I’m now 17 months on finasteride and my hair is in the worst shape it’s ever been. I’m sure this drug works wonders for most but for me it has - at best - failed miserably and - at worst - accelerated my hair loss. I also have had alopecia areata for 25 years but those flare ups have always occurred on the back of my scalp. In my entire time on finasteride I was never aware of any unusual shedding but I was also doing my best to not pay so much attention as I understood that time was needed to see results.
When my hair loss started in May of 2018 it started at the left temple. Then the right temple. The receding occurred rapidly in the 2 months prior to starting treatment (I’d estimate a half an inch to an inch at each temple. I had no signs of pattern hair loss anywhere else on my scalp or previous to this. 4 months in I noticed after showering that the areas affected by thinning were no longer exclusive to hairline or temples as it had crept to my forelock, mid scalp and vertex.
By 6 months it was clear that almost all of the hair in the Norwood region was being miniaturized - meaning all my hair was suddenly tapered at the root and was therefore thinner in density and appearance. I honestly can’t explain how this could’ve happened although i have seen theories floated in this forum. but I refused to panic and pressed on trying to convince myself that this was a good sign and that the hair was cycling.
Well here I am almost 12 months later and my hairline and temples have receded further, my forelock now has a sizable thinning spot and my once dense hair is now diffuse thinning in the horse shoe pattern. I’d say I’m probably a Norwood 3 approaching a Norwood 4 in the coming months after starting at about Norwood 1 prior to April of 2018. So i estimate i have lost about 2 NWs in less than 20 months and on finasteride for all but 3 months of that time . There’s no way that is normal.
It’s interesting to note also that although my crown remains thinner after the initial 6 month loss it still appears to be in the same shape as it was 10-12 months ago. So to summarize my loss started at the temples and my frontal thinning has continued to get the worst of it. The mid scalp and vertex took a hit at the 4-6 month mark but haven’t changed drastically since.
As a side note I have an identical twin brother who I’d say is a Norwood 1.5 at worst with no diffuse thinning that I can see (he keeps his hair much shorter than I do). So as an added bonus to this disaster I have to live with a replica of myself walking around with great hair as I rapidly bald.
in any case I have dutasteride on its way so I feel like I have 2 options
1) taper off all AAs and try to reset my hormonal balance in the hope that the finasteride has caused me to go turbo. The fact that my brother isn’t having this issue makes me doubt how much of this is genetics and maybe AAs were not the correct path (even though 2 different derms prescribed them and my blood work was normal.
2) start taking duta and pray that whatever is causing such rapid loss is only DHT related.
The comical part of this is that I was only ever hoping for maintenance and to stop what I saw as a sudden and rapidly receding hairline. I’d give anything for my hair of 6 months ago which is what I said 6 months ago and 6 months prior to that. And I’m sure I’ll feel the same 6 months from now. This has completely consumed my life for the better part of two years and my wife thinks that i should just accept going bald. But i refuse to stop fighting this. Any opinions are welcome.
When my hair loss started in May of 2018 it started at the left temple. Then the right temple. The receding occurred rapidly in the 2 months prior to starting treatment (I’d estimate a half an inch to an inch at each temple. I had no signs of pattern hair loss anywhere else on my scalp or previous to this. 4 months in I noticed after showering that the areas affected by thinning were no longer exclusive to hairline or temples as it had crept to my forelock, mid scalp and vertex.
By 6 months it was clear that almost all of the hair in the Norwood region was being miniaturized - meaning all my hair was suddenly tapered at the root and was therefore thinner in density and appearance. I honestly can’t explain how this could’ve happened although i have seen theories floated in this forum. but I refused to panic and pressed on trying to convince myself that this was a good sign and that the hair was cycling.
Well here I am almost 12 months later and my hairline and temples have receded further, my forelock now has a sizable thinning spot and my once dense hair is now diffuse thinning in the horse shoe pattern. I’d say I’m probably a Norwood 3 approaching a Norwood 4 in the coming months after starting at about Norwood 1 prior to April of 2018. So i estimate i have lost about 2 NWs in less than 20 months and on finasteride for all but 3 months of that time . There’s no way that is normal.
It’s interesting to note also that although my crown remains thinner after the initial 6 month loss it still appears to be in the same shape as it was 10-12 months ago. So to summarize my loss started at the temples and my frontal thinning has continued to get the worst of it. The mid scalp and vertex took a hit at the 4-6 month mark but haven’t changed drastically since.
As a side note I have an identical twin brother who I’d say is a Norwood 1.5 at worst with no diffuse thinning that I can see (he keeps his hair much shorter than I do). So as an added bonus to this disaster I have to live with a replica of myself walking around with great hair as I rapidly bald.
in any case I have dutasteride on its way so I feel like I have 2 options
1) taper off all AAs and try to reset my hormonal balance in the hope that the finasteride has caused me to go turbo. The fact that my brother isn’t having this issue makes me doubt how much of this is genetics and maybe AAs were not the correct path (even though 2 different derms prescribed them and my blood work was normal.
2) start taking duta and pray that whatever is causing such rapid loss is only DHT related.
The comical part of this is that I was only ever hoping for maintenance and to stop what I saw as a sudden and rapidly receding hairline. I’d give anything for my hair of 6 months ago which is what I said 6 months ago and 6 months prior to that. And I’m sure I’ll feel the same 6 months from now. This has completely consumed my life for the better part of two years and my wife thinks that i should just accept going bald. But i refuse to stop fighting this. Any opinions are welcome.
