Finasteride - is it just not working for me

[SpeedTheCrowsNest]

Hi all.

I started taking Fin 5mg cut into 4 so 1.25 a day in November so it has been 5 months now since I started. I have read various posts about increased shedding etc etc but the reason I post it because nothing is changing at all - I am losing hair at exactly the same rate as before I started taking fin.

I was losing quite a lot of hair before I started in November - I have quite long hair and I only just started to notice it in about August - although I am pretty sure now on reflection I had been losing it for years...but once I started taking fin nothing changed - I lose the same amount of hairs a day as before...why is nothing changing? Hair loss has neither stopped nor increased...but as a result my hair is getting a lot thinner each day.

Is it possible for the meds to just not work at all on some people? What other options do I have?

Thanks folks.

[drybone]

Hi. Thanks for this post.

I have been on it 2 months and have seen no change whatsoever. Most of the guys tell me I have to wait a year.

Apparently what happens is it blocks 70% of the DHT that causes damage to the follicles.

I think some of the damaged follicles go into shock as they are now receiving a rich supply of blood and are no longer being attacked by DHT and they throw the hair out and go to sleep for 3 months. I think this is why some guys density gets WORSE in the beginning.

Mine did a little. I noticed more shedding at about 2 weeks then its stopped cold.

However, as we know, we have to wait months for new hairs to grow in and other hairs are falling out and going to sleep so I wouldnt be too worried about it.

Wait 7 more months and if you see no change at all, then its stopped your hair loss, if your hair loss is a years worth worse, then try DUT or RU or various other inhibitors.

Hope this helps

[SpeedTheCrowsNest]

Thanks for the reply. I understand all you've said I suppose my only concern was that the hair loss rate hasn't changed at all it is almost as if nothing is happening. I expected to lose all the thinner hairs as they get pushed out on a new cycle but I also lose thicker hairs.

I would have expected to at least have stopped losing hair (or less of it) by 5 months but maybe not?

[MackJames]

I had to take it for over six months to see any effect. It might take another of couple of hair cycles to see results. Five months is to short of a duration to assess the effectiveness of finasteride. I guess the normal protocol is to give it a year and if you haven't noticed any changes discontinue use.

[Buster]

I've been of Fin for over a year now and my hair is worse than it was before I started taking it. I'm hoping that I'm a late responder.

[SpeedTheCrowsNest]

When have people that it worked for notice hair fall stopping?

Since I last posted mine has continued to worsen.

[Aames]

When have people that it worked for notice hair fall stopping?

Since I last posted mine has continued to worsen.

Some notice that their shed lasts for months. I would evaluate in a year and see where you're at. If it has gotten worse, consider duta.

[Pentarou]

I've red of guys getting visible results at 3 months, I've also read of guys need 18 to 24 months or even slightly later before they notice anything positive. Sometimes they've required minox to even get anywhere with fin. It takes time, unfortunately, and the worst aspect is the uncertainly of how much time you will need.

[PatientlyWaiting]

I'm not sure if fin should take that long to slow down or stop your hair loss. For me, every time I take fin, it slows down my hair loss pretty noticeably just one month in. At about 1 month my hair loss completely stops. At about 8 months I start seeing noticeable thickening. The "Wait to see what it does in 12 months" is to see if any thickening or regrowth happens, not to see if in 12 months finasteride slows down your hair loss or stops it, that sounds crazy.

With Dutasteride everything happened faster, my hair loss skipped slowing down and just stopped 1 week into taking dut. 1 month in, my crown filled in slightly. I'm also using fin so maybe that contributed to dut's success for me.

I'm not trying to be negative or give you bad news, I just don't think that fin should take this long to start at least slowing down your hair loss rate. I could be wrong. I think in the fin clinical studies there was a small percentage that finasteride had no effect on, you could be part of that group, I could be wrong on that too though.

[RobDerbyshire]

Need to give a little but more information, firstly if you don't mind me asking how old are you? and what time of hair loss are you experiencing?

Also do you suffer from the DHT itch?

I have been taking Finn now for 4 months started mid January, my hair loss is at the temples so far i have noticed no loss at the crown to my knowledge anyway. I personally don't loss a massive amount of hairs each day, i just loose it where i experience what i believe is refereed to as the DHT itch which occurs at the point the hair loss is occurring. I take 1mg a day in the morning at around 8am and 4 months in I'm still getting the itch and loosing hair from my front temple area of my head.

[WarLord]

I've been of Fin for over a year now and my hair is worse than it was before I started taking it. I'm hoping that I'm a late responder.

I suppose you haven't done any blood tests. You are like a blind man walking without a stick.

[Shan]

Everyone responds differently and should give at least a year yo assess the results

[SpeedTheCrowsNest]

Need to give a little but more information, firstly if you don't mind me asking how old are you? and what time of hair loss are you experiencing?

Also do you suffer from the DHT itch?

I have been taking Finn now for 4 months started mid January, my hair loss is at the temples so far i have noticed no loss at the crown to my knowledge anyway. I personally don't loss a massive amount of hairs each day, i just loose it where i experience what i believe is refereed to as the DHT itch which occurs at the point the hair loss is occurring. I take 1mg a day in the morning at around 8am and 4 months in I'm still getting the itch and loosing hair from my front temple area of my head.

I am 25.

Yes very much so - and my scalp is very dry.

I am taking generic fin 5mg cut into quarters.

Hair loss noticeable mainly at the hairline and crown.

I am thinking it just isn't working for me as I still wake up with quite a few hairs on my pillow and a lot fall out when I wash my hair.

Is it too early to switch away?

I get all this wait one year stuff but the point is my hair loss hasn't stopped or slowed down at all.

[SpeedTheCrowsNest]

I'm not sure if fin should take that long to slow down or stop your hair loss. For me, every time I take fin, it slows down my hair loss pretty noticeably just one month in. At about 1 month my hair loss completely stops. At about 8 months I start seeing noticeable thickening. The "Wait to see what it does in 12 months" is to see if any thickening or regrowth happens, not to see if in 12 months finasteride slows down your hair loss or stops it, that sounds crazy.

With Dutasteride everything happened faster, my hair loss skipped slowing down and just stopped 1 week into taking dut. 1 month in, my crown filled in slightly. I'm also using fin so maybe that contributed to dut's success for me.

I'm not trying to be negative or give you bad news, I just don't think that fin should take this long to start at least slowing down your hair loss rate. I could be wrong. I think in the fin clinical studies there was a small percentage that finasteride had no effect on, you could be part of that group, I could be wrong on that too though.

What would you suggest then?

What has worked for you?

[Soxfaninfl]

I've been of Fin for over a year now and my hair is worse than it was before I started taking it. I'm hoping that I'm a late responder.

If your at the year mark and it hasn't worked for you then you need to get on DUT as soon as possible. The longer you wait to get on it the more hair your going to lose.