29 (pics of progression) receding & at a crossroad with fear of finasteride (perspective is very much appreciated)

[theegoodin]

Hey all, long time lurker on the forum, first time poster & super grateful to be here & potentially get advise from all of you that have more depth & experience along this journey.

I mainly want to know… what would you do in my situation? And what do you think is the best route forward?

This will be a long post & a dump of emotions/pondering, and SUPER grateful to all who read. If this needs to be posted somewhere else just lmk and I’ll move the

I am 29, and obviously severely receding and at the point of crossroads of what to do with my hair loss journey. I’ve always had a naturally high hair line, which never bothered me.

(1st pic) I was 19- I believe the appearance of thinning on the front is just lighting because that area of my frontal lobe had the most density in later pictures posted
(2nd pic) 20 or 21 years old- as I’m looking I’m showing signs of potential thinning? but my hair has always been more blonde on the top and I always thought I just had lighter colored hair there due to beach trips during the summer
(3rd pic) 24 years old - obvious thinning/receding but still was unaware
(4th pic) 27 years old & 2 years ago- just realized balding & was on minoxidil for maybe 3 months
(5th pic) current 29 years old & my look when I’ve got an ideal hair cut with short sides to lessen obvious thinning on top
(6th pic) current 29 years old with close to a buzz cut

Where I’m at, I’m 29 & gravely scared of finasteride but considering getting on topical finasteride. I am completely healthy and in good physical shape with the exception of moderate to severe ED for my age due to a severe p**rn addiction to which I’m still recovering from. I can perform and have sex, but rely on the use of v**** unless I’m very attracted & comfortable with a partner and not watching p**rn. I have faith I’ll have normal performance with recovery of my p**rn addiction, but the thought of adding finasteride is a scary prospect as I need all the help I can get to get back to normal sexual performance of a healthy 29 year old male.

I’ve been on minoxidil, dosing an average of 1.5x a day for about 2 years saw some moderate growth at the start of use and leveled off shortly after, I don’t think I’m a hyper responder by any means. Just started adding microneedling with the derminator last week & hoping I am a hyper responder but time will tell and I can post updates of that.

I am going to see a urologist & get blood work done in the coming month *before I do ANYTHING* to see if there’s any underlying issues for ED, but once I do that I feel I’m at a crossroads.

I’ve considered getting on TRT soon but am very skeptical as it speeds up hair loss…(I am super receptive to getting on TRT in my late 30’s/early 40’s when hair loss is not as big of a deal, and probably will although getting on it now I’m less confident about due to getting on it relatively young for hormone reasons as well)

I’ve considered finasteride, but the prospect of side effects of PFS is super scary considering I’ve already got ED…

I’ve considered hair systems & am open to them as a long term solution & starting early with them, but then I can’t use minoxidil & am making a permanent decision of untreated male pattern baldness… & I roll Jiu jitsu and it’s important to me & I would have to give it up with hair systems…


I’ve considered getting on Finasteride AND TRT… but wooh, sounds complex. Also considered getting on Finasteride first to see if I regrow hair but what is the causes PFS & TRT doesn’t fix it when it might have not caused it if I took TRT & Finasteride at the start at the same time?

I’ve considered just riding it out, and hoping I can hold off as long as I can by adding more stuff to my routine and then maybe getting SMP when I’m older if I need to…

^this seems like my safest option that I’m leaning towards. I have started adding microneedling in the past week, and am praying I will be a hyper responder to it.

I will say… if I lost my hair in my late 30’s once I’ve settled down I’d be completely okay with it. But I am 29, single, and looking to date casually and continue to live a playboy lifestyle for atleast the next few years lol.

Given these factors, what do you think is my best course of action? I am at the point that if I took finasteride and responded well I feel I could save my hair. I have always been a bit of a pretty boy and loved my hair and it’s extremely important to me… but not as the risk of not being able to perform sexually and date successfully.

I know my first step is to see a urologist and determine if there are any underlying issues besides my past p**rn addiction. But if there are no underlying issues to be corrected, what’s the play in your opinion or my best route?

Also, before I do decide to start on topical finasteride, I will 100% get extensive blood work done prior to make sure I’m not likely to get side effects.

Final note: I know balding gene is primarily passed from your mothers father, which he had a receding hairline and primarily frontal balding, but not complete frontal baldness. My mother/father both have great hair, but all my male cousins on my mother’s side are 5-12 years older than me, and have a similar hair line that’s *slightly* more progressed than mine, none have complete frontal baldness, just a progression of my hair loss similar to my mother’s father.

If I had their hairline in 10 years, and maintained what I have for atleast another 5 years, I would be okay with it. I just don’t know if my hair loss is more severe than them at my age and don’t feel comfortable asking them.

