17 years old and I really want to start finasteride

[Neuro]

I am 18 now. I began taking Propecia in December (when I was 17) and then I stopped for less than two weeks in May (18 by then). Hair began falling out, so I started to use it again. Ever since then there has been nothing but rapid shedding from my hairline to the crown. My dermatologist says it's telogen effluvium from my febrile illness in March. I don't know what to do. Should I stick it out with Propecia (over months of terrible shedding)? Should I stop Propecia?

 

[bubka]

you should usually give it a year... initial increase loss usually lasts up to 3-6 months...

 

[BEHMESH]

Does everyone go through it?

 

[bubka]

no, but i think a majority see an increase in the first few months

 

[BEHMESH]

How bad is it usually? Because I might start finasteride.

 

[bubka]

some people notice a slight increase in loss, for about the first few months... read the FAQ

 

[r1989]

Hmm... has anyone here been a good responder to finasteride without ever noticing an increase in hair loss? I bet there's at least some people.

 

[BEHMESH]

Can i still further develop facial hair after starting propecia?

 

[bubka]

i have not read of anyone not developing facial hair because of propecia, when i started i had probably 66% of what i have now

 

[BEHMESH]

That's good to hear. I know facial hair will suck when I'm older but I'd like to be able to atleast grow a full beard lol.

I finally started Propecia tonight. It took me like five minutes to finally put it in my mouth. I was so nervous for some reason. Hopefully things turn out good.

 

[r1989]

lol my facial hair growth isn't being affected at all. it might be even growing faster.

 

[r1989]

Thought I'd give an update. I'm sure no one cares, but I'm bored so NYAH.

I've been on finasteride for almost 4 months. I just got a haircut and my hair seems to be in pretty good shape. The hairdresser told me I wasn't losing my hair when I asked. I'm not gonna take his opinion as the gospel but it was still a confidence booster coming from a guy that knows hair.

I'm starting to really think I had some form of temporary shedding (Telogen Effluvium) over the summer and not male pattern baldness. I know a lot of people when they start losing their hair are just praying that they have Telogen Effluvium, but I have a pretty good case for it. I had one or two bad fevers during that time, which is one of the causes of Telogen Effluvium. My diet SUCKED over the entire summer, I'd often go on one meal a day. Why, I don't know. I don't have an eating disorder, I just wouldn't get hungry. Lastly, I had crazy stress and anxiety over certain things, which has luckily slowed down (I'm always a little anxious, I have some sort of disorder I think).

The alternative case could be the hairloss stopped simply because I DO have male pattern baldness and Propecia is working. But i'm not really sold on that. I was losing hair all over, not just in the male pattern baldness areas. But still, even if I dont have male pattern baldness, I wouldn't be surprised if the finasteride still helped my hair in some way. maybe made it stronger?

well I'm rambling. oh and no sides at all, either. So any guys my age wanting to take it don't be afraid. My penis hasn't fallen off yet. lol

 

[AssignmentZero]

Hey,

It's good to hear you have no sides. I'm almost 22 and am thinning on top and in the vertex and want to go on finasteride but I am still growing (I am a LATE bloomer) and my facial hair is still coming in.

Would it be safe to go on finasteride even though I'm still growing (growing in the sense that I am not fully mature yet)?

Thanks!

 

[SnowRider22]

Thought I'd give an update. I'm sure no one cares, but I'm bored so NYAH.

I've been on finasteride for almost 4 months. I just got a haircut and my hair seems to be in pretty good shape. The hairdresser told me I wasn't losing my hair when I asked. I'm not gonna take his opinion as the gospel but it was still a confidence booster coming from a guy that knows hair.

I'm starting to really think I had some form of temporary shedding (Telogen Effluvium) over the summer and not male pattern baldness. I know a lot of people when they start losing their hair are just praying that they have Telogen Effluvium, but I have a pretty good case for it. I had one or two bad fevers during that time, which is one of the causes of Telogen Effluvium. My diet SUCKED over the entire summer, I'd often go on one meal a day. Why, I don't know. I don't have an eating disorder, I just wouldn't get hungry. Lastly, I had crazy stress and anxiety over certain things, which has luckily slowed down (I'm always a little anxious, I have some sort of disorder I think).

The alternative case could be the hairloss stopped simply because I DO have male pattern baldness and Propecia is working. But i'm not really sold on that. I was losing hair all over, not just in the male pattern baldness areas. But still, even if I dont have male pattern baldness, I wouldn't be surprised if the finasteride still helped my hair in some way. maybe made it stronger?

well I'm rambling. oh and no sides at all, either. So any guys my age wanting to take it don't be afraid. My penis hasn't fallen off yet. lol

Thanks for the update. The thing you have to ask yourself now is, should I risk going off finasteride and losing what I possibly maintained?

 

[r1989]

Thanks for the update. The thing you have to ask yourself now is, should I risk going off finasteride and losing what I possibly maintained?

Yep, that is the ultimate question. And right now I don't think I'm gonna take the risk. I've got about 3 months more supply of finasteride so I might as well use that up first and see what my hair is like then.

 

[MPBWarrior]

Hey,

It's good to hear you have no sides. I'm almost 22 and am thinning on top and in the vertex and want to go on finasteride but I am still growing (I am a LATE bloomer) and my facial hair is still coming in.

Would it be safe to go on finasteride even though I'm still growing (growing in the sense that I am not fully mature yet)?

Thanks!

i guess it's ok if you think maintaining your hair is more important than growing a little bit more and developing your body a little bit more. i'm sure u have a developed penis by now, so that shouldn't be too much of a problem. but your call!

 

[r1989]

Figured I'd just ask this question cause it's something I was just observing. Under good light, is it normal to be able to see through the first half inch or so of your hairline? Because I noticed I can, and I was wondering if everyone's is like that. It might be even less than a half inch, I'm just bad at measuring.

 

[sphlanx2006]

Under good light, yes this is normal, well before i started treatments, i could see all my scalp under good light. Now, i can only see as you mention the first half inch of my hairline.

Also, about a question you asked when you first made this thread, about finasteride losing effectiveness over time, i have to tell you not to worry about that. finasteride does not lose effectiveness over time, its just that your hair loss becomes too agressive to handle it. The best option you have is to start treatments early, and i am glad to see you have.

 

[r1989]

Thanks for your reply. Glad to hear it is normal.

 

[r1989]

Sup guys. Thought I'd give another update, not because you really need to hear one, but like I said last time I posted, I'm bored out of my mind.

I stopped taking finasteride about 2-3 months ago. And my hair hasn't changed at all. Which leads me to the conclusion I had always known in the back of my mind: I'm not balding.

It all started last summer when I began to notice an increase of shed hair on my scalp. In August I made an appointment to my general doctor and he told me was hair was thinning. Then I went to a dermatologist and he said the same thing! A couple months after that I went to a different dermatologist and he said it was inconclusive.

As time passed I began to realize the doctors that told me I was thinning were full of sh*t. I got a haircut in January and the guy thought I was crazy when I asked if I was balding. I got another haircut a couple days ago and I didn't even mention anything, and the lady commented on how thick my hair was.

Basically, I'm 99.99999% sure I'm not balding. What exactly happened last summer, I do not know. Maybe it was just a mental thing and I was overanalyzing every little hair that came out. Whether it was Telogen Effluvium or something else, it seems to have long past. So yeah, don't trust doctors about hairloss, and get second and third opinions. It took me 3 times to get it right.

Good luck guys, hopefully if I ever have to come back here for hairloss problems it won't be for another 20 years, at least. I'm only 18! =p