Pics Of Me Not Maintaining On Finasteride

DoctorHouse

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Your results are typically what you expect in cases like yours. If you don't have aggressive hair loss you hair will look relative the same in photos on finasteride. The medication is not a cure but it can slow your final Norwood destination. I don't see where you are getting worse. In some recent photos you pull your hair line back more than you did in your baseline photos. You started early enough which is good.

My hairline now is almost exactly like yours but my density is lower( due to being alot older than you). My baseline was less recession than your baseline. Been on finasteride for over 15 years and I never stayed the same but maybe it would have happened faster if I was not on finasteride. The problem is you are never going to know if you would be in the same place now even if you used nothing.

By taking finasteride you are taking an insurance policy out to protect your hair from going faster. In my case, maybe I would be in the same place now without doing anything but I will never know because I decided to protect myself by using treatment instead. If you want to gamble and quit finasteride, you can do that too. But if you are wrong about it actually helping you, you will regret doing that.
 

JohnSmith21

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Your results are typically what you expect in cases like yours. If you don't have aggressive hair loss you hair will look relative the same in photos on finasteride. The medication is not a cure but it can slow your final Norwood destination. I don't see where you are getting worse. In some recent photos you pull your hair line back more than you did in your baseline photos. You started early enough which is good.

My hairline now is almost exactly like yours but my density is lower( due to being alot older than you). My baseline was less recession than your baseline. Been on finasteride for over 15 years and I never stayed the same but maybe it would have happened faster if I was not on finasteride. The problem is you are never going to know if you would be in the same place now even if you used nothing.

By taking finasteride you are taking an insurance policy out to protect your hair from going faster. In my case, maybe I would be in the same place now without doing anything but I will never know because I decided to protect myself by using treatment instead. If you want to gamble and quit finasteride, you can do that too. But if you are wrong about it actually helping you, you will regret doing that.
Lmao that’s the dilemma. My hair loss was never that bad to begin with, so I thought finasteride was gonna give me crazy results, seeing how people with bad hair loss often make big comebacks
 

DoctorHouse

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Lmao that’s the dilemma. My hair loss was never that bad to begin with, so I thought finasteride was gonna give me crazy results, seeing how people with bad hair loss often make big comebacks
Low NWs are not going to show as dramatic results as a higher Norwood. It's more obvious when you regrow when you have alot more loss. In your case, most would argue you just have a mature hairline and have not reached a NW3 which most consider the definite first stage of male pattern balding. It's all about perspective. Some people feel a NW2 is actually the first stage of male pattern balding and I actually agree because it's hair loss no matter how you slice it.
 

JohnSmith21

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Low NWs are not going to show as dramatic results as a higher Norwood. It's more obvious when you regrow when you have alot more loss. In your case, most would argue you just have a mature hairline and have not reached a NW3 which most consider the definite first stage of male pattern balding. It's all about perspective. Some people feel a NW2 is actually the first stage of male pattern balding and I actually agree because it's hair loss no matter how you slice it.
What Norwood would you rate me ?
 

JohnSmith21

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I didn’t think I was close to NW3. When I first posted here people said Norwood 1.5. That’s why I’m concerned , doesn’t seem like I’ve held that
 

DoctorHouse

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I didn’t think I was close to NW3. When I first posted here people said Norwood 1.5. That’s why I’m concerned , doesn’t seem like I’ve held that
You hover around a NW1.5 maybe slightly over but not yet a solid NW2 so you are just forming a mature hairline. You hair is thick. Can you wet your hair and slick it back and show the hairline, midscalp, and crown. Just wondering if you have diffuse thinning going on. Does not look like it. Regardless, you started early enough.
 

JohnSmith21

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Literally not maintaining. Blue shirt was from AUGUST, black shirt is TODAY. Been on finasteride for 14 months
 

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Haironnu

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bro your hair is the same as always and honestly to me you don't even look like you're balding. you're not even NW2
 

Selb

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The problem with the pull back pics is that you’re inconsistently pulling it back so it might give a different impression. Plus finasteride gains ebb and flow so some months you’re better and some months you’re worse.

I’d recommend to find a place marker on your face. Maybe measure the distance between your eye brows and your hairline? And then check that every month
 

WaccWaccWacc

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Just read this whole thread and you go on a cycle between 1) thinking you’re losing 2) posting here 3) getting reassured you’re not balding more. Repeat.

Tip:

take less pics... every month of so. I know its hard because you want to see improvement but the changes that will happen in 30 days is absolutely negligible.

I can almost guarantee you, without growth promoters, your hair will not get better. In fact, it will only get worse from here on out. Next year will be worse than this year, you just have to settle with that. As @DoctorHouse pointed out his hair got worse over the 15 years on Finasteride. Thats because you still age. The hair continues to get thinner as we age. The good part: the rate of loss is much much slower as many studies have suggested. You already took out the insurance (finasteride), keep paying your premium and ride it out. Your hair in 15 years will look similar but worse and you’ll be thankful you went on finasteride so early.

You truly have some great hair and there isn’t a single person who you encounter who thinks otherwise.
 

JohnSmith21

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Just read this whole thread and you go on a cycle between 1) thinking you’re losing 2) posting here 3) getting reassured you’re not balding more. Repeat.

Tip:

take less pics... every month of so. I know its hard because you want to see improvement but the changes that will happen in 30 days is absolutely negligible.

I can almost guarantee you, without growth promoters, your hair will not get better. In fact, it will only get worse from here on out. Next year will be worse than this year, you just have to settle with that. As @DoctorHouse pointed out his hair got worse over the 15 years on Finasteride. Thats because you still age. The hair continues to get thinner as we age. The good part: the rate of loss is much much slower as many studies have suggested. You already took out the insurance (finasteride), keep paying your premium and ride it out. Your hair in 15 years will look similar but worse and you’ll be thankful you went on finasteride so early.

You truly have some great hair and there isn’t a single person who you encounter who thinks otherwise.
Thanks brotha. And yeah I just don’t wanna use minoxidil, I’ve heard mixed things
 

WaccWaccWacc

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Thanks brotha. And yeah I just don’t wanna use minoxidil, I’ve heard mixed things
Yea, me neither. Been on finasteride/nizoral for 18 months, and Id like to think I've “maintained”. :rolleyes:

edit: i think OM at a low dose (2.5mg) is the only thing I’ve been wrestling with in regards to hairloss over the past couple months. Truly see some good results out there but the water retention and skin aging is such a turn off.
 

thetdog666

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It definitely looks like your hair loss progressed and finasteride doesnt help much. Consider taking duta or maybe hold on few years and when you are older get on spironolactone or estrogen.
worst advice ever unless you want to become a tranny
 

JohnSmith21

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worst advice ever unless you want to become a tranny
Lmao I don’t pay attention to people who suggest femenizing sh*t for what’s been pretty mild hair loss for my age (26). Some 18 year old is gonna take estrogen bc of the advice of some of these people
 

JohnSmith21

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Yea, me neither. Been on finasteride/nizoral for 18 months, and Id like to think I've “maintained”. :rolleyes:

edit: i think OM at a low dose (2.5mg) is the only thing I’ve been wrestling with in regards to hairloss over the past couple months. Truly see some good results out there but the water retention and skin aging is such a turn off.
For real. finasteride has been so mild too I have zero sides. I actually have way less body hair though, which I don’t mind at all. Don’t wanna mess with any topicals that can “age” you since I’m unscathed on finasteride
 
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