Has Anyone Actually Gone Bald While Taking Finasteride For Years?

[Capitan1]

I got on Finasteride when I was 17 and have been on it for 5 years. Before, I was rapidly losing hair, and went from a NW2 to a NW3 in a few months.

When I started taking Finasteride, my hair loss stopped in its tracks. Five years later, my hair looks the same.

The 10 year study showed that 86% at least maintained their hair at baseline levels.

But how much did the other 14% lose? Did they jump a couple Norwoods? Did they go slick bald?

Or did they just lose a little ground?

So have you known anyone to actually lose all their hair after initially responding well to finasteride?

 

[Sliceofbread]

I saw one guy on here post pics and was basically slick bald on propecia after 10 years. He said it worked for a few and then stopped working

 

[Capitan1]

I saw one guy on here post pics and was basically slick bald on propecia after 10 years. He said it worked for a few and then stopped working

Can you link me to that?

 

[Sliceofbread]

Can you link me to that?

I really don’t remember the thread sorry... I’d look through my post history but I post a lot lol

 

[AnxiousAndy]

If I remember correctly @Roberto_72 said he was on finasteride at about NW2 and he still went bald. I'm also currently on finasteride + more and I am still losing my hair.

 

[Roberto_72]

If I remember correctly @Roberto_72 said he was on finasteride at about NW2 and he still went bald. I'm also currently on finasteride + more and I am still losing my hair.

Alas, I think I am in the 0.01% of men for whom hair loss is rooted in the DNA whatever the external stimulus (DHT).
My father was NW7 at 35 and NW8 at 50.
I am now taking finasteride to preserve the transplanted hair; however, for the "original" hair, these products were practically useless:
- finasteride (even 1.5 mg)
- minoxidil
- RU

 

[AnxiousAndy]

Alas, I think I am in the 0.01% of men for whom hair loss is rooted in the DNA whatever the external stimulus (DHT).
My father was NW7 at 35 and NW8 at 50.
I am now taking finasteride to preserve the transplanted hair; however, for the "original" hair, these products were practically useless:
- finasteride (even 1.5 mg)
- minoxidil
- RU

What does his pattern look like now? I know someone who is completely bald ( not even the horseshoe pattern is left ) and they don't have cancer or anything. I feel the same as you Roberto, nothing has been able to help me its only made things worse.

 

[Roberto_72]

What does his pattern look like now?

NW7 plus horribly thin sides and back. I think this qualifies as NW8?
Luckily I must have gotten some genes from my mother's side because my father's is just terrible. I couldn't have made any transplant if I had had his same hair.
Oh, BTW, he is the only one of four brothers who is bald: the others are FULL HEADS AT 70.

I know someone who is completely bald ( not even the horseshoe pattern is left ) and they don't have cancer or anything.

Yep. It's just freak genetics related to hair. Nothing wrong otherwise.

 

[AnxiousAndy]

NW7 plus horribly thin sides and back. luckily I must have gotten some genes from my mother's side because my father's is just terrible,
Oh, BTW, he is the only one of four brothers who is bald: the others are FULL HEADS AT 70.

Yep. It's just freak genetics related to hair. Nothing wrong otherwise.

Wow, talk about bad luck.. How many grafts did you get transplanted? I've often thought the use of toppik would be a good idea to help thicken the appearance of transplanted hairs, do you have any experience with that? Also would you mind sharing pictures of your transplant? If not that's okay but it would be interesting to see.

 

[Sliceofbread]

What does his pattern look like now? I know someone who is completely bald ( not even the horseshoe pattern is left ) and they don't have cancer or anything. I feel the same as you Roberto, nothing has been able to help me its only made things worse.

That is more likely to be alopecia totalis or universalis than male pattern baldness. Check if he has eye brows

NW7 plus horribly thin sides and back. I think this qualifies as NW8?
Luckily I must have gotten some genes from my mother's side because my father's is just terrible. I couldn't have made any transplant if I had had his same hair.
Oh, BTW, he is the only one of four brothers who is bald: the others are FULL HEADS AT 70.

Yep. It's just freak genetics related to hair. Nothing wrong otherwise.

Nw8 I believe refers to even further recession of the posterior hairline back farther than the classic nw7... like literally just a small strip of hair back there.

Generalized thinning of the horseshoe is senile alopecia. I don’t think that ever progresses to complete baldness but who knows

 

[AnxiousAndy]

That is more likely to be alopecia totalis or universalis than male pattern baldness. Check if he has eye brows



Nw8 I believe refers to even further recession of the posterior hairline back farther than the classic nw7... like literally just a small strip of hair back there.

Generalized thinning of the horseshoe is senile alopecia. I don’t think that ever progresses to complete baldness but who knows

You know, I've never actually noticed before lol. Next time I see him I will be sure to check.

 

[recedingornot87]

I am on finasteride and still losing tons of hair. Significantly below baseline. I think I will be one of the few to go slick bald while being on finasteride the entire time.

 

[AnxiousAndy]

I am on finasteride and still losing tons of hair. Significantly below baseline. I think I will be one of the few to go slick bald while being on finasteride the entire time.

How long have you been on finasteride?

 

[recedingornot87]

How long have you been on finasteride?

Only about 1.5 months. Before going on finasteride I was losing about 500 hairs per day, still the same currently. My density has dropped significantly and im looking very bald right now. Still have hope that it starts working soon. Regardless I will be taking it for atleast a year.

 

[AnxiousAndy]

Only about 1.5 months. Before going on finasteride I was losing about 500 hairs per day, still the same currently. My density has dropped significantly and im looking very bald right now. Still have hope that it starts working soon. Regardless I will be taking it for atleast a year.

Do you have any pics? A month and a half seems like an extraordinarily short time to be significantly below baseline.

 

[Retinoid]

Only about 1.5 months. Before going on finasteride I was losing about 500 hairs per day, still the same currently. My density has dropped significantly and im looking very bald right now. Still have hope that it starts working soon. Regardless I will be taking it for atleast a year.

You realize if you were losing 500 strands a day for 1.5 months you would have lost 21,000 strands of hair or an est of 21% of your hair if all your follicles were in Anagen?

 

[Capitan1]

Only about 1.5 months. Before going on finasteride I was losing about 500 hairs per day, still the same currently. My density has dropped significantly and im looking very bald right now. Still have hope that it starts working soon. Regardless I will be taking it for atleast a year.

1.5 months is far too little to claim finasteride isn't working. I definitely lost some hair for months after starting finasteride. It wasn't until a year later that I noticed I was at baseline.

 

[Capitan1]

Alas, I think I am in the 0.01% of men for whom hair loss is rooted in the DNA whatever the external stimulus (DHT).
My father was NW7 at 35 and NW8 at 50.
I am now taking finasteride to preserve the transplanted hair; however, for the "original" hair, these products were practically useless:
- finasteride (even 1.5 mg)
- minoxidil
- RU

How was your finasteride progression? Did it do nothing, or did you respond well for a few years then suddenly tank? I've been at baseline for the last five years, do you think some sort of "switch" could be flipped on and then I'd be in your shoes?

 

[recedingornot87]

You realize if you were losing 500 strands a day for 1.5 months you would have lost 21,000 strands of hair or an est of 21% of your hair if all your follicles were in Anagen?

You told me this like twice already and ive been saying the same thing. Yes, i lost over a quarter of my hair in less than 4 months. One pic is from early june and the other is from saturday.

 

[recedingornot87]

Do you have any pics? A month and a half seems like an extraordinarily short time to be significantly below baseline.

I added pictures as a reply to the other guy