My plan, any good?

[grimes]

so, my hairloss is very slow, but to really decide whether i should start taking propecia or not, i took some pics 2 months ago and will take a few in about 4-5 months. then i will compare the two. if there is a noticeable chance, i'll start proscar. if there isn't any change, i won't start. i really don't want to start proscar, as i'm afraid of the side effects and the possible sheds, which according to most, will mess up your hair.

does that sound like a decent plan or is 6 months too little to notice hairloss?

 

[JohnnySeville]

Really depends on how old you are the degree of hair loss. Be warned, if you wait you may not be able to get back a certain amount of hair loss, the sooner one starts these medication the better, especially in the areas of the hairline. Its your call.

 

[grimes]

28 and a Norwood 2. lost maybe 1,5 cm above the temples in the last 8-9 years or so, so fairly slow recession. don't really know when it receded. whether it's gradually or all in one big swoop. compared to my hairline about 2-3 years ago, it's about the same, but a few more shorter(though not thinner) hairs just in front of the hairline.

the thing is, going on propecia is a big decision. i'm rather shocked at how lightly many of you take it. it's a hormonal changing drug and no one really knows the long term effects of it. i don't mind receding into a nw3 in my 30s. only way i'd go on propecia, is if i'm starting to lose my hair at a noticeably pace.

 

[Skaff]

If you already know you're losing hair then your best bet would be to start finasteride immediately.

Despite what you read on these forums, there's no reason why you should expect to shed. minoxidil, on the other hand, will make you shed.

Side effects are also overblown by people on this website. Your chances are something like 3%.

So do yourself a favour and don't wait until things get worse. I had the same anxieties...but all that has happened so far (3 months) is that my loss has slowed.

 

[JohnnySeville]

grimes...

You are right, taking stuff like Finasteride and worse yet dutasteride should not be taken lightly. You need to stay on this stuff for the rest of your life if you want to keep the hair it protects. Perhaps you should consider some type of topical that is not systematically absorbed, that may suit your fears better. How well it works is subject to debate, but at least it will be better than nothing.

 

[grimes]

we'll see. just compared my hairline now to the pics i took two months ago(i've got a birth mark right at the hairline, so it's a perfect 'benchmark'.) and it looked exactly the same. if anything, maybe slightly less receded.

so guess i'll just keep an eye on it for now. if i notice any difference, then i might consider starting propecia. i'm not really desperate and it's just my hairline. the rest of my hair is great, so no one besides me know i even have receded hairline.

 

[grimes]

not to mention, finasteride begins losing its effects after 5 years on average. wouldn't it be more prudent to save it for if or when my hairloss become more agressive? proscar and propecia aren't cures, they are merely 'remedies' that might help you put off the inevitable for a few years.

 

[Skaff]

not to mention, finasteride begins losing its effects after 5 years on average. wouldn't it be more prudent to save it for if or when my hairloss become more agressive? proscar and propecia aren't cures, they are merely 'remedies' that might help you put off the inevitable for a few years.

Finasteride doesn't lose its effectiveness...it's just that your hair follicles become more sensitive to DHT as you age.

To explain this better...

If at age 25 your hair is programmed to die at a DHT level of 10 and finasteride can lower your DHT to level 5, then your hair will survive.

Then at age 35 your hair is now programmed to die at a DHT level of 4. finasteride is still keeping you DHT at level 5 but that's not enough anymore, so your hair dies.

At this point, some people switch to dutasteride which may lower your DHT to, say, level 2.

There will eventually reach a point where no current medication can lower your DHT 'enough'.

So the short answer is...there's absolutely no benefit to 'saving' finasteride for later.

 

[MPBWarrior]

i think u should go on at least 0.25mg a day. your hair loss is slow so that should help u maintain what u have for a bit longer. and if you're in a website like this, hair loss probably affects u a significant amount. and besides, sides on 0.25mg a day are pretty low. if they persist, just come off the drug and everything will be back to normal!