What should I do from here?

[Yeezy23]

Hi guys, I'm a 21 year old turning 22 this year and my hair has thinned quite a bit. I noticed my hairline start to recede when I was 19 and it has continued to recede. This year, my crown started to thin and so I did some research and found out about finasteride. (I wish I had found out years ago!)
I started back in January and have been taking .5 mg EOD propecia with Nizoral shampoo. I've been "shedding" very small hairs (1/2 inch long) with white bulbs at the end. I've also noticed my crown and the ends of my hairline have thinned quite a bit since I've started, but I'm assuming that's because of the shed.

So what to do from here.
The shed has definitely been very depressing, but it would be silly for me to quit now when the medicine takes at least 3-6 months to work. I want to go see a dermatologist, but I don't know what to discuss with them. What tests should I have them do? How can I tell what hair is gone for good and what will come back after the propecia shed?
I read about a hair test called HairDX that tests how likely propecia is to work on you, but when I go to the website it doesn't load. Is that still a viable option or is there an alternative?

Finally, how should I go about choosing a dermatologist. I know that there are online reviews but I don't know how much they can be trusted. I live in Indiana if any of you have a recommendation.
Thanks for reading all of this!

 

[firstpost]

Give it a few months. Don't bother going to doctor.
If after a few months still shedding and no sides, seek stronger treatments.

 

[science_d]

I know it's discouraging when you notice shedding and an apparent worsening of the problem for the first few months, but you have to realize that is exactly what is expected. Initial shedding is a sign that your hair is responding to the treatment. What happens is the treatment forces your dormant (telogen) hairs out to make room for new hair growth. Because of the human hair growth cycle, it takes time before you notice growth of the new hair (4 - 6 months of consistent use). So shedding is actually a GOOD sign. Now, the shedding should definitely stop after 4 - 6 months, and you should notice positive effects by 6 months. So hang in there and don't jump to any conclusions until you have given the treatment at least 6 months to do its work.

If you're not satisfied with the results after 6 months of consistent use, I strongly recommend you use 1 mg finasteride daily, as that is the standard dosage for hair loss. A study showed that 0.5 mg/daily finasteride is much less effective than 1 mg/daily (http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0190962299800528).

"How can I tell what hair is gone for good and what will come back after the propecia shed?" By using and sticking to a treatment (like 1 mg finasteride daily) for at least 6 months. If a hair follicle is still viable, an effective treatment will revive the hair follicle and prevent it from being gone "for good."