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Here's a link to my "main" thread: Started Dutasteride TLDR Have been on finasteride for 10+ years. Intense weight loss and stress led to telogen effluvium or kicked off male pattern baldness in 2017. I upped the ante by getting on minoxidil (January 2018) and eventually dutasteride (November 2018).
After about 17 months on minoxidil (1x daily) with no results I called it quits this past May. Dread-shed began in late June/July 2019 and continues to this day. Mostly in front and on top where minoxidil was applied. Crown is still okay. I'd estimate that I've lost about 20% of my hair since the shed began. Can't see scalp (yet), just extreme thinning.
Of course I freaked out and considered getting back on minoxidil, but after some thought I decided to try and wait it out.
My theory: I did not wait long enough to recover from effluvium before getting on minoxidil. Minoxidil did not help regrow hair, but it did synch my hair cycle, and now getting off minoxidil has triggered all those synched hairs to simultaneously go into the telogen phase they were supposed to hit at some point during use. So now they're falling out and the best I can hope for is that the shedding will stop and when these hairs regrow I'll be back to "normal" with dutasteride working to limit miniaturization and further loss.
Does that theory make sense or am I being foolish to think this shed will ever stop? Should I instead get back on minoxidil ASAP in the hopes of keeping what I have left, or ride it out and hope for dutasteride-boosted regrowth after the resting phase?
After about 17 months on minoxidil (1x daily) with no results I called it quits this past May. Dread-shed began in late June/July 2019 and continues to this day. Mostly in front and on top where minoxidil was applied. Crown is still okay. I'd estimate that I've lost about 20% of my hair since the shed began. Can't see scalp (yet), just extreme thinning.
Of course I freaked out and considered getting back on minoxidil, but after some thought I decided to try and wait it out.
My theory: I did not wait long enough to recover from effluvium before getting on minoxidil. Minoxidil did not help regrow hair, but it did synch my hair cycle, and now getting off minoxidil has triggered all those synched hairs to simultaneously go into the telogen phase they were supposed to hit at some point during use. So now they're falling out and the best I can hope for is that the shedding will stop and when these hairs regrow I'll be back to "normal" with dutasteride working to limit miniaturization and further loss.
Does that theory make sense or am I being foolish to think this shed will ever stop? Should I instead get back on minoxidil ASAP in the hopes of keeping what I have left, or ride it out and hope for dutasteride-boosted regrowth after the resting phase?
