Resetting Finasteride

[Anarch]

I just got my order of Fincar and was reading some threads about Finasteride being less effective over time after several years. Could a person stop using it for several months to a year to regain effectiveness?

 

[Fundi]

From what I've read, it becomes ineffective (Though some people have been using it for 14 years successfully) not because your body becomes 'immune' to it like it does with antibiotics, but because with age your DHT levels simply get too high.

If this is correct, stopping and restarting won't help, it'll make things worse.

 

[Bryan]

I don't think finasteride loses its effectiveness in the way that the original poster is implying. I think what happens in some (most?) users is that the condition of their hair gradually worsens over time because the fundamental balding process itself is slowly intensifying. At least, that's my working hypothesis until this really interesting question is put to some kind of scientific testing. Unfortunately, I don't think that'll happen anytime soon.

 

[Anarch]

with age your DHT levels simply get too high.

That's the first time I heard that. Are there any references that I can read about this phenomena?

 

[Fundi]

with age your DHT levels simply get too high.

That's the first time I heard that. Are there any references that I can read about this phenomena?

I don't know if it's true or not, just what I've read on this forum. The point been though is that finasteride can only stop balding to an extent (Obviously balding increases with age) before it cracks.

 

[Bryan]

with age your DHT levels simply get too high.

That's the first time I heard that. Are there any references that I can read about this phenomena?

I'm sure that's a commonly-held view about increasing DHT levels, but I don't really know that there's much scientific support for it. My general feeling is that the overall sensitivity of scalp hair follicles to androgens slowly increases as the years go by, which is a separate phenomenon.

 

[monitoradiation]

I thought testosterone production reduced with age; shouldn't DHT reduce with age as well?

 

[Petchsky]

There is no definite explanation for any one person, propecia may well work for 15-20 years without your hair getting worse, maybe 2 years, maybe not at all, no absolutes in terms of how long it will work.