Finasteride 6 - 12 Months To See Results, What Does That Mean?

[AnxiousAndy]

Does it mean 6 - 12 months for hair to stop falling out or regrowth/thickening?

Im almost 4 and a half months in and my temples have receded half an inch and my hairline is now an awful and thin V shape..naturally im extremely depressed as i took this drug to maintain and ive lost a significant amount of hair at the front so damned quickly. Previously thick hair is now replaced with transparent, thin and wispy hairs.. can somebody PLEASE chime in and say they've been through it and there is a light at the end of the tunnel because i fear in the next few months my hair loss will be visible to all..

Just thought i'd mention my hair loss was never this aggressive prior to treatments. I'd say i would of been shaving by 30, but now it looks like i may have to at around 21 or 22

This is not in my head ive posted comparison pictures not long ago which seemed to get completely ignored for some reason. Its not everyday someone backs up with evidence that finasteride seems to be doing more harm than good.. this really blows, started losing hair in early teens and it seems im not even in the 83% of positive responders... talk about bad luck

 

[JeanLucBB]

Does it mean 6 - 12 months for hair to stop falling out or regrowth/thickening?

Im almost 4 and a half months in and my temples have receded half an inch and my hairline is now an awful and thin V shape..naturally im extremely depressed as i took this drug to maintain and ive lost a significant amount of hair at the front so damned quickly. Previously thick hair is now replaced with transparent, thin and wispy hairs.. can somebody PLEASE chime in and say they've been through it and there is a light at the end of the tunnel because i fear in the next few months my hair loss will be visible to all..

Just thought i'd mention my hair loss was never this aggressive prior to treatments. I'd say i would of been shaving by 30, but now it looks like i may have to at around 21 or 22

This is not in my head ive posted comparison pictures not long ago which seemed to get completely ignored for some reason. Its not everyday someone backs up with evidence that finasteride seems to be doing more harm than good.. this really blows, started losing hair in early teens and it seems im not even in the 83% of positive responders... talk about bad luck

Get a hair transplant. 4 months is the BEGINNING of when one would expect results to emerge though. Many shed the first 4 months. I shed for about 2 and have completely stopped losing at this point and possibly am gaining. Little whispy bullshit hairs at the higher end of my receded temples and filling in at the crown. Noticeable at around month 4.

 

[AnxiousAndy]

Hey Jean thanks for your reply. Unfortunately i am only 19 and a hair transplant is not an option for me because of my age. Hopefully i will see some good signs by month 6 which is as long as im willing to give it, cant afford to lose any more hairs!! Plus the idea of paying alot of money ( i use propecia ) to bald faster just seems ridiculous to me. Im awaiting a shipment of oral spironolactone and hopefully that will take me back to baseline, at least. Will be using in conjunction with the S5 plus cream, dermarolling and the remainder of my propecia supply. I hope for both our eventual success. male pattern baldness is killing me from the inside, ive dropped out of college and dont leave my house anymore. It is a solitary and crushing existance.

 

[Dench57]

hair transplant is not an option for me

Im awaiting a shipment of oral spironolactone

 

[JeanLucBB]

Hey Jean thanks for your reply. Unfortunately i am only 19 and a hair transplant is not an option for me because of my age. Hopefully i will see some good signs by month 6 which is as long as im willing to give it, cant afford to lose any more hairs!! Plus the idea of paying alot of money ( i use propecia ) to bald faster just seems ridiculous to me. Im awaiting a shipment of oral spironolactone and hopefully that will take me back to baseline, at least. Will be using in conjunction with the S5 plus cream, dermarolling and the remainder of my propecia supply. I hope for both our eventual success. male pattern baldness is killing me from the inside, ive dropped out of college and dont leave my house anymore. It is a solitary and crushing existance.

Definitely keep the propecia up for another 3 or 4 months. If it's that serious that you've dropped out of college, I would recommend you get the procedure in turkey and just lie about your age. Many have had good experiences with Cinik lately and he only charges 2000 euros for up to 5000 grafts from what I have seen. I mean I'm getting a transplant at 22 and regret not getting one earlier. Ideally I would have got one at 19 and hopped on finasteride. Instead I waited till the end of last year to get on it and organise the transplant.

There's this mantra that anyone below 20 is too young for a transplant, but if you're life's turning that sh*t, then you HAVE to get it. Stop listening to the anti transplant brigade and get it, live your life like you were supposed to.

 

[AnxiousAndy]

Thanks for the replies everyone! Dench that made me laugh thanks for that, i am aware of all the risks involved with spironolactone but im willing to give it a bash ( along with oral minoxidil ) all ive got to lose is my hair..

