Terrible shed caused by finasterid? And a recovery from it!

[RP]

I have been loosing my hairline slowly for the past 12 years (started when I was 17). Since it progressed so slowly I didn`t do anything to treat it.

I started to use Rogaine after an agressive tv-marketing campaign for the product began here in Finland maybe three years ago. I thought that if it slowed the process of hairloss, I would be perfectly happy. Dont know if it did anything but I did continue to use it twice a day.

Last spring I read about Propecia and decided that it would be much more easier to use a pill than a lotion. So I made a very bad decision. I stopped using Rogaine and started to take only Propecia.

Last May I was propably a strong nw2. Now, after just five months I`m almost maybe a nw3 or even 3,5!!! When I started Propecia I didn`t even know about different hairloss websites. Now I`m a regular reader of these forums. That`s how bad the situation has become ;-).

My hairline lost maybe half of its already diminished thickness. And the most shocking aspect was losing tons of hair also from the vertex. A thing I had never experienced before.

Eventually I did take Rogaine back to my regimen and also started to use Nizoral. In the last three weeks I have also noticed that short hairs have started to grow between my existing hair in the hairline, and maybe on the top of my head also, but I´m not sure since it`s difficult to see. But I do think that the situation is slightly improving. I might even soon try to go out without using concealers.

Anyway, this has been quite a depressing experience. In the last three months I have done things that I never thought that I would do because of my hair:

- Tried propably all the possible concealers there are (Toppik, Dermmatch, Kerasome, Nanogen) btw. Kerasome and DM are the best IMO.

- Shaved my head to 1mm. A terrible mistake. That´s when I really freaked out.

- Two weeks after shaving visited a hair transplant-doctor who told me that I would need a 1000 grafts that would cost me 5700€. (Not gonna happen, at least not in that clinic which only uses strip technic). Notice that I knew absolutely nothing about hair transplants just a few months ago...

Well, if you guys have any similar Propecia stories to share, I would appreciate them.

 

[So]

I share your sentiments regarding Propecia. I am diffuse thinner with temple recession, I don't know where I fit on the Norwood scale nor do I really care. The one thing I can say is that since starting Propecia March 06, my hair has diminished fast.

Can hair loss be this aggressive? Maybe? But it seems highly unlikely that it should progress this far without due cause, Propecia.

I think, as purre speculation, that Propecia is only useful for those who are suffering true male pattern baldness as opposed to Telogen Effluvium.

 

[RP]

Correlation

Yeah, I know that male pattern baldness can become more agressive, but still I think that it`s obvious that it started exactly 1,5-2 months after I started Propecia.

There definetly seems to be a correlation between these two factors.

 

[souldoctor]

I've already posted this more or less in a thread "propecia sucks" or something, but just again, I'm not sure about propecia..over the past year and a half I've been taking it, it's basically given me alternating periods of roughly equal length of some bad shedding where my hair has looked like complete crap and periods of regrowth when it's looked quite good. Problem is, as of the last few weeks, I've had a pretty bad shed (hair everywhere) which seems to have quietened down now (not losing much now)...but my hair does look like absolute crap..I've lost a hell of a lot of the density I had just 3 or 4 weeks ago, and I think I've receded around the sides as well as losing a f_ckload of hair from the front 'quiff' area... it's really gutting...

I've never taken rogaine, and am reluctant to now until some hair HOPEFULLY regrows, as I know rogaine can cause a shed as well. But I think this recent shed has taken a bigger bite outta my hair than any shed previously. I'm not sure what norwod I am, actually my hairline's pretty normal but just high,with slight temple recession and just generally sparsely distributed/diffuse thinning hair.