Again, I know it’s a long post but I am SUPER grateful for yalls wisdom, experience, & caring enough to give me your life extremely valuable. THANK YOU SO MUCH for listening.

Any feedback is so greatly appreciated!!!


(1st pic) I was 19- I believe the appearance of thinning on the front is just lighting because that area of my frontal lobe had the most density in later pictures posted
(2nd pic) 20 or 21 years old- as I’m looking I’m showing signs of potential thinning? but my hair has always been more blonde on the top and I always thought I just had lighter colored hair there due to beach trips during the summer
(3rd pic) 24 years old - obvious thinning/receding but still was unaware
(4th pic) 27 years old & 2 years ago- just realized balding & was on minoxidil for maybe 3 months
(5th pic) current 29 years old & my look when I’ve got an ideal hair cut with short sides to lessen obvious thinning on top
(6th pic) current 29 years old with close to a buzz cut

 

[infamousrodi]

Stop fearing finasteride. Sides are over exaggerated. It is a wonder drug if caught early enough.

 

[hair2stay]

You won't be ok in 5 years being way more bald... I thought so too: when I'm in my mid 40's I won't care about hair....I need it more than ever. You do too and you'll be bald by then if you don't get on finasteride..

PFS, although possible is VERY rare and is almost certainly indicative of other psychological, hormonal/ physiological issues. Get your blood work. Tell urologist you're starting finasteride and then start with a low dose of 0.25mgs/ day for three months before going up to 0.5mgs / day

If you get sides that persist for more than several months discontinue and you'll almost certainly return to normal within days or weeks or maybe a year...

BUT WHY is everyone on here so terrified I going bald but more terrified of low libido. It's not normal or healthy to jerk off to p**rn 5-10x a week...but tonnes of us do or did...with all this internet p**rn and the MAJOR and NOT RARE sexual sides, people can't determine healthy sexuality....

You would be blessed to get on finasteride: get your hair Back in a year and keep it forever AND lower your libido to control your addiction. You CAN AND MUST. You'll never not be addicted to p**rn. You're permanently rewired. But you can give it up. And then find a nice normal woman who you can ejaculate with cuz you love her and she's sexy cuz if that.

Get on the finasteride NOW. get off p**rn now...high libido is NOT a sign of health...it's a curse at this point

 

[theegoodin]

You won't be ok in 5 years being way more bald... I thought so too: when I'm in my mid 40's I won't care about hair....I need it more than ever. You do too and you'll be bald by then if you don't get on finasteride..

PFS, although possible is VERY rare and is almost certainly indicative of other psychological, hormonal/ physiological issues. Get your blood work. Tell urologist you're starting finasteride and then start with a low dose of 0.25mgs/ day for three months before going up to 0.5mgs / day

If you get sides that persist for more than several months discontinue and you'll almost certainly return to normal within days or weeks or maybe a year...

BUT WHY is everyone on here so terrified I going bald but more terrified of low libido. It's not normal or healthy to jerk off to p**rn 5-10x a week...but tonnes of us do or did...with all this internet p**rn and the MAJOR and NOT RARE sexual sides, people can't determine healthy sexuality....

You would be blessed to get on finasteride: get your hair Back in a year and keep it forever AND lower your libido to control your addiction. You CAN AND MUST. You'll never not be addicted to p**rn. You're permanently rewired. But you can give it up. And then find a nice normal woman who you can ejaculate with cuz you love her and she's sexy cuz if that.

Get on the finasteride NOW. get off p**rn now...high libido is NOT a sign of health...it's a curse at this point

You make some very valid points. I appreciate your perspective very much. I’ve thought the same thing. If my libido lowered a bit, but in essence that took away a portion of my desire to watch p**rn/masturbate everyday, I could come out having better performance on finasteride than off it after some time free of masturbation & periods of healing

 

[hair2stay]

You make some very valid points. I appreciate your perspective very much. I’ve thought the same thing. If my libido lowered a bit, but in essence that took away a portion of my desire to watch p**rn/masturbate everyday, I could come out having better performance on finasteride than off it after some time free of masturbation & periods of healing

The best way to get a normal libido back is to train yourself to look away. Too many beautiful women on you tube and Facebook half dressed.... Look away.its so hard BUT now that I'm 44 and my testosterone is lower, it's much easier....

Of course hair is just hair and I shouldn't care but I do. I'd rather have my hair and Lower libido. Many happily married couples have sex every day but just as many if not way more have sex 2-3 times a month. Our culture is obsessed with hair and sex... We're told we need to be having sex constantly to be happy. We need full head of hair to be happy....its ALL lies..... Don't be afraid to try finasteride. The likelihood of PFS is very very low. Get your bloodWork, talk to urologist, and teach yourself to look away...teach yourself how to cope with stress and loneliness without p**rn....p**rn ruined my life in many ways. You can change ok!!