ForeverLacy: Yeah you are right but it is difficult seeing my hair thin so quickly and having to stand idle hoping for a turn around. Currently all i have is recession but my dad has recently started to thin at the crown ( hes in his fifties ) so im expecting that at some point. Are you sure spironolactone could cause a shed? I figured that would be impossible since it actually blocks testosterone from binding to receptors?

I supppose ill try wait it out for at least 6 months to see if anything positive happens. Once again thanks all for your input it means alot, i'll try not think about it so much but i do have really bad anxiety ( hence my username, ha! ) so it will be an uphill battle. There will be a time for extreme measures but ill take it easy for a while.

 

[JeanLucBB]

Thanks for the replies everyone! Dench that made me laugh thanks for that, i am aware of all the risks involved with spironolactone but im willing to give it a bash ( along with oral minoxidil ) all ive got to lose is my hair..

ForeverLacy: Yeah you are right but it is difficult seeing my hair thin so quickly and having to stand idle hoping for a turn around. Currently all i have is recession but my dad has recently started to thin at the crown ( hes in his fifties ) so im expecting that at some point. Are you sure spironolactone could cause a shed? I figured that would be impossible since it actually blocks testosterone from binding to receptors?

I supppose ill try wait it out for at least 6 months to see if anything positive happens. Once again thanks all for your input it means alot, i'll try not think about it so much but i do have really bad anxiety ( hence my username, ha! ) so it will be an uphill battle. There will be a time for extreme measures but ill take it easy for a while.

Oral minoxidil, spironolactone and finasteride at once, but not down for a transplant? Dude, get a fuking transplant. Srsly.

 

[AnxiousAndy]

Oral minoxidil, spironolactone and finasteride at once, but not down for a transplant? Dude, get a fuking transplant. Srsly.

Its not that im against the idea of a transplant, but if i get one and it turns out i am a non responder to finasteride my hairloss will progress and with the rate its been going these last four months by the time it grows completely there will be at least an inch of recession behind it and then my donor would be wasted. I was thinking if all else failed a sparse transplant all over my male pattern baldness areas with a combo of smp would be my next best bet. The illusion of hair with the real feel to go along with it seems like a better idea to me, but of course i would have to wait til i am completely bald, and if things keep going they way they are it wont be so long after all

How long have you been on finasteride Jean?

 

[JeanLucBB]

Its not that im against the idea of a transplant, but if i get one and it turns out i am a non responder to finasteride my hairloss will progress and with the rate its been going these last four months by the time it grows completely there will be at least an inch of recession behind it and then my donor would be wasted. I was thinking if all else failed a sparse transplant all over my male pattern baldness areas with a combo of smp would be my next best bet. The illusion of hair with the real feel to go along with it seems like a better idea to me, but of course i would have to wait til i am completely bald, and if things keep going they way they are it wont be so long after all

How long have you been on finasteride Jean?

Only 5 months now. I think ideally you should focus a high density transplant in the hairline and temple point areas and then opt for SMP after you've used up all your grafts. I have a norwood 5 balding pattern and my plan is to fix the hairline, wait a few years and see if finasteride keeps my crown and midscalp areas nice and then opt for an SMP if they thin. Beyond that happy for another FUE.

 

[AnxiousAndy]

Hmm well i guess that could work almost the same, minus the feeling of a buzzed full head of hair. I believe i am destined for norwood 6 or 7 despite my dad having great hair. My mothers side were all bald before 30 and im fairly certain thats whose follicular sensitivity i have inherited. Have you noticed any further recession at the temples/hairline while on finasteride?
Its comforting to know you're not the only one going through this, despite how awful it is.
But if it comes to orally ingesting blood pressure and transexual medication to keep my hair then i guess thats just what i will have to do. Nobody said life was fair :/

 

[JeanLucBB]

Hmm well i guess that could work almost the same, minus the feeling of a buzzed full head of hair. I believe i am destined for norwood 6 or 7 despite my dad having great hair. My mothers side were all bald before 30 and im fairly certain thats whose follicular sensitivity i have inherited. Have you noticed any further recession at the temples/hairline while on finasteride?
Its comforting to know you're not the only one going through this, despite how awful it is.
But if it comes to orally ingesting blood pressure and transexual medication to keep my hair then i guess thats just what i will have to do. Nobody said life was fair :/

Hairline looks a little worse after the big shed in the early months but the stress from my shitty hairline makes me pull the hairs out at the front and keep tugging at whats left out of anger so hard to tell. Definitely big improvement in the crown though and I can't see my scalp under harsh light in my bathroom anymore which is nice.

 

[AnxiousAndy]

Hairline looks a little worse after the big shed in the early months but the stress from my shitty hairline makes me pull the hairs out at the front and keep tugging at whats left out of anger so hard to tell. Definitely big improvement in the crown though and I can't see my scalp under harsh light in my bathroom anymore which is nice.

