor + topical androgen antagonist + (maybe) systemic antiandrogen IF you feel like taking the chance (notice there are weak treatments such as spironolactone or stronger such as cypro). This is as far as you can get to prevent hair loss. To stimulate regrowth, which is fairly a different story, your best option is minoxidil and maybe topical estradiol.

 

[shidoin]

The hair I'm shedding from the front and crown are long, dark, mostly healthy looking hairs. Those will grow back in the next cycle, even without finasteride, correct? They won't just fall out and never come back at all.

Will grow back! Just ride the roller coaster buddy