Shedding Rapidly After A Year On finasteride

[razzmatazz91]

I've been on finasteride for 11 and a half months. Minoxidil 5% for two 24.

Recently, I started losing hair on my temples like crazy, and super fast too, to the point that within two months I look horrible. Have some transparent hair left on my temples and a thick mass of hair in the centre of my hairline. IT looks like an absolute mess.

Background:
I'm 25.
Been thinning all over scalp and had receding hairline for three years now. I had some thin hair and kept it clipped short, and people were alsways asking me : "why do you shave your head?" because I didn't even look like I was balding. In the past few months, I have lost almost all of my hairline. There are, like I said, still very very thin, almost invisible hair left in these bald-looking spots.

Do I have any hope left now?

I'm wondering if it is reasonable for me to think that maybe hair might have shed before I see some improvement. Is there any chance of that?

 

[Sam227]

It is probably a shed induced by minoxidil

 

[razzmatazz91]

But I have been on minoxidil for 2 years!
I did experience a shed two years ago on it. But why now? Is that even possible? And is there any chance of recovery?

 

[DoctorHouse]

But I have been on minoxidil for 2 years!
I did experience a shed two years ago on it. But why now? Is that even possible? And is there any chance of recovery?

I have noticed after 11 years on treatments you are going to have seasonal sheds. They call it "rollercoaster sheds". Some sheds you will recover more back to baseline, others slightly less. Its the balding process just much slower. Your final Norwood pattern is very hard to predict. You can go by family history but there is no guarantee you can still predict. If the treatments are working, you should be able to hover to no more than a NW4 for many decades if you don't have aggressive balding which is present usually in your teens to early 20's.

 

[Roberto_72]

I have noticed after 11 years on treatments you are going to have seasonal sheds. They call it "rollercoaster sheds". Some sheds you will recover more back to baseline, others slightly less. Its the balding process just much slower. Your final Norwood pattern is very hard to predict. You can go by family history but there is no guarantee you can still predict. If the treatments are working, you should be able to hover to no more than a NW4 for many decades if you don't have aggressive balding which is present usually in your teens to early 20's.

I agree. I go through these seasonal sheds yearly. And they hurt.

 

[razzmatazz91]

Roberto: do you recover from the sheds?
Is it normal to shed at the temples only (I guess it may be because I had dying hair there anyway) Also, is the shed so much that you can suddenly see MUCH more baldness?

 

[razzmatazz91]

Could I have some comment on this from you guys?:
"Doctors also say that how you respond to Propecia during the first year of taking it is an indicator of how effective your long term treatment will be. The better the results during the first year, the more likely you’ll have continued positive results over the long term. Additionally, men over 30 tend to have better hair growth long term than younger men taking Propecia."

Source: https://www.accessrx.com/blog/hair-loss/15404-m1204/#

 

[razzmatazz91]

bump

 

[g.i joey]

@razzmatazz91 same situation almost 6 months in... hold me brah

 

[davesmith420]

I've been on Finasteride for 14 months; I go through random mini sheds but my hair still ends up looking the same. I just try not to worry about them.

 

[Kidbako]

Could I have some comment on this from you guys?:
"Doctors also say that how you respond to Propecia during the first year of taking it is an indicator of how effective your long term treatment will be. The better the results during the first year, the more likely you’ll have continued positive results over the long term. Additionally, men over 30 tend to have better hair growth long term than younger men taking Propecia."

Source: https://www.accessrx.com/blog/hair-loss/15404-m1204/#

Jump on dutasteride and ride the sides my friend.

 

[razzmatazz91]

@Kidbako : Is that your round-about way of saying that I have no choice but to kill my body to keep my hair with dutasteride? Or that dutasteride is going to have definite sides?

For now, I'm staying on finasteride and min. But I don't know if I'll ever be able to feel comfortable with my hair

 

[razzmatazz91]

Adding some pics.....
These are from March 1 (roughly) 2016:
To be honest, my hair was going quite thin back then too, but I thought finasteride would help. I would be happy to stay even at that stage I was in.

And these are from today (March 1, 2017)
I can see I've lost hair on most of my head and my hairline is totally trashed.

Now, please tell me guys.... DO I HAVE ANY HOPE?
You guys that go through sheds... does it look this bad? Can I still hope?? Even after a year on finasteride?

 

[razzmatazz91]

So.... it means it's over for me?

 

[razzmatazz91]

Probably?
Dude.... this is driving me nuts. I'm hanging on every word!
It's hard to believe people were thinking I had a full head of hair just 6 months ago...

 

[Kidbako]

@Kidbako : Is that your round-about way of saying that I have no choice but to kill my body to keep my hair with dutasteride? Or that dutasteride is going to have definite sides?

For now, I'm staying on finasteride and min. But I don't know if I'll ever be able to feel comfortable with my hair

I would give dutasteride a try. I have less sides on it myself. Less shedding and such.
I take every other day.

 

[razzmatazz91]

Question. I hear finasteride does not work on vellus hair.
But does it work on intermediate hair?

If I have black hair which grows only a couple of mm, can finasteride thicken them up over time?

 

[Regulate]

I see a lot of people getting devestated by the minoxidil. I never understand why people use it though, just because it doesn't stop DHT which cause hair loss. Finasteride does. Drop the minoxidil, continue Finasteride and have faith.

Is a FUE hair transplant not an option?

One more question btw, how many hairs did you lose per day when shedding?

 

[Regulate]

I was considering giving up as well. Three years on rogaine foam only to watch my hair thinning, and now I'm Norwood 4, f*** my life.

Drop the minoxidil and start finasteride bro. It isn't too late yet.