Anti Propecia; Pro Bald

[Diffuser44]

Well guys, I've made a decision. I will not be dabbling with finasteride. I will continue to use rogaine and keto till my hair becomes noticeably bald and will gradually cut it shorter and shorter and eventually shave it all off.

When you guys are ready to make the change yourselves there are some great pro bald sites. baldrus.com and slybaldguys.com.

Ask yourself a couple questions. What is more manly? Shaving your head and being a badass. Or being this pathetic worry wart taking pictures of his obvious thinning hair? Hair does not equal masculinity.

I for one am not going to try to scare people away from the drugs. I've had pretty good success with finasteride. We are a lucky generation of men to even have the option to save our hair. However I am no longer comfortable with altering my hormones. Especially a second time. I went on the drug for 7.5 years. I've been off of it now for 2.5 years. I will say I feel more manly since quitting the drug. Probably psychological but even so, its what makes me feel comfortable. I will say that your body does structurally change on a hormonal level to compensate for its lack of dht. These adjustments your body goes through takes 3-6 months starting the drug, and can take just as long if not longer with eventually quitting the drug. Having taking it 7.5 years at the young age of 18 - 25, the drug was well tolerated. I do beleive it stunted my beard growth as I had not fully matured at 18 and my beard was patchy at the time. Since quitting my beard hair follicles have thickened significantly around the chin. I also had the return of morning wood, and longer lasting erections. I also have a lot more aggression and find it easier to get angry when appropriate. Whereas when I was on the drug I felt neutral on things the majority of the time. Also the greatest benefit of being off of finasteride is obtaining a more masculine face! Finasteride really does feminize you. If that's your goal is to look feminine then finasteride is for you!

The only thing I would not recommend more so than finasteride is hair transplants. If you get a hair transplant you are forced to take finasteride for the rest of your life! Your transplant hair wont fall out but the rest of your hair will unless you take finasteride.

I will post my results over the next 6 months of my rogaine and keto useage. I incorporated the liquid at night and am using foam in the morning. After I've used up my supply I will more than likely quit. But for those people who want to see if there is success in using this regimen without having to go on finasteride I will continue to show my results. I will continue to show my results after quitting the regimen to show the subsequent progression of hair loss. That way people will have a good timeline.

 

[Notcoolanymore]

I respect your decision to not give finasteride a second try and proceed to go bald. It is a choice we all have to make and be comfortable with, and if you don't want to take even the slightest risk to your health then you are making the right choice. With finasteride or any other drug their is always some risk involved.

As far as the feminizing comments I will give them the attention they deserve.

Yes, shaving your head can make you look like a bad ***, no doubt, but is that look beneficial in all areas in life? Not all of us want to walk around scaring little kids, picking fights, or other BS like that. I could easily achieve a bad *** don't eff with me look, but that persona just isn't me, and don't want it to be either. Also not everybody will look like a bad *** with a shaved head. Some will just look like an ***.

Like I said before, I have no problem at all with your decision. I wish I didn't care about all this hair loss crap either, but at this point I do, so I will fight on.

 

[GoldenMane]

As a personal choice I too respect this, but it's not for me. I don't really know what you mean by feminizing people's features, but in terms of health and mood I don't feel like much or anything has changed, and if it has and I just don't notice then it's certainly has not any any negative impact on any aspect of my life. But if you feel it has for you and you have weighed up the pros/cons then it's the right decision for you, best of luck!

 

[drgs]

My voice got deeper on finasteride

 

[GoldenMane]

My arms have got hairier since starting on finasteride. Maybe they would have anyway who knows?

 

[ladysmanfelpz]

No diffuser is right. It will feminize you, but it doesn't do much since much of our development has already occured such as epiphysial plate closure and hair follicle formation and what not. Look at transgender regimens. They pop finasteride 2-3 times a day as it inhibits the potent hormone that promotes masculinization.

I feel great on it, but I do want to quit not for my physical health, but my mental health. When I started losing my hair it bothered me how EVERYONE my age had full heads of hair and the trait deemed ugly by society hit me in my youth and I was destined to be unattractive the rest of my life. Yes I would find a girl and be okay, but I didn't think I would be happy without my hair and appeal to the opposite sex. Changes to our looks is what has the biggest impacts on our happiness and its hard to deal with especially when there is nothing you can do about it. Related to the fat girl syndrome they can work out and try to better appearance, for severe balders like me, there is nothing you can do about it no matter how strict of a diet or exercise regimen you have.

