ReachTheEnd Story 20 years old (need advice)

[EffBalding]

So I've been on finasteride for about 5 months and a half months. I had an initial shed for the first 4 months, slowed down for about a month and now for the last few weeks I'm shedding like crazy again. I've seen no regrowth at all, just thinner than ever especially at my crown and temples. Finasteride has changed the texture of my hair, a lot of kinked hairs/rougher.

I don't know what to do, quit, add Rogaine, keep going. I felt like when I started I saw hairs growing on my hairline and in the corners of my hair line now it just looks like crap. A lot of the hairs that fall out are pretty thin and some are really thick and a little kinked. Are there any tests I can do at the doctors to see what's going on, like a hormone test or to see what finasteride is actually doing to me? I feel like I never should have started finasteride, my hair was fine just minor thinning in the crown and hair line and now I'm afraid of what will happen if I stop or continue (or add rogaine).

I don't know what to do, any advice.

 

[ItsARecession]

Hey man, I'm not sure, as I have only been on finasteride since march myself, without any real sides/progression. My hair has continued to recede, but that's all i can say for sure.

What I DO know though, is that 5 months is by no means long enough to go before you decide whether stopping is the right call. From what I understand, the best results are achieved after one/two years. The trap people fall into is starting, shedding, getting scared, and stopping. even the studies say you need more than five months.

The question I've been asking myself is: Is my hair loss faster or slower than when I wasn't on anything? And my only answer is that it was pretty damn fast before I started finasteride. So it can really only get better. I'm looking at bald by 28 if I do nothing. If you are in the same boat, from what I hear I would encourage you to keep with it, as long as you are not having any serious side effects. Hopefully the results come with a longer time frame.

You could add minoxidil, but that is known to give you an initial shed too, and they seem to freak you out...so that's your call.

Good luck anyways man!

 

[EffBalding]

The thing that really has me scared is not only is my hair twice as bad as before I started, but now I have rapid miniaturization and kinked hairs ALL over my head and I've read that these thick kinked/wire-y/pubic looking hairs are what precede male pattern baldness. I never had these kinked hairs before finasteride. It also seems that my hair has gotten worse since I got my knew bottle of finasteride. I get the dirt cheap generic kind from costco, so I'm thinking about getting proscar or something more legit. There are so many factors, but I refuse to believe this is what my hair would look like if I didn't start finasteride which leads me to believe finasteride is having a negative effect on my hormones, thus making my hair fall out/changing the texture. Not to mention I got a little gyno but what ev it's not that noticeable. I'm also thinking about lowering my dosage from 1.25 to half of that. Thanks for the reply though

 

[EffBalding]

I'll take some tonight.

I have pictures but they are in raw format, I don't know why and I don't know how to convert.