2 years on Finasteride…Hair loss worse

[HairEnthusiast101]

I am noticing more thinning in the corners of my Norwood 3 where the V looking hairline is. The forelock, mid scalp, crown all look the same. But, one temple peak and the temple corners are thinning more. I know it is common to shed while starting finasteride but I have taken 1mg religiously for 2-2.5 years. What could be the culprit here? Just non responder or something else?

[StillAlive]

Fin is not known for preserving the hairline. It is meant to stabilize and protect your mid, crown and donor, so that you can do an HT with confidence when the time comes. It may have also really slowed your hairline's recession, which is always a good thing!

[Henry]

58 minutes ago, StillAlive said:

Fin is not known for preserving the hairline. It is meant to stabilize and protect your mid, crown and donor, so that you can do an HT with confidence when the time comes. It may have also really slowed your hairline's recession, which is always a good thing!

What is this based on? I'm not trying to question your knowledge, I'm just genuinely curious if there are studies or reliable doctors who mentioned this.

[Henry]

1 hour ago, StillAlive said:

Fin is not known for preserving the hairline. It is meant to stabilize and protect your mid, crown and donor, so that you can do an HT with confidence when the time comes. It may have also really slowed your hairline's recession, which is always a good thing!

Maybe it's time to give dutasteride a try.

[Gatsby]

@JoDimaggio22 it could be a seasonal shed. Or as has been mentioned you could speak with your doctor/dermatologist and consider upping the dose slightly or adding dutasteride one day a week instead of the finasteride for that day. All the best!

[StillAlive]

The fin not working on hairline bit is informal and anecdotal. I've been in the Baldosphere for 15 years and I don't remember reading about anyone saving or restoring their temples and hairline with fin or dut. An HT was always needed.

[Mike10]

Fin is normally not efficient in the hairline. It is works best in the crown and mid

[TorontoMan]

The hairline thing isn't based in anything. It's just likely that for most guys the pattern of loss starts at their hair line and in all likelihood it was the part that first started to miniaturize and long before you noticed, hence making it harder to recover. Follicles have a signalling network by which plenty of anagen hairs are supporting a paracrine signal which is like a communication between nearby cells, this is part of the theory of why we seem to bald in patterns. To the OP, you likely just started fin at a point where the amount of dht being reduced by fin isn't enough to overcome its effects, most guys should not expect regrowth on fin, but rather maintenance. Of course your other options are to throw in minxodil, try duta, or even a topical anti androgen 

[Mike10]

1 hour ago, TorontoMan said:

The hairline thing isn't based in anything. It's just likely that for most guys the pattern of loss starts at their hair line and in all likelihood it was the part that first started to miniaturize and long before you noticed, hence making it harder to recover. Follicles have a signalling network by which plenty of anagen hairs are supporting a paracrine signal which is like a communication between nearby cells, this is part of the theory of why we seem to bald in patterns. To the OP, you likely just started fin at a point where the amount of dht being reduced by fin isn't enough to overcome its effects, most guys should not expect regrowth on fin, but rather maintenance. Of course your other options are to throw in minxodil, try duta, or even a topical anti androgen 

but he is not maintaining. read again the op. the only question is whether Fin does not work at all (as it the case for 10% of users) or only does not work in the harline. Nobody can say for sure.

[TorontoMan]

3 minutes ago, Mike10 said:

but he is not maintaining. read again the op. the only question is whether Fin does not work at all (as it the case for 10% of users) or only does not work in the harline. Nobody can say for sure.

I'm saying its likely he's not maintaining hairs that had already started a miniaturizing process before he started fin. He's only mentioning that his hairline seems to be going while the rest of his hair seems to be maintaining because he doesn't mention any further loss elsewhere

[Rahal Hair Transplant]

@JoDimaggio22,

Unfortunately, finasteride doesn’t work for everyone at least not as well as we would like.  Technically it could be working for you even though you’re losing hair but just not as well as it works for others. For example, I always tell people that finasteride is much better at slowing down, stopping or reversing the effects of male pattern baldness. Only hair transplant surgery is proven to grow hair  in completely bald areas   Now if you’re one of the people whose hair loss is slowing down because of finasteride, by stopping it, it might speed up.  On the other hand, it might not be working at all in which case I lost would progress same whether you’re on it or not.  Unfortunately, it really is no way to know for sure unless you stop taking it and wait to see if your hair loss Pizza. But that’s a gamble most people aren’t willing to take because the reason why we’re here is to attempt to stop hair loss and regrow hair.

You could speak to a doctor about switching to dutasteride which inhibits both type 1 and type 2 - 5 alpha reductase enzymes   As a result, dutasteride prevents even more DHG from being produced and gives you a better chance of reversing your hair loss.  Unfortunately, there’s also a greater risk of potential side effects. So be sure to speak to your physician about that also.

I hope this helps.

Rahal Hair Transplant 

[HairEnthusiast101]

Thank you all. I was on Dut for a short period of time alongside my fin but stopped the Dut and continued the fin because my prescription ran out and the doctor wouldn’t refill. I actually put minox topical on once a day usually but I’m not incredibly consistent because once I get consistent I get big acne in my hairline. I shampoo everyday with non sulfate shampoo and then use keto 2 times a week. I’ve thought about RU but too scared to try it. I also use pumpkin seed oil in the hair some times. I’m worried my frontal third will be lost soon. I’m always stressed(just a high anxiety person) so I don’t think there is a way I can prevent being on edge really. It just seems like a thinning is happening. Like I see miniaturized hairs on those corners but no where else really

[drawdownfx]

9 minutes ago, JoDimaggio22 said:

Thank you all. I was on Dut for a short period of time alongside my fin but stopped the Dut and continued the fin because my prescription ran out and the doctor wouldn’t refill. I actually put minox topical on once a day usually but I’m not incredibly consistent because once I get consistent I get big acne in my hairline. I shampoo everyday with non sulfate shampoo and then use keto 2 times a week. I’ve thought about RU but too scared to try it. I also use pumpkin seed oil in the hair some times. I’m worried my frontal third will be lost soon. I’m always stressed(just a high anxiety person) so I don’t think there is a way I can prevent being on edge really. It just seems like a thinning is happening. Like I see miniaturized hairs on those corners but no where else really

Have you thought about oral minoxidil? No need to worry about acne and you could be a great responder to it. Won't bring your bald spots back but will thicken the remaining hairs.

[HairEnthusiast101]

5 minutes ago, drawdownfx said:

Have you thought about oral minoxidil? No need to worry about acne and you could be a great responder to it. Won't bring your bald spots back but will thicken the remaining hairs.

I have but can’t seem to get my hands on a script. Most doctors I go to aren’t familiar with it or want to prescribe it. Thanks for the advice though. I’m a little worried it gives me edema though