My Finasteride Journey!

[Balding Bad]

Hey guys -- so just wanted to start a thread to keep track of my Finasteride journey/progress. I officially started taking it on December 1, 2021! I meant to start this thread on the 1st, but was too busy with work so that's why this thread is being started on the 2nd instead. 😛

Some quick basic stats about me:

• 34 years old, both my father (in his 70s) and brother (soon to be 40) are NW7. My brother's hair loss was much more aggressive than mine.
• I first started noticing my front (minor) thinning at 19 or 20. I pretty much did NOTHING until I was 28 years old when my friend convinced me to get on Minoxidil.
• I've been on Minoxidil (Kirkland brand) consistently for 6 years now (only apply once every evening).
• Only my front hairline has sustained the brunt of the hair loss/thinning/miniaturization. My crown is holding up quite well, but there seems to be signs of thinning.
• I've been able to conceal my frontal thinning without detection for over a decade now thanks to how I style my hair.

Just want to quickly acknowledge and thank fellow forum member @Gatsby for convincing/motivating me to get on Fin. My plan is to take 1mg of Fin every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday in order to preemptively avoid any potential negative sides.

Also shout out to @giegnosiganoefor suggesting I get some lab work done (testosterone, estradiol, DHT) in order to establish a baseline before I get on Fin. I should be getting those results back within the next 2-3 days. I'll make sure to post it on here.

I've taken some photos today, which I will post/update the thread later on with (once I edit my face out), but my main goal is to track my journey in real-time and to hopefully inspire others along the way (especially those who are hesitant of taking the drug due to the notoriety it seems to garner...I get it. I was the same way too!).

Anyways, I plan on updating the thread on the 1st of every month. So you should be seeing my next update on the new year. If for any reason I begin to experience negative sides then this thread/journey will unfortunately be cut short, but I hope that's not the case and I do hope this thread will continue to prosper long into the future.

So thanks in advance to those who decide to follow along on my Fin journey! 😎

EDIT: Photos from 12/01/21 have now been added.

Edited December 2, 2021 by Balding Bad

[Gatsby]

Wishing you all the best @Balding Bad! You could even start on 0.5mg every other day. I will be following your journey and it is great that you are doing this. Both for yourself and others. Especially for those who are considering surgery. All the best! 🙏

[Balding Bad]

49 minutes ago, Gatsby said:

Wishing you all the best @Balding Bad! You could even start on 0.5mg every other day. I will be following your journey and it is great that you are doing this. Both for yourself and others. Especially for those who are considering surgery. All the best! 🙏

Thanks for the suggestion. I'm comfortable starting with 1mg for now. Should I experience any negatives I will consider bumping it down to 0.5mg. 

But yeah, I'm pumped to start this journey. I really do hope I'll be able to attain some epic results. 🤞🏻

[Balding Bad]

This post is more so a "journal entry" for myself since I'm using this thread to track my progress, but on December 4, 2021 I have finally begun using Nizoral, therefore making me officially on the BIG 3: Fin, Min, and Niz!

😎

EDIT: So after using Nizoral for the first time I gotta say I'm very impressed! I've used Neutrogena T/Gel pretty regularly in the past, but it never quite remedied the dandruff I would get as a result of Min. First time with Niz and my scalp is feeling great! No longer dry and no longer flakey! I guess I'll keep using it every Mon/Wed/Fri along with my Fin regiment!

Edited December 5, 2021 by Balding Bad

[Balding Bad]

Just received my blood test results regarding my DHT, Testosterone, and Estradiol levels.

These are my levels BEFORE getting on Fin.

If anyone has thoughts or comments, feel free to share.

Edited December 5, 2021 by Balding Bad

[Balding Bad]

So just a new journal entry/update. I've now been on Fin for just a little over 2 weeks now and so far, so good. Haven't experienced any of the negative sides...or really any sides for that matter, but I guess it's still too early to tell.

One thing I did notice today when I was showering was there seemed to be more hair in my hands after washing my hair. Perhaps I'm starting to shed? Although at 2 weeks I feel like maybe it's too soon? But who knows?

The other thing (and maybe this is all in my mind) is I've noticed some tiny little hairs sprouting in the front of my hair line. Once again, I might just be thinking too much into it, but it's worth mentioning at least.

Edited December 17, 2021 by Balding Bad

[PelazoVenAMi]

On 12/16/2021 at 10:02 PM, Balding Bad said:

So just a new journal entry/update. I've now been on Fin for just a little over 2 weeks now and so far, so good. Haven't experienced any of the negative sides...or really any sides for that matter, but I guess it's still too early to tell.

One thing I did notice today when I was showering was there seemed to be more hair in my hands after washing my hair. Perhaps I'm starting to shed? Although at 2 weeks I feel like maybe it's too soon? But who knows?

The other thing (and maybe this is all in my mind) is I've noticed some tiny little hairs sprouting in the front of my hair line. Once again, I might just be thinking too much into it, but it's worth mentioning at least.

