BIG 3 - 7 Months - ZERO/NEGATIVE Progress (Pics)

[@CMP1]

Today I woke up and styled my hair as normal and saw that once again, my hairline had got worse.

I have been on finasteride since 22 July 2014 and have tapered up to 1.25mg for about the last 3/4 of this period. I have been on minoxidil twice a day (5% Liquid) for two years and started washing my hair with Nizoral 3 times a week too.

The total time on the big three is now a solid 7 months and my hairline (what I'm trying desperately to improve) is steadily getting worse, and worse. Its absolutely destroying me and my confidence, self-esteem and general well-being. Im going out to buy concealer today to cover up where it has got worse. Up until this point....I was JUST about able to style my hair in the normal way however now, the 'W' is just far too pronounced.

My question - Do I cut and run from finasteride? going by other peoples results within 3/4 months I have so NO progress....should I just go straight to dutasteride? Is there anything else I can do?! Up the strength of my minoxidil too?

Any advice would be greatly, greatly appreciated!!

The first two pics show baseline at the start of finasteride. The image with the large window behind was taken today....all in plenty of light.

 

[@CMP1]

There's no change in those photos. Photo 1 is identical to photo 3 and photo 2 is a bit better, however the pictures do not have the same conditions (light, angle etc.).

7 months is not enough to see if finasteride is working.

The third photo (where you can see it is taken in an office - lots of windows behind) was taken this morning.

I can see lots of small fine hairs poking out everywhere but how do I know these aren't just miniaturized ones? I can noticeably see a line of thinning on my head, where the receding parts are heading.

 

[bilboswaggins]

Looks the same to me. If you are maintaining, its a win
Very few get full temple regrowth

 

[unplugged88]

Your hair looks good, and your hairline doesn't seem to be recessing any further.

Perhaps another hair style will help conceal your bare temples.

 

[@CMP1]

Looks the same to me. If you are maintaining, its a win
Very few get full temple regrowth

The issue I have is that finasteride clearly is not maintaining my hair - I would have been pleased if it had! (Perhaps the pics don't show this in their entirety).

My questions now are;

1) Is it possible this is alarmingly worse all of a sudden because I am going through a 'Shed'

2) Are all the "small" hairs I am seeing are actually miniaturized ones and NOT new/vellus hairs;

3) Do I mitigate the likelihood of this getting any worse and go straight to dutasteride?


I would be really grateful to hear some answers to the above because Im at my wits end here.....

 

[David.G]

Theres a thread on here of someone using finasteride for 14 months before he saw improvements. He went from a NW1 to a NW2 in that time frame. Not the end of the world. People say to use it for a year. In my case (5 months on finasteride/min) my hairline receded. I'm convinced its from finasteride accelerating hairloss. Maybe I'm just sensitive to it. Sooo either we keep taking the drug, cross our fingers and hope it eventually works, or just stop altogether. I stopped taking finasteride last week and I'm using minoxidil twice a day. The hairloss on finasteride is just too fast.

Look into dutasteride if you really want hair growth but I think maintenance is what we should really hope for. Look into RU as well. Over at *********talk website theres a thread of someone using RU. His results are fantastic.

 

[@CMP1]

Theres a thread on here of someone using finasteride for 14 months before he saw improvements. He went from a NW1 to a NW2 in that time frame. Not the end of the world. People say to use it for a year. In my case (5 months on finasteride/min) my hairline receded. I'm convinced its from finasteride accelerating hairloss. Maybe I'm just sensitive to it. Sooo either we keep taking the drug, cross our fingers and hope it eventually works, or just stop altogether. I stopped taking finasteride last week and I'm using minoxidil twice a day. The hairloss on finasteride is just too fast.

Look into dutasteride if you really want hair growth but I think maintenance is what we should really hope for. Look into RU as well. Over at *********talk website theres a thread of someone using RU. His results are fantastic.

How does finasteride go about accelerating hair loss....I can only assume its the body producing more T in order to compensate for the finasteride blocking the DHT?

I added topical spironolactone to my regimen today out of desperation.

 

[JDub87]

For the love of god man, just read around this site a bit. It takes time for finasteride to show results and you're in the EXACT time frame now of "worse before it gets better" (6-8 months in). You read a lot of stories about a shed happening during that time. Then around the 1 year mark it's as good or better than baseline.

You're not doing yourself any favors by panicking or stressing about it. Feel good knowing you're doing everything you can to stop it.

IMO your hair looks just as good in the last picture as it does in the first.

