Question regarding finasteride

[J_friend]

I'm quite confused about something regarding all that I've read about Propecia/finasteride. Many seem to say that one won't notice much until they've been on finasteride. for quite some time (some say even up to two years). However, it seems that finasteride. loses its effectiveness after anywhere from 3-5 years. So ... what's up with that? The damn drug doesn't work for two years, and loses effectiveness after 3-5? So basically, there's only ONE year of success here? Obviously, I'm slightly exaggerating, but has anyone been thinking the same thing? Any feedback would be welcomed.

 

[Bryan]

Finasteride doesn't "lose effectiveness" in one very important sense, even after five years! Merck's long-term testing has shown that the difference in haircounts between finasteride users and finasteride non-users continues to INCREASE each year, not DECREASE. Therefore, finasteride at the very least continues to SLOW hairloss, even after several years.

But why haircounts slowly decline (on average, of course) while using finasteride has been much-discussed and debated. There are different theories floating around to explain that; my own personal pet theory is that the decline in haircounts _may_ be due (at least in part) to normal ageing, not male pattern baldness per se.

Bryan

 

[Old Baldy]

Finasteride doesn't "lose effectiveness" in one very important sense, even after five years! Merck's long-term testing has shown that the difference in haircounts between finasteride users and finasteride non-users continues to INCREASE each year, not DECREASE. Therefore, finasteride at the very least continues to SLOW hairloss, even after several years.

But why haircounts slowly decline (on average, of course) while using finasteride has been much-discussed and debated. There are different theories floating around to explain that; my own personal pet theory is that the decline in haircounts _may_ be due (at least in part) to normal ageing, not male pattern baldness per se.

Bryan

I don't think it's a pet theory. You're probably right, it's due to ageing.

Correct me if I'm wrong Bryan but the studies were performed on men who did not use any regrowth treatments. So if we factor the probable benefit of using other regrowth "stuff", most of us could stay above baseline for MANY years into the future.

I read that 5 year study and was VERY impressed by what finasteride. can do on the average. Especially if we remember NO regrowth agents were used during those 5 years, (i.e., if my memory is correct on no regrowth treatments being used).

I mean, it would just stand to reason, that no other treatments were used by the men in the 5 year study.

 

[socks]

Not to mention, when reading graphs you must consider that once the positive value levels out (finasteride hits its peak) the negative values (non-responders & hairloss via aging) is going to drop the graph.

The fact that after one-year non-Finasteride users had the hair count plummet far below baseline while 5yrs finasteride users were still comfortably above baseline prove, IMO, that Finasteride is good for many many more years then 5

Also, as Old Baldy pointed out, this 5yrs study was done on men using only Finasteride. Most of us use more then just Finasteride in our routines...

I have yet to see one responder to Finasteride go from a Norwood 2 - 3 to a Norwood 5 - 6.

I think some men forget that no treatment can give them all their old hair back and the badly damaged hair are probably already condemned... So after a few more years of hanging on via finasteride, they eventually meet their destiny... Some men might mistake that for finasteride not working... As long as my healthy terminals hair stay the same, I say finasteride is working at 100%

 

[Old Baldy]

You're right Socks, I'm not going to get all my hair back. It's just that simple. I'm older now and got on the "bandwagon" VERY late. But I'm telling you Socks, this stuff I'm using is regrowing hair. It's a very pleasant surprise.

What one/multiple "thing" is regrowing hair? I have absolutely NO IDEA!