Should i start taking proscar?

[grimes]

it costs about 30 dollars for 14 tablets, which i guess is about 14x5=70 'doses'? that's not too expensive, so i don't mind the cost. however, do i really need it? i'm 28 years old now and i'd say about a norwood 2 on that scale. i've been a norwood 2 for about probably 5-6 years now and my hairloss is strictly limited to the temples. everything else is fine(almost too thick). in the last 5-6 years or so, my hairline hasn't really receded either, but it's getting slightly more 'diffuse'. my dad and two of my uncles kind of followed the same 'path' and they are now in their 40-50s and are all about Norwood 3. so, not too bad.

so, should i go on proscar? is it worth it? i don't really mind getting a receded hairline that much. going bald on top would be much worse. then again, if i could stop my hairloss then i'd do it. apparantly proscar is a very good product, from what i've read, but i have a few questions:

-will my hairline 'stabilize' if i go on it? meaning, can i expect to stay a Norwood 2 'forever'?

-will i lose hair in the first few months if i go on proscar? i heard something about shedding a lot of hair, but i really didn't understand what it meant. if i all of a sudden lost a lot of hairs, i think i'd probably panic and quit. :lol:

-are there any sideeffects? i like to work out and live an active life, does proscar have any effect on your muscle build, stamina and general health?

 

[grimes]

one more thing, i have no idea how many hairs i lose a day, but i don't notice any excessive loss. maybe around 60-70 a day. when i wake up in the morning, there's probably 1-2 hairs on my pillow...

 

[tchehov]

From all the info you've given, I wouldn't take any meds - I would just stay alert to any changes in density or shedding in the future.

If your hair on top is 'almost too thick' and you've only had a little temple recession by your late 20's I'd say you're doing fine. What's known as a mature hairline.

But stay vigilant.

 

[grimes]

when i get my hair cut, it's usually thinned a bit on top so that i can more easily 'style' it. otherwise i can't really manage it.

however, i definately have like a V-shaped hairline with maybe an inch receded on each side over the temples. it's stayed like this for about 5-6 years now, but i guess the hairline isn't as well defined as it used to be. it's still pretty strong, but a bit 'lighter' here and there.

i like my hair the way it is now and if i could, i'd like it to stay more or less like this for the next 10-15 years or so. i've been fooling around with the idea of taking proscar as it is quite cheap and i can just order it on the net, but i'm kind of worried about two things. first being side effects. second, and almost as important, is this three month 'shedding' i've been reading about. if i all of a sudden lose a lot of hair after i go on proscar, i won't do it. because i'm not really desperate and a sudden loss would be much worse than a gradual loss over the next couple of decades i'm probably in for(going by my father's and uncles' "paths").

 

[tchehov]

All I can say is if it ain't broke don't fix it.

Have you checked your scalp thoroughly for any signs of miniaturisation? If you take a couple of pics, top and front, and post them here, you'll get some good advice.

 

[grimes]

i assume by miniaturization you mean smaller and thinner hairs or something like that? well, there are maybe one or two 'shorter hairs' every half inch or so along my hairline, but at the rest of my head it's all pretty much 'perfect' for lack of a better word. these shorter hairs aren't really thinner either, they're just shorter for some reason.

also, at the very edge of my hairline there is also like a slightly more diffuse area(the one i mentioned). this i think has happened during the last 5-6 years or so. it's not much, but maybe like 1/10 of an inch. in this area, the hairs are slightly further apart then the rest of my hair. however, not all along the hairline either. just on a small part of the right side. the left side is still good.

 

[tchehov]

OK. With that little thinning patch and the developing widow's peak it might be wise to consider some preventative measures. It's much easier to prevent hair from falling than to grow it back once the follicle is screwed. Also if you are receding markedly at the temples into a peak that hair will be much more difficult to regrow.

There's no mistaking miniaturised hairs - they are thinner, lighter, weaker and often shorter than your normal hair. If you have a doctor ask him to refer you to a dermatologist to get a firm opinion.

In the meantime, proscar split is cheap and effective. You may go through a shed, or may not - it's your decision as to whether you can take that chance, and quite often a shed means regrowth later. And if proscar works for you it means you won't have to bother with the hassle of regrowth agents like Rogaine later.

Don't panic - you've caught it early, with that and your family history you should be fine.

 

[Follically Challenged]

Sounds like male pattern baldness. Do you sleep on your right side? I do, and that where male pattern baldness ravaged me. My friend said it got him on the side he slept also.

Honestly you have to decide what's best for you. We have no clue what is going to happen to your hair, what your hair looks like, and whether you care to grow back the parts of your head where it appears to be the early signs of male pattern baldness.

