4 ways to tell Finasteride is working for hair loss

[@MedicalSchoolJourney]

Consultation: hair-restoration-consultation.com/

[@anthonym9130]

Great as always. Video on how to approach transplant to the crown would be great especially when it makes sense to do it.

[@MedicalSchoolJourney]

That's a great topic.

[@inglesconmatt]

Thanks for all your content. It's really helpful!

[@MedicalSchoolJourney]

Thank you so much!

[@espada9noveno]

17 months on finasteride for me and 2 year on topical minoxidil and my hairs are worse than 1 year ago. Its not working for me, i am 27 and my hairloss is not that agressive, but its here i lose hair, little by little...

[@aswindahal1001]

yeah same. are you on topical finasteride ?

[@tatleman5314]

It might be that the cause of your hairloss is caused by something else.

[@MedicalSchoolJourney]

I would try changing manufacturer. Propecia, Accord, Proscar are good.

[@MisterPete3]

​@@MedicalSchoolJourneywhy does the brand matter?

[@MedicalSchoolJourney]

It does, many generic tend to be less effective (different raw materials/API, less capitol and GMP governed manufacture in some sites etc.). This effects the quality of the product, and ultimately produces a different product to the brand. Although chemically similar.

[@danceswithcomicbooks7733]

Doesn't DHT naturally decrease with age by the 40s and 50s?

[@MedicalSchoolJourney]

It does indeed.

[@Charly_dvorak]

Which study says so?

[@danceswithcomicbooks7733]

@@Charly_dvorak Lors of studies. Google it. Testosterone decreases with age. Its a fact of life.

[@bobdunne3851]

So does ur testosterone levels , which also causes hair loss!!

[@Charly_dvorak]

@@bobdunne3851 Testosterone by itself doesn't cause hair loss But the more you have it the more likely it is to be converted into DHT

[@joshuabensusan2541]

Does this drug affect male fertility?

[@MedicalSchoolJourney]

It does not :)

[@user-rm8by9fm]

is manual reliable? If I split the 1 mg film coated tabs does that affect efficacy

[@MedicalSchoolJourney]

You'll be fine to split, but Accord finasteride I would go for.

[@user-rm8by9fm]

@TheHairChemist My beard took a hit so I know the drug is working lol

[@hmdwn]

Difficult to believe this fella EVER experienced MPB... he just has the great hair gene!

[@MedicalSchoolJourney]

It's been a battle believe me! I just kept on top of filling in lost ground. Thanks!

[@mongo7187]

Im 1month on finasteride (1mg daily) and Topical Minoxidil and microneedling now with no side Effects. But my hairline didnt get better for now. How long does it take?

[@Ehmaddxb]

For the best result you would see is after 6 months to a year.

[@mongo7187]

@ thanks for the response man. I also think im shedding since week 3 because of finasteride. Is that a good sign?

[@Ehmaddxb]

@@mongo7187 That’s a good sign showing you the Finasteride is working. It will get better. Trust the process.

[@mongo7187]

@@Ehmaddxb I will, thanks!

[@MedicalSchoolJourney]

Yeah find it 6 months and it'll start looking better. But it should have more hooks at the roots by month 4.

[@lonelyswing7539]

Is Ascend or Aurobindo brand for finasteride a reliable source?

[@MedicalSchoolJourney]

Try Propecia or Proscar or Accord

[@dasitmane7590]

Hello Killian, cool to hear of someone explicitly saying they didnt experience loss of semen volume on fin/dut. How about loss of libido on fin/dut?

[@Yami_Spirit]

I didn't either. It's only less than 1% of people who do. It is real, but it is very rare and those who experience it are just very unfortunate.

[@MedicalSchoolJourney]

​@@Yami_Spirit Dutasteride absolutely, couldn't shoot and had miserable steam of piss on the drug.

[@rexneedsoxygen7140]

im shedding so much less than before finasteride now after 14 months on it, but still shedding thin hairs, even though hair got a bit better with even a bit of hairline regrowth. this worries me, is this not normal?

[@MedicalSchoolJourney]

It is a sign of progress loss. Unfortunately it is case dependent and I too notice this

[@rexneedsoxygen7140]

@TheHairChemist how can it be progress loss if my hair keeps getting better and the shedding is minimal compared to before?