 

[themiz1234]

I swear to god...the people who don't see "results" don't because they already have a **** ton of hair! Smh...

 

[maxou]

finasteride/dutasteride don't work where the hair has completely disappeared. I agree with the comment above, your density is amazing on the top, what were you expecting to have even more hair?

If you thought that finasteride/dutasteride would regrow your temples, they wont. Try different topicals for that.

 

[viet nom nom]

If anything, your hair looks better. Chill out and stop staring at it so much.

 

[hoju]

Yeah-would give an arm and leg for that hair.
relax mate-you are looking fine.

 

[@CMP1]

I swear to god...the people who don't see "results" don't because they already have a **** ton of hair! Smh...

Mate - Irrespective of what hair I have already, the whole reason I am here is because I have noticed my hairline deteriorate and I am taking steps to attempt to bring it back to baseline. A "result" would be maintenance of existing hair.....as its stands (and hence the reason for posting this) is because this has not happened.

- - - Updated - - -

Thanks for the comments here guys.

The pics don't really show what is happening to its full extent; under bright light you can see a horseshoe shape from each temple showing where the hairline seems to be heading!

Believe me though, I use a f*ck load of thickening products when I wash my hair.....the best one so far being KeraFibre.

 

[Wolf Pack]

Temple hair is the hardest to regrow, seems like you're on everything already. Might have to have a hair transplant. Meds seems to be the best at maintaining the crown and the mid anterior scalp. Beyond that finasteride will maintain, but eventually the hairline may give in a little years down the line, it tends to be a very sensitive area.

Having said that I have been on finasteride for close to 4 months, I am seeing tiny hairs on both temples and in the forelock section too. They are growing but still like vellus hair. Definitely were not there before.

Your hairline is a slight V, but honestly it's not a problem. It's just the hairstyle you have chosen requires a perfect Norwood 1/2 symmetrical hairline.

 

[@CMP1]

Temple hair is the hardest to regrow, seems like you're on everything already. Might have to have a hair transplant. Meds seems to be the best at maintaining the crown and the mid anterior scalp. Beyond that finasteride will maintain, but eventually the hairline may give in a little years down the line, it tends to be a very sensitive area.

Having said that I have been on finasteride for close to 4 months, I am seeing tiny hairs on both temples and in the forelock section too. They are growing but still like vellus hair. Definitely were not there before.

Your hairline is a slight V, but honestly it's not a problem. It's just the hairstyle you have chosen requires a perfect Norwood 1/2 symmetrical hairline.

I have seen some stories on here where guys have had great success and regrowth with finasteride.....even on the temples?

My only other hope looks to be RU in that case.

 

[@CMP1]

I began using Finasteride, minoxidil etc. when I was a NW0-1 with only one diffuse temple. I did not get the thickness back in my temple and my other temple has slowly started to thin as well.
If your goal is to get temple regrowth you better start looking at some transexual medications or a hair transplant.

Transexual meds.......f*ck that for a laugh! Ive still got RU and CB to try presumably?!

 

[Wolf Pack]

I have seen some stories on here where guys have had great success and regrowth with finasteride.....even on the temples?

My only other hope looks to be RU in that case.

I think I may get some regrowth on the temples at the 6 month-12 month mark, time will tell. I don't know much about RU and it's growth benefits. Have you noticed any general improvement in your hair on finasteride? It's all I am on but hair gotten real thick even more than initially, like fingers don't "flow" through my hair as my gf put it.

 

[@CMP1]

I think I may get some regrowth on the temples at the 6 month-12 month mark, time will tell. I don't know much about RU and it's growth benefits. Have you noticed any general improvement in your hair on finasteride? It's all I am on but hair gotten real thick even more than initially, like fingers don't "flow" through my hair as my gf put it.

This guy: http://www.hairlosstalk.com/interact/showthread.php/90162-Ander-s-nw2-5-Hairline-regrowth

Did really well with regrowing his temples.....Im still hopeful!

 

[Notcoolanymore]

That dudes camera got ****tier with each passing month.

 

[fnamna]

the thing with taking this pills its that most people think that they will get instant results, we can get instant results only with hair transplant. with finasteride you should see small difference in about 12mos, and good results in 24mos.
i been taking finasteride for 12mos and noticed that shedding stopped, and nothing more then that. my mistake was not taking monix with during that year maybe results would get some regrowth.
also i dont think washing hair that often is a good thing, i wash my hair only once a week.

ps
after the 12 mos on finasteride i decided to switch to dutasteride and now been on it for 2mos and never had a stronger shedding, very big mistake.