Proscar isn't the only treatment for male pattern baldness, as I'm guessing you know, but I will tell you that I wish I hopped on proscar/propecia the day i knew i was losing my hair. Because lord a' mercy it went quick. You sound like a healthy guy though, and if you're eating right I think your male pattern baldness will progress slowly.

 

[tchehov]

Yeah, my right side is a lot worse than my left, but I had my parting on the right and I felt that had a lot to do with it. The parting just got wider and wider... :freaked2:

 

[grimes]

i just posted a topic in the propecia forum to see whether the shed is common or not. if it is quite common, i think i'll wait a while before starting taking it. i'm losing hair quite slowly so i don't see the point in freaking out just yet. then again, if there are no such side effects, i might as well start now.

 

[Follically Challenged]

I didn't shed, but i wasn't a quick responder. Took me more than a year before i saw results, almost two years before good results.

A lot of people who claim very good results in considerable less time that what it took me say they shed, but the hair grows back. Most people here will tell you a shed is probably a good sign it's going to work well for you.

 

[grimes]

yes, but after reading a bit here on the forum, it seems like a lot are experiencing a massive increase in hairloss from 2-4 months or so. so massive that it is actually noticeably. if so, i'll wait until my hairloss becomes much more severe. if it even does get more severe. if it continues at current rate, it's not too bad.

 

[tchehov]

You should bear in mind that people tend to frequent forums like this because they are experiencing problems with their regimen - for every one person detailing their side effects here there are many other hair loss sufferers using these treatments with no side effects and who therefore have no reason to come here.

So the sides issue is a bit out of proportion here. Just keep an eye on it and if you think it's thinning further you know what to do.

 

[bubka]

yes, but after reading a bit here on the forum, it seems like a lot are experiencing a massive increase in hairloss from 2-4 months or so. so massive that it is actually noticeably. if so, i'll wait until my hairloss becomes much more severe. if it even does get more severe. if it continues at current rate, it's not too bad.

i don't buy the massive, i mean i think i may of had a slight increase, but it could be that you are just more aware as well, a little more obsessive given that you are taking a daily pill to stop it, so you are going to pay even more attention

 

[grimes]

You should bear in mind that people tend to frequent forums like this because they are experiencing problems with their regimen - for every one person detailing their side effects here there are many other hair loss sufferers using these treatments with no side effects and who therefore have no reason to come here.

So the sides issue is a bit out of proportion here. Just keep an eye on it and if you think it's thinning further you know what to do.

well, that is true. i don't think i'll start just yet though. even though the risk of side effect are small, i don't quite see the need just yet. i think i'll wait 6-18 months or so, when i close in on the big 3 0. :shock:

btw, when i do start taking it, assuming the hair loss will continue to be quite slow, is 1/8 of a proscar enough? i was thinking, the smaller the pill, the smaller the side effects? considering the slow hair loss, i'd also assume i wouldn't need as much as 1/4 of 5mg either?

 

[MPBWarrior]

btw, when i do start taking it, assuming the hair loss will continue to be quite slow, is 1/8 of a proscar enough? i was thinking, the smaller the pill, the smaller the side effects? considering the slow hair loss, i'd also assume i wouldn't need as much as 1/4 of 5mg either?

i wouldn't recommend 1/8 proscar. that'd be quite tricky. just get 1/2 propecia or if your hairloss really isn't that strong, just start on 1/4 propecia, which is 0.25mg and which is apparently 60% as strong as 1mg. but definitely try some amount of finasteride. the bottom line is that your hairloss will just continue if you don't block DHT and u will almost definitely regret not going on finasteride earlier. as long as u don't get sides on it of course, but you'll never know that unless u try!!!

 

[grimes]

first of all, i have no intention of spending a lot of money on this, so it's proscar or nothing. secondly, i have no intention of putting on a lot of crappy oils and sh*t on my head. so it's either taking a pill or nothing.

i'm losing my hair very slowly, so it's not really that big of a deal. only way i would start taking proscar, would be if i was fairly guaranteed to get great results(completely stop hairloss for the next 10 years or so) with no side effects whatsoever. otherwise, i don't see the point.

 

[Nathaniel]

The only way to find out is to try it. Speculation in hairloss is pretty much pointless since everyone has a different story/genetic makeup. Start out with 1mg of finasteride, you can always lower the dosage if you get sides.

 

[bubka]

exactly, a lot of speculation and BS here talking about any dosage that would be optimal for your personally, i again suggest to start at ~1mg

 

[Follically Challenged]

grimey

It works.