Now I was very masculine to begin with and at 23 feel very so even while on finasteride. I see life as a game of trade-offs and us males with high T and DHT get the masculine and strong man appearance, but soon as the hormone attacks the hair (its androgens actions anyway) and it becomes visible to society you are perceived differently. Now with the advances in modern medicine I get the masculine traits from my high androgen hormonal balance, but also can keep my hair from a drug that mainly targets hair loss, so I get the best of both worlds. Talk about a vain piece of ****.

People do care about their looks and I wish there was something simple that you could do such as a topical to if not fix at least better our situation, but there really is not so. I tried minoxidil and it gave me sides and made my situation worse. If there was such a magical topical, this stigmatized condition would be more open to society and people would talk about it freely and suggest friends, boyfriends, relatives, etc to use it to better their hair. But its not that way. Hairlines have defined a man's image since the beginning of time and that is his look and they are to accept it. Now we live in a day where we can do something about it, but still few know about it. Both men and women's reactions are different to me that I am visibly not balding anymore. Like I said I feel great, but I feel like I am living a lie. I believe in self-improvement and tried testosterone and other supplements and fine tuned all my workout programs and heck maybe even would have tried steroids at some point in my life if I didn't have hair loss. But when you take a drug to alter your appearance, its a whole different ball game.

Say we perfect cosmetic surgery and the general population voted most beautiful women in the world had multiple surgeries such as breast implants and facial lifts and skin smoothening and what not. Well then where is the beauty in that? Its not her natural genetics or hard work in the gym or psychological well being from living a healthy lifestyle. Its modern medicine that gave her her looks. Or with the steroid argument. So if a girl likes a strong guy, does it matter that he got his strong man appearance from a drug rather than his natural genetics and hard work?

That is why I am happy their is something we can do about it, but it still doesn't feel right to me. I will remain on the drug since it has giving me confidence and a new outlook on life that I did not have, but once I decide to let it go I do not think I will look at the surgical route even if science can give back a full head appearance. I like the fact that it is still me same genetics and same development, now with just an altered hormonal balance so I can say that it is my hair. I wish fluridil or another breakthrough topical was mainstream and we had a treatment that only acted on hair so I wouldn't feel so vain.

I congratulate you on your decision Diffuser and wish you the best of luck with your

 

[SayifDoit]

Rationalisations.

I'm getting a FUE in a month and I'm not taking finasteride. See the hundreds of successful hair transplants without finasteride.

Being bald does not always equal looking bad ***. See: http://img3.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20120621204559/community-sitcom/images/6/63/Craig_Pelton.jpg

Being bald does not equal being masculine. In fact, virility has long been associated with long hair on men. See the Samson and Delilah myth.

It has been discussed many times before, slybaldguys members are delusional. See how often they tell some guy with an alien-looking shaped head he looks great.

My advice: continue minoxidil and nizoral even when you're noticeably bald. Be aware of the fact that some hair, is always better than no hair.

These also my own thoughts.
finasteride isn't for everyone and I think that's obvious.

The whole finasteride=feminine is laughable
Mucha mucha masculine

 

[Quantum Cat]

Propecia can change the shape of your face now? what next

 

[Notcoolanymore]

If I quit finasteride, which basically would mean accepting going bald, I would need to say/think many things in order to convince myself I was making the right decision. There is no way I would just be able to give up on myself and my looks just because.

 

[Diffuser44]

Thanks for your input everyone. Not
all of you have updated regimens. I'm curious. How long have you guys been on finasteride for? What dose do you take? How many alcoholic drinks do you drink in a week? Thank you!

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Rationalisations.

Being bald does not always equal looking bad ***. See: http://img3.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20120621204559/community-sitcom/images/6/63/Craig_Pelton.jpg

Being bald does not equal being masculine. In fact, virility has long been associated with long hair on men. See the Samson and Delilah myth.

It has been discussed many times before, slybaldguys members are delusional. See how often they tell some guy with an alien-looking shaped head he looks great.

.

