Only just started using rogaine, jumping on finasteride, can I stop rogaine or is it too late

[Hairloss23]

Are you sure about that? minoxidil is sold without a prescription in drug stores everywhere. Including in many countries outside the US. Both branded and generic. It's effective and has no side effects for many people. Finasteride requires a prescription and a lot of people refuse to take it. You're saying that the majority of people "actually" take finasteride before minoxidil?

Not at all criticising your attack plan, but keeping it real as regards how many people take minoxidil vs. finasteride.

There are A LOT of people on finasteride and minoxidil as a combo, you just don't notice because they are not visible! There are no studies and most men wouldn't admit to it but an awful lot of the 40 and 50 year olds in the Western world have had Hair transplants coupled with the finasteride/min combo. The reason I believe more people now start finasteride before minoxidil is because those previous generations maybe didn't have the treatments we have available now when they started balding, finasteride has only been available since 1998, before that all the world had was minoxidil which as we know does not address the route cause of hair loss. However, this generation does have the option, and this generation are more concerned about aesthetics, If they start to recede they're going to want to stop it before it gets bad enough to require Minoxidil, so most of them get on finasteride first. As this forum is almost exclusively guys under 35, you will find a lot of the guys here started finasteride before min.

 

[yetti]

As this forum is almost exclusively guys under 35, you will find a lot of the guys here started finasteride before min.

Guys in this forum are intensely interested in hair loss and are much more apt to have visited a doctor about it than the general population. I don't think most dudes who casually pick up Rogaine with their toothpaste and shampoo, and I think thats probably the vast majority of users, are posting here.

 

[Hairloss23]

On the contrary people are here because they're vain, I doubt many of them buy their stuff from the store It's almost all exclusively Internet. Young people who have barely started balding will get on finasteride and either forget about hair loss or go to forums and stay anxious until a) finasteride starts working for them or b)they get sides and quit. Those who don't get on finasteride stay worried about hair loss and then either come here and moan about treatments that they've never tried, or deal with it and get on with life, either outcome ends up with them bald.

 

[yetti]

On the contrary people are here because they're vain

I said: "Guys in this forum are intensely interested in hair loss"

Why 'on the contrary'? Someone vain would be intensely interested in his hair loss.

 

[Hairloss23]

I said: "Guys in this forum are intensely interested in hair loss"

Why 'on the contrary'? Someone vain would be intensely interested in his hair loss.

"casually pick up Rogaine with their toothpaste and shampoo" implying they go out to the store.

 

[yetti]

Obviously lots of people are buying minoxidil at the store, as well as on the internet. The point is that minoxidil is much more easily and widely available than finasteride, and for this reason amongst others I doubt that more people take finasteride than minoxidil, despite what this forum might lead one to believe. I think that most people who casually pick up a box of Rogaine with their toothpaste at the drug store never make a post here. The people who care enough to make an account and post here are the same people who are most likely to care enough to make an appointment with a dermatologist and get a prescription for finasteride.

 

[kckckc]

On the contrary people are here because they're vain, I doubt many of them buy their stuff from the store It's almost all exclusively Internet. Young people who have barely started balding will get on finasteride and either forget about hair loss or go to forums and stay anxious until a) finasteride starts working for them or b)they get sides and quit. Those who don't get on finasteride stay worried about hair loss and then either come here and moan about treatments that they've never tried, or deal with it and get on with life, either outcome ends up with them bald.

This is surprisingly accurate. I am a perfect example of what you just said. I posted many topics the past week or so trying to find a 'good' alternative to finasteride till I finally buckled down and settled with getting on finasteride.

If it works, I likely won't be visiting the forums much (except to post 4-6 months results). I was constantly on the forums the past week because I was very anxious and I am 26 years old.

If finasteride isn't working, I'll likely be coming back looking to see what else I should add to my regimen.

- - - Updated - - -

Obviously lots of people are buying minoxidil at the store, as well as on the internet. The point is that minoxidil is much more easily and widely available than finasteride, and for this reason amongst others I doubt that more people take finasteride than minoxidil, despite what this forum might lead one to believe. I think that most people who casually pick up a box of Rogaine with their toothpaste at the drug store never make a post here. The people who care enough to make an account and post here are the same people who are most likely to care enough to make an appointment with a dermatologist and get a prescription for finasteride.

I'm not saying that there are more people on finasteride than there are on minoxidil. Actually, I would agree that there are much more people on minoxidil than finasteride just because of availability. Also, the older generation probably would just jump on minoxidil because it's so heavily marketed and because they are aging, they attribute it to normal hair loss that comes with age. To maintain, they'll just stick with minoxidil instead of adding finasteride with it. Although the % of people facing side effects of finasteride are very very low, the thought of losing sexual libido and erections probably isn't worth the risk to the older generation (because libido/erection are harder to get with age)

As for me, I'm 26, and have no ED or libido issues... I'm going to take my chances with finasteride and hope to see some improvement because finasteride attacks the root of the problem. minoxidil, at my age, I'll have to use it for the rest of my life and I'm only willing to do that if finasteride by itself isn't enough.

 

[yetti]

I'm not saying that there are more people on finasteride than there are on minoxidil. Actually, I would agree that there are much more people on minoxidil than finasteride just because of availability.

Indeed.

I'm not saying that there are more people on finasteride than there are on minoxidil. Actually, I would agree that there are much more people on minoxidil than finasteride just because of availability. Also, the older generation probably would just jump on minoxidil because it's so heavily marketed and because they are aging, they attribute it to normal hair loss that comes with age. To maintain, they'll just stick with minoxidil instead of adding finasteride with it. Although the % of people facing side effects of finasteride are very very low, the thought of losing sexual libido and erections probably isn't worth the risk to the older generation (because libido/erection are harder to get with age)

I am in my 40s... I guess that makes me part of "the older generation"? o:

I think you may have something backwards. If anything I'd say that people in "my generation" are LESS likely to avoid finasteride because of sexual fears, because we have less pressure about it in general. We are married and many or most of us already have kids if we're gonna have 'em. So there's no fear about conception-related problems (you can find threads about that here), or about what might happen on a date. I can tell you that I worried a lot more about that stuff when I was younger. You'll see exactly what I mean in 20 years, LOL.

Rather, I'd say that minoxidil is more likely to work for us when hair loss starts later in life because it is less aggressive, and that's why we stick with it. I do have some hair loss, a significantly thinned out crown and a bit of receding at the temples. But it only started around, say, 4-5 years ago, and it doesn't seem to be progressing quickly. Perhaps minoxidil will work for me for a number of years. And between finasteride and minoxidil, I'd rather be on minoxidil. However, FWIW, the sexual sides are the least of the reasons why.

My perspective would almost certainly be different if I were younger and my hair loss were more aggressive.

minoxidil, at my age, I'll have to use it for the rest of my life

Of course, that also applies to finasteride.