Finastride For 6 Months, Feel Like Worse Than What I Started

[londonhairlossvictim]

Hey guys, I've posted a few times on this forum.

My situation is that I started on Finastride 6 months ago. 3 months in, I felt good and something was happening.

I do every 3 months, checkups with the Dr who specializes in hair and does transplants, and he examines my hair and compared to the first time I went to the clinic, the 2nd and the 3rd time there is proof with his zoomed in lens that there are "darker" shafts of hair growing rather then "light red pigmented" shafts that on my first time.

However in the last month I definitely feel my hair is at the worst condition it has ever been. It started off for me with concerns on my left temple, now I feel my hairline is receding and I can see further into my scalp. Styling my hair is a nightmare and I know these things as for example before a month ago, I would just need to use a little concealer on my left temple. Now I have to use concealer/fibres in my hairline too.

Before I think of what to do next (Maybe transplant which I can't really afford right now) I wanted to know if this is an ok sign, if I should be patient, if is this a shedding situation I'm going through which potentially means new hairs may grow in its place?

Routine is 1mg table a day Finastride / 2x a day Minoxidil Kirkland foam

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In the pictures attached on purpose I have divided my hair to expose more obvious and also I have zoomed in the angle to show really obviously the temple and hairline front

Any advise from someone with experience with Finastride would be appreciated, really hate this feeling of looking in mirror

 

[FCKW36]

Same for me. 5.5 month in and my hair is worse than 5.5 months ago.

 

[londonhairlossvictim]

I messaged Dr. Harris, a good rep on this forum he wrote this to me, he saw the same pics and I told him about the finasteride. usage and effects

Do not worry about this thinning. It is temporary and the hair would revive. It is hard to judge the results after only 3 months. I would persevere with finasteride and assess the results after 9 months. A transplant at this stage can be counter-productive.

Best wishes

Dr Harris

 

[FCKW36]

I messaged Dr. Harris, a good rep on this forum he wrote this to me, he saw the same pics and I told him about the finasteride. usage and effects

Do not worry about this thinning. It is temporary and the hair would revive. It is hard to judge the results after only 3 months. I would persevere with finasteride and assess the results after 9 months. A transplant at this stage can be counter-productive.

Best wishes

Dr Harris

But it's not only 3 months, I'm in for 5.5 months, my shedding is still very heavy and I'm beyond baseline.

 

[londonhairlossvictim]

Yes I know, I replied to him also saying it's not 3 months, it is 6 so he replied the following which from a professional like that, that is offering hair transplants in the UK to say, I have to feel a bit better from that - otherwise he would say "I can do a transplant for you asap!"

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"I did get the message. Sometimes you do shed hair a few weeks or months after starting finasteride. This is temporary and the hair that will come back would stay for longer.

Remember, having a transplant whilst you’re loosing hair and you are taking finasteride would distort the picture of the trend. If after another 6 months, you are still loosing hair then may be the finasteride is not even working, and the improvement that you noticed after 3 months was natural as the hair entered a new anagen phase of growth.

A drastic step ( like a transplant) can make things worse.

Best wishes

Dr Harris

 

[FCKW36]

So he says we have to wait at least 12 months. I hope things starts getting better soon. I will up my dosis to 0.8 mg now.

 

[Yakitori]

So he says we have to wait at least 12 months. I hope things starts getting better soon. I will up my dosis to 0.8 mg now.

How do you split to 0.8 mg?

 

[FCKW36]

How do you split to 0.8 mg?

I dissolve Proscar in Vodka.

 

[londonhairlossvictim]

Hey guys, thought I'd do an update

So I'm still in the same situation where I feel my hair is getting worse.

As mentioned I went onto Finastride about 6 months ago. 3 months in, it felt good. But not at the 6 month mark I really can see/feel that my hairline is thinning and it's not even straight anymore. Initially the problem was my temple, now I feel it's going into my hairline quite badly.

I try not to look to much at my hair, so I just looked at it actually a week since I last looked it, and it feel worse. There is no way I can wear my hair up, I have to always wear it to a side and slightly down.

My regime is Finastride 1 a day, 1mg.

