How Dutasteride utterly destroyed my hair and why you shouldn't take it

[whatintheworld]

No i didn't get any blood tests done

Also i attempted spironolactone when i was desperate and it made my itching and things worse in general, then what's the culprit here? I think my AR sensitivity has increased somehow due to messing with my hormones

Yes, your AR sensitivity could have certainly increased as you pretty much had 0 male pattern baldness, and injected a hormonal trigger which did who knows what.

A full blood panel may provide more clues as to your current hormonal situation.

 

[Caillou]

His hair was so nice and thick it almost looks like a hairpiece. If you’re off dutasteride for good, just use finasteride and minoxidil on your frontal regions as you should have on day 1 instead of dutasteride

Well the itching almost stopped so this is a good sign and my sex drive decreased as well, no more weird penile sensations, but i don't know how long before my hair is back again

 

[whatintheworld]

Before when I was more active on this forum, I tried to dissuade people from taking finasteride and other anti androgens unless they were going full blown Norwood territory.

I've seen too many guys with just maturing hairlines, meaning they don't have their teenage/pre-teen hairline and freak out and get on these drugs. Just because your hairline isn't straight and low like a lego brick man doesn't mean you have male pattern baldness, and should be on these prostate shrinking drugs.

As an aside, Ive been on finasteride and minoxidil for over 4 years as started losing my hair fast in my early twenties and was diagnosed by several dermatologists as aggressive male pattern baldness. Ive had no side effects on finasteride or min and have slowed down my loss significantly.

 

[Einstein]

Thank you, i don't think it's testosterone alone since i took 200 MG spironolactone when i was desperate and it didn't do anything for me except making things worse somehow

How long were you taking 200 mg of spironolactone? It what way did it made things worse?

 

[Diffused_confidence]

I seriously still don't know why this shitty drug is still being used by people. I've searched all-over the internet and found at most 5 cases where they regrowed hair using dutasteride and like a hundred else including me where we lost sh*t-ton of hair or got side effects

Background :-

I'm 21 years old male, have started losing hair 6 years ago around my temples and the area between the midscalp and frontal hairline. The loss had been slow and mostly unnoticeable thinning, some times got worse and other times it was better, but overall i was a fullhead to everyone unless you were an expert Norwood-spotter which most people aren't

Around 3 months ago i started to worry about losing further hair and wanted to perserve. My shedding was normal especially since i have a dandruff condition, and i started taking dutasteride 0.5 mg EOD and thought i was doing good

That was my hair during march which was 2.5 months ago

Dry under lights :-

View attachment 163263

Wet under normal lights :-

View attachment 163264
View attachment 163265

Wet under harsh lights 1.5 months ago :-

View attachment 163266
View attachment 163267



Basically a fullhead. But as soon as i popped that shitty pill, i started shedding over 300 follicles EVERY SINGLE DAY. Each time i combed my hair i lost around 50 minimum, shedding from my hairline, my sides, my back and the itching increased dramatically especially in my crown (which now as a balding spot along with the rest of my massacred hairline)

After 2 months of this terrible shed i couldn't style my hair anymore, looked in the mirror and found that my left temple basically disappeared along with the area behind hairline and went to diffuse thinning NW3 with thinning sides and back and a bald spot on crown from a relatively all-over thick NW2 in TWO MONTHS

This is my hair right now after i had to shave due to losing all 60% of my density in two months, even took Spironolactone 200 MG and it just made things even worse

Nowadays dry under normal lights :-

View attachment 163268
View attachment 163269

So my advice to you guys is to stay away from that unproven scam drug and take a low dose of finasteride and get transplants instead. My itch now disappeared after stopping it and i think my shedding has decreased as well and i hope that somehow i will regain even just some of my hair back instead of going full bald in less than a year

Dutasteride and finasteride both have shed cycles. Could that have been it?

 

[Caillou]

How long were you taking 200 mg of spironolactone? It what way did it made things worse?

around a week to two weeks, it made my itching much worse and more painful

 

[Caillou]

Dutasteride and finasteride both have shed cycles. Could that have been it?

Might be, but i lost too much hair in a short time and had other side effects as well so i don't think i experienced a normal shedding phase

 

[Nostro300]

The problem is that most shedds are short and come about first to third month max. When you are shedding at the 6 month that is when you are expecting results AND its shedding healthy hairs, then of course you must question wtf is going on.

What a mistake to jump right onto Dutasteride at first sign of hair thinning. The worst thing you can do right now is stop. I went through the samething but much worse and for much longer. My shed lasted almost 12 months. Good knowledgeable dudes like Bryan (RIP), El Duterino, and many others said to wait it out and I did. No matter how much I panicked I could not understand why it would be a cause of hair loss. I waited it out to the point I started wearing concealer and then baseball cap every single day. Eventually my hair regrew what it lost plus some. Thickness was insane.

I can’t emphasize this enough, shedding after treatment is a good sign and to wait it out. If people don’t want sheds then stay off treatments entirely and go bald in grace.

 

[Caillou]

The problem is that most shedds are short and come about first to third month max. When you are shedding at the 6 month that is when you are expecting results AND its shedding healthy hairs, then of course you must question wtf is going on.

There's no guarantee of this, and assuming there is, then why take the risk for some regrowth instead of having a nice head of hair and healthy body with normal hormonal profile? I was stupid and greedy and now i'm paying the price for it, but i hope this price won't be permanent and accompanied by regret

 

[Nostro300]

How long were you taking 200 mg of spironolactone? It what way did it made things worse?

