Long Term User But Tide Is Turning. Need Advice

[Runninghair]

Deleted

 

[michel sapin]

nice result man, did you see a worsening of your hairline with minoxidil ? and a shedding after stopping ?

 

[hwezdarik]

You probably won't find a lot of users with such long finasteride experience on this forum.

Have you considered adding something new to your regimen ? dutasteride, RU,CB or SETI (take your pick) .
I believe it would be wise to perhaps wait 1 month to see whether shedding goes back to normal.

 

[Torin]

You hair looks really good.

I just started taking finasteride myself 5 months ago and still slightly in two minds about it. My hair has thickened up a lot already, but I just feel sad all the time that I'm just postponing the inevitable and I'm not sure I can deal with it when it comes...

Anyway, I wanted to ask you a few questions OP. Firstly what type of hair loss pattern were you experiencing? Was it diffused on top or more recession at the temples?

Secondly, in your fourth picture it looks like you're slightly raising your eyebrows and your top forehead crease seems a cm or two below your hairline. Did you hairline used to be lower at your crease point and do you consider this gap as just a mature hairline?

 

[gypsyjimi]

Not long time finasteride user, but I have oily scalp and itchiness (pre- and post-finasteride). I found Nizoral to irritate my scalp more (itchiness few hours after use) so dropped it after using for few months. Scalp still oily but more manageable with better shampoo/conditioner. Now there's a significant decrease in itchiness and pillow loss overnight. I'm also a minoxidil user (temples/crown only) but I'm no longer scratching over night. So dropping Nizoral has been good for me. Of course Nizoral works for others. But I can live without it.

 

[g.i joey]

Be happy that you have better hair than almost everyone on this forum at 31! Also, you're only a month and a half in so you can't gauge any real opinion on if propecia is working or not

 

[davesmith420]

First off, your hair looks amazing bruh. I hope I can maintain on finasteride for as long as you have!

Second off, I think you should try T-Gel to help with "the itch."

 

[WMQ]

The excessive sebum and itch suggests androgen receptor upregulation as a result of prolonged usage of finasteride if you ask me.

The same happened to me. Used finasteride for 7 years, had good maintenance until 2016 but was very slowing losing. Quit finasteride due to sides, had tons of sebum/itch/inflammation all over my scalp. Never was able to stop it even if I get back to 0.5 mg finasteride (for the most part of my finasteride journey I used 1 mg ed but I did 1mg EOD or 0.5mg ED in the past without any problem). Hairline going fast (was a Norwood 0-0.5, moved to Norwood 2 within 6 months)

I still don't know what to make of all this. But for me taking finasteride is not an option anymore due to intolerable sides and fear. Hopefully your status will stabilize over several weeks time. I wouldn't suggest keeping on finasteride at this point since it you'd need higher dosage and that's a viscous cycle. Go for topical antiandrogens. You don't seem to have sides from finasteride so you stand a big chance.

 

[GoldenMane]

If you quit finasteride for months and then start losing ground, how can you say that means finasteride stopped working?
If you quit finasteride due to sides and the DHT itch returns after you quit, how can you attribute that to androgen receptor upregulation? I know these things can happen, but I would think that in your cases there are very obvious alternative causes. I would only stay the stopped working or AR upregulation happened if you were losing ground or the itch returned even with consistent finasteride usage...

 

[WMQ]

If you quit finasteride for months and then start losing ground, how can you say that means finasteride stopped working?
If you quit finasteride due to sides and the DHT itch returns after you quit, how can you attribute that to androgen receptor upregulation? I know these things can happen, but I would think that in your cases there are very obvious alternative causes. I would only stay the stopped working or AR upregulation happened if you were losing ground or the itch returned even with consistent finasteride usage...

Sorry. It was indeed misleading. I didn't state the full reasons of my judgement.

Even previously to finasteride, I never had that aggressive itch/inflammation/shedding. Also, my hair loss pattern changed. I never lost hair in my donar areas or had itch there. These are the reasons why I believe AR upregulation happened to me.

And come on guys, let's face the truth. AR upregulation is so common with nearly every kind of potent 5ARi and AA drug. finasteride losing effect over the years is nothing new either. It's not like we should all stay away from finasteride because of that, but it's always good to be informed.

 

[DoctorHouse]

Hi torin.

My pattern started as loss all over. When i turned 18 and went to uni i started noticing hair in shower and lots on pillow and a general limpness. Before this time i had coarse thick hair. As i got older maybe 22 plus my temples thinned out and down middle of top. Seemed to be mainly temples however. Last yr my temples have got thinner and main hairline has thinned

Leading onto your other question.. I have a big *** forehead so my hairline was never near the crease in my forehead. It has however probs went bck a little over time mind you.

My male pattern baldness isnt probs helped by fact i have hypthyroidism but certainly isnt the cause. I have been lucky to have a slow burn male pattern baldness to now but last yr has turned up a gear. Not helped by fact i dropped finasteride last year. (Laziness).

My maternal grandad had male pattern baldness but he was nw5 by my age so i seem to have at least not inherited it as aggresive as he did. Maybe this is due to fact my dad has a thick nw1 at 58!! And no greys! Ha

Im hoping strixt use of finasteride again will stabilise me as before for a while. I just fear maybe its losing its effect now as im older and i have read finasteride sometimes only is effective

I think you need to realize finasteride only slows things down but your balding pattern will continue but very slowly. If you are destined for a low Norwood, you will see loss at snails pace but if you are destined for a high Norwood, your loss will be slightly faster than snails pace. Been on finasteride for over ten years and still have alot of hair like you but its not as much as I had 10 years ago but it still slowed things down. I have thyroid issues too. I am now using minoxidil every other day and that helped give it a boost. I have less sides with minoxidil as long as I keep the dosage low.

 

[Cue Bald]

yeah finasteride blocks 95% or so of DHT so you still have that 5% of DHT doing a small amount of damage to the follicles. obviously this means you bald ~20 times slower but it still happens

 

[g.i joey]

what? no finasteride does not block 95% dht, ~70% is the number you're looking for pal.

 

[GoldenMane]

So there's three possibilities the .

1. finasteride related androgen receptor upregulation.

2. The cumulative effects of even lower DHT over time.

3. Quitting finasteride caused hair loss to resume at a faster pace.

 

[Runninghair]

Ive got my haircut now and only been back on meds a short time so now is good time for baseline pics. I will use these to see if improve/worsen in next 6months.



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[Rdx]

Even Superman don't have that much hair

 

[Runninghair]

I caught my hairloss early. Catching up with me now though. Its not aggressive no but temples are going.

 

[Runninghair]

Been on dutasteride now two days and glad to report no sides.

 

[hwezdarik]

Been on dutasteride now two days and glad to report no sides.

Good to hear that. dutasteride is defo a beast.
Wait for a few months 3-4 and then add RU or SETI. Both are fairly cheap . SETI 10g 80 Bucks, RU 10g 130 bucks.
SETI could also help you with inflamation.

You managed to keep your hair for such a long time too bad nothing new had come along :/
Lets see what 2017 brings us

 

[Runninghair]

Never had sides from finasteride so hipefully same will be case for dutasteride.

finasteride did its job for ten years so hopefuylly dutasteride can gear things up a bit and keep my good for another 5+