"Finasteride Made my hair line worse"?

[AlecGaro]

Hey guys im Alec, nearly 20 and debating whether I should start the big 3. I was on the first few steps. I bought a good quality Keto Shampoo and have some finasteride on the way but during that time I did some more research on finasteride and saw some testimonials on the forums and what I saw scared me. What really stuck out was one person that said he was on finasteride for almost 6 months and that his hairline was twice as worse then it was originally and that he stopped taking it and it never recovered to what it used to be.

I know that finasteride can cause some decent shedding but is the testimonial i just stated really seem legit or not really that real? I have linked some pictures up of my current hair state and I am afraid because my hair has just started to show the first signs of my most likely paternally-inherited male pattern baldness and I want to take a stand on it. I know dont know if I should start because I don't want to permanently do more damage on an "okay" head of hair.

What do you guys think I should do? I hear so many mixed reviews on here about finasteride and the big 3.. I feel sad because I want to get the results of the success stories I see on here but then right when I'm about to start I read these horrible testimonials that make me have second thoughts.


*** ALSO! I know I've asked a lot of questions but I couldnt seem to find this anywhere.. If you used Finasteride for a while and then stop using it.. does it make your hair go back to where it would have been (following the path of your male pattern baldness) or does it go back to where it wouldve been and then some (makes it worse then where it wouldve been)?

Let me know what you guys think

 

[BeardedOne]

Hi AlecGaro, welcome to the boards (and also thank you for taking the time to post on my thread!), I'll respond to you with what I can here.

1. To my knowledge finasteride does not, in itself, make your hair worse in any way - the worst that will happen (apart from side effects) is that it will have no effect on you and you will continue to lose hair. I know that some people have posted around the web that finasteride thinned their hair out a lot, but who is to say this wouldn't have happened anyway?

2. Everyone is always looking for something to blame their hair loss on - everyone thinks they have Telogen Effluvium at first (basically thinning all over) as a result of some medication or stress or life event, as it's easier to accept and to reverse rather than the gradual process of male pattern baldness. It's usually just male pattern baldness in 90% of cases. I see this

3. It is also normal to go through an initial shed when you start taking finasteride, in my case this began after about 2 weeks and lasted another 6 weeks, in which time my hair was noticeably thinner to my eyes. More seasoned finasteride takers say there is another shed that takes place around 8 months in, and that generally finasteride causes sheds from time to time. But this is a process of moving out the weaker hairs so that stronger hairs can grow in their place, so I looked on it as a good thing!

4. I'm concerned that you say you have finasteride 'on the way'. Did you order it online? While I am very positive about finasteride it is still a very powerful drug and for someone of your age I would recommend you research it thoroughly, understand that the undertaking is pretty much for life and speak with your GP about it first. Also, you cannot really ever be certain that what you have ordered online is finasteride - I ordered a batch recently and now I'm pretty certain it was completely bogus. It caused discomfort and I noticed my hair getting significantly worse. So I ditched them and went the proper route through my GP. Happy to say that things have significantly improved again.

5. Just to stress again that finasteride is such a personal choice. I think understanding the risks of sides and the potential benefits of the drug is absolutely crucial to making the decision and also preparing yourself psychologically for any sides you might encounter. I have been lucky with sides but I have noticed small sides, barely perceptible, and if I hadn't been prepared psychologically I might have freaked out.

6. Finally, you have a great head of hair! I imagine that you will be a great responder to meds if you go that route. All the best and keep us posted!