Endless shedding with oral finasteride -> dustasteride + minox

[Nicolas]

Hello guy,

 

I'm Nicolas 30yo.

I started noticing hair losses when I was 18yo.

1. 08/2022 I started finasteride (propecia), and after only few weeks I noticed my hair loss stoped (quick positive result)
2. 10/2022 I started oral minox 1mg and a shedding came but 2 months after (which was a good sign)
3. 02/2023 I started 2.5mg oral minox (because no side effect) and my initial shedding accelerated. After 1 month and half shedding stopped and I had some small regrow (not huge results, only few results, but was only after 2 months).
4. 05/2023 I started 5mg oral minox (I shifted every day from a minox lab to another one) + I changed finasteride brand (from Propecia to Biogaran, less expansive).
5. After 2 month I noticed that I was still shedding like 30 hairs in my hands when I was washing my hair and put gel in the morning.
6. 07/2023 Because of this I started to come back to the initial minox (5mg) lab + Propecia which worked good at the beginning of the year
7. 08/2023 after one month and half I was stills sedding 30 hairs so I decided to start dutasteride thinking that propecia wasn't enough anymore

 

We are pratically 2 months after dutasteride starting + minox 5mg and I'm still shedding, even more, like 40-70 every morning and evening.

I would like to know if it's normal to have a higher shedding and still after 2 months of dutasteride ?

 

thank you in advance guy and hope my message is clear,

[Gatsby]

I think it's best to judge results after a longer time frame. I totally understand the anxiety of shedding, etc. Also I would consider starting first with one drug (eg Propecia) and staying on that for a good six -12 months alone and see how that works. Then you could add oral minoxidil and do the same. Jumping from one drug to another or adding another drug early on won't allow you to know what drug is doing what. Also many say that switching from brand name to generic can change the efficacy. Patience in all things hair restoration is key.

[A Fue Good Men]

You’re switching your meds and dosages wayyy too much and that’s probably what’s inducing these sheds. Stick to a regimen for at least 6 months to a year. Shedding is normal especially on minoxidil. Take pics every 3 months and assess.

[Tiger2050]

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Edited October 4, 2023 by Tiger2050

[Nicolas]

thank you guys for your answers,

I will keep going with duasteride and minox 5mg for at leats 6months 😃

[jim1973]

On 10/4/2023 at 2:18 PM, Nicolas said:

thank you guys for your answers,

I will keep going with duasteride and minox 5mg for at leats 6months 😃

I was in a similar situation as you.  I had been on topical Min and oral Fin for about 7-8 years and although no regrowth, it stabilized and I wasn't losing any hair.  At one point (after Covid, so thinking there is a link), I began to shed and never stopped.  I switched to oral Dut and oral Min, which I'm on now (.5mg/Dut/day and 5mg/oral Min/day) and have been taking both for roughly 1 year.  Unfortunately I'm still shedding hair daily.  The oral Min works because my body hair is stronger where I have hair - arms, legs.  But I'm not seeing good results on my scalp because the oral Dutasteride isn't keeping existing hair in place and I'm still losing daily with no good progress made over the last year.  Now I'm considering either 1.) switching oral meds from generic to brand name (Avodart or Finasteride) or 2.) switching meds from oral to topical.  I share my experience because I'm going through the same thing and am not sure what my next best option would be.  

[LaserCaps]

There surely are great misconceptions about what true hair loss really is.  There are two types. The type you can see and the type you can't see at all.  What you do see in the sink, shower stall, brush, is normal.  We refer to it as shedding.  The follicle gets tired of producing hair and goes into a dormant period of 3-4 months.  The hair then resumes growing.  This will happen randomly to all the hair in your had and not all at the same time.  100 hairs a day is considered normal.  Hair loss is different.  You don't see it.

Under a bright light start by looking at the hair in your temporal areas.  Look at each strand and pay attention to the caliber of the hair.  Some thick and some much finer.  This is the miniaturization process.  Eventually the hair dissipates and disappears.  Once gone, the hair will not return.  

Nothing regrows hair.  Something is not going to come from nothing.  If and when you see a visual change, it's enhancement of miniaturized hairs.  It looks like regrowth but it isn't.  

Propecia and Rogaine are considered to be the best meds for retention the crown.  They do work in different ways and there's synergism when combined.  The problem is a year later when most see no visual change - not understanding - the meds are not intended for you to grow anything.  They're to keep you from losing more.  If you look the same a year later, the meds did what they were intended to do.  Research PRP and Laser.  When done correctly, these can help reverse miniaturization.

From time to time we hear of patients who do experience enhancement.  If so, they'd be classified as positive responders.  When this happens it's imperative they continue with the regimen.  Similarly, a very small percentage do not respond.  If that's the case, stop the meds and invest the money elsewhere. 

Edited October 12, 2023 by LaserCaps