On Proscar now..should I start minoxidil or wait longer??

[genki21]

I've been on proscar for a little over 3 months now. I'm still shedding and my diffuse thinning is looking bleak. My front/top is really noticable in the light and my scalp shines.

I know once I start minoxidil I'll have to stay on it for awhile, so I was planning to put it off until later. But after losing so much from the proscar shed I wonder if I should just start?? I guess I'm scared that maybe I'm not really shedding on proscar, just losing hair and hoping it's a temporary thing.

Should I stick it out on proscar for the rest of the year, or should I get on minoxidil asap?

Also, is the minoxidil shed going to make things worse or is the proscar shed as bad as it gets?

I've read tons and tons of posts and I'm just getting bombarded with too much info, it's hard to make a good decision for every situations, particularly mine. If anyone out there was in my situation I'd like to hear what you decided on and if worked out for you.

 

[TortoiseAndHair]

If your hairloss has been gradual up until now, then a) you're very likely experiencing a shed and b) you probably won't be putting that much hair at risk by waiting to start minoxidil.

If you really hate the idea of having to put minoxidil on your head every day, twice a day, for the rest of your life, then I would say you should put off starting for as long as you can.

On the other hand, I've seen you posting in March, asking the same thing. Wouldn't you have more piece of mind by just starting the minoxidil? Knowing that you're doing everything you can to save your hair? Personally, I don't think applying the minoxidil is that big of a pain. Sure, it's a long commitment, but you've already got a lot of stuff in your everyday routine that you will do for the rest of your life (brushing teeth, showering, etc).

Anyway, no one on this board can tell you what you should do. It's up to you.

 

[genki21]

Thanks, yes you're right it's up to me to make a choice. I'm torturing myself with indecision. Sometimes I just wish I could at least know what the best thing I could do for myself is, with this crappy hairloss. Like if I'm going to lose it all quick, I just wanna know so I can deal with it and move on.

 

[crayola]

I struggled with the decision of whether to add minoxidil as well. I was on finasteride alone for about 8 months before I decided that it wasn't going to give me the additional growth I wanted. finasteride did improve everything overall very much, but I got greedy and wanted more. I struggled with the decision for quite a while and finally decided that I might as well go for it--the longer I waited the less the results would be and with the generic being so cheap I decided it was worth it, even though I really wanted to avoid it if at all possible.

I'm very glad that I added it as things are rapidly getting better. I had a shed once I started it that laster a couple weeks, but now after 2 months I lose bearly any hair in the shower or when styling. I've questioned whether the results that I'm seeing after only 2 months were in my head or not, but since I can actually pull on the new fur in the temples I'm convinced. I'm really happy right now, but we'll see how it goes in time.

I understand your problem...I didn't want to add minoxidil either, but I'm glad I did. It was probably good for me to wait 8 months on finasteride alone--I was trying for a year but dove into minoxidil a bit early. I wasn't shedding on finasteride when I started minoxidil--my finasteride shed happened in the first month and never again since.

 

[genki21]

Thanks, I'll try to stick it out a little longer and give finasteride more of a chance. I'm hoping I'll recover from this shed soon and at least return to my former baseline. At 8 months I may follow your lead =)

 

[The shedder]

I also started with just finasteride for about 5 months then I jumped on the minoxidil bandwagon. Its not as bad as some people say it is with the twice a day application. It just turned into a routine like brushing your teeth, getting liquored up etc. The twice a day can be fitted to your schedule like I put my first coat on about mid day and the second much later at night. Good Luck in whatever you choose.

 

[Bryan]

If you really hate the idea of having to put minoxidil on your head every day, twice a day, for the rest of your life, then I would say you should put off starting for as long as you can.

I don't quite understand the implication in that statement about "putting off starting minoxidil for as long as you can". I think it comes down to a simple choice: if you want roughly 10%-20% more hair in those thin areas than you have now, then use minoxidil. If you don't want that extra offset of growth, then don't use it.

Bryan

 

[Rage]

i suppose what his trying to say, is min is lifelong - if you don't need it yet don't start it.

 

[Bryan]

But EVERY treatment is lifelong, except for hair transplants and castration! :lol: You obviously have to use a treatment, if you want to see its effect! He seemed to be implying something else...

Bryan

 

[NorwoodClimber]

I've been using proscar for about 2 months now. I have my 3 month supply of Kirkland 5% min but I've yet to use it. I'm thinking I'll wait for till about 8 months before I decide to whether I want to become a minoxidil slave or not.