4 months on propecia

[youngguy_uk]

heres my 4 month update.

bit of background info - am on propecia only, use a shampoo similar to nizoral (thinking of switching to nizoral), am 18 years old, diffusely thinning all over scalp, very tiny bit of temple recession, possibly mature hairline. shampooing schedule is: washing every day, about 5x per week with b52 vitamin anti-dandrufff shampoo (from belgravia trichological centre) followed by trevor sorbie thickening shampoo, and 2x per week with a regular shampoo.

0 weeks - started propecia and b52 vitamin anti-dandrufff shampoo (from belgravia trichological centre).

1 week - began shedding on top. experienced slight loss of libido, which was not major and stabilised somewhat after a few weeks, although not quite 100%.

2 months - had haircut that showed very good thickening and regrowth all over. noticeable improvement without having to study too closely.

2 1/2 months - noticed thinning at the crown, and had never had a problem here before. was, and still am hoping that this will regrow just like my previous shed.

3 months - had haircut that showed quite a lot of loss since the last one, and all over the scalp. was hoping this was just another shed all over and would grow back like the last one.

3 1/2 months - noticed quite a bit of thinning at the hairline, i.e. could see through quite a fair bit more to the scalp in decent lighting when front is brushed back. however, noticed lots of small, thin hairs growing at the hairline, temples and on the scalp - kept up hope for regrowth.

4 months - am waiting to see what next haircut in few weeks time will show. hoping to have seen some regrowth.

overall, my hair at the moment, at least on top, is as good as/better than when i started. i have had points (e.g. at my 1st big regrowth) where my hair was a lot better than when it started off.

i think the next few months will be make or break time. either, i could experience another regrowth and be very satisfied and comfortable with my situation, or shed further and not. if it stayed the same for a while itd be ok but was hoping for regrowth seeing as id experienced shed 1, lots of thickening, shed 2, and am now hoping for another thickening. time will tell..

a few questions if i may..

1. anyone experienced the same, or similar shed patterns? how did it turn out? what might i expect in months to come?

2. i am thinking of switching to nizoral, but would this mess up the pattern of propecia shedding and regrowth? anyone think nizoral can cause a shed?

3. i dont want to switch to minoxidil anytime soon but after ive ridden out propecia im wondering that, if it starts to fail, how easy is it to apply minoxidil when hair is about 2 inches long? how will my hair look/feel after?

thanks very much, any comments much appreciated.

 

[youngguy_uk]

1 last thing..im interested in how long finasteride can work for..whos this guy whos used it for 10 years or something? x 50? how can i pm him?

 

[David77]

1 last thing..im interested in how long finasteride can work for..whos this guy whos used it for 10 years or something? x 50? how can i pm him?

Something like that. Just search through a few threads and he'll be there somewhere. He helped me when I first posted here so if you look for the first thread I started, he'll be there.

I'm in my first month of finasteride & nizoral (sounds like a couple from an Aussie soap opera), and I think my hair is already starting to feel and look thicker, although the areas of concern are definitely shedding. Fingers crossed it's going to get better throughout the year. :hairy:

Here's a link to the 5 year study of propecia...


http://www.propecia.com/finasteride/propecia/hcp/index.jsp?US_healthcare=yes

 

[Guest]

youngguy_uk, could it be that your first "regorwth" was actually the first set of miniturization. Propecia does not give regrowth that quickly, in fact the best you can hop for at the 2 month mark is a slight slow down in hairloss. Perhaps you are analyzing your hair a little too much. I say you should take some pics of your noggin' right now and continue taking updated pics once a month. This way you won't be overanalying the situation and you will see what progress you have really made.
Good luck!

 

[youngguy_uk]

how do you mean first set of miniaturisation?

true, i may be analysing my results too quickly, but im definitely going to stay on this thing and ride out any sheds, and not make any judgements on its effectiveness till after a long time of use.

however, after my 1st big shed (and afte a haircut), i felt really bad about checking my hair all the time, so i never looked at my hair from above using a mirror and under a light for a month. even with my highlights and all, you could see quite a lot of my scalp. then, a month later after my next haircut, when i did look at it from above, i couldnt see through to my scalp at all. it looked and felt a lot thicker than before, even just from straight on.

if this isnt regrowth what could it be? id heard about some good responders showing regrowth after 2 months like i think i did, wasnt there a post about quick regrowth after an early shed not too long ago? not sure, anyway more discussion on this point would be helpful.

 

[stillnotbald]

I have been on propecia for 2 years and most recently have experimented with the dose.

What is clear to me is that for me it works quite well for sides, back and top of the head. It does not seem to work for the front. (Rogaine with Retin A work on the front for me.)

For sure if you are observant you can see the direction of the results in 4 months and even earlier, 2 months, is possible assuming you have short hair)

And for me it definitely has side effects. I am in fact certain that it has side effects to varying degrees for nearly everyone. The question is how observant you are. For most it will be small side effects.

 

[Guest]

stillnotbald, so basically you ahve been diffusing all over the top? My worst spot is the front half of my head. Probably very simlilar to gourmetstylewellness.com. That and i also have recededing temples. I am fighting the temples with minoxidil. Also i am on propecia. I definately know that i am pretty much through with my first major shed, but i am not looking for regrowth for at least another 2 months. I am on month 2.5 on propecia. I thought i was seeing regroth very early like younguyuk, but i think it was just miniturization. I am just going to wait at least 6 months before i even evaluate my hair. Also i am taking pics for better judgement. I think taking pics every month can keep everything in perspective and allow you to make better judgement.
As for miniturization, i believe it is easy to tell especially after the first major shed for a male pattern baldness sufferer. It just looks a finer and thinner. Simple as that.
Anyways, im a lil buzzed an i got to get ready to go to work. Peace, and good luck with the fight against male pattern baldness.

 

[stillnotbald]

Yes. My hair thinned everywhere. Of course much worse on the top.
In addition my front and temples were receding.

Propecia seems to have stabalized the crown, back and the sides.

Rogaine,+Retin A is holding up the front and temples.

I also use Nizoral and I think it is fatanstic overall.