Its nice to hear that you've at least improved on the crown. Are you on minoxidil? The shed scares me so thats why im more keen on the oral version, its supposedly alot more effective too!
But of course like all hair loss treatments the results vary a great deal. Worst case senario for us is nothing works and we end up bald. ( knock wood )
I'd probably get a hair piece at that stage because thats the only way i would ever allow myself to wear one, after exhausting all options it would be my condolences to myself. Its a messed up society when im willing to sacrifice my manhood and general well being for hair rather than embracing it or wearing fake hair..

 

[JeanLucBB]

Its nice to hear that you've at least improved on the crown. Are you on minoxidil? The shed scares me so thats why im more keen on the oral version, its supposedly alot more effective too!
But of course like all hair loss treatments the results vary a great deal. Worst case senario for us is nothing works and we end up bald. ( knock wood )
I'd probably get a hair piece at that stage because thats the only way i would ever allow myself to wear one, after exhausting all options it would be my condolences to myself. Its a messed up society when im willing to sacrifice my manhood and general well being for hair rather than embracing it or wearing fake hair..

I was on minoxidil for a few months but it gave me headaches and eventually breathing issues. Got off it and didn't really notice a difference at all tbh. Was only using it on the crown and midscalp.

 

[AnxiousAndy]

I was on minoxidil for months but it gave me headaches and eventually breathing issues. Got off it and didn't really notice a difference at all tbh. Was only using it on the crown and midscalp.

Ah that sucks. Topical minoxidil only has about a 40% success rate including maintaining what you got so no surprises there. Hopefully we will have much better treatments in the next 10 years. Histogen doesn't look too promising and probably wont be worth what you're paying since you need repeat injections to keep your gains, thats if it is even released at all. Ugh i am so fed up with this male pattern baldness curse

 

[g.i joey]

You have a lot more o lose than your hair if you're gonna jump on oral spironolactone. @AnxiousAndy no offence man but trying oral spironolactone before u give dutasteride a shot is a really dumb move. Do you actually think oral spironolactone is a long term option for a healthy male? Get on dutasteride

 

[g.i joey]

On top of that you're way too early to even know if finasteride is working. But I don't blame you for thinking so I'm at month 7 and prob a tiny touch below baseline, so exploring other options is reasonable at this point. But why go with spironolactone when you still have to try dutasteride?

 

[AnxiousAndy]

On top of that you're way too early to even know if finasteride is working. But I don't blame you for thinking so I'm at month 7 and prob a tiny touch below baseline, so exploring other options is reasonable at this point. But why go with spironolactone when you still have to try dutasteride?

The reason im choose spironolactone over dutasteride is because finasteride increases scalp testosterone by about 20%. So far my hairloss has accelerated since treatment. dutasteride increases scalp testosterone by over 100%! So logic dictates if finasteride is making things worse dutasteride will probably completely destroy my hairline. Im using jfoxes story as the likely outcome for me too. If our follicles are similarly sensitive to T then maybe, just maybe i can at least maintain or regrow with spironolactone. Sure its not a long term solution but if it gets me a few more years of cosmentically undetectable hair loss i will be more than happy. Im almost 20 years old and i want to look it, and im willing to go to the extremes to make that happen.

 

[AnxiousAndy]

Your scalp follicles aren't effected by Testosterone, your body hair is but not your scalp hairs. With that said, Dutasteride does not raise your TotalTestosterone levels much. In fact, most of that extra Testosterone doesn't become bioavailable however, it can aromatize into estradiol under the right conditions. Only a small amount of your Testosterone becomes Free or binds to Albumin and the rest is picked up by your Sex Hormone Binding Globulin and made unavailable to bind.



Yes, if you take a dose strong enough to effectively lower your testosterone you will trigger a telogen effluvium. Additionally, with all that extra unbound Testosterone floating around you could possibly end up with higher Estradiol levels.

If scalp follicles arent sensitive to testosterone then how do some people get worse on duasteride? If dht is the leading cause of hair loss dutasteride should work every time but it does not. I think there are sub types of male pattern baldness. I happen to think mine are sensitive to testosterone more so than dht. It would explain why i started balding as soon as i hit puberty but i suppose there is only one way to find out... and thats to try sure im worried about the gyno but if it works i can live with a little bit of boobs lol.

I'll be sure to keep everyone informed, im not going really high dosages only 50mg 2x a day of spironolactone and 10mg of oral minoxidil along with finasteride. If that doesnt regrow or at least maintain i will be very disappointed.

 

[AnxiousAndy]

Unfortunately there are people who don't respond well with AR inhibitors.

True. There must be alot of factors at play in Androgenetic Alopecia . Im just gonna try almost everything to see if i can save my hair. Not giving up without a fight!