Cheer up friend!  sure everything will be fine.  That the hairs on the hand do not cause anxiety, the shedding is good (they will come out stronger).

Go ahead! 

A hug!

[Balding Bad]

11 hours ago, PelazoVenAMi said:

Cheer up friend!  sure everything will be fine.  That the hairs on the hand do not cause anxiety, the shedding is good (they will come out stronger).

Go ahead! 

A hug!

Haha thanks man. I don't have any anxiety about the shedding. I know it's part of the process and have experienced it already with Min, just making a post to have an entry of it since I want to be very detailed with my Fin journey, but appreciate the words of support. 😎

[Curious25]

Keep an eye on your estradiol. 

[Balding Bad]

14 hours ago, Curious25 said:

Keep an eye on your estradiol. 

Why do you say that? Do you consider my levels high or something?

According to my doctor all my levels are normal and no cause for concern...

Edited December 19, 2021 by Balding Bad

[Curious25]

It’s on the brink of climbing out of what is considered the average range - not saying to worry, saying to keep an eye on it.
The fact you have your baseline results is already more assertive than most. 

[Balding Bad]

Happy new year everyone!

Since it's the beginning of a new month, that means an update on my Finasteride journey thus far. So I've just completed my first month. Just a quick recap, I'm not taking the 1mg tablet everyday. Instead I'm taking it 3 days a week, M/W/F.

For the month of December 2021 I've taken 14 tablets or 14g total.

So I had mentioned 2 weeks ago I noticed some shed. Wasn't entirely sure if I was indeed shedding or not, however these 1 month photos seem to suggest I was in fact shedding. The front third seems less "dense" compared to photos from December 1, 2021 (see photo #4 below). This doesn't really concern me because it shows the Fin is working! I've also previously experienced shedding with Min, so it's nothing new.

In terms of sides...nothing at all. I'm pleased to report my libido and man parts are working just fine. 😎

Feel free to share your thoughts.

[Balding Bad]

Just a quick entry for myself.

So unfortunately I became ill with food poisoning over the weekend and I haven't been able to keep down any food for these past 4 days. Monday's is when I usually pop a Fin, however this was the first time (01/17) I (intentionally) missed a dose.

I decided it was ultimately better to be safe than sorry and not pop a Fin pill on an empty stomach. I've been suffering some of the worst stomach cramps ever, so to me I just want to recover first.

Anyways, that's it.

EDIT: I ended up not taking my Fin pill on Wednesday (01/19). So 2 intentionally missed days.

Edited January 21, 2022 by Balding Bad

[Balding Bad]

Well, it's the first of a new month, so you know what that means! Photo update!

So I've officially been on the Fin for 2 months now and honestly, as far as I can tell, there hasn't been anything noticeable going on. Yes, I'm aware I'm still very early in the process, but was at least hoping to see a little something, something.

None of those dreaded sides (if anything I feel like my libido has been actually more active recently), although I have noticed my skin has been breaking out more. I'm not sure if this is Fin-related or not, but feel like it's worth mentioning at least.

Anyways, photos below. This was me as soon as I woke up, so "bed head." No wash or anything.

Edited February 1, 2022 by Balding Bad

[Balding Bad]

Fellas I haven't forgotten to update this thread...just been a little busy.

I will post photos and elaborate more in the morning!

[Balding Bad]

Oh boy, I've definitely fallen behind. Never even got around to updating last month's post! Apologies for that.

Hopefully I'll have time to get around to it soon!

EDIT: Wozer, first off...major apologies for the lack of update last month. I knew I said in my March post I would come back and update it, but I was actually incredibly busy that month with a lot of life changes going on. Anyways, enough for the excuses...

So I guess this post will contain BOTH March and April updates.

Firstly, in regards to MARCH: I haven't really noticed any major visible or noticeable changes regarding my hairline. I was hoping by the 3rd month on Fin there would be something I could actually see improving, but it seems to be more or less the same. I did notice that some of the balding/thinning areas in the frontal region that really had no hair started to have some filling in...however it sadly seems to be the already miniaturized ones and not new, thicker ones. I kinda expected it to be the miniaturized ones to pop back up, but was hoping that maybe I'd be pleasantly surprised with thicker follicles. Oh, well.

On a separate note, but I feel worth mentioning (since there could be a connection or correlation), but I noticed some more acne flareup...more so than usual, which is quite odd. I pretty much had very clear skin, but while I've been on Fin I've been noticing more cystic flareups mainly near by temples. Once again, this could unrelated, but feel like it's worth mentioning.

MARCH 2, 2022

 

 

And finally for April 2022, I can't I detected much change/improvement honestly. Those newer, finer hairs that I mentioned from March continue to grow, however they are still very fine and clearly miniaturized. I guess it's cool there's some hair growing there, but ultimately it won't make a difference in my opinion.

My skin seems to have improved somewhat this month, but I still continue to get the occasional breakout here and there...once again, odd for me since I had clear skin a year ago...

