I've been on Propecia for close to 3 months now and started about a month and a half after i started noticing hair loss. I'm far from bald at this point, but I'm 19 years old and the thought of looking like my father when I'm 22 is scaring the crap out of me.

I feel like I've noticed an increase in hair loss since I've been on propecia and have seen multiple times that this can be a shedding phase which would be a sign that the drug is working. My initial question is, how, if at all, can one know if this is the shedding phase or just normal hair loss?

My main purpose of making this post is to know when i should start seeing regrowth from propecia. Ive seen the shedding should/could last 3-4 months. By this, is it meant that regrowth (buds on the scalp) should occur only after this phase has passed? And if so, how far after, should i see the initial regrowth in the 6-8 month frame or closer to the 4-5 month time frame?

I know every person reacts differently to this type of treatment, but if you guys can humor me, that will do.

I will probably begin using rogaine foam soon, although i'm having reservations about the difficulty and pain of applying it, since my hair is on the longer side. Sure, I could cut it, but i'm afraid that it will become obvious that I'm balding.

Thanks for all the help.

jdg-

Your apprehension is normal. Shedding with Propecia (Finasteride), though it happens, is something we'd all like to avoid if possible. I suspect that you're correct, you've started a bit of a shed.

You may or may not know that "shedding", as is often referred to from Propecia use, is merely many hairs going into the telogen or "resting" phase all at the same time. All hair goes into the telogen phase, it's just that normally only 10% or so is in this phase at one time. During a Propecia shed........you may have more like 20%-30% of your hair that has been kicked into the telogen phase from starting on Propecia so you haven't "lost" the hair, it's just away on vacation and will come back soon! Make sense?? The Telogen phase lasts around 6 weeks then the hair starts coming back.........hopefully stronger and thicker..less inhibited by the DHT, right??

As for regrowth, if you experience any, it's impossible to predict. I've now been on Propecia (actually Proscar quartered) for almost 1 year and have noticed slight regrowth in the hairline, no doubt about it. I think it started around 6 months if I remember correctly. It's really not that cosmetically significant though it does soften my hairline somewhat. If I were you, I'd really commit to 1 year before reconvening the jury for the decision!! And, the best way to judge your progress is by documenting with pictures which i highly recommend you do if you haven't already........on a monthly basis from the same angles.

The majority of those experiencing regrowth ususally see it in the crown, anything else is a bonus. At the least, it should help you maintain what you have for an indefinite period of time.

You're right about Rogaine..........it's messy. Be sure you can commit before starting as, like Propecia, you'll lose what you've kept if you use it any length of time then quit. It was too messy for me to consider.

You're starting with Propecia at a young age in the early stage of loss which is good. Stay with it and see how it goes. Look again at a year and see what yout think? Don't worry about the shed, the hair will come back.

Hope this helps!

__________________
Hairbank

1st HT 1-18-05 - 1200 FUT's
2nd HT 2-15-06 - 3886 FUT's Dr. Wong
3rd HT 4-24-08 - 2415 FUT's Dr. Wong

GRAND TOTAL: 7501 GRAFTS

current regimen: 1.25mg finasteride every other day

My Hair Loss Weblog

Disclaimer: I'm not a Doctor (and have never played one on TV ) and have no medical training. Any information I share here is in an effort to help those who don't like hair loss.

Hairbank,

What a thorough response...I can't even add anything to that it was soo good.

jdg,

All I can say is welcome to the forums and hairbank is straight on with what he said. As long as you aren't experiencing any side effects, stick with Propecia for at least 1 year. Though if you want to save money, I'd consider switching to Proscar which are pills that contain 5mg of finasteride. To use Proscar, you would use a pill cutter and take cut it into quarters and take that every day. With medical insurance, you may only pay $10 or $20 for 4 months worth of pills. Something to consider.

Bill

__________________
Managing Publisher of the Hair Transplant Network, the Hair Loss Learning Center, the Hair Loss Q&A Blog and the Hair Loss Forum and Social Community

View our hair loss articles on Hub Pages

Follow us on Facebook | Twitter | YouTube

Subscribe to our Newsletters | How We Recommend Physicians

-----

To learn about how I restored my hair, view my my hair loss website.

Remember, true beauty radiates from within, not from the skin.

I am not a medical professional and my words should not be taken as medical advice. All opinions and views shared are my own.

Hi Ive been using proscar quartered daily for about 6 months, and rogaine for about the same time. Initially I was using 2% solution twice a day, now I use 5% once a day, and 2% once a day ( 5% is a mess to comb your hair)
I began during the early stages of thinning, and I began to shed heavily during the initial period. The problem is I am still experiencing hair loss in the hair line. and the frontal scalp, and I am not sure why. This is the area of the head I make recieves minoxidil. I thought if anything the loss would halt and at best I would regrow hair there. Surprisingly I have regrown hair along the temples.
I am considering switching to dutasteride, but am afraid of further shedding, especially if it doesnt grow back.
Does anyone have any advice?

I have been on dutasteride fro several years and it has prevented any further hair loss.....

