Is finasteride the only hope?

[Cassius]

I'm 19, started thinning/receding a couple years ago and since then ive been intermittently using rogaine. I've been using it consistently now for about 5/6 months and tbh my hair seems worse. I keep trying to tell myself it's just the shed/regrowth stage since I can see fuzzy hair along my hairline... but I'm starting to get vibes that this is my current hair thinning out instead of regrowing. I'm also trying natural products (not saying they're working either but they might be helping) such as emu oil, castor oil, green tea, black tea, white tea, pomegranate extract, grapeseed extract, biotin, zinc. But my hair has now got to the point where I have to use hair fibers to conceal it (I can see my scalp through it even when it's dry AND it's super wispy around the hairline.) Being at uni only makes the situation worse as I feel pretty down when I see all the other guys rocking thick full heads of hair whilst I hide mine with what is essentially hair in a can.

Anyway, I'd try stuff like saw palmetto, beta sitosterol and MAYBE even finasteride if I was sure I wouldn't experience the **** side effects. I know there's a big debate as to whether the sides are really that bad, but im willing to believe that at least SOME people are being affected by it. And anything that could potentially mess up my sexual encounters is something I'm pretty keen to steer clear of. After all, whats the point of good hair but no sex? So is stuff like finasteride my only hope? I want my hair back so bad, I'd be willing to follow any routine if there's results at the end of it, provided it doesn't screw with me too much.

Thanks!

 

[LouReed]

I was in your boat for the last few years, trying all the natural cures. They just didn't work for me. I started on finasteride this month.

While I can't vouch for finasteride and am not a doctor, I wish I would have gotten on it a few years ago when I first saw it starting. There isn't much to do beyond the Big 3, and getting on finasteride put my anxiety to rest. You know you're doing almost everything you can to stop it, and you can leave it in fate's hands from there.

I'm 27 and at a norwood 2, approaching 3. Anyways, my recommendation is get on finasteride, then switch to a Regenepure DR shampoo (I love this stuff). I use the shampoo twice a week. Shampooing over the tub to keep the stuff off of my face (it burns my dry skin).

Here's the natural things I tried. Only Beta Sis had an effect and the sides were too strong and bad. Two weeks on finasteride and I don't have any issues like Beta Sis.

I took saw palmetto, no effect

I took Beta Sis and saw palmetto for a month. Little hairs start growing, followed by a major sex drive/depression crash. I got off the beta sis and the hair went away, and sex drive returned. However I had an insanely itchy scalp during and after use for over two months. I believe this caused me to lose a fair amount of hair. People talk about "DHT itch" and I had that + red inflammation all over my scalp. Avoid this ****!

Brahmi Hair Oil - totally sucked. Oily. No improvement.

Zinc, Biotin, Gingko, Ginseng, Maca, B12, etc. etc. etc. - Good for your health, but don't kid yourself into thinking this will save your hair. I do recommend taking most of these but not for hair loss.

Save yourself the stress and the few years of hair loss. I say try finasteride for a year and see how it goes. If you stop losing your hair, stay on it for life and thank yourself every day for catching it so early. If I didn't have my hair in my early 20s I never would have gotten laid. I'm glad it took until 27 to reach NW2.5

 

[9tfrizzco]

minoxidil alone is never enough, the hair count of all men in studies drops back to baseline reasonably quickly after a period of regrowth, then continues to drop below baseline at the same rate as someone who never took minoxidil. side effects of finasteride are rare just get on the damn drug and use it along with minoxidil

 

[giannis]

Absolutely not...

 

[anonymous]

I wanted to start finasteride for over a year. I kept reading the horror stories and never pulled the trigger. I even ordered saw palmetto and took that for a few months.

Of course it didn't do anything. My hair got so bad that I decided it was time to try finasteride. I'm almost 4 months into treatment and none of the scary stories have come remote true (FOR ME), so far. My hair is doing great. Where I used to see scalp on my crown, I see nothing anymore. I have new hairs even growing on my hairline.

I'm glad I got on finasteride. I'm also on nizoral and minoxidil, but I know it's the finasteride because I tried minoxidil before with no results. The peace of mind and the boost in confidence is great. Again, this is for me. Maybe I'll get some sides later on, but I'm months into it (I take a REDUCED dosage, .500 every day) and I am very satisfied with hope that things keep getting better.

 

[Cassius]

That's strange, I thought beta sis would have similar effects as finasteride. But yeah, as much as I'd love to find a natural route that worked, it just doesn't seem realistic. I don't mind experiencing sides from finasteride, the bit that worries me is the so called 'permanent' effects it can have. Though, this is only what I have read so they might not be permanent at all.

Out of interest, did you experience any thickening of your existing hair with any of the natural products?

I was in your boat for the last few years, trying all the natural cures. They just didn't work for me. I started on finasteride this month.

While I can't vouch for finasteride and am not a doctor, I wish I would have gotten on it a few years ago when I first saw it starting. There isn't much to do beyond the Big 3, and getting on finasteride put my anxiety to rest. You know you're doing almost everything you can to stop it, and you can leave it in fate's hands from there.

I'm 27 and at a norwood 2, approaching 3. Anyways, my recommendation is get on finasteride, then switch to a Regenepure DR shampoo (I love this stuff). I use the shampoo twice a week. Shampooing over the tub to keep the stuff off of my face (it burns my dry skin).

Here's the natural things I tried. Only Beta Sis had an effect and the sides were too strong and bad. Two weeks on finasteride and I don't have any issues like Beta Sis.

I took saw palmetto, no effect

I took Beta Sis and saw palmetto for a month. Little hairs start growing, followed by a major sex drive/depression crash. I got off the beta sis and the hair went away, and sex drive returned. However I had an insanely itchy scalp during and after use for over two months. I believe this caused me to lose a fair amount of hair. People talk about "DHT itch" and I had that + red inflammation all over my scalp. Avoid this ****!

Brahmi Hair Oil - totally sucked. Oily. No improvement.

Zinc, Biotin, Gingko, Ginseng, Maca, B12, etc. etc. etc. - Good for your health, but don't kid yourself into thinking this will save your hair. I do recommend taking most of these but not for hair loss.

Save yourself the stress and the few years of hair loss. I say try finasteride for a year and see how it goes. If you stop losing your hair, stay on it for life and thank yourself every day for catching it so early. If I didn't have my hair in my early 20s I never would have gotten laid. I'm glad it took until 27 to reach NW2.5

 

[LouReed]

Yes, Beta Sis did grow back some hairs. Information on the sides is in the post you quoted

About a month in I saw small hairs growning in at the hairline.

My hair is thick at NW2, my main concern is a receding hairline