Is Finasteride (Propecia) Thinning My Hair?

[HairGuru22]

Are you going to use dutasteride 0,5 once a week?

I'm gonna combine finasteride and dutasteride if needed, only problem is the goddamm money

 

[Beingbaldsucksass]

I don't see any need right now, but they sayin effectiveness lowered with time so I might in the futre

 

[Thinning Sucks]

I'm gonna combine finasteride and dutasteride if needed, only problem is the goddamm money

This is what I'm doing....4th week now...all good.

 

[Boomer01]

I have been on finasteride for almost 10 months now. Had a HUGE shed during the first few months. The shedding almost stopped all together for a while and this month I seem to be having a mini-shed. It seems like I haven't gained any ground while on it, and may have lost a little. I'm almost tinkering with the idea of switching to dutasteride.

 

[Kirby]

Boomer, I'm in the same situation, been using finasteride for the same amount of time, had a first aggressive shed phase and another one just now. Look visually much worse than baseline. No idea how to go from here - I don't know how I can medically fond out for definite whether finasteride works for me or not.

 

[Boomer01]

You just have to wait it out and see. I've heard anywhere from 1 year, 18 months, or 2 years to see the full benefit of finasteride.

You also have to realize that finasteride only aides in helping stop hair loss. It doesn't actually grow hair, that's what minoxidil does. If your balding is progressing at a rate faster than finasteride can prevent, then I'm not sure there is help. Only time will tell.

 

[Kirby]

I know finasteride's not a growth stimulator!! I'm looking for regrowth of what I lost to finasteride shedding in the first month, to get me back to baseline or thereabouts.

 

[IrishFella]

You just have to wait it out and see. I've heard anywhere from 1 year, 18 months, or 2 years to see the full benefit of finasteride.

You also have to realize that finasteride only aides in helping stop hair loss. It doesn't actually grow hair, that's what minoxidil does. If your balding is progressing at a rate faster than finasteride can prevent, then I'm not sure there is help. Only time will tell.

Wrong, so so wrong.

 

[Benjamin36]

I had a big shed March/April, shortly after starting finasteride, and am yet to see any improvement in regards to returning to baseline. It's really frustrating because I've read a lot of comments about how finasteride can take up to a year and a half to reach its full potential, but I fear that if I do nothing my hair may just get worse.

On the other hand, I'm tempted to add something to my current regimen of finasteride and nizoral, such as minoxidil, but I've heard bad shedding stories about minoxidil as well and fear it will make my hair shed again.

I feel as though I'm stuck in Limbo not sure what to do, and it's really frustrating.

 

[Kirby]

Ben, I was also thinking about using minoxidil (despite initially swearing to never touch the stuff) but it dawned on me that I really have to make 100% sure that finasteride works for me to some degree beforehand, if I'm going to be able to fight hairloss long term. (I realise there will be more, better treatments available on the legit market eventually but those are all 3 to 5 years away at least.)

IrishFella, I know what you mean, I've seen enough decent accounts in Success Stories where the patient was regrowing using finasteride without minoxidil.

 

[Benjamin36]

@Kirby- The things is though, how can we really tell whether or not it works for us? Even if we still lose hair, it's possible that finasteride could have made the hair loss progress slower. There is really no way to know.

 

[Kirby]

Exactly, the uncertainty is mind crushing...

 

[RP3X]

I was on the big 3 and I would say my hair line and hair overall worsened since I started it almost 5 years ago, but again its impossible to tell since I was loosing hair anyhow, but my hair line did raise and overall I lost the "growth" and length of overall hair when I was 30 compared to 35 now.

It got worser when about 8 months back I noticed none of the treatments were working on my hair line and it was getting worser so I chucked in the towel on all treatments... for 6 months was a happy bunny but got a hair cut and was like wtf where did all my hair go lol, perhaps I was on a shed for 8 months? goodness knows since it never came back stronger but I jumped back on all treatments recently.

