People who experienced frontal hair loss on Propecia

[AlBrown]

Hello all! First time poster, long time lurker. LOVE the site and it has given me so much valuable info so thanks to all!

 

My issue is with Propecia and severe frontal hair loss... whether to stop or keep going.

 

Background:

I have been on it for about 15 months now and have exprienced MUCH hairloss on the front of my scalp and the hairline. When I began I had little to no hair loss and maybe some mild thinning. I went on propecia because I liked the way my hair was and felt it would help preserve that state so I started around the end of August 2010. By December/January I was noticing my frontal hair getting worse but was actually happy thinking I was a responder having the normal shed. Fast forward to now...the long and short of it is I appear to have had a continuous shed in the front with no "stronger regrowth" at all. Needless to say I am in MUCH worse shape than when I began. It has been past the one year mark so the chances of getting improvement seem slim at this point and I can honestly say I have not gained much hair at all, if any...just basically lost it.

 

The point of my post is not to debate whether or not Propecia causes frontal hair loss but rather to get some input from those who have experienced this. I have searched and read a lot a about the topic but it seems most info is from people at the point of realization and trying to decide what to do, but not enough follow-up about what was done and the results seen in the aftermath.

 

So...those who have had a similar experience (especially past the 1 year mark):

 

Did you stop Propecia or continue on?

If you stopped, did any of the loss grow back?

If you stayed on Propecia, did things improve so late in the game?

 

Appreciate any feedbck, thanks!

[Spanker]

I think I have exerienced a little more loss in front since starting, but I can't bring myself to get off for fear of it getting worse. I am at at 14.5 months. I started rogain and am still on fin. My loss is frontal and corners. Actually, I feel like my corners thinkened a little and my very front hairline eroded some.

 

I am prolly gonna stick with it.

[DISpHAIR]

I think my experience with propecia is similar to the experiece you are having. I began propecia because I noticed my hair quality changing and because I was shedding. I have been on propecia for a year exactly now and the shedding has stopped almost completely. However, the frontal third has significantly thinned over the last year as well has the rest of my scalp. I think it is important to consider the possibilty that your hairloss could have started rapidly progressing around the time you began propecia. At this time you became aware that your hair was changing and that is what motivated you to begin propecia in the first place.

 

I guess what im trying to say is that it is difficult to say whether propecia is the cause of your hairloss or if you were inevitably going to lose your hair and the quick proggression of hairloss over the 15 months you have been on propecia makes you think propecia was responsible for the hairloss. I think it is also important to consider the possibiltiy that if you were not on propecia you could be almost entirely bald by now, or at least have significantly more hairloss. I can certainly understand the position you are in, in regards to continue with propecia. Personally I have decided to stay on propecia because of basic probability. I think it is more likely that my hairloss was rapidly proggressing then propecia itself being resposible for the progression. I base this estimation off the fact that there are far more patients reporting positive results from propecia than there are reporting negative. With that being said everyones body reacts differently to drugs.

[AlBrown]

Thanks for the input fellas!

 

My motivation was not due to current hairloss, there were really no major signs of it at the time. I was being proactive to keep what I had and prevent it from coming since my mother's father had MPB. I assumed it was in my future and was very excited I took the step proactively which is why I'm shocked at this point. I mean it has literally kept falling out since shortly after I started but hey, it is what it is.

 

Propecia definitley has an effect on me since my T levels shot up, just not the effect I'd hoped for. The loss is already bad enough that I'm leaning towards riding it out and hoping for the best. If it keeps getting bad I'll take " the plunge" like many others on here. Honestly had NO idea how far transplants have come until reading this site! I must admit I was one of the naive ones who instantly thought of the old "hair plugs"

 

I have been researching that angle quite a bit and will probably have a consult with Feller and/or Rahal within the next year to weigh my options.

[swordless]

Hey i have been on propecia for 15 months with the same exact symptoms. I was trying to retain my hair and its glory but instead my entire head lost density. My hairline has not stopped receding and im nowhere near baseline over a year now. Im not sure if i should stop i wish i never started . ALBROWN its been 2 years since your last post. Did you continue using the propecia and if so what were the results? like most im more afraid to stop now.

[crafter]

I think I have exerienced a little more loss in front since starting, but I can't bring myself to get off for fear of it getting worse. I am at at 14.5 months. I started rogain and am still on fin. My loss is frontal and corners. Actually, I feel like my corners thinkened a little and my very front hairline eroded some.

 

I am prolly gonna stick with it.

 

are you comparing from memory or photos?

 

im 10 months on dut and was sure my front was thinning but looking at photos from last year im not so sure.

 

memory is a poor way to evaluate inmho.

[Spanker]

I can't remember. I have been on for over three years and had a transplant since. Even photos that are not taken in the same lighting at the same angle can be very deceiving when looking for very minor differences. But no doubt after three years that propecia has helped me maintain.

[hsrp10]

I had a HT from one of the best surgeons in the world, and lost frontal hair while on Fin.

I think initially I reacted very well, but for me it seems to cause adrenal fatigue, an oily scalp and my hair in the front to fall out even if transplanted.

I don't take it anymore.

[imnothere]

Ive been on it 4 months. Ive lost ALOT over the whole top of scalp.

Loads coming out in my hands these last few months in the shower.

 

The difference is noticeable (even to my ever supportive GF)

There is no doubt FIN is causing this accelarated loss, but what can you do?

It appears we are stuck between a rock and a hard place. Im crossing my fingers and hoping this is the natural shed, and soon all those hairs will be replaced.... Not holding my breath though..

 

It worries me that youve been on it for over a year Albrown... dont they say try it for a year and see if it working? Maybe you should give it up?

[belarks]

Ive been on it 4 months. Ive lost ALOT over the whole top of scalp.

Loads coming out in my hands these last few months in the shower.

 

The difference is noticeable (even to my ever supportive GF)

There is no doubt FIN is causing this accelarated loss, but what can you do?

It appears we are stuck between a rock and a hard place. Im crossing my fingers and hoping this is the natural shed, and soon all those hairs will be replaced.... Not holding my breath though..

 

It worries me that youve been on it for over a year Albrown... dont they say try it for a year and see if it working? Maybe you should give it up?

 

be patient

[imnothere]

I am, but judging from the previous comments - it don't look great.

[helmania]

Hello all,

 

I'm a little shocked and confused at the same time. I've been losing lots of frontal hair lately and I've blamed it on stopping finastride and minoxidil for two months. I've always been under the impression finastride/propecia helps you to keep the hair you have. So what am I to do now, stop taking my finastride or keep going while my frontal area continues to fade into obscurity?

 

Maybe I'll go back to profollica. While it was expensive I did feel like it was helping the frontal area. Any thoughts any1?

[hsrp10]

Stopping and starting both can cause hairloss from the shed cycles.

I had been on Proscar and swear it didn't do my frontal hair any good at all, so much that I had a second HT.

But I also thinned out on Niz as well, so am not sure which was the bigger culprit.

 

Minoxidil from what I've seen you apparently lose all your gains after stopping and it also irritates my scalp so I stay away from it.

 

I am not aware of profollica or its benefits....

[albers33]

It stopped my hair loss in the front. I buy it at Bestrxgenerics.com maybe your buying it from inferior places.

Edited January 22, 2014 by albers33