In a great dilemma,need help!!

[oxygen]

Hello, all. I've been lurking around the forum for a while.I'm 27-year-old & have had hair loss for 3 years now.I have been taking Generic finasteride daily for about 4 months now, with okayish results.However,my hair loss during past 2 months has exceeded its pace.The past 1 month has been very hard for me as i have lost almost 40 % hair density from pre-finasteride time.I have never experienced such a huge shedding.

1.A lot of diffuse thinning has taken place,as i can feel my scalp when i caress my hair now.I never,never had diffuse thinning before this.
2.Temples have also receded significantly as you can clearly make out from the pictures.
3.An increase in body hair growth and some hair growth on upper arms.
4. Definite hair loss in crown.

Regimen:
1.My generic finasteride intake in the past two months was 1mg every other day.
2.Nizoral 1 % for 3 months ,twice every week.
2.I had been taking Green tea almost daily for two months with finasteride .Maybe just a misconception but definitely made me 'feel' that i was having thicker hair.

Questions:
1.Does this look like a normal finasteride shed?
2.I am seriously considering quitting finasteride.Will these hair grow back if not on finasteride?

I have been suffering from mild temple hair for almost 3 years now,but never experienced diffuse thinning.Even the side hairs have 'weakened'.Also the crown loss is starting to bother me now.What do you think guys?

 

[headless]

Do not stop finasteride if you don't have terrible sides. Have patience and wait at least till a year is past! Shedding is common and (some say) a sign that finasteride is working.

Please note: finasteride is not bad for your hair, the process of reversing male pattern baldness can cause shedding though.. be patient! They say the real peak is somewhere around the 2 year mark, and haven't read anything from anybody who had their peak at 3 months and started losing after that.

 

[bibz]

DUDE DO NOT STOP finasteride!
You are in the worst moment of the treatment but also in the very begining of the best part!
Shedding is a pretty freaking thing but it's all normal, all of you hair will grow back thicker and stronger! Just don't panic and go drink some beers, it's friday

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Shedding is also a very weird thing, some guyz can have like NO shedding, some can have a big shedding in the first month, and some can have shedding every 3 month...It's all depend of the person, the norwood scale etc.. The hair cycle is a pretty complex cycle. Just don't worry, cuz it's well known that stress can be by itself devastating

 

[oxygen]

Thanks for the reply guys!!

This has been really difficult and depressing.I used to work out before but for the last three months i couldn't continue it.I felt great, atleast physically but now it's very gloomy.The diffuse thinning is very bothering as never was i one and it makes a hair transplant in the future very complicated.I somewhere read about Hyperandrogenecity and thus was contemplating dropping finasteride.Maybe i have that.Is there a way of determining, if i have it? What are some clear cut symptoms of it?

It's really hurting my confidence a lot.What do you guys do to change your mood and not dwell on it? Any tips,suggestions?

Cheers!!

 

[Spanishlad]

just keep taking finasteride the shedding is probably just minaturized hairs you were going to lose anyway. At least you can rest assured knowing you are on the most proven treatment for combating male pattern baldness

 

[oxygen]

right now i am continuing finasteride, but there is no end to this shedding.Moreover i cannot even see any vellus hairs, and therefore i think regrowth might not be possible.It's just a theory as if i have no vellus hairs where would the regrowth come from.

Another question is how long can this shedding continue?

Thanks!!

 

[oxygen]

Update : More and more shedding.

Now i am a diffuse thinner as well

 

[headless]

Try adding minoxidil! It's really cheap (I use Kirkland from eBay) and it might help you a lot.

As for your pictures, I don't really see a big difference, your hair is wet on most of your recent pictures so it's hard to compare... Could you post pictures with dry hair?

Good luck my man

 

[oxygen]

Update : Latest set of pictures.My hair is being destroyed.Have STOPPED taking finasteride for about 10 days now.Temple recession was okay,but diffuse thinning is a disgusting thing to have.I have lost close to 40% density in 4 months.Just can't take this anymore.My confidence and self-esteem has been shattered.Any suggestions or should i just give up.

 

[giannis]

Hey oxygen how is it going? i am in the same position as you. I ve started finasteride 3 months ago for my thining temples but now my whole front is difused. Also my arms seem a little hairier but i dont know if its finasteride or bacause i am getting older (24) .How long have you been on finasteride? Is it possible that we may suffer from reflex hypodregenicity or something?

 

[oxygen]

Hey Giannis, i don't know much about reflex hypodregenicity, so won't be able to talk about it.Maybe other erudite members on the forum could help us out on this.I too had hair growing on upper parts of my arm.Don't know if it's finasteride,but seems like it.One question : Do you have vellus hairs growing while on finasteride? Because for me it's hard to find vellus hairs around temple areas.

 

[headless]

You clearly haven't read this topic: http://www.hairlosstalk.com/interact/showthread.php/8733-Secrets-to-Success-The-Three-P-s

Third P... be patient! You should get back on finasteride as soon as you can..

 

[giannis]

Oxygen how long are u off finasteride and did your shedding stopped? i am really desperated right now day by day my hair in the front is getting thinner and thiner so fast i dont know if i should quit or stay on. In this rate i wont have a hairline in the next months. I didnt notice any hairs regrowing after shedding. I used to hide my thining temples but now i cant because the whole hairline is thin. My theory is that if finasteride only blocks 1/3 of the DHT in your scalp and your body may upregulate your AR or making them more sensitive then you have the remaining dht and higher testosterone rape you already sensitive follicles in the front.I hope i am wrong. Really i ve read so many posts how finasteride worsen the hairline while on it and actually saw pictures i am starting to believe that the sheds finasteride causes isnt a good sign. Also the arms hairier thing on finasteride is not a good sign either i believe which i too have. I hope experts or guys who have more exprience with finasteride share some light here because we are both lost. :sad:

 

[headless]

Giannis please read all studies conducted by (independent) researchers you can find.. you should not, I repeat, not quit Finasteride if you want to maintain your hair.

 

[oxygen]

Oxygen how long are u off finasteride and did your shedding stopped? i am really desperated right now day by day my hair in the front is getting thinner and thiner so fast i dont know if i should quit or stay on. In this rate i wont have a hairline in the next months. I didnt notice any hairs regrowing after shedding. I used to hide my thining temples but now i cant because the whole hairline is thin. My theory is that if finasteride only blocks 1/3 of the DHT in your scalp and your body may upregulate your AR or making them more sensitive then you have the remaining dht and higher testosterone rape you already sensitive follicles in the front.I hope i am wrong. Really i ve read so many posts how finasteride worsen the hairline while on it and actually saw pictures i am starting to believe that the sheds finasteride causes isnt a good sign. Also the arms hairier thing on finasteride is not a good sign either i believe which i too have. I hope experts or guys who have more exprience with finasteride share some light here because we are both lost. :sad:

Frankly, i don't know if it has stopped.It's been close to 20 days since i stopped taking finasteride.I too feared not having a hairline and that is why i quit finasteride.As headless pointed out,maybe we are being too pessimistic about it. But if you lose the amount of hair in 5 months that i have lost,it would be very difficult to have faith in this drug. Also the hair on arms and upper shoulder thing really bothers me and makes me think that it might not be working.I won't suggest you to get off finasteride because 'the majority' of people using it have found it useful.But it should really be taken on a case-by-case basis.

P.S :I don't know what i will do.Hair loss has already taken quite an emotional toll on my life.

 

[giannis]

Keep us update oxygen.I am thinking stopping finasteride dont know yet. Hairloss sucks but we must not let it affect us so much.