Propecia Shedding Question

[cooliobeanz]

Ok...took the plunge and started propecia, been taking it for just about 2 weeks now. I am starting to shed MASSIVELY!!! I'm counting 100+ hairs in the shower now :crazy: :thumbsdown: The thinning area on the top of my head is now getting really thin and you can see my scalp when I part my hair. My question is this: is this normal? I've read on this board and others that shedding after a few weeks is generally a good sign that the meds are starting to take effect (things get worse before it gets better?) At what point should the shedding stop? Any answers or thoughts would be greatly appreciated. I'm new to this hair loss thing so if the "vets" on the board can help me out it would really set my mind at ease.

 

[treeshrew]

i made a shedding post too - one when i shedded on propecia (mostly crown/back of head), and another when i shedded on minoxidil (hairline).

months later it has all grown in thicker and is looking good. can't speak for others, but my experience is shedding means it's working!

 

[Avery]

I'm 6 months in and shedding like CRAZY. I'm coming out with 50-100 hairs every time I apply Rogaine, and it's been happening for a month or more now. Fortunatly, I don't see any cosmetic difference, which I think is a good sign. This happened when I started as well and my hair looks better than it has in years, so I'm optimistic about this shed.

 

[FlashDance]

When I started Propecia back in Jun 2006, I had an immediate, massive shed. I also has almost constant scalp pain for 2 years (I never had any issues with scalp pain, and I tried Nizoral and T-Gel, neither worked). With the shed, I was losing a tremendous amount of hair. I could hang my head over my bathroom sink and shake out fist fulls of hair. I freaked out because I felt like I never really had a problem with hairloss before taking Propecia, I thought it was a recent affliction. However, after I learned a bit more about hairloss since, and looking over pictures from before I took Propecia, I realized I had a problem for a while and never even noticed. I was diffuse with some recession, so it pretty much snuck up on me. Flash forward to 2 years later from starting Propecia (which has been off and on throughout, and going from 1mg to .5mg), I have been on .5mg consistently now for 6+ months. My scalp pain has finally gone away more or less, I don't shed nearly as much as I used to, and my hair looks pretty much the same. I also have comfort that male pattern baldness should progress more slowly now that I am on Propecia. All in all, I am glad I went through it. However, it was horrible going through the sheds, and the constant scalp pain is amazingly horrible, seeing that I could not think about anything except how much my scalp hurt for almost 2 years straight! I plan on staying on .5mg for may years to come.

 

[cooliobeanz]

Hmmm....interesting responses. I haven't yet to experience any type of scalp pain, or any type of pains from propecia for that matter and hopefully it stays that way. No side effects yet either but it's only been two weeks I'm really crossing my fingers for no sides! manhood over vanity any day! This morning in the shower I counted about 20-30 hairs which is a dramatic decrease from the 100+ I've been seeing over the past week so I guess this is a good sign? I am 25 years old btw, and I would describe my Norwood as a 1.5 (does that even exist?) and while I'm definitely sure :firing: male pattern baldness has hit me I feel lucky in that I caught it when I did since propecia seems to work better in younger men when the balding is in its early stages. I would post pics too, but I don't have a digital camera.

 

[DoctorHouse]

treeshrew any updated pictures. The last time I saw your hair it had some areas of thinning.

 

[treeshrew]

here they are - first bunch were taken about 10 mins ago, last 2 show me before starting any treatments (january 08). i am 26.

 

[DoctorHouse]

treeshrew, great improvement :bravo: How many months did it take for you to recover the hairline?

 

[treeshrew]

to be honest i haven't recovered much of the hairline, it has just thickened up. if i pull my hair back you can see it is a solid NW2.5 or worse :shock:

i've been using this gel called bedhead manipulator, which really thickens up my hair and allows me to spread it around to cover the recession.

as far as the minoxidil shed - it began about 2-3 weeks into application and only lasted about 2 weeks. i am still applying 1x/day only on hairline.

 

[lucy923]

Great progress man.....if you don't mind I have a few questions for you. Do you get a prescription for the finasteride for the real deal or are you buying it over the internet from INhouse or one of those places. Also, I noticed you are only using the foam once a day. Using it once a day how long does a can last you? And do you apply it all over the top of your scalp? Last question is when you apply the foam do you apply it directly to the scalp and let it soak in or do you rub it in till its dry for say 20-30 seconds. Thanks in advance.

 

[treeshrew]

Great progress man.....if you don't mind I have a few questions for you. Do you get a prescription for the finasteride for the real deal or are you buying it over the internet from INhouse or one of those places. Also, I noticed you are only using the foam once a day. Using it once a day how long does a can last you? And do you apply it all over the top of your scalp? Last question is when you apply the foam do you apply it directly to the scalp and let it soak in or do you rub it in till its dry for say 20-30 seconds. Thanks in advance.

hey.. always happy to talk about my regimen.

i went to a derm and got a prescription for the real thing - i now get my propecia in 3 month bottles at wal-mart pharmacy. it's expensive.

a can of foam lasts me almost exactly 30 days - i apply it pretty liberally on the temples. i apply directly from the can onto my head, tilt my head back so it runs into my hair, not down my face, let it melt for a few seconds, then just rub it in with my hand (2 to 3 seconds) - then repeat on the other side.

i've had a few stray hairs sprout on my left side - nothing on the right - but it's been maintaining.

hope this helps!

 

[SoLow]

I have been having this same concern about the shedding. I started Propecia about 3 weeks ago and I am now going through a major shed with increased scalp pain. I know shedding is normal for some treatments, but increased scalp pain has me concerned. From reading this, I take it this shed is normal? How long could it last? Have most people experienced this increased shed with Propecia?

I am just concerned and want to make sure I should hang in there.

 

[cooliobeanz]

well i've been on propecia for about a little over 3 weeks now, and my 2nd week was when i went through the huge shed i was shedding 100+ easy in the shower every day for about a week....needless to say i was freaking out. But the shedding is considerably less now than how it was just a short week ago, i guess that's a good sign of things to come. I have yet to experience scalp pain with propecia so i guess can't really give any advice there.

 

[FreeloaderUK]

I started to notice thinning of my hair about 3months ago- around my temples. Ive been on propecia for a month now & I aslo wash my hair every 3 days with Nizoral shampoo (i heard its supposed to help). before taking propecia i was really conscious of hairs falling out, if i brushed my hair with my hand or kneeled over the sink id usually spot some hairs falling out. but now that seems to have stopped. its early days yet though- ill keep you guys posted.