I'm going to read your 12 year old posts

https://www.hairlosstalk.com/interact/threads/to-all-the-dutasteride-shed-survivors.44662/

 

[Diffused_confidence]

Might be, but i lost too much hair in a short time and had other side effects as well so i don't think i experienced a normal shedding phase

You'd be surprised. I've seen some guys on tressless claim they go through an overwhelming shed but weathered the storm and had great results. The miniaturized hairs shed and get replaced with hair that has a longer growth cycle and increased diameter.

 

[Caillou]

I'm going to read your 12 year old posts

https://www.hairlosstalk.com/interact/threads/to-all-the-dutasteride-shed-survivors.44662/

You'd be surprised. I've seen some guys on tressless claim they go through an overwhelming shed but weathered the storm and had great results. The miniaturized hairs shed and get replaced with hair that has a longer growth cycle and increased diameter.

Thank you for trying to help guys, but i don't think i will be able to take that pill anymore even if it can possibly make my hair even better than before. I just wouldn't feel comfortable living in constant stress and anxiety everytime i pop the pill and wondering every night whether i'm making the right choice or not

If my hair doesn't grow back i may just get a transplant and look for something else to maintain what i have by then

 

[Diffused_confidence]

Thank you for trying to help guys, but i don't think i will be able to take that pill anymore even if it can possibly make my hair even better than before. I just wouldn't feel comfortable living in constant stress and anxiety everytime i pop the pill and wondering every night whether i'm making the right choice or not

If my hair doesn't grow back i may just get a transplant and look for something else to maintain what i have by then

A transplant will only last as long as you stabilize the other hair.

 

[Caillou]

A transplant will only last as long as you stabilize the other hair.

I know, by then i will try various other treatments like maybe low dosing finasteride or topical finasteride or RU or other anti-androgenic topicals. There are many options nowadays and as you saw my hair loss wasn't that aggressive to begin with

 

[Nostro300]

I will try RU as well but I'm already Fked by default so I "have nothing to lose". Interestingly idk if I should go back to finasteride or reduced the frequency of the dosage. I'm on 0,5mg Duta EOD and I'm thinking about lowering it further to every other 2 days. The half life is big enough to remain in the body. Will take RU as well just for good mesure and when I start seeing good results, only then will I hop in the minoxidil for that boost

I know, by then i will try various other treatments like maybe low dosing finasteride or topical finasteride or RU or other anti-androgenic topicals. There are many options nowadays and as you saw my hair loss wasn't that aggressive to begin with

 

[Diffused_confidence]

I know, by then i will try various other treatments like maybe low dosing finasteride or topical finasteride or RU or other anti-androgenic topicals. There are many options nowadays and as you saw my hair loss wasn't that aggressive to begin with

An ethical surgeon is going to ensure you can stabilize the hair loss before operating.

 

[nachos]

Did you get any blood tests done?

Remember, dutasteride (and finasteride) can increase Testosterone by a fair bit, which while not as potent as DHT, still can negatively affect your hair.

I’ve been researching this and absolutely no studies I’ve found have concluded that hair loss can be caused by testosterone. Unless you can provide me a peer-reviewed source for this, it’s just gibberish bs spread about way too much on this forum. Every study I’ve seen and read have shown absolutely zero correlation between testosterone (besides DHT) and hair loss.

 

[Caillou]

I’ve been researching this and absolutely no studies I’ve found have concluded that hair loss can be caused by testosterone. Unless you can provide me a peer-reviewed source for this, it’s just gibberish bs spread about way too much on this forum. Every study I’ve seen and read have shown absolutely zero correlation between testosterone (besides DHT) and hair loss.

Are studies sacred texts? Aren't my pictures enough evidence to you that something is wrong? What about the thousands of guys who experienced the same sh*t as me and have pictures to confirm it as well, should we all just f*** off because "WHERE'S MUH STUDIES"

This scientism shitty mindset is so poisonous to society

 

[Nostro300]

I’ve been researching this and absolutely no studies I’ve found have concluded that hair loss can be caused by testosterone. Unless you can provide me a peer-reviewed source for this, it’s just gibberish bs spread about way too much on this forum. Every study I’ve seen and read have shown absolutely zero correlation between testosterone (besides DHT) and hair loss.

It's just a theory derived by the fact that testosterone is also an androgen, and it rises when you take dutasteride. When you are very androgen sensitive, its is theorized that even testosterone can affect you. I think someone has done an experiment where said person dropped his dht to zero yo make sure it couldn't be a factor any longer (i think it was the YouTuber, more plates more dates).

Thats y RU is so desired

 

[nachos]

It's just a theory derived by the fact that testosterone is also an androgen, and it rises when you take dutasteride. When you are very androgen sensitive, its is theorized that even testosterone can affect you. I think someone has done an experiment where said person dropped his dht to zero yo make sure it couldn't be a factor any longer (i think it was the YouTuber, more plates more dates).

Thats y RU is so desired

There may be other factors, I’m sure. But all the studies I’ve read online showed that even excess testosterone (while inhibiting DHT) didn’t have any significant effect on hair loss. Iikewise, I’ve read quite a few studies in which testosterone or even excess testosterone made no difference in hair loss and it was DHT. I don’t think it’s a theory when it’s been disproven. But I’m sure there are other factors at play. But I’m convinced, testosterone is not one of them.