[@aaronc4082]

Hi Killian, what do you think actually makes a cosmetic difference in treating retrograde alopecia (specifically loss on the sides of the head around the ears)? Would oral minoxidil actually help make a difference that is cosmetically significant? If so, at what dose? I am currently on 0.5mg dutasteride daily.

[@MedicalSchoolJourney]

Definitely combination therapy or stall oral minoxidil and oral finasteride will help. But, ultimately grafting is required to fix the issue. I had retrograde pattern loss, and grafted the areas repeatedly. The medicine routine absolutely reserved it in some areas.

[@aaronc4082]

@@MedicalSchoolJourney So reversal is possible, but one should temper their expectations? I guess I'll give the oral minoxidil a shot and see what comes of it.

[@MedicalSchoolJourney]

Exactly, well said!

[@perryjames2260]

I'm on brand name Propecia for 10 years, you indicated 10 to 30 hairs in the shower, does this include shampooing twice eod? Im losing 60-100 every 2 days after shampooing. My DHT level is at 13 ng/dl on Propecia vs 45 off. Does this mean Propecia isnt working any more? I was on Propecia for 10 years prior, then went on Avodart (dutasteride) for 3 years, but had the same effects you experienced, "better results, but something wasn't right " watery semen, less volume, less strength in orgasm and sensitivity. As you indicated, id hate to go back on dutasteride. But my concern is that my 5ar isn’t working, even know my level is down to 13 on Propecia vs 45 off. Keep up the content, its one of the best out there. And lastly, your thoughts on the 6 day Propecia and 1 day Avodart protocol thats mentioned alot.

[@danishshaheen5973]

Was hair loss stabilized for those years on propecia? Thank you so much ❤

[@MedicalSchoolJourney]

After about 5 years a drop is usually noticed. Unfortunately, once AGA is present the drug can only buy so much time and genetics will win eventually. Hair will never ultimately maintain in a linear fashion on finasteride. Throwing in dutasteride does help, but now you are blocking all 3 isoenzymes, which is unwise. There is also the likelihood of dropping dutasteride once weekly at some point - you will go through a massive shed after 5 months when the API is eliminated. Stick with the finasteride, and explore other options such as oral minoxidil, neofollics supporting tablets etc. Ultimately, it may be time for surgery if the follicles anagen phases in the dermal papilae are at advanced stages.

[@perryjames2260]

Thanks for the reply. At 57, I'm a little worried about the oral minoxidil, but realize how effective it is. Wish there was more data on long term possible sides as well as potential facial aging. Don't know if that's all BS, but topical didn't work well for me 20 years ago, other than headaches and puffy eyes. I'm in great shape and have family members with heart issues. I'll look into the suggested tablet, I've not heard of them

[@perryjames2260]

​@danishshaheen5973 yes, Propecia worked excellent for the first 5 years, but I'm slowly losing ground.

[@MedicalSchoolJourney]

Oral minoxidil can also be useful for lowering blood pressure/reduced risk of stroke. I know several doctors who take it who would be above 60. They take it for these benefits, rather than as a cosmetic benefit.

[@bustyfireworks4505]

Did finastride make your semen watery and less in volume. Meaning really less in volume. Is that normal ? My doc suggested to not take it for 2 weeks and get a semen analysis done.

[@MedicalSchoolJourney]

I didn't experience this, but I've spoken with multiple people who have noticed this. Makes total sense, and is probably more common and goes unreported.

[@bustyfireworks4505]

Should I push through it ? Or just do what he says. Because I wanna get back on it , hair already looks good sorta. And I am taking oral min 2.5 mg.

[@MedicalSchoolJourney]

Go with the docs advice, it's only two weeks off :)

[@vipGamerONE]

Thanks bro you are Awesome 🤩👍🏻🌹

[@MedicalSchoolJourney]

My pleasure!

[@BenBarlow-fl4in]

Ive tried multiple doses of fin 2mg up to 0.25mg just to see how i react because i was sick of the fear mongering, probably jot the best idea to fluctuate dosage. Ive been doing this for 2 weeks and plan on stopping because i want to get bloodwork and sperm frozen before i hop on it forever. I seem to be fine even though im overweight and have unhealthy habits. My question is, is this a good sign i tolerate the drug well, or could something major happen later down the line?