Minoxidil Foam based, twice a day.

Shampoo's nothing special. I do use Nizoral twice a week.

6 months into Finastride with this type of look and feeling, is this normal, should I try my best just to stay on it and see it out for 9 months?

I'm pretty sure that in the last 2-3 weeks I've experience some form of shedding. Even if I just run my hands through my hair it feels very fragile in the sense alot of small hairs just start falling out.

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I've been contemplating some sort of transplant to fix this once and for all, I am 34. But I've been told by some they can fix it with a small front surgery and then I've been told by some that transplant is not advisable at this stage and to see out the Finastride.

 

[londonhairlossvictim]

TBH when I saw the comments from Dr. Harris that I posted here when he saw my pictures, and being in the transplant game telling me to not worry I was happy and motivated, then a week later checking my hair like how it is today then brang me down again.

 

[Yakitori]

Hey guys, thought I'd do an update

So I'm still in the same situation where I feel my hair is getting worse.

As mentioned I went onto Finastride about 6 months ago. 3 months in, it felt good. But not at the 6 month mark I really can see/feel that my hairline is thinning and it's not even straight anymore. Initially the problem was my temple, now I feel it's going into my hairline quite badly.

I try not to look to much at my hair, so I just looked at it actually a week since I last looked it, and it feel worse. There is no way I can wear my hair up, I have to always wear it to a side and slightly down.

My regime is Finastride 1 a day, 1mg.

Minoxidil Foam based, twice a day.

Shampoo's nothing special. I do use Nizoral twice a week.

6 months into Finastride with this type of look and feeling, is this normal, should I try my best just to stay on it and see it out for 9 months?

I'm pretty sure that in the last 2-3 weeks I've experience some form of shedding. Even if I just run my hands through my hair it feels very fragile in the sense alot of small hairs just start falling out.

-

I've been contemplating some sort of transplant to fix this once and for all, I am 34. But I've been told by some they can fix it with a small front surgery and then I've been told by some that transplant is not advisable at this stage and to see out the Finastride.

I have not seen your previous pictures but your hair very well could get worse, it's completely feasible even when you finasteride and minoxidil. I am on both and my hair is still getting noticeably worse somewhat quickly.

 

[londonhairlossvictim]

I have not seen your previous pictures but your hair very well could get worse, it's completely feasible even when you finasteride and minoxidil. I am on both and my hair is still getting noticeably worse somewhat quickly.

How long have you been on Finastride for?

So your saying it's normal to get worse? Does that mean it should improve at some stage? Alot of people say around the 7-11th month they see improvements

 

[Yakitori]

How long have you been on Finastride for?

So your saying it's normal to get worse? Does that mean it should improve at some stage? Alot of people say around the 7-11th month they see improvements

I have used Finasteride since late July last year and it decreased my shedding significantly after a couple of weeks and in October I decided to go for Minoxidil which might've been my worst mistake because it has only made my hair line worse. So in general finasteride have had some positive effects for me and I have had virtually no side effects but I have not gotten anything back that I had half a year earlier.

 

[londonhairlossvictim]

I have used Finasteride since late July last year and it decreased my shedding significantly after a couple of weeks and in October I decided to go for Minoxidil which might've been my worst mistake because it has only made my hair line worse. So in general finasteride have had some positive effects for me and I have had virtually no side effects but I have not gotten anything back that I had half a year earlier.

Oh wow that's not good. That's so long and nothing.

why are you continuing to use the both for so long if your saying it's hardly anything positive?

Mine was opposite to you, I was on Minoxidil for almost 2 years. It stopped shedding and moreless maintained, it gave me over a year period slight improvement. Finastride is only now 6 months. 3 months into Finastride I felt good about what I saw, the last month has been the hardest hit month I ever experience and now I feel I am worse then what I started (Before I started Finastride)

 

[itsjustsimon]

Same situation here but I started with dutasteride ( 5 months in). I know it sux but you need to take Finasteride and forget about your hair for a year.

The easiest part is taking the pill, the hardest part is forgetting about your hair situation and just ride it out. Anyway there is hardly any better alternative on the long run.