Hey Bill I have a question. I went to a derm a week back, and got a prescription for propecia. I asked him about Proscar, and he said he would give me a prescription for it, but that it would mess up my insurance premiums later. He said insurance companies would see that and assume I had some prostate problem at the age of 20! I've been on propecia for a week now, and everything's been fine. I don't think I'm shedding particularly more than before, and there are no "side effects." My question is whether the doc just lied because he did not want to write me a prescription for proscar. Also, when does the shedding period usually start? Also, if Propecia is to stop my hairloss from what point will it do so? I.e. is the hair I'm losing now (only a week in) going to come back or is gone forever?

Hey guys,

Sorry to revive such an old post--I am a new member and haven't figured out how to post a new thread!

I've been reading a lot about shedding & Propecia (including the helpful, encouraging posts on this thread), but I wanted to try to confirm a couple points, as I've seen conflicting info. Also, perhaps there is updated data out there, whether clinical or anecdotal. Bill, I have found your posts to be particularly helpful.... I would be grateful for any input!

1) Does shedding from finasteride generally occur, when it does, just on hairs that are miniaturized/miniaturizing, or will it affect stable, non-previously-thinning areas, too? That is, will the medication tend to nudge all one's hairs (i.e., from all different patches on the head) into the telogen phase, or just those where hair loss has been occurring? I was originally concerned primarily with loss around my temples, but 5 weeks into my finasteride regimen, have seen noticeable thinning at the crown (even a small bald spot), and some seeming thinning at the vertex, too. (For context, I'm a Norwood 3, 25 yrs old, who just became concerned about hair loss in the last year--though I'm sure miniaturization has been long in the making.)

2) How soon can the shedding begin upon a finasteride regimen? Often I see "in the first 3 months", sometimes up to 5-6, with results not being able to be reliably judged until about a year out... But is it normal to perceive increased thinness only a month into taking it? I've noticed what seems* to be substantial, but not extreme, thinning (*granted some of this is probably just due to me being paranoid and obsessive about looking at it). I am not worried much about this hair "not coming back", as some anecdotal reports out there freak out about...but I just want to check to be sure: thinning/shedding can begin within the first month?

3) Within reason (i.e., short of extreme loss), is shedding proportionate to prospective efficacy of the treatment? That is, given that I keep seeing "shedding means it's working", does moderate shedding tend to indicate a promising level of effectiveness? Or is there no real correllation?

4) Finally (and a bit off-topic--sorry!), would finasteride have any effect on regrowth of transplanted hairs? I had a transplant--mainly to my "power alleys", but along the hairline too--a month ago, which is the same time I started my Propecia regimen. Just curious if there is any impact; my doctor didn't think there would be. On a related note, perhaps some "shock loss" from the surgery is exacerbating the perception of shedding?

Just wanted to share my experiences with Proscar, thus far. I am a diffuse thinner, far from being completely bald but had noticed thinning at the temples and hairline. I have been taking quartered doses of proscar for 7 months now and have experienced prolonged shedding that has caused even more diffuse and thinning that has spread to the top of my head. I am afraid that I may have started Proscar earlier than I should have. I have read that the hair loss inhibiting effects of Proscar only benefit the crown on top areas of the scalp and so taking Proscar can actually accelerate the eventual hair loss of the frontal regions.

I'm conflicted with whether or not to give the drug a full year. It's been 7 months now and I have been shedding hair ever since the first few weeks I started the drug with no signs of new hair growing back. People keep posting that only a full year will tell whether or not the drug will be effective, but I have also read posts from people who've given it that full year, only to be worse off than from when they started. At this point, like many others, I would be happy if my hair grew back at least to the thickness and volume that it was before I even started taking it.

Anyone else in the same boat?

Thanks for sharing.

I am obviously no expert, so will defer to others, but from what I have been told and have read, it seems unlikely to me that finasteride would accelerate hair loss in the sense of miniaturizing hairs and/or causing permanent loss of hair roots. The shedding phenomenon seems very real and logical, following the explanation (which seems fairly accepted) that more hairs than usual are shifted at once into the resting phase; hence the temporary loss of the external hair and the resultant thinning aesthetic. And this, it seems to be said, should definitely have subsided a year into the medication, resulting in as good a head of hair as before, or possibly a thicker head, along with decrease/prevention of future loss.

However, it's hard for me to see any scientific/biochemical reason why finasteride would accelerate actual hair loss for anyone, including younger guys. I mean, what the drug is doing is inhibiting DHT--how can that have a worsening effect (beyond the initial, aesthetic shedding)?

Again, I'm obviously not a doctor, and I certainly admit my vested interest in not wanting to believe that it would worsten things But that's my two cents' worth. I'd be curious to know others' thoughts, in addition to any responses to my former questions, if anyone has any input.

Thanks!

Well Im not Bill but Ill answer the best i can.. had a doctor tell me the samething, I figured it was still better to pay for Proscar and make it last longer than a month. Anyway, when I wnt to get the prescription filled, insurance DID pay for it...FWIW

__________________
Newhairplease!!
Dr Rahal in January 19, 2012
4808 FUT grafts- 941 singles, 2809 doubles, 1031 triples, 27 quads

My Hairloss Website