[@MedicalSchoolJourney]

Nothing major will happen. No need to get blood or freeze sperm. Come off the drug for a few months when conceiving.

[@Nathan47223]

Hey Cillian, what is your take on the potential EU ban for finasteride? Do you think it's the likely outcome? And what would be your plan if it did get banned?

[@MedicalSchoolJourney]

What an aesthetic profile pic you have! Finasteride will not be banned, but will likely feature an action from review, which will be a change to labeling/prescribing. The back up plan would have to be dutasteride, unfortunately.

[@Zbyszek-xp2om]

Both drugs finasteride and dutasteride can get banned soon unfortunately

[@MedicalSchoolJourney]

​@@Zbyszek-xp2omvery unlikely. It may feature an action from review. This could be a change to labeling or stricter prescribing. The review may also yield no action if there is no supporting data.

[@jacksonkeller2522]

I started topical fin/min about 6 months ago and made the switch to oral fin and min about 3 months ago and have been shedding like crazy. Is it normally to consistently shed throughout the first 3-6 months?

[@MedicalSchoolJourney]

Because of the switch, there would be a change in API. This could likely cause a prolonged shed period. What is the manufacturer?

[@jacksonkeller2522]

@ I used Aurobindo for the first 3 months then had to switch to Camber which I started a few weeks ago.

[@MedicalSchoolJourney]

​@@jacksonkeller2522switching manufacturer can prompt effluvium due to a new API.

[@floatingcolors5964]

i am 3 + years on fin and still loosing a mofo amount of hair daily but overall hair gehts better... so for me, that theory of only loosing some more hairs on fin in the beginning is a myth 🤷

[@danceswithcomicbooks7733]

Hair is naturally pushed out by new hairs. Are you actually getting balder?

[@floatingcolors5964]

@danceswithcomicbooks7733 no, ...it steady gets better

[@danceswithcomicbooks7733]

@@floatingcolors5964 ok. That means you are doing good. Are you taking minoxidil as well?

[@floatingcolors5964]

@@danceswithcomicbooks7733 yes

[@MedicalSchoolJourney]

What manufacturer are you using?

[@kh-wg9bt]

I've always checked and the majority of the hairs I lose are long. I'm also a"diffuse thinner" and have a full crown. Always wondered if I've got telegen effluvium or some other kind of hairloss that MPB. Either way finasteride has reduced hair shed a lot in the past month since starting.

[@MedicalSchoolJourney]

If they are long that is a good sign - your anagen phases are uniformly healthy and not miniaturized by DHT.

[@kaya051285]

I'm super lucky and seem to be a good responder, and i use some cheap generic stuff just 1mg three times pw Almost 39 years old and have majoirty of my hair Close to zero hairs in the shower/sink/pillow The only hairs im losing are the white ones I pluck out on purpose aim to pluck 10-20 out each morning to limit the whites Gona havs to stop that 😂 as if i keep it up 30% of the hairs on my head will be falling out thanks to the tweezers. Wish there was a way to stop/slow greying too Havent lost any hair last two years but noticeably more whites

[@MedicalSchoolJourney]

🥳🎉

[@BARON.SAMEDI.]

You are now ?!? 😮 Is that a joke? Your appearance with that much grey hair makes you look like someone in his late 30's ...

[@MedicalSchoolJourney]

Massive onset of graying in the last 3 years. Give it another 3 and I'll be fully silver.

[@TheMatrixgod]

@@MedicalSchoolJourney what do you think of henna dye for coloring greys?

[@AKUMA-gd8xq]

Finasteride changed my life for the better. I have been on the drug for 6 months now and the improvement has been out of this world. My hair got darker and darker over the last months and a few of my friends accused me of getting a second HT, which is crazy. I am looking forward to the next 6 months. Are you on Finasteride or Dutasteride? I already have a possibility to get Dutasteride, just in case Finasteride is not working, but that was only my back up plan. Maybe I implement it when i get another HT in the future to get some extra DHT - Suppression. Greetings, thanks for your high quality content!

[@MedicalSchoolJourney]

Great to hear! I'm on finasteride only. Indeed it does darken hair as the effects of miniaturization are reserved. The melanocytes can truly flourish.