Finasteride 17 Months On (with Pics)

[Eddy-P]

So I started using finasteride around Jan 2018 through til now. Fortunately for me I have had none of the side effects that some people find.

This is how my thinning hair looked when I started:

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And this is how it is now:

View attachment 121936

Slightly different lighting, but it can be seen that my hair has continued to thin during my time on finasteride. Unfortunately it’s difficult to now establish if the fun has actually had any effect - is this is what my hair would be like had I not taken it? Or would it be much worse and the fun has slowed the thing? Guess i’ll never know!

I have not used minoxidil at all during my time as I didn’t want to have an additional monthly outgoing and I use hair fibres to conceal so, would have to be increasing my costs of these too in having to wash them out to apply minoxidil twice a day etc etc.

Next steps for me; as my hair is continuing to get thinner, and I have been using concealing methods for around 2.5 years, which is becoming tiresome! I am opting for a shaved head and the SMP option, currently booked in.
Had anyone else had a similar experience? Where the fun doesn’t appear to have worked for them

Thanks
Jim

Well, it's my first contribution to this forum, normally I just read what others have written. But today I decided to say a few things. First of all, I have used finasteride in the past a few times for a certain period of time and I can tell you that it works, but it depends on how old you are and the dosage. When I was in my twenties Finasteride 1mg did cause some shedding in the first 2 months. Then it stopped and my hair didn't fall that much. After several months, more or less 6-8 months, hair became fuller, specially on the crown area and hairline improved a bit after a year. As for side effects, well, nothing special to point out, except for watery semen and a certain discomfort when you ejaculate.
Finasteride, as you get older, it becomes more noticeable certain side effects, such as the ones that men don't want to... some diffculty to have an erection, loss of libido. I don't know if it is psychological - probably, after reading terrible things about finasteride.
I think that in your case, if finasteride hasn't worked after taking it for so long, well, probably it has a minimal effect on you or your hairloss is severe - caused by excessive sensitivity to DHT. I have used minoxidil for more than twenty years and sometimes I think that it doesn't work at all, but nowadays I think it does, specially in maintaining what you have. My brother doesn't use minoxidil and when he was my age his hair started to get thinner. I'm 46 and I still have lots of hair, it's not that thick as it was when I was younger, but probably that's normal as we age.
Bottom line is that some treatments may work but it all comes down to genetics, how committed you are in maintaing your hair, life style, age, etc. As for other treatments, well, I think that a dermaroller is a good thing, it helps to improve the absorption of minoxidil and other stuff.
The topical combo minoxidil+finasteride in my opinion seems to work, although it is a bit soon to be sure. How does it work? Well, less hair falls when you comb it and the overall look after several months using it is a positive one. I mean, your hair doesn't look worse, it looks the same. But don't count on hair regrowth with topical finasteride.
Best of luck fighting hairloss.