early 20s, finasteride not working?

[riaperand]

Hi Everybody,

I'm new to this forum- anyways- here's my story. I would appreciate the feedback.

I'm currently in my early 20s years old. Started taking finasteride (1 mg/day from a 5 mg tablet split into fifths) everyday about a year ago (middle of June 2011) since I noticed some thinning on my temples and on my crown. My hair loss was not terrible- you probably couldn't tell I was thinning unless you looked closely or I was in pretty bad lighting. Plus, my hair grows such that they fall over my temples.

I did the technique of taking 1 mg once every week for two weeks, then twice every week for two weeks, and so on until I hit 1 mg a day about 14 weeks later. During this time I experienced a big shed for a few months (lots of hair would be in my hands when I shampooed). However, I did experience sexual sides at this point, so I tapered off, and then tapered on again, and my sides gradually went away. So by the end of August, I was on 1 mg/day and by October, my sides pretty much went away. My shed also went away.

Fast forward to today (July 2012) - I've continued to use finasteride 1mg/day and taken pictures. However, my hairline seems to have gotten worse. My crown seems to have either gotten worse/stayed the same. The lighting seems to play a role in how the crown looks. My hair "feels" less dense when I shampoo it (I wash hair every day) and it looks a bit crappy completely wet (although I have straight Asian hair, which I guess will let scalp show through more easily when wet). Moreover, when I check the random hairs that I see lying around/end up on my hands, a lot of them seem thinner on the end closer to the root. But I'm not shedding profusely (i.e. when I lather my shampoo on my hair, an absurd amount of hair doesn't come onto my hands).

Also, my libido was pretty high for a while a few months back (i.e. I was getting off several times a day)- but this might have been because I was eating like half an avocado a day. Right now it is okay. I'm not sure if the fact that I don't see finasteride actively working+ my elevated libido means I have reflex hyperandrogenicity or what. I'm currently not taking any other medication (besides using a shampoo with ketoconzole twice a week).

Basically, I have no sides with finasteride, but it doesn't seem to be working that well. My hair is not shedding like crazy like it did when I first started finasteride. I've been fully on propecia for about 10 months (I technically started a year ago, but I was tapering on and off to try and adjust to sides).

What should I do? Wait it out longer to see if the hairs that I shed a year ago come back/if I experience regrowth? Or get off finasteride?

Thanks for the help.

[25 going on 65]

When you go on and off finasteride, your hair will take a hit almost every time. When starting fin for the first time, it can take 12 months or longer to know if it's working; I imagine this is also true when quitting and then restarting, except your hair has now gone through two initial shedding phases (once the first time and again when you went off/back on).
The lack of current shedding is a good sign. I would give it at least another 2-3 months and see how it goes. If you really wanted to be certain you might need another half year or more, but I understand the wait can be excruciating.
Other factors that can affect your hair is the length of your follicles' telogen phases, seasonal shedding, and shedding from other shampoos or treatments (including ketconazole, minoxidil, and any shampoo containing sulfates--which is most of the shampoos in stores).
It is possible that finasteride isn't strong enough to halt the progression of your MPB. At that point you can choose to get off it (but you will go through another shed and then go on losing hair due to DHT returning to normal levels), or continue using it as a way of slowing things down, or you can try moving onto dutasteride (Avodart). That last option you'll want to discuss with a physician before opting for it.
Good luck man. I know how stressful this waiting period can be. For what it's worth, I've been on fin nearly 2 years, and at various times thought my hair was looking worse. I worried fin was not working for me. But I stick with it and in the long term my hair looks better now than it has in years.
One last thing I would keep in mind: in my experience and others, there is not necessarily only one shedding phase on finasteride. It seems I've gone through 2-3 phases at this point, so at least for some men this might just be a cyclical part of medicinal hair loss treatment. But I have recovered from each shed, so there is hope.

[2020]

It is possible that finasteride isn't strong enough to halt the progression of your MPB.

virtually impossible. "Strength" has nothing to do with it. Compare DHT hormone profiles from a person that's using fin and a person who was castrated and see why...

[25 going on 65]

virtually impossible. "Strength" has nothing to do with it. Compare DHT hormone profiles from a person that's using fin and a person who was castrated and see why...

I understand your feelings on this, however dutasteride is more effective at treating MPB than finasteride for many men, purely because it suppresses more DHT. This is why some men can't maintain on fin, but maintain for years on dut.

[riaperand]

Dear 25 going on 65,

Thanks for the reply and support. I think I'll probably stick to finasteride for now. Do you think it's possible that finasteride made my hair worse than it would have been otherwise? I know people talk about reflex hyperandrogenicity (i.e. your body responding to the suppressed DHT levels by becoming either more sensitive to DHT somehow?) and was wondering if this might have been the case for me (I had higher libido for a while).

Also, do you use Minoxidil? I was thinking about adding this to my regime but it seems kind of annoying at this point and the scientific part of me wants to know how well I respond to finasteride alone.

I appreciate the support.

