Cause of shedding at month 8??

[PartTimeNinja]

Hi all,

With the chance of sounding repetitive I have to ask a question. But first a little background: I have been on propecia for 8 months and 1 week now. I was shedding big time the first 3 months, slowed down at 4-5, stopped at 6, but my shedding started up again at month 7 and I have now been shedding for about 6 weeks, Big time!

My question is: Why is that? I have asked before and some people have stated that they as well had a big shed around month 7-8 so I was wondering what the reason for this might be? I understand why shedding occur when starting finasteride, since the growth cycle is being "Streamlined". But why again at month 7-8??

Thanks for answering and helping out people!

 

[viperfish]

Yeah that is a good question! I have never understood how shedding occurs at the 7 month - 1 year mark. Why should that be???? I mean if you read the "write up" on propecia they say you should see a decrease in hairloss by month 3 (possibly could take up to month 6). People shedding at months 8, 9, 10 ,11, or up to 1 year just does not make much sense to me. :?

 

[williteverend]

I think by month 8 the drug has built its self up in your system enough to where the drug can now act full force. this is most likely the last major shed before improvement time begins. I guess i am just wishful thinking.

 

[Guest]

seasonal shed?

 

[PartTimeNinja]

I do know that this is not a seasonal shed - it's just too full on for that and it has been going on for almost 6 weeks.

Also some people report the same thing around 8 months and I guess a seasonal shed would hit at different times since there's a lot of nationalities on this site...hmmm...

 

[PartTimeNinja]

Anyone else with some input?

 

[Guest]

Well maybe it's just to do with the hair cycle. The hairs you shed earlier are the weaker hairs, the more healthy hairs that have not been attacked by DHT will fight for a little longer. So in effect you could have....


Bad Hair (ready to fall Month 3)
====> Good Hair (Falls month 5)
=======> Great hair Falls month 8

It's just how finasteride affects each different level of hair. I guess once it has been through all three types then you may see some major growth back again. It's only a theory though but it could make sense...

 

[mrlestat]

There's a pretty good reason your shedding @ the 8 month cycle, consider this;

Initial shedding with propecia occurs at the 1-2 month period..

The average natural hair growth cycle is around 6 months...

So you've probably shed a fairly large amount of hair at the 1-2 month period, that hair at the 8 month period is now finishing its normal 6 month cycle It just takes time for all of your hair to fall back into the normal staggered shedding period i.e. 30 a day or whatever... Your just having the second concentrated shed that was dictated by the sudden regrowth of a lot of follicles 6 months ago..

It means the products are working - I went through the exactly the same thing and my hair has come back thicker after every shed

 

[PartTimeNinja]

Thanks for all the replies people.

Traxdata: Let me know how you're getting on - we're pretty close to being in the same situation.

mrlestat: Thanks mate - you really made my day here! Makes sense. So the same thing happened to you? When did you recover from your 8 month shed? How long did your shed at 8 months last for?

Cheers guys!

 

[HairlossTalk]

The reason for the second shed is the same as the reason for the first shed. The first shed is a synchronization of the cycles... mass dormancy ...

Naturally when things have grown back in and cycle back into dormancy, they do it at least somewhat synchronized.... thus the second shed.. Over time the sheds become less noticeable most likely because things get a little less synchronized.

HairLossTalk.com

 

[PartTimeNinja]

Thanks HairLossTalk.com,

I have been shedding close to 2 months now - is this normal? Seems like a looong time now. When do you think the hair would in average have cycled back into a "normal" growth cycle? It's very hard to figure out if I'm responding to the medicine (in a positive way) when I am shedding like this. Some People say that shedding equals responding but I am not really convinced......

 

[PartTimeNinja]

Hey HairLossTalk.com & mrlestat / anyone else who would like to add something.

please give me your input. Cheers.

 

[PartTimeNinja]

BUMP..

 

[Guest]

Well at the moment things seem to have settled down a bit. One temple is worse than the other but I don't think it's getting any worse. I do have some growth at the temples but as I said, one temple is doing better than the other. What I am really hoping for is stabilisation.

If that occurs then I will seriously consider some hair transplant work on my temples. This has always been my goal from the start of treatment. So, If I get to March 2005 and my hair is the same as it is now, then I will consider that a great sucess. I'm not really bothered about growing, just maintenance.

good luck.....