calling all finasteride pioneers

[hairforce9]

ok, ive been on proscar/5 for about 10 days now. so far no sides. around the 7th day i started shedding quite a bit, i loose about 35 hairs in the shower as oppose to my average 10-12. Apparently ur suppose to shed while on finasteride. I really dont understand y, if its suppose to prevent dht from entering the hair follicle then y am i shedding?

-I understand for thicker hair to grow, hairs have to shed which leads me to wonder y my sheds consist of terminal hairs??

-for those of u who have experienced sheds while on finasteride on how long did it last (i know its different for every1, i would just like to analyze a sample size)

-have ur sheds just decreased in volume (few hairs a day) or do you no longer shed (0 hairs a day)

thank you

 

[Guest]

from my understanding, when you first start taking it, it shocks hairs that are in the resting phase into the growing phase, so they fall out in order for new hair to start growing in.

 

[hairforce9]

resting phase? or do you mean telogen phase?

majority of the hairs on our heads is in resting phase which means extensive shedding, to the point where u would go bald if propecia shocks these hairs.

if its telogen phase then that means only 10% of ur hairs will be effected.

also, y do ppl shed a couple of months consecutively? whats the reasoning behind this

 

[beast]

resting phase? or do you mean telogen phase?

majority of the hairs on our heads is in resting phase which means extensive shedding, to the point where u would go bald if propecia shocks these hairs.

if its telogen phase then that means only 10% of ur hairs will be effected.

also, y do ppl shed a couple of months consecutively? whats the reasoning behind this

I have been on finasteride for about 7 days or so. I stopped counting hairs in the sink etc long ago. I deal only in pictures. I wouldn't expect any miracles from finasteride. Some people do grow hair but I am just hoping to keep what i have left (norwood 3.5). I am starting to wear a hat more while finasteride does its thing. Hopefully in 9 months or so my bald spot wont be bigger.

 

[rusty_y2k2]

to quote Dr Lee:

I.3 Myth: Shedding is an indication that Propecia is working

It is not normal for Propecia to cause shedding at any time during its use. Binding the type 2 5-alpha reductase does not cause a shift from anagen to telogen, so no shedding would be expected to occur. If shedding does occur, it is not a sign that finasteride is working. There have been rare cases in which patients have reported a telogen effluvium months after initiating treatment with finasteride. Apparently, a drop in the systemic levels of DHT had been the inciting event in causing these cases of telogen effluvium. Although a telogen effluvium usually begins somewhere between 11 and 16 weeks after the inciting event, it can start as soon as 4 weeks thereafter.

There are no specific numbers that we can put on the amount or percentages of hair shed in a telogen effluvium. The amount and degree of hair loss is dependent on the severity of the telogen effluvium. Rarely, will the amount of hair loss exceed 50%. The shedding is generally diffuse (global) and can affect areas of the scalp not usually affected by male pattern baldness. So, it would be common to note shedding from the sides and back of the head in addition to the crown, vertex and frontal areas. The shedding tends to be fairly symmetrical, but will be more noticeable in the areas affected by male pattern baldness, because there is a higher ratio of hairs in the telogen phase than in the other areas of the scalp not involved with male pattern baldness. The shedding lasts about 6 weeks. It usually takes 4 months to a year for the hair to grow back.

I think there is no doubt that some people experience (sometimes extensive) shedding on propecia, but it is not necessary for it to work and according to the above not a sign that it is working (unlike rogaine for example). I can imagine *some* of the reports of shedding are just from people starting to look closer at the number of hairs on their hands in the shower however, or from a co-incidental timing of increased shedding that was going to occur anyway.

As above, counting hairs will drive you crazy... just set up your regime, stick with it, and try to put it out of your mind and only check your progress on a longer time scale.

Although I've been on minoxidil foam for about 6 months, I'm only just about to start propecia (when it arrives!) so I can't offer any first hand info - merely what I have gained from my own research. Hope that's of some use though.