Give up on finasteride?

[DDobler]

Hi guys, I am suffering from hairloss since I was 20. I am now 27. I used Minox5% almost 100% consistently throughout the age 21-26.
I got bald mainly in my crown, and a bit in my hairline.

I added finasteride (Propecia) 3 months ago. As for today, no sides. BUT - I have noticed my hair is getting worse and worse , from the end of month 1 +-.
Now, My hair is thinner than ever - crown is almost empty, hairline is very bad, top is very VERY thin, and it looks like 100% of my hair is just getting thinner and thinner, in a volume so big for just 2-3 months. I haven't had this volume of hairloss throughout 5-6 years, and suddenly it is bombing me in such a short period of time: only 3 months.

So I would like to get some advice - should I give up on finasteride so early? Should I wait and see if it is only a phase of hair cycles, and I'll then "get my hair back"?
what is the deadline that I should put to stop using finasteride if I don't see any improvement?
Has anybody experienced such a thing? :\ I thought there were only 2 options: 1) it improves your hair 2) it doesn't improve your hair, but also doesn't worsen your hair......

Thanks

 

[INT]

Hi guys, I am suffering from hairloss since I was 20. I am now 27. I used Minox5% almost 100% consistently throughout the age 21-26.
I got bald mainly in my crown, and a bit in my hairline.

I added finasteride (Propecia) 3 months ago. As for today, no sides. BUT - I have noticed my hair is getting worse and worse , from the end of month 1 +-.
Now, My hair is thinner than ever - crown is almost empty, hairline is very bad, top is very VERY thin, and it looks like 100% of my hair is just getting thinner and thinner, in a volume so big for just 2-3 months. I haven't had this volume of hairloss throughout 5-6 years, and suddenly it is bombing me in such a short period of time: only 3 months.

So I would like to get some advice - should I give up on finasteride so early? Should I wait and see if it is only a phase of hair cycles, and I'll then "get my hair back"?
what is the deadline that I should put to stop using finasteride if I don't see any improvement?
Has anybody experienced such a thing? :\ I thought there were only 2 options: 1) it improves your hair 2) it doesn't improve your hair, but also doesn't worsen your hair......

Thanks

Three months is no where near enough to already make any judgement...
Wait at least a year!

 

[big_head]

finasteride isn't going to make you bald, why would it? If anything, it's probably a major shed which is a good sign.

If you are balding, minoxidil alone is not going to keep your hair unless your balding isn't too bad and you're a really good responder. Sooner or later you need something like finasteride to stop the hairloss. So think of it like that- one way or the other, you need finasteride. So you might as well stick this out. Wait another 3 months and see what happens.

 

[DDobler]

Hey thanks for the replies INT and big_head.
I was just worried I damage my hair with finasteride. I hope you are right.

 

[big_head]

Hey thanks for the replies INT and big_head.
I was just worried I damage my hair with finasteride. I hope you are right.

Unlikely...there is no reason finasteride would damage your hair.

But think of it like I said: your male pattern baldness is already destroying your hair, and finasteride is more likely to help than harm. You have no real choice if you want to save your hair.

 

[Thespain]

Unlikely...there is no reason finasteride would damage your hair.

But think of it like I said: your male pattern baldness is already destroying your hair, and finasteride is more likely to help than harm. You have no real choice if you want to save your hair.

I disagree. finasteride can cause androgen receptor upregulation and telogen effuvulium(spelling?).

 

[br1]

I disagree. finasteride can cause androgen receptor upregulation and telogen effuvulium(spelling?).

You think those are temporary?

I have always wondered if someone who take finasteride (say, without having male pattern baldness) for years and then quit.. Would him start having male pattern baldness because finasteride made his hair more sensitive to DHT?

 

[DDobler]

I disagree. finasteride can cause androgen receptor upregulation and telogen effuvulium(spelling?).

That's what I thought about. How can I know if it happens to me? If this is my case, I would not like to continue taking finasteride

 

[INT]

That's what I thought about. How can I know if it happens to me? If this is my case, I would not like to continue taking finasteride

Only time can tell. Keep in mind that it is very rare.

 

[big_head]

I disagree. finasteride can cause androgen receptor upregulation and telogen effuvulium(spelling?).

Compared to what though? If you have male pattern baldness you WILL bald without treatment. Even if what you say is true and permanent, you were going to lose it anyway, and finasteride and dutasteride are the only drugs that halt the hairloss.