Shedding Area w/Pics

[PersonGuy]

The pic below is of the area that is shedding since I started finasteride. It started to really look thin about 4 months after starting finasteride and has been shedding on and off ever since. The area of the shed is actually what my father's hairline looks like at around 60. He has a fair amount of very thin hair in that area still. I read somewhere that a shed is most noticeable where male pattern baldness was likely to occur for that particular person so I'm hoping this is an indication of that and it will come back thicker. I'll be on finasteride for about 9 months come September and I'm freaking out that it didn't thicken up yet as much as I would have liked it to. I still don't want to add minoxidil just yet b/c I figure if I can keep it with finasteride it will be a much easier regimen to maintain.

Any thoughts on when I should add minoxidil if I'm still not getting results from the finasteride?

P.S. Before the finasteride this area was pretty good and there was no real noticeable thinning. I also had a hair transplant in March for the temple area w/Dr. Feller.

The pic below was taken about a month after I started finasteride.

To summarize my question is: Should I start to worry that finasteride isn't working or should I ride it out and assume the shedding is a result of the finasteride working? And when do you think I should add minoxidil?

 

[PersonGuy]

Anyone with any feedback? Today I'm feeling like sh*t about it. I feel like it's never going to get any better. It's really really affecting things now, it's one of those beautiful days where I don't even want to go outside.

 

[FreeloaderUK]

ride it out if I were. if u come off finasteride- you're DHT levels are gonna rocket & their all gonna be heading stright for your hair like lumberjacks.

 

[mj9]

man ride it out... i felt the way you are feeling when i started finasteride as my hair got worse first... however, i have responded well and i am glad i stuck to my regimen...

i also only wanted to try finasteride first and see what happens before starting minoxidil but i thought, what if it does not work (all that time wasted when i could have been using minoxidil) so i started minoxidil one month later..

maybe you should to?

also remember that sometimes it takes at least 6 months before any results...

keep you chin up

 

[DoctorHouse]

Why are not the transplanted hairs still not visible yet? That area you pointed out as your thin zone is my thin zone too. However mine is a much narrower area. I was hoping hair loss treatments would help in that area at least.

 

[optimus prime]

When I started finasteride not a lot happened. Then I started to really shed. Maybe 4 months in. I have been shedding for about 4 months now (I'm about 8 months in). At points it’s been 300 a day. I lost hope, however, the hairs are slowly returning and they seem to be thicker.

I might be mistaken, but I'm feeling a little positive. So maybe it’s the same with you. The hairs are probably falling out in that part because that is the part that was hit the hardest in the past. So they need to fall out to regrow thicker.

 

[threats77]

funny how complain alot..i bet you majority of the board wish they had as much hair on top as you did..ride it out..yer fine...in the last 2 months..ive been shedding...it doesnt bother me that much..a year ago i was on finasteride and i went through a crazy shed,so i stopped,2nd time around..it doesnt bother me one bit..things get worse b4 it gets better..i wish i had as much as hair on top like you..ride it out

 

[PersonGuy]

Why are not the transplanted hairs still not visible yet? That area you pointed out as your thin zone is my thin zone too. However mine is a much narrower area. I was hoping hair loss treatments would help in that area at least.

Transplanted hairs are visible but they're still pretty sparse. I'm going on 6 months on September 5th so it's still early and I think the transplanted hairs are where they should be for the most part. It's only really that whole thinning area that is looking bad. I still think that since that area is where the male pattern baldness would have hit me genetically, that that's the reason I'm shedding so bad in that area. I'm going to give it another month and a half and then maybe add minoxidil. Thanks for the responses thus far fellas.

 

[PersonGuy]

Needed to Bump this only because it got worse.

I need some serious advice from finasteride users. Especially those who have been using it for 10 months or more and hopefully have had some success.

The hair on top outlined in the pic has gotten worse, much worse. I've noticed increased shedding and I am really at a loss. I have no idea what to do.

I just added Nizoral and so I've been on that about a week with the finasteride for about 10 months. And I'm 7 months post op w/Dr. Feller with a little less than satisfactory results from that.

I have to say that Brentx's story http://www.hairlosstalk.com/interact/viewtopic.php?f=30&t=48097 gave me hope but now even that's fading. :lost:

Has anyone ever felt like it was never going to get better only to actually have it get much better? Should I take it as a sign that it's not working? The hair was pretty much fine before I started finasteride and now it's shot. I really need some encouragement...I have no idea what to do here.

 

[EpidermisShowing]

Well i am feeling a little lost too, i am at 8 months (I think, i started in March 08 just Propecia, so that makes 7 months to Oct, though i am on my last month of the 3rd 3 month calendar packs?) - its got worse from when i started and i was hoping for some thickening up by now - my shedding periods seem to have lengthened and it appears to have done nothing for my vertex which was what i was taking it for.

I have got hairs growing in the temple regions, but they are growing at a snails pace and i can't really tell whether it is the same on top. I like you may folically challenged friend am hoping that this is part of the process but i am beginning to doubt, i'm not sure if things got a little bit better now then it would be better than baseline anyway so i am awaiting the miracle - i said i would give it 12 months and i will but then it might be best to buzz, deal with it and forget about it.

My worry is it is ment to work on your vertex more so than anywehere else and i have seen the least progress there while the front i can see some hairs trying their best (bless em). Would it suddenly just start growing really rapidly?

personally i can't wait for the 12 months as if i do shave it then i am not going to give a flying f*ck about it then....just change the game plan

 

[treeshrew]

Person, how's your crown/top of head doing? Finasteride says right in the documentation it doesn't work on the hairline, and that was my experience.

After 2 months on finasteride I survived a pretty massive crown shed, but then it got much, much better. The hairline continued to go however, I could easily see it disappearing just over that 2 month period.

I started minoxidil foam and got a hefty shed about 2-3 weeks in - but I stuck with it. I haven't grown any new hair on the hairline, but 8 months later the hair I did have there has thickened up and not a single new hair has dropped.

My advice to you would be to get on minoxidil foam for the hairline only, if you feel that finasteride is helping your crown. My experience is finasteride works for the crown, and minoxidil at least maintains on the hairline, especially in combo with finasteride.

 

[PersonGuy]

My crown has really never been the problem. At least not yet, so that's fine and always has been. My real problem is that the finasteride caused the hair behind my hairline to shed up to but not including the crown and now it looks horrible...you can almost see through it.

Anyone with feedback who's been on finasteride for a while? Longer than 10 months or so? Thanks.