J-Bo

Got to throw this one right into the ring. It beats the others hands down! Far more likely to stay put on your hair and I think it works out cheaper. One pot seems to last longer as well.

I'm just going to bump this thread to say that this was indeed just a particularly harsh period of shedding and my hair now appears to be replenishing. 3 months down the line and I'm feeling a lot happier. So those who are in the early stages of a shed, I know it seems tough, but this thread should show you that there is hope!

Hi all I've been on propecia now for 2 years and it appears to be doing its job. A year ago I started using rogaine, although I only use it once a day as I can't stand the greasy feeling when i'm at work. For a long time it seemed like all was going to plan, I didnt seem to go through any sort of shedding phase. Before taking these measures I was losing hair left right and centre, but prop and minox seemed to stop it all together. Now I am surprised if i find any hairs on my hands when i run my fingers through my hair. However recently, and by recently i mean literally in the last couple of weeks, i have noticed drastic thinning in the frontal region and temples. i would have put it down to shedding only it is a year on from starting minox and, despite the thin appearance of my hair, i havent noticed any hair actually falling out. my pillow/brush/shower drain are totally clean, its almost as though the hair has just disappeared. is it possible to have a shedding phase so long after starting minox? or could it be something else. I have started taking zinc supplements as i hear that a zinc deficiancy can affect the hairs thickness. can anyone enlighten me? its starting to get quite worrying

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.

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.

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

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 )

Hey guys. I recieved my order of Dermmatch the other day and have since tried it twice. I have to say that I don't see what all the fuss is about. I found it hard to apply and once finished, could not get over the unnatural sensation of having a painted head. Supposedly it boosts the volume of the hair but I am yet to see the benefits of this. It also made me feel highly self concious going out in public. With Nanogen (a product I cannot praise highly enough), there is no weird sensation and you can pretty much forget that you are wearing it. Plus, if someone notices a bit on your forehead, it would be easier to explain. Thinking of an excuse for why your scalp is painted black seems like a tall order to me. It seems many people find Dermmatch to be the best product out there but I feel it is important to let all the pros and cons be known.

Hi guys! I'd like to begin by saying what a wonderful source of information this forum is. This is my first post but I have been pretty much stalking a few of you for a couple of months now, tracking hair transplant results etc. I am 22 (going on 45) and am in my 4th/5th month of using propecia. My hairloss is not obvious due to my hairstyle but when I pull my hair back it is not a pretty sight. I am unsure whether propecia is actually working with me at the moment, although I am noticing a fair amount of shedding (not fun!) in the frontal parts of my hair. I have a few questions (well actually many questions but I'll try to keep it short!): 1) I read the article on whether propecia works with hair in the front as well as the crown. However this contradicts a lot of other articles on the subject. Is this just a doctor speculating that it may be effective, or are other medical professionals in agreement? 2) I mentioned before that I had been shedding in the frontal area of my head as well as the middle part. If I part my hair my scalp is very visible. Is this a normal effect at 5 months? If so, how long should I expect to wait for the effects to be reversed? (I have read differing views on the timescale when taking propecia. Some say it takes 3 months for visible results to kick in, others say 6) Thanks for your time. Any information would be greatly appreciated!