"finasteride/any treament took x amount of time to work"- Depressing or uplifting?

[Rudiger]

I haven't been on finasteride even 6 months, minoxidil for about 4/5 years, but now looking for finasteride to actually do something.

When you see results from people who've been taking it for 2 years or whatever, does it depress you that it takes that long, or give you hope that there's still some time to see if it works for you?

I have a feeling I'm going to be pretty disappointed when it goes past a few years and even if I'm maintaining, I won't have a full head of hair with decent density. My hairline isn't great but the density is the killer, especially at the fringe area. I know it can always be worse etc. but damn, will never be the same.

Or for those who have gone past the point where it's not happening, or are currently beginning to feel they are going past the point of no return, feel free to vent.

Of course I had this feeling with minoxidil when I knew it was no longer effective on it's own, I just didn't think I'd ever jump on anything else, so I thought it was end game.

 

[Giiizmo]

I can't speak from experience but many users when they start treatment talk of finding solace in the fact that, with both minoxidil and finasteride, you're doing everything you can and all you have to do is wait. It's true, you might not get what you want or even anything at all, but for your own peace of mind, do consider basking in that blissful ignorance for just a few months at least while the drug does its work.

If it works, great! If it doesn't or you don't get a satisfying result, well maybe you'll have to consider other alternatives. But in the meantime, try to not think about it and get on with your life as you're really doing everything you can on the "drugs" front.

It's late, I should already be sleeping and I hope I'm not coming off as patronizing but what I'm trying to say is I've been in bad situations when it came to my health, always worrying about what might happen and how things would turn out. However, sometimes, when I was undergoing a specific treatment, I just resigned to let go of the anxiety just to feel that little bit of inner peace that comes with not knowing the outcome of something all the while being certain of having done everything I could... At least until the treatment was over and I had to take a new decision about what to do next.

 

[shookwun]

Wear a piece if it bothers you that much. Simple solution to your prolonged pain.

 

[Rudiger]

I didn't think of that bro thanks! You should be a baldness life coach.

I can't wait to suddenly start wearing a rug in front of all my friends, family, co-workers, and see the stifled laughter as they look at a 28 year old guy wearing a ****ing toupee.

I can't speak from experience but many users when they start treatment talk of finding solace in the fact that, with both minoxidil and finasteride, you're doing everything you can and all you have to do is wait. It's true, you might not get what you want or even anything at all, but for your own peace of mind, do consider basking in that blissful ignorance for just a few months at least while the drug does its work.

If it works, great! If it doesn't or you don't get a satisfying result, well maybe you'll have to consider other alternatives. But in the meantime, try to not think about it and get on with your life as you're really doing everything you can on the "drugs" front.

It's late, I should already be sleeping and I hope I'm not coming off as patronizing but what I'm trying to say is I've been in bad situations when it came to my health, always worrying about what might happen and how things would turn out. However, sometimes, when I was undergoing a specific treatment, I just resigned to let go of the anxiety just to feel that little bit of inner peace that comes with not knowing the outcome of something all the while being certain of having done everything I could... At least until the treatment was over and I had to take a new decision about what to do next.

Yes thanks for the words. Don't worry though I do mainly deal with it well, I don't obsess over it too much (though I never used to be on this forum daily, the last week or more I have been, maybe I should think about that) and for the most part I do live in the moment, feel alright with the fact I currently still am not bald and have had some re-growth recently, etc.

Oddly it was my acceptance that I'm going to be bald that made me jump on finasteride, from just minoxidil, ironic I guess that now it's landing me on nizoral as well, and who knows what can happen. But my acceptance made me think "**** it, I may as well try pills because what have I got to lose?"

Answer: possibly less hair lololol

When I found out how rare serious sides are, and how ridiculously rare permanent ones are, I bought finasteride straight away, knowing I could just jump off if I got sides.

But anyway, the topic was written after a little re-evaluation of my hair I do every few weeks, it did sort of dawn on me that when I initially found out it can take 2 years for growth, that felt like a long time, and now oddly that I'm 6 months in and have a small amount of regrowth, it's actually somewhat re-assuring that there's still quite a bit of time for things to improve.

It's just strange how that turned on it's head like that.

 

[Swoop]

Nope. Treatments work very fast and well in my case. If I quit therapy that hits the AR/androgen axis my hair diminishes in quality pretty fast. Thin, brittle hair. Shedding like a cat.

If I go on treatments again I see a quick recovery in 3~ months with a noticeable difference in hair quality, for the better.

 

[Thespain]

Yes it worries me, especially since I had a major shed in the beginning, shed moderately for the next months, and am going through another major shed at 8 months, all while not having recovered any hair from the initial shed. It is absolutely worrysome, and if the shed ever stops and the hair decides to come back, I would have already been shaving my head at 19.

 

[Wolf Pack]

I saw results within 3 months of Finasteride. As in my hair had more grip, got thicker and crown filled in. Was only slightly thinning in a hole type of way. I am now 16 months in. Still regrowing that hairline very slowly. It has moved forwards a cm on the right and a little on the left. Forelock is getting thicker. But it will take ages as I got on the treatment as a Norwood 2.5 thinning in a Norwood 3 pattern. Side hairline areas were slick. On the 10 year study some guys had improvement after 5 years BUT these same guys also were improving well within the first year.

Ultimately it will never give good density in the frontal triangle areas as I got on it a little late so my transplant will go ahead most likely. Rest of my hair is wig like thick. Either way, a very impressive drug for me.

My combover is too easy to do and doesn't even blow in the wind. No wax or anything needed. The hair is that "gripped" and "wavy" on the scalp. I would say I am going to return to a poor density (at the front) Norwood 2ish.

Only a DHT inhibitor right?

You need a long term plan which considers your hair status, genetics and available treatments. Then you just have to try and accept the end result - which I know is hard if it's not good hair. I would be very unhappy too.

 

[Rudiger]

^Nice though, temples moving forward. JUST on finasteride? You must be young.

Whenever I see your avatar I think- Oh Brad, you wonderful man, do you have any idea how lucky you are?

 

[Wolf Pack]

No, 30. Hair loss started at 24 - recession. Few people have seen my improvement pictures on here and natural hair thickness. I also have 10k grafts for donor. I guess despite having male pattern baldness, I'm lucky. Slow pattern. Just on finasteride yeah.

 

[kmm179]

Yeah I just hit 6 months on finasteride. I think it has thickened up. Yeah mine started at 23. I freaked out so hard.But now I am a good portion into 26 and realized that mine isnt that aggressive. But I think its good that it can take a while to work. Like noone really balds in a couple of months so its going to take a while to gain back what you lost. My shedding is minimal and I am only shedding miniaturized hairs.

 

[Folliman]

I really believe Replicel is going to be the cure. At least we'll have it in our lifetime if not before 2020.