Hi Fred, thanks for the input. That guy in that photo would look bad *** if he wasn't wearing a tie with a short sleeved dress shirt and doing a different pose.

I think you are missing the point of slybaldguys. It's not about aesthetics and convincing each other that they look good. It's about helping other hair loss sufferers accept who they are whether it looks good or not, and being supportive of their decision to not give in to the corrupt hair loss industry. The hair loss industry wants you to feel bad about your hair loss. They try to convince you that you will be less successful, have worse luck with women etc. Slybaldguys provides the most healthy alternative. No drugs, no rugs, no plugs. It's about accepting who you are and being happy about it for all the right reasons. Most people on this site are follicly challenged. We go to great strengths and spend lots of money to treat our follicly challenged hair. Time = Money. Think about the time you spend on this site, and the money you spend or are going to spend just to save your hair for a couple of years. Then you have to worry about side effects with your treatment, and the side effects that come with quitting your treatments.

I'm curious, to those finasteride users out there. How long do you intend to take the drug for? Have you given yourself a timeline? I will quit at the age of 35, 40, 50, never?

Just wondering.

 

[yadayada029]

I'm curious, to those finasteride users out there. How long do you intend to take the drug for? Have you given yourself a timeline? I will quit at the age of 35, 40, 50, never?

Just wondering.

Till I am dead or something more effective comes along.

 

[ladysmanfelpz]

I'm curious, to those finasteride users out there. How long do you intend to take the drug for? Have you given yourself a timeline? I will quit at the age of 35, 40, 50, never?

Just wondering.

See I agree diffuser and thats the point I am trying to make. Its a normal part of aging and now that there is treatment people have become obsessed with it. Its not an addiction to an illegal drug or opiate, but its still a drug many of us have become dependent on, so when does the time come to quit? Until my penis gets soft or some other bad side? Should it really take a side effect to make someone stop? I see it as buying more time as I am no where near ready to lose all my hair and would hate to live full adulthood as slick bald. Like I said I think I will try as many proven treatments that there are, but once I am happy and comfortable I will let it go and still be all the man that I once was. So it'll probably be 5 more years for me until I have a good career and feel more established in life and lived more of my youth with hair. Then I will let it go slowly and bald like a normal person. Losing it rapidly and being envious of others would have just made me an unhealthier person than someone who takes a drug for cosmetic reasons.

 

[Diffuser44]

Till I am dead or something more effective comes along.

Ok, but do you plan to have kids some day? Will you still take finasteride while trying to have kids?

 

[Notcoolanymore]

Ok, but do you plan to have kids some day? Will you still take finasteride while trying to have kids?

I didn't know finasteride was a contraceptive? Direct me to the study that concludes men on finasteride cannot have kids.

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You have made the decision to not take finasteride and to accept going bald and that really is great for you. I wish I could do the same as I would really prefer not to take a prescription drug for the rest of my life. I take finasteride because I have lost a ton of hair and am close to being bald. I really do not like what I see in the mirror. It's not about pleasing anybody or being a ladies man or some BS like that. Personally, it's about looking in the mirror and being confident and happy about what I am seeing. Most slick bald men do not look good, and there is no convincing me otherwise. We can go back and forth for years. You arguing we are less of men because we want to look good, or we are hurting ourselves despite overwhelming evidence of the contrary. Pro finasteride guys arguing that bald men look like garbage. If you are accepting going bald then I wont try to stop you. Its really great...FOR YOU.

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As far as the slybaldguys website goes. It is good that those types of websites are available for bald men. I don't have a problem with a support group that will help make bald guys feel better about their decision to go slick. Those types of support groups are necessary because bald guys sure as hell aren't going to get that type of support and encouragement from most of society.

 

[Diffuser44]

I didn't know finasteride was a contraceptive? Direct me to the study that concludes men on finasteride cannot have kids.

One of the warning labels on the drug is that finasteride can cause infertility. There have been reports of men that can't impregnate women while taking finasteride and sometimes takes the half a year to a full year before they are able to again if at all.

Many doctors recommend not taking finasteride while trying to have kids. This is due to the birth defects that can happen to male fetuses. Hermaphroditic children.

http://www.fertstert.org/article/S0015-0282(13)02786-6/abstract

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3205531/

http://www.newsdaily.com/health/2e7...de-linked-with-lower-sperm-counts-in-some-men

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I would not worry about finasteride affecting the fetus. That will only be an issue if your wife touches or takes the Propecia pill.