[25 going on 65]

There is evidence that finasteride use increases the number of androgen receptors in your scalp, which technically isn't hyperandrogenism but may have similar effects. However we don't know if this can accelerate hair loss. I recently read a doctor's response to a reader's question about this subject, and he said increased androgen reception while on fin may not show itself as hair loss due to the drug's DHT suppression.
Unfortunately there just isn't much data on this subject yet. My honest expectation is that long term accelerated hair loss is not something fin users need to be worried about, but I know others on this forum have a different point of view and will be able to share it with you if they follow this thread.
Having said all this....there is no doubt finasteride increases shedding in the short term. And one possibility is that especially weak hairs, which were already in their final anagen phase, will be pushed out by the drug and those follicles won't be able to grow the hair back. So while you would have lost those hairs anyway, this could be a possible cause of accelerated/non-recoverable hair loss in the short term (or at least not recoverable with finasteride alone).

I use ketoconazole 2% shampoo but I don't use minoxidil. I tried Kirkland's awhile back but seemed to be allergic. I think your approach with seeing fin's results by themselves is fine. From what I know minox doesn't do anything to actually stop MPB, it just forces follicles to grow hairs they otherwise wouldn't (or to grow thicker hairs than they normally would). I agree it seems annoying to apply every day, but you might get some good regrowth on it if you decide to pick it up eventually

[riaperand]

Another thing that bothers me is that the hairs that do come off seem to be thinner at one end (the end where the root of the hair is). Is this a sign that finasteride is not working?

[25 going on 65]

I have some shed hairs like this too. I guess I never gave it much thought since the hair on my head is all I care about. I don't know if it's a bad sign that those follicles are getting weaker or if it's something that happens in the run up to a telogen phase?
I hope maybe a doctor on the forum can shed some light on it.

[boldmun]

Thanks for posting this. I am having a similar experience with finasteride. I have not experience any sides though. I been taking it for 14 months and my hairline is a lot worse than when I started. I took it to preserve what I had, but so far no luck. All the hair has become very weak on the hairline especially near the parting. It looks especially bad wet. I will continue to take it and hope for the best. Good luck.

[Kirby_]

I don't believe that Propecia even works, after what it has done to my hair since January. Just turned me from lightly thinning to heavily balding.

[1Aristotle]

Any updates guys? I'm experiencing the same thing, 11 months and just going through a massive shed for the past 2 weeks, losing about 150-200 a day, which has left my hair see through, and probably lost about 50% densitiy. Crown is shit, left temple has receded.

Derm appointment tomorrow to get DUT prescribed ... Don't know if i should just give up on fin and switch DUT, or take both.

PS. No sides on Propecia so far, knock on wood. Way too horny if you as me actually lol

[unk]

Sorry for the bump, I wonder what OP's situation is now. I've been taking finasteride for around the same time as him (23yo), as well as using minox and niz.

My hair is still declining, and another few months and I'll probably embark on the permanent head shave. Which is not such big deal in itself, but it does represent my transition into being a bald guy, a new version of myself with an unavoidable change of self-image.

I'm not unhappy with taking finasteride, the whole treatment thing daily has just worn me down. Now I've started using concealers it just adds to the effort.

Side effect wise, I have some, but I haven't had a girlfriend this past year for it to be a problem. The side that bothered me the most (intermittent testicle pain) seems to not occur any more. It almost certainly wasn't psycho-somatic, as it would happen at completely unforeseen times where I was fully distracted, like in the midst of action in a sport, doing something active with friends, or perhaps mid conversation or laughter about something. Now that's kind of gone, though my libido is still a shrieking shadow of what it is without fin, I have to stimulate erections for them to happen pretty much, no problem once the show has started though. Pre-fin I would get literally numerous spontaneous erections/day, and high libido, but that would provide social faux pas more often than you would think, so that's something I don't have to worry about, woop woop!

I'm going backpacking in India next month, last time I did a lot of backpacking was for a year, right before I noticed hair loss for the first time. So I really don't know what I'll do treatment-wise, it's such a pain in the ass.

[BigThinker]

Hey unk,

I'm actually glad you bumped this. It has been interesting to read. I hope some of the former contributors return to speak on the topic.

As for the backpacking/inconvenience of treatments: that's why I'll only do fin, otherwise shave my head. There's just no way I can travel the country for client meetings and be messing with rogaine and hauling keto shampoos. Just can't do it.

[unk]

Hey Bigthinker!

How's it going with you dude? Been a while hey.

I think I actually found this thread searching google about finasteride not working, haha. I've been staying away from the forums to be honest.

[BigThinker]

Hey Bigthinker!

How's it going with you dude? Been a while hey.

I think I actually found this thread searching google about finasteride not working, haha. I've been staying away from the forums to be honest.

All is well, man. I ordered 5 mg Fincar from inhouse and will doing low dose (cutting) intermittently to get my body used to it, and very gradually tapering up. How are you?

And, yes, I frequently land on this board browsing the web - I suppose that's how I first decided to join and participate in discussions.

Hope all is well with you and that OP reports on his current situation.