APRIL 1, 2022

Edited April 6, 2022 by Balding Bad

[Balding Bad]

Just bumping this so y'all know that March and April 2022 have finally been added!

Also, as I compare December 2021 phots to the April 2022 photos, I can't say I see any real substantial difference...I dunno. What do y'all think?

Edited April 6, 2022 by Balding Bad

[Gatsby]

I would say that in the past four and a half months your hair has at least stabilized. I would keep tracking your progress at a minimum of 6 and 12 months to get a better idea of what’s going on. Many thanks for the update! 

[Gabreille Nelson Mukhia]

On 4/3/2022 at 2:48 AM, Balding Bad said:

Oh boy, I've definitely fallen behind. Never even got around to updating last month's post! Apologies for that.

Hopefully I'll have time to get around to it soon!

EDIT: Wozer, first off...major apologies for the lack of update last month. I knew I said in my March post I would come back and update it, but I was actually incredibly busy that month with a lot of life changes going on. Anyways, enough for the excuses...

So I guess this post will contain BOTH March and April updates.

Firstly, in regards to MARCH: I haven't really noticed any major visible or noticeable changes regarding my hairline. I was hoping by the 3rd month on Fin there would be something I could actually see improving, but it seems to be more or less the same. I did notice that some of the balding/thinning areas in the frontal region that really had no hair started to have some filling in...however it sadly seems to be the already miniaturized ones and not new, thicker ones. I kinda expected it to be the miniaturized ones to pop back up, but was hoping that maybe I'd be pleasantly surprised with thicker follicles. Oh, well.

On a separate note, but I feel worth mentioning (since there could be a connection or correlation), but I noticed some more acne flareup...more so than usual, which is quite odd. I pretty much had very clear skin, but while I've been on Fin I've been noticing more cystic flareups mainly near by temples. Once again, this could unrelated, but feel like it's worth mentioning.

MARCH 2, 2022

 

 

And finally for April 2022, I can't I detected much change/improvement honestly. Those newer, finer hairs that I mentioned from April continue to grow, however they are still very fine and clearly miniaturized. I guess it's cool there's some hair growing there, but ultimately it won't make a difference in my opinion.

My skin seems to have improved somewhat this month, but I still continue to get the occasional breakout here and there...once again, odd for me since I had clear skin a year ago...

APRIL 1, 2022

I used Finasteride prior to my surgery too. I had a similar case to yours but my baldness was greater. Finasteride will not bring new growth in the frontal zone. The medication will stabilize the progression of baldness. The density in the mid scalp and the crown will increase over time. You should wait for at least 12 months for the results to be visible on the mid scalp and the crown.

[Balding Bad]

8 hours ago, Gatsby said:

I would say that in the past four and a half months your hair has at least stabilized. I would keep tracking your progress at a minimum of 6 and 12 months to get a better idea of what’s going on. Many thanks for the update! 

Yeah, ultimately I plan on sticking with Fin even if I see no visible progress as I am aware it will help prevent further loss and as you can all see my primary hair loss is only the frontal region. So if I can manage to keep my mid region and crown then all I need is to get an HT for the front and I'll be good.

[Balding Bad]

8 hours ago, Gabreille Nelson Mukhia said:

I used Finasteride prior to my surgery too. I had a similar case to yours but my baldness was greater. Finasteride will not bring new growth in the frontal zone. The medication will stabilize the progression of baldness. The density in the mid scalp and the crown will increase over time. You should wait for at least 12 months for the results to be visible on the mid scalp and the crown.

Yeah, I really didn't anticipate major regrowth for my frontal region, but I stayed hopeful just in case I was one of those rare growers...

My mid scalp and crown are fine...maybe the crown is starting to thin a little, but I guess it's a good thing I'm on Fin now.

Sadly, it seems the HT for my frontal region is inevitable.

[Smacias15]

1 hour ago, Balding Bad said:

Yeah, I really didn't anticipate major regrowth for my frontal region, but I stayed hopeful just in case I was one of those rare growers...

My mid scalp and crown are fine...maybe the crown is starting to thin a little, but I guess it's a good thing I'm on Fin now.

Sadly, it seems the HT for my frontal region is inevitable.

I see you apply minoxidil once a night. Do you apply in the frontal region? Maybe apply twice a day and you may gry better results 

[Balding Bad]

54 minutes ago, Smacias15 said:

I see you apply minoxidil once a night. Do you apply in the frontal region? Maybe apply twice a day and you may gry better results 

I do apply Min to the frontal area...for many years now. I honestly don't think it's helping...but it's not hurting either.

I'm also just too lazy to apply twice daily just cause it makes my scalp kinda itchy, so I only do it in the evening before I go to sleep, but I appreciate the suggestion.

[Balding Bad]

Upon closer inspection, based on the most recent photos (April), it seems my crown has actually filled out. No scalp seen! So I do guess the Fin is really working...just a shame it's got no effect on my frontal region.

[Britanium]

Definitely improved your crown a lot ! Looking at the front I can see some improvement also.