Upregulation - Reflex Hyperandrogenicity

[Jonah]

Can anyone help me? I took finasteride in 2021 to prevent hairloss. I had a massive upregulation caused by it (massive continuous hair shedding, alot of oilness of scalp/forhead, increased libido). Even after stopping finasteride things havnt stopped, but the symptoms did slow. Trying to figure out how to get this upregulation back to pre-finasteride levels.
Any thoughts would be helpful.

 

[RXShopMD_Team]

"Upregulation" or reflex hyperandrogenicity gets discussed a lot on forums, but it is worth knowing how solid it is before chasing a fix (I work on the editorial team of an online pharmacy, general information only):

• What is known: finasteride lowers DHT and, as a result, testosterone rises slightly (around 10-15%) while you take it. After stopping, DHT returns to your normal baseline within a few weeks. There is no good evidence that the enzyme stays "overactive" for years after stopping.
• Why symptoms may continue: heavy shedding and an oily scalp after stopping finasteride are often simply the hair loss resuming at its natural pace, which can feel faster because the protection is gone. Oiliness can also come from seborrheic dermatitis, which is common in people with androgenetic alopecia.
• What is worth checking with a doctor: total and free testosterone, SHBG, DHT, prolactin and thyroid, plus a scalp exam for seb derm. If there is an actual hormonal issue, it will show up in those tests.
• Practical steps: ketoconazole 2% shampoo 2-3 times a week helps both oil and scalp inflammation. For the hair itself, the options are restarting a DHT blocker (topical finasteride is an option if you worry about systemic effects) or minoxidil, which works without touching hormones.

A dermatologist plus a basic hormone panel will give you a much clearer answer than trying to "reset" anything on your own.