Funny..original poster (RP)'s experiences are similar to mine. Since this shed I'm considering exactly the same options he is. i.e

a) I'll probably start using/ordering concealers again. I did used dermmatch for a bit when I first noticed hairloss, but since propecia *generally* working more or less, on and off, I didn't bother with them. But now I might have to again.

b) THOUGHT about shaving my head - but lol, I KNOW this would be a "terrible mistake" given how sh*t my hair looks as it is at the moment. I have a huge forehead too which doesn't help.

c) I'm gonna see a hair transplant Doctor/surgeon in the UK here (Dr. Rogers) just for a general consultation, although I've not considered surgery up til now and still don't really want to...but this Doctor will allso hopefully know his medicine and not just try and push surgery,so I want to discuss the pros and cons of sticking with/giving up propecia, maybe adding rogaine, and eventually possibly considering surgery if nothing else works...

Anyway...I'm still really hoping I'll get some regrowth cos like I said over the past year n a half, propecia HAS been okay..not consistent at all..but this past shed has made me lose so much density in very prominent areas (i.e the front) . Have to give it a few more weeks, and consult with the Doctor in meantime I guess...will keep yous guys posted.

 

[souldoctor]

OH to the original poster (RP)...would you say rogaine was good overall in your experience? I kind of thought propecia would work with me because I had none of these side effects that people write about here (no sexual probs etc)...so I stuck it out..and I thought that meant that my body was cool with it and so there was no harm in carrying it on. This recent severe shedding however is making me think about packing it in, or at least adding rogaine...what you reckon.

 

[RP]

Rogaine

would you say rogaine was good overall in your experience?

Yep, I think that it propably did slow my hairloss. But as usual, can`t be sure about that since it`s impossible to know how my hair would have looked without it.

Like I said, I have taken it back to my regimen. The biggest mistake that I did was dropping it for two months when I started Propecia in the beginning of May. The current situation of my hair is propably due to the shedding that Propecia caused combined with the shed caused by stopping the use of Rogaine.

THOUGHT about shaving my head - but lol, I KNOW this would be a "terrible mistake" given how $#iT my hair looks as it is at the moment

I shaved my head after a just too many bad hair days. And I know that it was a mistake. All my friends were actually amazed why I did it. Especially friends that are truely bald themselfs wondered why somebody who still has hair would shave it away.

Now I`m just happy that it has grown back to maybe 2-3 cm length again.

I'm gonna see a hair transplant Doctor/surgeon in the UK here (Dr. Rogers) just for a general consultation, although I've not considered surgery up til now and still don't really want to.

I consulted prof. Nordström who is maybe the best known hair transplant-Doctor here in Finland. Unfortunately he does only strip and actually the nearest place where I could get a FUE is in Sweden. The biggest consern that I have is that I would end up having a big scar on the back of my head and couldn`t wear my hair short anymore. And I`m not sure if it would be worth it for just a 1000 grafts.

 

[RP]

shaving

I shaved my head after a just too many bad hair days. And I know that it was a mistake. All my friends were actually amazed why I did it. Especially friends that are truely bald themselfs wondered why somebody who still has hair would shave it away.

And one more thing. It was absolutely frustrating that all of a sudden my hair was in the middle of everyones attention. When that was actually the last thing that I wanted.

 

[RP]

If somebody is interested to see how bad and sudden a finasterid shed can actually be. Check out these images. The first one was taken in late June or early July and the second one approximately two months later in the beginning of September.

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[RTJBJ]

its feels like someone is telling my story..

are you losing hair from back and sides as well..?

 

[RP]

are you losing hair from back and sides as well..?

All over. Even though the loss is much more visible in the front and on the crown. Propably becouse they were the areas with the least density to begin with.

 

[So]

That is pretty bad!

I do not understand why people will shed, maintain, then shed again, then maintain again, so on and so on.

I seem to read that alot of people share this experience (whilst others go completely down hill).

Why does your hair go through these phases of sheds and maintaining? To me that suggests that there is a severe underlying issue that has not been addressed.

The inhibition of DHT is causing some other effect one can only presume.

 

[RP]

Why does your hair go through these phases of sheds and maintaining? To me that suggests that there is a severe underlying issue that has not been addressed.

