Lowering Finasteride Caused A Massive Shed. Need Help

[Hover14]

Hi Guys,

I've been a longtime reader of these forums and user of finasteride, due to my current issues I've decided to finally ask for some help and/or input.

Background:
Started taking generic finasteride since ~June 2015 (@25 years old). Cutting 5mg tabs into 1.25mg and taken everyday. Note, I'm a diffuse NW7 and at the time of starting my hair was awful, pretty much Wayne Rooney pre-transplant. At the start I was consistent with using Regenepure DR/Nizoral/Nioxin conditioner and taking Biotin supplements (stopped this after 6-9 months).

After 2 years, I had unbelievable results. Hair density looked like I never suffered from diffuse thinning at all, only thing I couldn't recover was my temple hairline, but I was ok with that because now I actually had a hairline, instead of looking like sprinkles on top of a vanilla icecream scoop. Also I've never had any sides from taking finasteride.

Fast forward to Dec 2019.
By this point, I never even thought about my hair. It looked great so I arrogantly stopped caring. Started taking 1.25mg ~4-5 times a week and would refilled my finasteride script from my local pharmacy. My last refill, I was given 1mg tabs (not 5mg) however, I didn't pay attention to this and continued to spilt the pills into quarters. Now I'm taking 0.25mg ~4-5 times a week.

Jan 2020.
Massive. Shed. I lost close to 50% of my hair density and still haven't realized I'm taking 0.25mg.

March 16 2020.
Finally realize I've been misdosing. My hair is still around 50% of what it was pre Dec 2019. However well above my original baseline from June 2015. I've now changed my regimen to the following.
1mg finasteride 6xWeek
0.5mg dutasteride 1xWeek
Regenepure 4xWeek
1000mg Biotin ED

My hair right now is ~3-4 inches long so when I blow dry it straight up I can see a small battalion of miniaturized 1" hairs and an army of peach fuzz everywhere.

I've read a lot up on "catch-up" hair-loss and results of stopping finasteride cold turkey, and I'm trying to figure out if I've had my last full head of hair. As I appear to have pretty aggressive hairloss/shed.

So, anyone have any opinions on my current regimen? Or thoughts on my prospects of ever recovering my hair density?

Thanks!

 

[Hair-pun]

Firstly, I'm sorry to hear about your shed- i had one after making a similar mistake and i feel your pain of thinking 'if only I'd done xyz'. However, don't beat yourself about it, these medications are difficult to use. We've all made mistakes simply because you don't know the effect of your actions until 3 months later when it's too late to correct. We make what seems like a small change when things are going well and we are comfortable...only to see further down the line that this caused a bad response. Equally I have made many changes to my regimen with no change in my hair, sometimes we are lucky and some times we aren't. Many people take this 0.25mg dose and report that it's just as effective as 1mg so it could just have easily have had no effect at all- you were just unlucky.
At least you didn't stop taking it and still had a decent level of finasteride in your blood.

Anyway, I digress, there is no real way to know whether you'll recover all the lost hair but you are very fortunate to have seen regrowth from finasteride so you may well recover a percentage of it. Most only get maintenance, particularly at the front which is the hardest area to treat, so best to manage expectations and be happy if you just maintain what you have now. I think your regimen looks good for maintenance but for extra regrowth it might be worth adding in topical rogaine foam (minoxidil)- just a growth stimulant but many hang on to minoxidil gains for many years. Be aware that minoxidil normally induces an initial shed which returns thicker 4 months later.

If after six months you still aren't happy you can nuke it with a really aggressive regimen. Take 4 dutasteride per week and 3 finasteride on the other days, 2.5mg minoxidil orally, maybe derma rolling/needling.

This leaves daily dutasteride with RU or CB topically (generally only required on the front as dutasteride is very effective at the back) plus 5mg oral minoxidil for the future next step. It's always best to plan next steps ahead as all regimens eventually lose effectiveness and it's best to be prepared for this in advance so you know where to go next.

Also, in the spirit of covering all angles if you really aren't happy with the outcome of all of these approaches then Supermillions hair fibres are very effective in pumping up the 'look' of your hair- just a cosmetic thing but it really helps. If you still aren't happy you could consider a hair system- check out the hair replacement section of this forum for info on these (maybe message resident guru Noah). What I'm saying is- and hopefully others will read this too- don't panic. Whatever the outcome with the drugs you have options.

Good luck!