I would worry about being able to get her pregnant. While many guys have fathered while taking Propecia, it may be harder with watery semen. The sperm count may/may not be effected. Even so, I have read that the semen protects the sperm so it can fertilise the egg. With watery semen this makes it much harder to fertilise the egg.

I also plan to get my wife preggy soon, I have stopped taking Propecia. The semen can take over a year to thicken up, so I suggest stopping asap.

An older post by optimus prime.

 

[yadayada029]

Ok, but do you plan to have kids some day? Will you still take finasteride while trying to have kids?

I do not plan to. What does the medical data have to say about it, not conjecture. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3205531/ This is a case of reading in to it what your fears (or bias) tell you to read in to it. If you're afraid, you'll stand on the side of all the negatives, like wise if your pro finasteride likely the opposite.

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Though I can be cantankerous about my hairline situation, I gripe quite a bit about it, I would immediately regret stopping finasteride as soon as additional hair started falling out. Hair transplants not with standing (because of the cost and variable results), it's impossible, at least for now, to put back what you had once it's gone. Given the data supported low risk, and the high amount of discomfort additional hairloss will cause, stopping is a tough argument.

 

[Notcoolanymore]

Looking again at the title of the thread, it is ok to be anti propecia, especially with all the garbage that has been spread around the internet about it. I will admit, I would rather not be on anything myself, but to be pro bald. I don't think so! Nobody with the exception of maybe dannyboy is pro bald. Most of society just doesn't think it's all that great. It isn't, sorry, but its the truth.

 

[Diffuser44]

Looking again at the title of the thread, it is ok to be anti propecia, especially with all the garbage that has been spread around the internet about it. I will admit, I would rather not be on anything myself, but to be pro bald. I don't think so! Nobody with the exception of maybe dannyboy is pro bald. Most of society just doesn't think it's all that great. It isn't, sorry, but its the truth.

Look Hollywood. You are making rationalizations that everyone in the world is anti bald. Today more people are shaving their heads more than ever. It's a trendy look. Wear nice clothes, get in shape, be friendly, confident and wear a smile and people will think you look good, and you will/do. For many balding men, they can't save their hair and I think it looks bad when they try to cover it up. I had many bald idols growing up. Including Billy Corgan, Michael Stipe, Moby, Michael Jordan, the singer from Live (whatever his name is) etc. I'm not "Anti Propecia". I just think it is bull**** that in order to save your hair you have to permanently decrease your hormones to that of a menopausal woman. Strictly talking one's DHT here. For some people, like you, looks are way more important than they should be. I personally make small and minor judges about peoples appearances. Friendliness, and shared interests are way more important to me than how someone styles their hair. I quite frankly don't give a crap about people's hair. When I was 18 I was told I would only be blocking the hormone that causes enlarged prostates and hair loss. The truth is it effects a **** ton more than just that. The tradeoff was most certainly beneficial for me at that age. No one was going bald at 18. I didn't want to be ridiculed going into college for being bald.

I support people who go on finasteride. They should be fully aware of what they are doing though.

Brains, Organs, and Body, are way way more important than hair. Proceed with caution.

 

[yadayada029]

I support people who go on finasteride. They should be fully aware of what they are doing though.

Brains, Organs, and Body, are way way more important than hair. Proceed with caution.

It's been examined in so many ways already, it's passed the point of analysis paralysis for most on this site.

 

[Diffuser44]

It's been examined in so many ways already, it's passed the point of analysis paralysis for most on this site.

That's the perfect description to describe the state i'm in. Analysis paralysis. If anything me claiming to be anti propecia has allowed me to try to even analyze further some of my worries on retaking the drug. One thing I can say is that worrying about what it has already possibly done to me is going to get me nowhere.

Someone said life is too short in an earlier post and I believe they are right. I do believe finasteride is the ultimate cure for hair loss. People keep saying something better is going to come along. One can hope that they come up with something.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bqm_Iq8rFeg

This video is awesome. Surely by the 24th century they would have found a cure for baldness. No by the 24th century no one will care.