Is Finasteride enough for me? (Pics)

[real kombo]

I want to know if I should keep with my current treatment (1mg finasteride +5% min) had to get off custom prescription because it was irritating my scalp. Been on finasteride 7 years and I feel it's losing effectiveness.

Also what Norwood am I? Is it bad? Pics taken under bright light.

 

[JaneyElizabeth]

I want to know if I should keep with my current treatment (1mg finasteride +5% min) had to get off custom prescription because it was irritating my scalp. Been on finasteride 7 years and I feel it's losing effectiveness.

Also what Norwood am I? Is it bad? Pics taken under bright light.

That's a decent head of hair with no loss in the crown that I see. Yes, you are receding in front and you want to halt that. Regrowth in the front is challenging but you don't want it to get worse. You could upgrade to oral minoxidil and dutasteride and that might help with regrowth in the front. You could also try derma-rolling which might give you some regrowth in the front.

 

[real kombo]

That's a decent head of hair with no loss in the crown that I see. Yes, you are receding in front and you want to halt that. Regrowth in the front is challenging but you don't want it to get worse. You could upgrade to oral minoxidil and dutasteride and that might help with regrowth in the front. You could also try derma-rolling which might give you some regrowth in the front.

Gonna start dermarolling this Friday after I get a haircut. Will be part of my regimen.

Here are the things I've been considering (not all at once of course, but of available options)

1. Oral Minoxidil ( would dermarolling still be beneficial at that point? I'd start at 5 mg)

2. RU

3. Oral spironolactone ( I've never had any sexual sides with finasteride and I honestly am not opposed to mild feminization such as softer skin, lower libido, etc ) I've seen the wonders it's done for acne and hair in some people, but I worry about long term use.

4. Dutasteride (this is the one I worry most about because I'm scared if I take it of Reflux Hypoandrogenicity. I've read too many horror stories on these forums to chalk it up to coincidence.


What do you reccomend? And what Norwood would you say I am?

 

[real kombo]

That's a decent head of hair with no loss in the crown that I see. Yes, you are receding in front and you want to halt that. Regrowth in the front is challenging but you don't want it to get worse. You could upgrade to oral minoxidil and dutasteride and that might help with regrowth in the front. You could also try derma-rolling which might give you some regrowth in the front.

 

[real kombo]

Here's a photo showing midscalp/crown thinning

 

[JaneyElizabeth]

Gonna start dermarolling this Friday after I get a haircut. Will be part of my regimen.

Here are the things I've been considering (not all at once of course, but of available options)

1. Oral Minoxidil ( would dermarolling still be beneficial at that point? I'd start at 5 mg)

2. RU

3. Oral spironolactone ( I've never had any sexual sides with finasteride and I honestly am not opposed to mild feminization such as softer skin, lower libido, etc ) I've seen the wonders it's done for acne and hair in some people, but I worry about long term use.

4. Dutasteride (this is the one I worry most about because I'm scared if I take it of Reflux Hypoandrogenicity. I've read too many horror stories on these forums to chalk it up to coincidence.


What do you reccomend? And what Norwood would you say I am?

In terms of Norwood, I would say 2 to 3 maybe but I don't find Norwood to be particularly enlightening especially for diffuse thinners which you look to be. I think that you are right to be wary of hormonal meds like dutasteride. A lot of it comes down to the individual and how he experiences the med. You can titrate dosages but yeah, that's something to think about. Honestly, I am not sure about Reflex Hypo. I see people mentioning it but I have just always done great on finasteride/duta. I wouldn't consider spironolactone before finasteride and in general, I am pretty negative about long-term use of AA's without estrogen since it violates the standard MtF protocols.

It's a good question about derma-rolling. In my opinion, DR should be less necessary if you take oral minoxidil because that will create the sulfurtransferase that Min needs to be effective. But DR does amazing things for skin and I would recommend that you do it lightly on scalp and face, two to four times per month. The longer needles to me, are less painful and less likely to draw blood. I am not a physician. These are all precepts that I apply to myself but there's no doubt that MtF's have a huge advantage in the regrowth arena.

 

[JaneyElizabeth]

Yeah. I mean that's not bad. That's about where my crown is currently. You just don't want it to get worse. Some people have skin with a quality that is reflective in light and that can make things look better or worse when photographing.

Your main need from what I can see are refinements that will give you more sheen and manageability. This gal is trans but you can see the differences which go beyond mere coverage. It's towards the top of the page:

https://www.hairlosstalk.com/interact/threads/exploring-the-hormonal-route-hair-life.109288/page-638

 

[jazz1]

You have great hair, you not using a Ketaconazole shampoo? Maybe add topical anti androgen mixture or 15% minoxidil.

https://www.hairlosstalk.com/interact/threads/topical-minoxidil-finasteride-mixture-check-here.126633/