New to hair loss and terrified of Finasteride. My story.

Gordknight

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Wow, I never thought I'd be here. I have been a lurker since I first started noticing that my hair was starting to thin out. It has completely kicked me the curb mentally. This is simply a problem I never thought I'd have to deal with. Let me explain my story.

I am turning 31 in February. I am a married man. My main profession is I am a working actor that is part of the Screen Actors Guild and the Actors Equity Union. Acting/Performing have been my primary source of income for the past 9 years. Losing my hair will (I feel) completely destroy my Career. I am a very good looking man (not trying to brag) and I owe most of my looks to my hair. I have always had super thick, long dark hair. My father started to lose his hair when was in his early twenties as did my older brother. Both were Norwood 6 by age 32/33.

Having the exact same hairline and thickness through all my twenties I figured I was in the clear and did not inherit his baldness. My grandfather on my Mother's side is mostly bald, but is 80 years old and didnt start losing his hair until his early fifties. All three of his sons ranging from ages of 47-58 all still have full heads of hair. I don't know if any of them are on treatment.

However, about 10 months ago I started to notice my hairline receding and that same day when I looked up at a monitor in a gas station that was an overhead cam, I could see clearly that my crown was thinning. I was devastated. What do I do? What can I do?

I started doing as much research as I could and what I found disgusted me. Here we have an affliction that has been destroying the lives of men (some women) for centuries and not a SINGLE product exists that works that was originally designed for hair loss. Finasteride and Minoxodil were both discovered by accident and one isnt that effective by itself and the other carries the possibility of permanent side effects.

When I was first reading about finasteride and saw results from the drug I was thrilled. But after reading all the horror stories about it I am terrified to try this drug. I went to a local hair loss surgeon who is going to do a hair transplant on my older brother next month and he said I am definitely losing my hair but at a slower rate and different pattern than my brother or my dad. He recommended I get on finasteride immediately as to the untrained eye I still look like I have a full head of thick hair.

I am so scared to take this drug. If I do I think Ill do .25mg a day for 6 mos to a year to minimize the risk of sides. All I want to do is keep my hair till something better comes along. From what I see CB is looking very promising and its only a matter of time before they can do hair transplant's and grow back the donor hair as well. Then hair transplant's will only be a question of money and donor area wont matter. I just dont think I can afford to wait that long. The male pattern baldness cure has been just 2-5 years away for over 25 years. I just dont trust waiting.

Any advice or suggestions? Thanks for taking the time to read. I need to save my hair/career and start LIVING MY ****ING LIFE again for a change.
 

Neo-Reloaded

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Wow I am EXACTLY in the same boat as you. I just can't bring myself to try finasteride/propecia. I'd like to think I'm good at calculating risk/reward decisions, but this time it's extremely hard.

Options:

Not taking finasteride = Trying to maintain your hair for AS LONG as you possibly can (Until you can get a hair transplant) or just going bald eventually and learning to live with it

Taking finasteride = Minimum/no side effects = WIN :D

Taking finasteride = Side efects but wear off over time. = Too bad, but you tried :(

Taking finasteride = Permanent side effects: YOU LOSE! You get to be bald AND have ED, gino, brain fog, depression, or whatever else might come.

I just can't decide. I know people will come here and give me x number of statistics, but the truth is, if I get to have permanent side effects, statistics will mean squat ten years down the line when I can't get it up yet or when I'm on testosterone replacement for life.

That's what's so hard about this decision, if you lose. YOU LOSE. :(

Anything that you guys can say to help the OP will also help me, please don't flame me or anything. I just feel desperate. How can we win this :(.
 

headless

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I would like the research where they found permanent side effects from finasteride: I've done my homework and haven't seen any scientific proof for this!!
 

swingline747

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I would like the research where they found permanent side effects from finasteride: I've done my homework and haven't seen any scientific proof for this!!

you could go to propeciahelp.com but take everything with a grain of salt. I did, until I had some (like ALL) the sides most of those guys talk about. I started and stopped 3 times with the same sides. Each time I got off it took longer to recover but I did.

Had I stayed on and tried to push through I believe I could have had perm sides.

I would say try your plan at a small dose. See how it goes, that does alone with no increase may be enough to hold your hair. As long as you are in good shape and healthy I believe you can bounce back from any side. I think a lot of permanent sides are from guys who already have underlying issues, with say the prostate, testosterone, DHT, or just plain unhealthiness and the drugs add to it. I also think they tried to barrel through the sides, which is not their fault because the dangers say they will reduce with time anyway.

Being 31 and fairly healthy I think you will be fine to "try" it. I was 32 and was on 8 months before I had any REAL sides, before I stopped. My first recovery was a couple weeks, but I think I jumped back on too soon and may have crashed which made my second try seem worse than it was. That recover was a few weeks. I gave it all the time to clean then tried a 3rd time, that recovery took months.

I cant take it as much as I want to, it works for hair that is for sure.
I thought about trying topical finasteride but even that gets in your blood. It has to if its going to work.
 

t4nk86

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I've just started finasteride myself (11 days and counting) and I'm yet to suffer any sides. I know it's still very early days but I'm thankful to have not suffered from the ball pain I've read of. I too was on the fence regarding finasteride but I figured that I'd chance it rather than be left with no hair wondering 'what if?'. Fingers crossed for the coming months!
 

first_duty

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Try finasteride and be careful about the side effects, just remember some side effects can be placebo side effects.

- - - Updated - - -

Try finasteride and be careful about the side effects, just remember some side effects can be placebo side effects.
 

yadayada029

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I've been taking finasteride for a year, and have not experienced a single side effect (not even the remotest drop in libido, or inability to get it up). Of course, I'm also not sprouting hair left and right either. Your mileage may vary.
 
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