Propecia and worsening hair loss

[Hecfield]

Hey guys, first off I'd just like to apologise for asking what seems like something I could have got the answer to off a search, but I wanted to ask something a bit more specific.

Basically, I've been on finasteride for 12 months and my hair loss has progressed at a greater rate to before. It was essentially unnoticeable to anyone but me when styled before, and was purely recession (maybe a very slight diffuse, but not tantamount to anything which seemed remotely threatening to hair peace (?) in the immediate future). So its gone from that seeming innoticeability to the stage where I have an obvious mature hairline, and hair which is notably thin in the wrong light. Not to the extent of bald patches, but to the point where some people would think twice. So its not desperate, and I don't want to put up a pretence that I'm in a horrific state of hair loss. I've also recently seen a picture of my father at my age (20), and he had a mature hairline. He's now 57 and has thin, receded hair, but nothing out of place for his age. And I don't think anyone who wasn't, well, a direct descendent with a selfish curiosity, would notice that he was thin. The other thing I'd say is that we both have thinning in the permanent are which is almost proportional to top hair loss.

So what I'm asking is, (and this is mostly to people without a huge history of hair loss in the family), did your hair loss worsen or pattern of hair loss change on propecia? I'm just worried that I've jumped the gun on male pattern baldness and don't know whether to stay on the drug or drop it. I've lowered to 0.5 for now to see if I have any better luck there. But yeah, let me know what you think, whether or not the question is entirely directed at you. I'd appreciate it a lot.

Cheers.

 

[Hecfield]

Also just like to add that I get that male pattern baldness has multiple genetic sources, and understand the basic biochemistry of finasteride. (I'm in my last year of a BSc in Genetics), so I guess I'm just seeing if anyone has had the same experience as me AND doesn't have a strong genetic pattern for hair loss. I don't know what my maternal grandfather was like, paternal was good til a late age, 4 of my 5 uncles have decent hair and none balded prematurely.

 

[fireman]

I was in the same boat as you and I decided to quit finasteride a little over 2 months ago. It seemed like finasteride wasn't doing anything at all. I haven't seen any increase in shedding yet but I know it still hasn't been that long since I've been off the drug.

I'm not saying my hairloss has stopped since I've been off it, but to me it feels like there has actually been less inflammation and shedding. I hear most people notice the shedding around 3 months after quitting so I'm gonna update my thread around then.

I was on finasteride for probably a year and a half, maybe longer.

 

[Fundi]

Same boat as you. (Almost identical story).

However I don't think finasteride worsened things, I just don't think it's helped a lot. It has reduced shedding, so it's probably slowed things down without doing enough.

Try adding minoxidil, it's what I'm planning to you.

 

[hairrific]

Hey guys, first off I'd just like to apologise for asking what seems like something I could have got the answer to off a search, but I wanted to ask something a bit more specific.

Basically, I've been on finasteride for 12 months and my hair loss has progressed at a greater rate to before. It was essentially unnoticeable to anyone but me when styled before, and was purely recession (maybe a very slight diffuse, but not tantamount to anything which seemed remotely threatening to hair peace (?) in the immediate future). So its gone from that seeming innoticeability to the stage where I have an obvious mature hairline, and hair which is notably thin in the wrong light. Not to the extent of bald patches, but to the point where some people would think twice. So its not desperate, and I don't want to put up a pretence that I'm in a horrific state of hair loss. I've also recently seen a picture of my father at my age (20), and he had a mature hairline. He's now 57 and has thin, receded hair, but nothing out of place for his age. And I don't think anyone who wasn't, well, a direct descendent with a selfish curiosity, would notice that he was thin. The other thing I'd say is that we both have thinning in the permanent are which is almost proportional to top hair loss.

So what I'm asking is, (and this is mostly to people without a huge history of hair loss in the family), did your hair loss worsen or pattern of hair loss change on propecia? I'm just worried that I've jumped the gun on male pattern baldness and don't know whether to stay on the drug or drop it. I've lowered to 0.5 for now to see if I have any better luck there. But yeah, let me know what you think, whether or not the question is entirely directed at you. I'd appreciate it a lot.

Cheers.

I don't see how lowering the dosage would help get results, I would up the dosage not lower. Better yet, if finasteride was not working for me after a year or if I was dissatisfied, I would try dutasteride. There is a geno-typing study that showed that some people are specifically genetically suited for dutasteride and some for finasteride.

 

[TEDDYRUXPIN]

Erm do you actually have male pattern baldness?

You do know that the hairline will actually recede over time. The so-called baby hairs will disappear when you hit your 20's. Not everyone will have a so-called Tom Cruise hairline.

I am slightly worried that you have jumped straight on to finasteride if you are not very sure if you have male pattern baldness. The other concern that you are 20 and you are taking this is another. You body will continue to grow up to 20-23 years old. These are mainly the eyes! I did not take finasteride until 23 yrs old. I went straight onto regaine / rogaine first.

As you know, male pattern baldness can be inherited from either mother or father. Also, it can skip a generation.

I have friend who is bald. His father and brothers have hair and his mother has hair. He is completely bald now and is extremely happy.

Anyway......... make sure you know it is male pattern baldness. Propecia does work. It is not great at growing hair but brilliant and maintaining your hair!

 

[Hecfield]

Yeah thats the thing. I'm not entirely sure whether I jumped the gun or not. It started at about 16, so it was ongoing for 2 1/2 years before I jumped on finasteride. But the year since then has been much worse in terms of visible loss, and the first time I've experienced real diffuse thinning. It was a little more than baby hairs disappearing before, there was slight miniaturisation and obvious thinning if i pulled my hair back and parted it in certain places, but nothing cosmetically relevant.

In terms of why I'm on the lower dose, its purely based on anecdotal evidence of people in my situation improving on lower doses, and I know that thats not solid.

And I've been on minoxidil for longer than finasteride, I went to a dodgy trichology clinic and they gave me it before I knew better. Now I take it once daily, solely because I shed like crazy if I don't have it at all.