Im gonna try 10% minoxidil instead of 5%/keep up with treatments and see how it goes for the next 3-6 months I guess if nothing improves I may end up doing it all over again lol

So im not sadly not sure if giving up is the right move, but generally I would say keep up with the treatments even if they appear to not be working even after 6-8 months?!

 

[boobyinspector]

Wrong, so so wrong.

Seriously eh? I've seen bald areas sprout hairs and not to mention temples that were smooth bald are filling in. People seem to have the wrong perception of finasteride.

 

[talmoode]

Seriously eh? I've seen bald areas sprout hairs and not to mention temples that were smooth bald are filling in. People seem to have the wrong perception of finasteride.

Hi there, I think what 'IrishFella' meant was that it is wrong to say 'finasteride' does not grow hair..?. ...

 

[boobyinspector]

Hi there, I think what 'IrishFella' meant was that it is wrong to say 'finasteride' does not grow hair..?. ...

Yah I know I was agreeing with him

 

[SilverShark]

I am usining finasteride since may. At the begining I started to shed but 6 months after I still have that shedding. I think that my hair is worst than it was before my finasteride. cant tell you how dissapointed I am. Everyone saying: "use it for a full year" but I'm scared what will happend in next 6 months becouse finasteride isn't slow down my hair loss, just accelerate.

 

[talmoode]

I am usining finasteride since may. At the begining I started to shed but 6 months after I still have that shedding. I think that my hair is worst than it was before my finasteride. cant tell you how dissapointed I am. Everyone saying: "use it for a full year" but I'm scared what will happend in next 6 months becouse finasteride isn't slow down my hair loss, just accelerate.

hi, mate! I feel for you. I have been on the Big Three for almost 10 months now and I think I am still shedding......I really hope for you and me something good will come from this...good luck!

 

[Steven85]

5 month update:

I have been on finasteride and keto shampoo (nizoral for some time, then revita) for abouth 5 months now. After my initial concerns about thinning hair along the hairline because of finasteride (and the start of this thread) my hair situation stabilized after about two months. After that I didnt really think that much about hair loss for a while, and I stopped examining my hairline every day. This may also have something to do with me moving into a house with bad lighting in the bathroom. However, a couple of weeks ago we got new lights, and I was right back to my concerns and hairline examinatons.

Hair is still a little thinner at the hairline than before starting finasteride (at least I think so) but its probably about the same as after 1 month on finasteride. The hair at my left temple is thinner than at the rest of my hairline. It has been like that since the start of this thread in july, but I think it may have thinned out a little more now.

BUT, at the same time I definitely see a lot of shorter, somewhat lighter hairs in that same area, and some pigmented too. Looking real close I see some very tiny hairs too. Not much at the rest of my hairline, but quite a few at the left temple where my hair is thinnest. So what I am wondering right now is if this is the finasteride working, and if this is a sign that my hair is about to thicken up again at this area. OR, is it just miniaturized hairs Im seeing and my hair being about to thin out even more?

I have held off with starting rogaine, but if this is not regrowth, but miniaturization, I think this is the time to include it In my regimen. What do you guys think? Am I seeing regrowth or miniaturization? Any other views on my hair situation?

 

[boobyinspector]

Steven: I started looking into Hyperandrogenicity, and I think I'm in the clear. My skin has gotten better and less oily which is supposed to be a good sign (Less DHT). I am hoping it's a surge in regular Testosterone, but I don't know for sure. The shedding is happening extremely fast. I can brush my hands through my hair and just watch little wispy hairs fall by the dozen. When I use a comb, I notice that quite a few of them have the little white bulb attached: not good if I remeber correctly. Regardless of the shedding, I am going to ride it out because I'm running out of options other that just shaving and forgetting about it. btw thanks for the lead.

That's kind of odd isn't it? Given that 5-alpha-reductase 1 is abundant in tissue in the facial area, you would think finasteride wouldn't affect it. The only way I could see the sebum production falling is if testosterone also falls.