This forum was a big help to me when I was getting worried about my hair. I wanted to come back and give an update.
I've been ordering finasteride online for four years now. I has stopped my hair loss. I am in my early 30s, and have a testosterone level floating around 950-1100 ng/mol. This is supposed to be high for my age and likely why I'm going bald. My side-effects from taking finasteride are bareable, I will go over them next. I have a theory that your testosterone level will determine how well you will handle the drug.
Sides:
1. Boners gone in the morning
2. Slightly weaker erections -- but not that noticeable. Spending more time getting horned-up before actual sex evens that out.
3. Lower sperm count and parameters. I took time off of finasteride to make two babies
4. Calmer on finasteride than I am without it. I am generally moody and snap at my wife more often if I'm not taking it (we're very similar, don't feel too bad for her)
5. Alcohol doesn't work as well. I have no idea why. I used to be a heavy drinker. Maybe 1mg finasteride is all my liver can handle now. Drinks easily give me hangovers and being drunk doesn't feel as euphoric as before
6. Slightly less joyful, but nowhere near depressed
Tribulations / Lessons:
Several learning experiences
1. India vendors are annoying. I've been burned once getting some shitty pills, so I stick to finpecia exclusively now. Shipping takes weeks. I would highly recommend getting a real prescription and going to Costco for your pills if one is nearby
2. Remembering to take your pills MATTERS. This past year I was getting very lazy about it. Going 3 or 4 days at a time not taking the meds. Just recently I was going through a cross-country move and did not take them for two months. My hair started falling out like crazy. STICK TO A SCHEDULE, FOREVER
3. 0.5mg dose is indistinguishable from 1mg. I feel absolutely the same on either dose, and have not noticed extra hair loss when going on a 0.5mg for extended periods. This is what lulled me into going two months without it. 0.5mg really does something major!
That's about it for me. I have not regrow hair and don't expect to. I'm happy with keeping what I have or even slowly going bald. It's much easier accept hair loss now that I have kids and a wife and everyone I know is getting old. I was paranoid about hairloss through my 20s and that sucked. 30s, not so much. If you are on the fence about starting, start now.
More rambling
I've been using the dandruff shampoo as well. The Nizorol (sp?) one. It works great. I've had dandruff off-and-on my whole life. One strange thing I've noticed is my head gets VERY itchy if I don't take my finasteride for a few days. I wonder if it's possible to feel DHT killing your hair? I don't know. The itching seems to occur on my crown and temples where the hair is thinning, so I think there is something to this. After using nizoral, the itch is completely gone, and I make a point to take my pills.
I've developed a major nicotine habit over these four years. I could not kick smoking for 10 years so I gave in a vaped (sucked), then got lozenges (better), and now I'm on sugar-free nicotine gum. It is fantastic. But, I do believe it is hurting my hairline. This has been repeated here many times, but nicotine probably makes your hair fall out. It's not scaring me enough to quit, of course.
I've lost maybe 2 or 3 mm of hairline since I started finasteride, always during times when I quit taking it. That hair isn't coming back, I don't think. So again, stick to your regimen.
Thanks again to everyone who gave me advice. I will check in occasionally and respond to this post.
I've been ordering finasteride online for four years now. I has stopped my hair loss. I am in my early 30s, and have a testosterone level floating around 950-1100 ng/mol. This is supposed to be high for my age and likely why I'm going bald. My side-effects from taking finasteride are bareable, I will go over them next. I have a theory that your testosterone level will determine how well you will handle the drug.
Sides:
1. Boners gone in the morning
2. Slightly weaker erections -- but not that noticeable. Spending more time getting horned-up before actual sex evens that out.
3. Lower sperm count and parameters. I took time off of finasteride to make two babies
4. Calmer on finasteride than I am without it. I am generally moody and snap at my wife more often if I'm not taking it (we're very similar, don't feel too bad for her)
5. Alcohol doesn't work as well. I have no idea why. I used to be a heavy drinker. Maybe 1mg finasteride is all my liver can handle now. Drinks easily give me hangovers and being drunk doesn't feel as euphoric as before
6. Slightly less joyful, but nowhere near depressed
Tribulations / Lessons:
Several learning experiences
1. India vendors are annoying. I've been burned once getting some shitty pills, so I stick to finpecia exclusively now. Shipping takes weeks. I would highly recommend getting a real prescription and going to Costco for your pills if one is nearby
2. Remembering to take your pills MATTERS. This past year I was getting very lazy about it. Going 3 or 4 days at a time not taking the meds. Just recently I was going through a cross-country move and did not take them for two months. My hair started falling out like crazy. STICK TO A SCHEDULE, FOREVER
3. 0.5mg dose is indistinguishable from 1mg. I feel absolutely the same on either dose, and have not noticed extra hair loss when going on a 0.5mg for extended periods. This is what lulled me into going two months without it. 0.5mg really does something major!
That's about it for me. I have not regrow hair and don't expect to. I'm happy with keeping what I have or even slowly going bald. It's much easier accept hair loss now that I have kids and a wife and everyone I know is getting old. I was paranoid about hairloss through my 20s and that sucked. 30s, not so much. If you are on the fence about starting, start now.
More rambling
I've been using the dandruff shampoo as well. The Nizorol (sp?) one. It works great. I've had dandruff off-and-on my whole life. One strange thing I've noticed is my head gets VERY itchy if I don't take my finasteride for a few days. I wonder if it's possible to feel DHT killing your hair? I don't know. The itching seems to occur on my crown and temples where the hair is thinning, so I think there is something to this. After using nizoral, the itch is completely gone, and I make a point to take my pills.
I've developed a major nicotine habit over these four years. I could not kick smoking for 10 years so I gave in a vaped (sucked), then got lozenges (better), and now I'm on sugar-free nicotine gum. It is fantastic. But, I do believe it is hurting my hairline. This has been repeated here many times, but nicotine probably makes your hair fall out. It's not scaring me enough to quit, of course.
I've lost maybe 2 or 3 mm of hairline since I started finasteride, always during times when I quit taking it. That hair isn't coming back, I don't think. So again, stick to your regimen.
Thanks again to everyone who gave me advice. I will check in occasionally and respond to this post.
