Can propecia act (negatively) this fast?

[antwon]

Because of moderate hair loss I began propecia on a Monday. The following Saturday I woke up with hair all over my pillow. Likewise in the shower. I stopped the propecia that day. The hair is still shedding since then (8 days now). Is all this a coincidence or could the propecia have something to do with it?

 

[amsch]

Because of moderate hair loss I began propecia on a Monday. The following Saturday I woke up with hair all over my pillow. Likewise in the shower. I stopped the propecia that day. The hair is still shedding since then (8 days now). Is all this a coincidence or could the propecia have something to do with it?

LOL, get IMMEDIATELY back on it antwon. It's normal to see some more hairs in the shower. Sometimes my hands are covered, sometimes i can't find any. So don't freak out after 5 days.

 

[pproctor]

Like every agent that can bring hair follicles out of dormancy, finasteride can cause an early wave of shedding. This is caused by old loss-phase hair shedding early as the follicle starts to grow a new hair. Any hair that falls out within 2-4 months of starting a treatment was already in the loss phase and scheduled to fall out anyway. Because it signifies treatment is working, an early wave of loss is often associated with a good eventual result.

That said, this generally doesn't start for at least two-three weeks after starting a treatment. So it is unlike in your case.

Peter H Proctor, PhD,MD

 

[Axl_Rose]

Like every agent that can bring hair follicles out of dormancy, finasteride can cause an early wave of shedding. This is caused by old loss-phase hair shedding early as the follicle starts to grow a new hair. Any hair that falls out within 2-4 months of starting a treatment was already in the loss phase and scheduled to fall out anyway. Because it signifies treatment is working, an early wave of loss is often associated with a good eventual result.

That said, this generally doesn't start for at least two-three weeks after starting a treatment. So it is unlike in your case.

Peter H Proctor, PhD,MD

So shedding on finasteride within 2-3 weeks of first starting treatment can be taken as a good sign?

 

[pproctor]

Like every agent that can bring hair follicles out of dormancy, finasteride can cause an early wave of shedding. This is caused by old loss-phase hair shedding early as the follicle starts to grow a new hair. Any hair that falls out within 2-4 months of starting a treatment was already in the loss phase and scheduled to fall out anyway. Because it signifies treatment is working, an early wave of loss is often associated with a good eventual result.

That said, this generally doesn't start for at least two-three weeks after starting a treatment. So it is unlike in your case.

Peter H Proctor, PhD,MD

So shedding on finasteride within 2-3 weeks of first starting treatment can be taken as a good sign?

If it is not just coincidental, this is often the case. Often enough, this wave of shedding is the first sign that treatment in working. Not everyone responds to medical treatment. But if you have this type of "shed", you are responding.

Peter H. Proctor, PhD,MD