Advice needed - Start with Finasteride, later with minoxidil

[centurie]

Hi guys

Basically my question is, if you start using Finasteride it will maintain your hair but after a while it loses effectiveness (from what i've heard). When you notice this dip in effectiveness will using minoxidil thereafter continue to maintain your hair for a longer period of time?

I ask this because im happy with my current hair and would just like to maintain it, so after lets say 5 years of using finasteride and i notice my hair starting to worsen again will using minoxidil help maintain it for another 5years? Im only 19 and would hate to go bald in my 20's

 

[Notcoolanymore]

I don't think anybody could really answer that question. Fighting hair loss is a MF'er. What works for you, might not work for me. finasteride could hold you pretty steady for 20 years, or for 2 years. So in other words, it might work, it might not. finasteride for the most part is the strongest weapon you have. If it fails, I doubt minoxidil will be able to save what finasteride couldn't.

 

[Diffuser44]

If you are 19 and have a full head of hair.. stay of minoxidil & finasteride. I was 19 back in 2005, I used minoxidil, it ruined the texture of my hair initially, prograssivle made it brittle, made me a conscious little b**ch by the time I was 24. Both Minoxidil and Propecia will destroy your hair... If you have a full head for the love of god and your hair stay off these industry created lies.

p.s. Yes it does give you some hair but only after destroying your god given natural hair texture and density.

Those are some outrageous claims. I think finasteride and minoxidil does wonders for people's hair. How long did you use finasteride for? Or are you making assumptions that it does this because of what happened to you on minoxidil?

 

[centurie]

I may have a full head of hair now, but i am experiecning male pattern baldness if you check my thread in Tell your story. I just want to get on finasteride so i can maintain what i have for however long and when i start to see my hair deteriorating again ill just add minoxidil into my routine if that would make any difference.

 

[Diffuser44]

I used Finasteride for a little over 3 months.. It finished about 50% of the hair I had on day one of the finasteride treatment by the time it was Month 3. And all the while those white coated rogues kept telling me if you are losing your hair it means its working. It was affecting my libido and the quality of my sexual life. I in my mind felt like *** in pursuit of some mythical hair. That was enough to put me off this drug.. shaved my head started working out like a beast.

Ok. Unfortunately around the 3 month time is where finasteride does in a way destroy your hair. It causes it to fall out and become baby soft and brittle for a small window of time. One needs to keep taking it for it to regrow stronger. If you started getting sexual side effects from it that sucks. However if you were going through a shed, your sexual side effects might have been simply psychological from the change of your appearance... Changes in ones appearance are going to cause anxiety, depression, and with those things come the sides.

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I may have a full head of hair now, but i am experiecning male pattern baldness if you check my thread in Tell your story. I just want to get on finasteride so i can maintain what i have for however long and when i start to see my hair deteriorating again ill just add minoxidil into my routine if that would make any difference.

Centurie, in my non-expert opinion I would go see a dermatologist and have them diagnose whether you are balding or not. From your photos I'm afraid it is inconclusive. Many men recede as far back as you in their adult mature hair line. I don't notice any thinning on the top that is more thin then on your sides. When you have a bright light shinning down on top of wet hair its going to look thin... but when I see your side photos your hair looks thin down by your ears as well, which isn't a balding area on men.

 

[centurie]

Centurie, in my non-expert opinion I would go see a dermatologist and have them diagnose whether you are balding or not. From your photos I'm afraid it is inconclusive. Many men recede as far back as you in their adult mature hair line. I don't notice any thinning on the top that is more thin then on your sides. When you have a bright light shinning down on top of wet hair its going to look thin... but when I see your side photos your hair looks thin down by your ears as well, which isn't a balding area on men.

Thanks alot, youve been a great help. Guess i will visit a Dermatologist.

 

[HairTimeTraveller]

About finasteride I cant make a comprehensive comment I agree.. but the side effects which have to be dealt with can scare the living daylights out of even the bravest of souls. And the worst part is hair or no hair... but the issues which cloud your mind in these phases just make you disinterested in life.. a complete recluse. That I feel is too high a price for some hair.

 

[Diffuser44]

Centurie: See a dermatologist that specializes in hair loss. Confirm that you have male pattern baldness or not. See what they recommend for treatments. Till then, get on nizoral. Keto has anti-androgen qualities that will control the itching and inflammation that causes hair loss. The fact that most of us take our drugs with this stuff makes it hard to tell if the drugs are working or if it is the shampoo...

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About finasteride I cant make a comprehensive comment I agree.. but the side effects which have to be dealt with can scare the living daylights out of even the bravest of souls. And the worst part is hair or no hair... but the issues which cloud your mind in these phases just make you disinterested in life.. a complete recluse. That I feel is too high a price for some hair.

For most us the psychological blow of losing our hair at the age of 18 is much worse than whatever minor side effects may or may come from finasteride. Honestly, if you are aware of sides, have read fear mongering posts, you're much more likely to trick yourself into having them. Nocebo effect proves this. If the man is balding, which i'm not convinced he is, and he wants to keep his hair, he should take finasteride.

