First of all Ed,
I have not been on finasteride(active ingredient in propecia pills) for a very long time. I will try to answer your questions and if you judge accordingly ignore me.
EasyEd said:
You should expect maintenance. If you are lucky the balding process will reach a stand-off. You have a very good chance that the process will slow considerably giving you many years of decent hair.
I know results vary pretty drastically but what is the typical result?
Yes. The results vary drastically and there are no guarantees here. A typical result is maintenance. Maintenance means that your shedding will noticeably decrease to the normal range, giving your hairs the chance of concurrent presence on your scalp, hence improving the quality and texture of your hair. You should not count on any regrowth in areas that have been considerably damaged- regrowth with inhibitors is a bonus.
I have heard that you could shed lots of hair and possible never grow any of it back making the problem worse than when you started, is this true?
Shedding is common. Freaking out because of it is also common. The worse senario is a Telogen Effluvium induced by hormonal changes due to the drug. I do not think that this is probable though. Even in this case the damage could not be permanent as Telogen Effluvium is not a scarring form of alopecia.
Many people mistake a heavy shedding period-sometimes necessary for renewal and improvement- as accelerated balding process.
Some, do not respond to the drug and continue to see their initial balding accelerating (which would happen anyway).
You don't have to set on this trip with the worst
highly unprobable scenarios on your mind. This treatment is clinically proven to work for the majority of people.
How long should I expect to see results?
According to merck you could see a noticeable decrease in shedding at the 3 month mark. The truth is, you can only guess. Keep in mind that propecia lowers dht(
if you do not know what dht is you have a lot of reading to do before deciding to start on drugs) levels from day 1, so it is up to your follicles to start expressing this change. This could happen really soon or after many months.
Will I likely just maintain or could I possible regrow?
Regrowth is possible, yes, but it is your task to start on a regimen having set a realistic goal. What finasteride has to offer is maintenance. Regrowth is by no means certainty.
Also, who do I see about this, my doctor?
A dermatologist. I think that the main use of a derm in this case is verifying the obvious which is that you have male pattern baldness and not some other kind of condition(thyroid, Telogen Effluvium, nutritional deficiency e.t.c)
You can obtain this drug without prescription too. Other guys can help you more on where to do your shopping, as I am from another planet.
If so, does he give them to me immediately or do I have to wait a while?
He can write a prescription immediately if he judges so.
Also, how bad is the shedding process?
On propecia alone you are unlikely to shed. If you do it can be anything, I doubt it will have a cosmetic impact though.
I have heard that during the first few months, there is a lot of shedding so how much is there?
What you have heard is probably about treatments including stimulants. Minoxidil can cause a noticeable increase in shedding quite early. If you shed on a maintenance regimen it usually happens months in, unless it is your initial balding continuing.
Will it get thinner or just fall off?
I think that your question storm made you type some funny ones too.
"get thinner or fall off"? Thinning of the hair shaft is a gradual process and a result of many cycles of miniaturization. Every cycle ends with the hair shaft "falling off".
I think that you should read on the hair cycle some more and get a bit educated on the subject in general. If you are as impulsive as you sound you are likely to jump on and off treatments jeopardizing your chances for success. Have you made your personal research on the subject of hairloss? Or you just saw "propecia" and want to jump on it?
At what point should I say "this isn't for me, I should stop"?
This point has nothing to do with your hair image. It has to do with time. You will assess your progress after the year mark.
Talk to your doctor. I feel you are being very impulsive on this. You might as well be one of these guys having zero loss and just obsessing.
Good luck.
