Hey guys. I'm 23 years old (as of yesterday) and have been losing my hair since the age of about 18. It has always been a problem for me and has taken a huge toll on my confidence.

HOWEVER!!!!!!!

This is the first time that I visit this forum with a positive approach. There have been so many times previously when I have visited this site after losing an emotional battle with my own reflection. Times when I would convince myself that I looked fine, only to be brought back to earth with a thud!

We all have those moments where we believe that we are starting to overcome problems in our lives, only to wake up and find them just as raging and prominent the very next day.

Well recently things have started to change for me. I have been taking proscar for about 5 months and propecia for about a year before that. I have to say that, although my hairline is still in a vague 'M' shape, the existing hairs are much stronger, as are the hairs all over my head.

When I first went for a consultation (at the hospital group! dodged a bullet there!) I was told that I was too young for a transplant and that my hairloss was not drastic enough to warrant any surgery. My consultant said that if I were to get on Propecia straight away there would probably be no need for a transplant at all. I was skeptical at first, but willing to try anything.

I began taking propecia (the ridiculously expensive option) and carried on taking for about a year with apparently no success. It was only the fear that my hair would start falling at a more rapid rate that stopped me from giving up completely.

After discovering a much cheaper alternative in proscar, I immediately switched over. This is the point where I actually noticed the change. After 5 months of Proscar I am now convinced that finasteride is the way forward. I have not tried minoxidil yet, as I am happy with the way things are going and do not want to rock the boat.

My advice therefore is as follows:-

If you haven't started taking finasteride in some form or other, do so NOW. And I mean, literally NOW! Don't worry about the side effects until they happen as they are totally reversable. There was a small period not long after I started propecia when I could not maintain an erection for long. This subsided quickly without me even coming off the drug. I now have absolutely no problems in that department.

All of my advice applies especially to younger guys with hairloss. We are in the best position to be fighting this horrible affliction but we need to start now!

I'll try to keep updated with my story, but for now, I hope you guys appreciate a positive tale, in amongst the angst and negativity

Keep pluggin' (no pun intended :P)

I don't understand your story, Propecia and Proscar have the same active ingredient, Finasteride. Are you taking one tablet of Proscar every day, or splitting the pill up?

I started taking propecia before i discovered proscar. they have completely the same effect, the only difference being the price. I'm splitting the pills into four and taking a quarter a day.

The fact that i switched bears little relevance to the story but i thought i'd include it to show how easy it is to get ripped off if you dont search around a bit

What dose of Propecia (Proscar) are you on now? Full Propecia pill (1/4 Proscar) still, daily?

J-Bo, you almost have me convinced to try Propecia again, but I have to ask, how was the shedding phase for you?

I am on 1/4 (which is just over 1 mg) of a proscar pill daily.

The shedding phase was, too be completely honest, very unsettling. this was possibly due to my personal circumstances making me feel worse about the condition of my hair than I needed to be. (of course, a lot goes on in our minds and we can't always take an objective view point when assessing our image)

However, you just need to try and remain positive and upbeat. Accept the fact that the hair falling from your head would have done so at one point anyway. At least this way it is almost certain to grow back.

Just remember, the more you shed, the greater the effect of propecia.

Good luck and do not give up. This post may be positive but there have been so many occasions where I have come onto this site and have literally been to depressed to write anything. The key is to stay strong and weather the inevitable storms. It will get better.

Shedding = pain in the arse!

I've been right through the shedding phase. I know exactly what it feels like to run your fingers through your hair, only to discover 10-15 hairs have fallen out. I've dried my hair with a hairdryer, then looked down at the floor and discovered my laminate flooring has been decorated with a rug made from my own hair! Even before finasteride, I was incredibly depressed by the amount of hair that I could physically see dropping from my head.

Its a horrible feeling. But you need to remember that in the many tests carried out, finasteride has never shown any signs that it can lead to permanent hairloss. Therefore, when the shedding phase hits, you simply have to sit there and take it. Its all for the best in the long run.

As for your queries on the length of time it took for finasteride to take effect:

I guess I could have explained better in my OP. I could see the effects after about 9 months. Mostly that my hair was stronger and that it wasn't falling out any where near as much as it used to. However, when I was hit with the 'hair loss blues' I would pass it off as wishful thinkng. It is only now, after a year and a half that I have accepted that the finasteride is actually having a positive effect on my hairloss.

A couple questions, I am a 38 year old male, in pretty good shape, my hair started thinning up front when I was 35, little by little not anything dramatic. It has been thinning quicker over the last year, I have been using Rogain for the last 9 months and it is working ok in the back of my head, I put it all over my scalp back and front hoping that it might help all over a little.I am getting ready to try Propecia or possibly avodart;

That was one of my questions, since it seems like Avodart is stronger than Propecia, would there be any issues taking Advodart for a while (8-10 weeks) to start off with and then going to Propecia for long term use since the long term affects of Advdart are unknown. I know everyone says start off with Propecia to see how you respond to the side effects but it seems like the side effects are about the same.

My thought process is that from what I hear Propecia takes a very long time to start working (9-12 months), and from what I have heard Adovart results are quicker and stronger effects. Than after the 6-10 weeks switch over to Propecia for long term use unitl they come out with a FDA approved Adovart.

any opinions? Thanks

I am just about to start on fin, can you tell me after what month taking the drug you experienced your first she? how long did it last? and what percentage of your hair fell in this shed phase? thanks