 

[londonhairlossvictim]

Same situation here but I started with dutasteride ( 5 months in). I know it sux but you need to take Finasteride and forget about your hair for a year.

The easiest part is taking the pill, the hardest part is forgetting about your hair situation and just ride it out. Anyway there is hardly any better alternative on the long run.

Oh man this just isn't positive news from anyone.

Your around same mark as me in then but your on a stronger supply. I'm on finasteride. 6 months in.

Are you experiencing the same as me, where at this period you can visually see your hairline worse then what you started? I don't get this - everyone is saying you have to wait until 11 months but then what will my hair by like in another 6 months, even worse at the rate it seems to be going now...

My hair is clearly going back. The aim was to fill in hopefully the temples...it's just making my hair go back.

I've visited a Dr. 3x since I started finasteride, the first time my hair zoomed in was really weak and dead hair follicles. The second time was very good (3 months) and it definetely felt good and also kind of looked good and there was definetely strong hairs coming. The most recent visit in the last 2 weeks - the Dr. was happy saying the stronger hairs are still there but I can see very clearly thinning in my front.

Even if I go out for a walk, in the morning I go to the gym - by the time I have walked to the gym and I check the gym mirror again my temple is exposed and I have to brush my hair down or to a side.

I really hate this period I'm going through, confidence is down to 0.

And only 2 months ago it was fine, it's really been a good 3 weeks I feel of non stop receding. I hope this gets better. I don't know what else to do. Everyone is saying stay on it for 11 months.

 

[Aaron McLaughlin]

So been on Finasteride for a month, think my hair has thicken what’s your opinions??

 

[itsjustsimon]

Oh man this just isn't positive news from anyone.

Your around same mark as me in then but your on a stronger supply. I'm on finasteride. 6 months in.

Are you experiencing the same as me, where at this period you can visually see your hairline worse then what you started? I don't get this - everyone is saying you have to wait until 11 months but then what will my hair by like in another 6 months, even worse at the rate it seems to be going now...

My hair is clearly going back. The aim was to fill in hopefully the temples...it's just making my hair go back.

I've visited a Dr. 3x since I started finasteride, the first time my hair zoomed in was really weak and dead hair follicles. The second time was very good (3 months) and it definetely felt good and also kind of looked good and there was definetely strong hairs coming. The most recent visit in the last 2 weeks - the Dr. was happy saying the stronger hairs are still there but I can see very clearly thinning in my front.

Even if I go out for a walk, in the morning I go to the gym - by the time I have walked to the gym and I check the gym mirror again my temple is exposed and I have to brush my hair down or to a side.

I really hate this period I'm going through, confidence is down to 0.

And only 2 months ago it was fine, it's really been a good 3 weeks I feel of non stop receding. I hope this gets better. I don't know what else to do. Everyone is saying stay on it for 11 months.

I know exactly what you’re going through believe me. When I started Propecia 8 years ago I didn’t even know that shedding exist tbh, but when I look at the pictures my hair was really bad. Especially at 3 month mark. It came back much much better. And yeah, I also love to go to the gym but seeing my hairline got destroyed in the mirror takes all my motivation. It sux man.

We need to ride it out. I just promised to myself to no f*** around with other treatments until 1 year passes. If my hairline gets destroyed even further I will probably add RU58841 because my theory is while DHT decreases, your testosterone increases in the scalp and if your more sensitive to testo, it can probably damage your hair pretty badly. I don’t know, we’ll see.

But yeah I’m pretty much in the same situation. My hairline looks like a hydrogen bomb have exploided, not much life there. And I have a very thin blonde hair so it looks much worse tbh. You have a very thick strong hair, no homo

 

[itsjustsimon]

View attachment 86613 View attachment 86614 So been on Finasteride for a month, think my hair has thicken what’s your opinions??

Wow you are a very good responder. Nice!

 

[londonhairlossvictim]

View attachment 86613 View attachment 86614 So been on Finasteride for a month, think my hair has thicken what’s your opinions??

1 month? Your very lucky.

You might experience this shedding thing in 4-5 month mark. Let's see.

I was happy with my progress Months 1-4

Feels like last month is a constant daily hit that's taken it back to worse then start.