When I was on finasteride I was practically a burn out for a year, had taken other drugs mixed together, drank lots of alcohol, even tried salvia which can really **** up someone's psyche. How do I know that it was finasteride that caused any neurological effects when I dabbled in all of that other crap?

 

[centurie]

I am sorry to hear about the horrible time you had, I went through something similar.. all I can say is this today - It was avoidable.

Ok I see you are 29, roughly my age I am 28. Do we really want a 19 year old young guy like Centurie to face a time like your year long drunken downward spiral or my 5 year long inferiority complex? At his age with the amount of hair he will have he needs to learn natural ways to control things like his diet, his hormones... things which wont work for us anymore. He should learn these things not run after alopethic medicines which lead you down a slippery slope.. Centurie I hope you are reading this.

I understand what your saying and thank you for your concern. Of course i'll try and controll it naturally but if i am losing my hair i'd rather be proactive about it rather then let it gradually fall and regret not taking finasteride or minoxidil after. If taking finasteride doesnt work out for me i will just be content that i tried my best to keep my hair, accept its time to go bald and get a buzz cut

 

[Diffuser44]

HairTime you are a troll. You clearly are either misreading my posts or are trying to get a rise out of me. Finasteride didn't lead me down a slippery slope, nor did I ever go down a slippery slope. I remained functional and happy during my college years. You are tiring me out with your bull****.

 

[HairTimeTraveller]

HairTime you are a troll. You clearly are either misreading my posts or are trying to get a rise out of me. Finasteride didn't lead me down a slippery slope, nor did I ever go down a slippery slope. I remained functional and happy during my college years. You are tiring me out with your bull****.

I quote you " When I was on finasteride I was practically a burn out for a year, had taken other drugs mixed together, drank lots of alcohol, even tried salvia which can really **** up someone's psyche. "

 

[Diffuser44]

I quote you " When I was on finasteride I was practically a burn out for a year, had taken other drugs mixed together, drank lots of alcohol, even tried salvia which can really **** up someone's psyche. "

I was simply stating that it would be difficult to blame any neurological side effect I may or may not have had on finasteride BECAUSE I did some experimenting with other drugs aside from it. Finasteride didn't cause me to experiment with drugs. I was in college! There is a time and place for everything, and it is called college. I tried vicodin, drank alcohol, smoked some marijuana for a little while etc. Who here didn't do those things?

 

[HairTimeTraveller]

I understand what your saying and thank you for your concern. Of course i'll try and controll it naturally but if i am losing my hair i'd rather be proactive about it rather then let it gradually fall and regret not taking finasteride or minoxidil after. If taking finasteride doesnt work out for me i will just be content that i tried my best to keep my hair, accept its time to go bald and get a buzz cut

Centurie be proactive with what god has given you... these medicines are created by men who till date don't completely understand how hair works. I at my end just sharing experience with you...

 

[Diffuser44]

Centurie be proactive with what god has given you... these medicines are created by men who till date don't completely understand how hair works. I at my end just sharing experience with you...

That post was pretty good HairTime. They don't really understand how the drugs work completely.

 

[CursedMen]

Sounds to me like your male pattern baldness kept progressing while on minoxidil, and that is what caused the change in hair. Once you stopped it, the hairs that it did save fell off. If you would of kept up with minoxidil, and also started finasteride you would be in a better place.

 

[HairTimeTraveller]

Sounds to me like your male pattern baldness kept progressing while on minoxidil, and that is what caused the change in hair. Once you stopped it, the hairs that it did save fell off. If you would of kept up with minoxidil, and also started finasteride you would be in a better place.

It sounds wrong to you, nowhere have I said that anything was lost post finasteride/minoxidil. Your hair if anything becomes more susceptible to Androgens while you are on minoxidil.

 

[Notcoolanymore]

Hey what's up baylife/coolmusti? What have you been up to?

 

[Diffuser44]

Hey what's up baylife/coolmusti? What have you been up to?

I have my doubts that this is bay life. Baylife has an obvious tell. This person isn't doing it unless someone made baylife
aware of what that tell is.

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Nevermind. This guy might be baylife. Or someone taking his place. Better not feed him. I've fed him enough already.

 

[Notcoolanymore]

Diffuser, it is clear that you aren't interested in finasteride. What if something else came out that was effective? Topical finasteride, CB, etc. Or have you just said screw it, and don't want to deal with any of this treatment BS anymore?

 

[centurie]

Posted this in my other thread but didn't get a response:

Here's an update on my situation:

I visited a derm who said I have slight crown thinning and temple has receeded slightly (nothing I didn't know), but he then went on to say there is no way to tell whether my male pattern baldness will stop there or continue more aggressively. He suggested I get on minoxidil and propecia as ATM I'm very early stages. Now here's what confused me, after a year he said I should stop monoxidil as by this time my hair will be thick and propecia alone will maintain it thereafter.

Why would I get on minoxidil for a single year then stop, surely any growth from it would just fall out (even with propecia)?

I myself thought that I would try and maintain my hair for as long as possible with propecia alone, and when I start see it getting worse then I start on minoxidil.

Please any advice would be much appreciated.