So far I have just shed. But like I wrote earlier I think (hope) that the situation is stabilizing for the moment. And I think (or maybe it`s just my imagination) that there is some regrowth. But I`m still far from my baseline :evil:

 

[DaKine]

I actually used dutasteride, but the stories are exactly the same. All I wanted was to maintain.
About 2.5 - 3 months in my hair started looking worse. I shed a lot of hair and my density looks significantly diminished. I'm at the 5 month mark and the shed has tapered off, but baseline is still way better than now.

The only advice I've seen is to stick it out, which I think is prudent. If you don't you'll always wonder if it would have helped. If you do stick it out, the worst that will happen is you'll have hair loss (which you would have had anyway).

It sucks, but it's not like we have a lot of control in the long-term.

 

[RP]

the worst that will happen is you'll have hair loss (which you would have had anyway).

Maybe it would happen sooner or later. But still this shedding has been very unpleasent. I mean I have lost density not only from normal male pattern baldness areas, but also from the sides and back of my head.

Here is a pic of the side of my head. I dont know if it shows the loss of density, but the hair is thinner and there is less of it than before.

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I mean at this speed I`ll be a norwood10 before christmas :-x

 

[DaKine]

Wow. My hair is very very light blond, so any loss of density that I had on the sides is somewhat difficult to tell, as that was always almost white. I am pretty sure that it has thinned compared to baseline, just from examination and feel.

I find it really, really doubtful that Propecia would make hair that was 'permanent' fall out, never to come back. The only thing that makes that hair fall out is something on the order of Telogen Effluvium. Which apparently is what we are experiencing.

So, even if the propecia doesn't come through in the long run, the hair on the sides will probably recover.

I've decided to just not worry about it for a few months and then reexamine where I'm at. Time is the only thing that's going to tell in this case.

 

[person_123]

the thing i don't understand is how you can actually lose hair from propecia. if anything, it should maintain your hair. but your pictures do suggest that you have thinned out alot. could it be because you stopped minoxidil? but then again, you never applied minoxidil to your sides, which too (as you say) have thinned out. seems odd, and inexplicable.

 

[RP]

I am just about to run out of finasterid (I bought a supply for five months). I do have a recipe for next five months. I have read from this forum that the worst shedding occurs between weeks 11-16. That is exactly what happend to me. And since I think there could be some regrowth on the frontal area and the situation has not worsened anymore maybe I should give the medicine another five months an see what happens.

I have taken under intense surveillance some of the hairs that I think are shed hairs that are returning (meaning that every morning I check if they are growing or if they have shed again).

Thanks for your comments guys! I hope that in a month or a two our hair situation has improved at least a bit.

 

[Aplunk1]

Hexal Gefina? This is the finasteride you're using?

I've never heard of it.

Why not go for the tried and true: Propecia?



My friend, this is difficult to accept, but sometimes Propecia doesn't save your hairline.

It didn't save mine, although it might have slowed it down.



I'm sure if you grew your hair out, it would look NEARLY identical to your *before* pic.


I still think your hair looks good. Great density, even.


Just keep up with the Big 3 and have patience.

 

[RP]

Hexal Gefina? This is the finasteride you're using?

It is actually exactly same as Proscar (but produced by a danish company). When I asked my doctor to give me Propecia he actually recommended that I take a 5mg finasterid and split it into five pieces. It costs only a quarter or so compared to Propecia.

I'm sure if you grew your hair out, it would look NEARLY identical to your *before* pic.

Thanks. I think that it _might_ be getting better. I have read from these forums that it takes time for finasteride to have an effect, so I`m still hopeful. It`s great that this kind of forums exist. I mean the amount of information one can find here is just amazing.

Just keep up with the Big 3 and have patience.

I`ll propably give finasteride another five months or so and see what happens.

 

[hairhaircomeagain]

Does anyone else believe that the only difference between those pics is the length of hair and not losing hair?