My Finasteride Journey

[beyondthet]

Hi all,

I am 21 years old and just beginning my finasteride journey to try and treat my hair loss. My intention of joining the baldtruthtalk forum is simple (and rather selfish, I must admit); I intend to document and share my progress in this thread just so I have somewhere to talk about it firstly, but also for all those interested or curious about fin, particularly other lads experiencing hair loss at such a young age, and when I feel like I have achieved the results I have wanted (or lack thereof), I will part ways with the forum - I don't intend to linger around much longer than I need to and I am sure people can understand that.

Thus far, I am on day 5 of my regimen, but the way this will work is I will check in the thread at my own convenience with updates on my progress and whatever random sh*t I feel like talking about and I will probably lose track of the days. So, if anyone else finds it necessary to know how many days I am on, they can always find out by calculating the number of days from my last post to my initial post (including 5 days extra on top) but I honestly can't be asked and will just continue to update the thread at my own convenience irrespective of the actual days I have done. I want to keep this as informal as possible and have fun with it, I don't want to treat the whole process so religiously as that would feel like more of a chore than an adventure. Also, feel free to ask me all your questions, I promise I won't bite and obviously I will post pictures. In fact, just to put this out there, I am still a newb and not well versed with some of the different terminologies and stuff, I am more into gauging the quality of my hair visually than reading a textbook of terminologies, but I am willing to learn and educate myself more during my journey. So, please correct me if necessary.

My regimen:
- Finasteride: 1mg/day
- Minoxidil Liquid 5%: 2×/day
- Nizoral: 4×/3-4week, then 2×/week

[beyondthet]

So this is how my hair looked like before I decided to cut it short. As you can see, I was pretty much losing all of it on top (diffuse thinning I think?), The overall thickness and density sucked and it was just taking forever to grow in the parts where it was still growing. Just before, I started taking fin, I decided you know what? Let me just cut it short. At first I was super scared because I didn't know how bad my hairline would look. But it turned out to look okay I guess. It doesn't look to be receding much from what I can tell. So I was quite pleased with that. However, you can clearly notice the balding and lack of density on top, even when I cut it short. So yeah, that's where I am currently starting at right now. I am probably just going to keep it short from now on. I just hope finasteride can regrow my hair and bald spots.

[beyondthet]

Hi guys,

Just checking in after a week (or 8 days to be exact). Nothing much to report on really. Which makes sense because others have mentioned on the forum that it takes a year for fin to come into full effect. I still got a long way to go but the way I see it is, I am just glad to be a part of this process sooner rather than later and it really is a process' that's why I titled this thread 'my finasteride journey.' Sure, I could have started fin much earlier, I probably would have had a cool haircut but that's history. Realistically I don't know what to expect from fin but if I can maintain what I got, I would be happy because my hairline is not completely straight but it's not devastatingly bad either (NW2 I think). If I can maintain what I got from the regimen and use hair fibers, I think it would be a good enough look to get by in my day to day life. I am not really a big fan of hair transplants so I am not even considering one. I guess I will if my hairline recedes though. But yeah. Now I can checkout again.

Cheerio

[Diffuse33]

It does look much better short. Being a young guy hopefully you'll be able to achieve some good results from the combination of fin and minoxidil. All the best.

[beyondthet]

It does look much better short. Being a young guy hopefully you'll be able to achieve some good results from the combination of fin and minoxidil. All the best.

Thank you for passing by. I appreciate it.

[beyondthet]

Hi all,

So I am back with pretty much the same. I am following my routine carefully but there is nothing much to report really. But overall I am happy, I am happy that I started the big 3 as a preventative measure sooner rather than later while I still have some hair on my head. Although, right now I don't see any benefits as far as regrowth, I can certainly imagine that it is pretty much maintaining what I have already got. Though I'm not too sure because I don't really dwell on it anymore. You know, it's strange. I have pretty much not even been thinking of my hairloss recently, I have become comfortable with it and that's why I haven't bothered to report back to the forum as much as I would like to. Short hair is not my dream, I would much rather prefer to have my longer, lushious locks back, but it isn't so bad either. I mean, at least I'm not completely bald. But with that said, a part of me does want to get a hair transplant so that I can have the feeling of having my hair back. I know, previously I bashed hair transplants because I didn't find them all that appealing due to all the complications and in my view, the obvious lack of density, but I have changed my mind quite a lot as I come to think about these things more, and the fact that I have already took the leap and decision to take fin. So why not go a step further and get a hair transplant? I know what you are thinking, "ohh I thought you were comfortable with your hairloss then, so why do you want to risk getting a hair transplant?" Yeah, I guess that's one way of looking at it. The way I look at it though is, I don't need a hair transplant, I want a hair transplant. I think it will complement and add to my look that's all, just how I imagine going to the gym and working on my body will complement my look. But anyway, if I were to go through with the hair transplant, I would be as realistic about it as possible. I won't be looking to get a hair transplant in a year or two. More like 5-6 years with my continued use of fin. I hope then, perhaps my hairloss would stabilise (say about when I am 26yrs old) and hopefully then it would be somewhat of a successful job. Yeahhh, I know what some of you are thinking, I don't even have plans for the next two years let alone the next five, and I understand that. However, me personally, I am looking at things more in the long run now. That's why I post so infrequently, I can't be bothered with posting pictures and updates after 2-3 weeks of use when we all know fin takes much longer than that to work. And most importantly I don't stress over this anymore. I just let it be and it doesn't affect my life or social life whatsoever. So yeah.

[beyondthet]

Oh and obviously, the 5-6 year idea is also good for me because it allows enough time for a better alternative to hair transplants to come out, ALTHOUGH I AM NOT HOLDING MY BREATH ON IT, it is still within the realm of possibility. I really am not too concerned about the whole ordeal, actually I am quite looking forward to how my future will pan out. Call me crazy but hairloss is the last thing on my mind right now as a young man. Although, it is something that I would like to revisit at a later date and OVERCOME it. I see it as a battle. One that, I don't really mind losing, but I will play my hand to win. That's for sure.

[Northface32]

Your hair looks good short and you have a great hairline, goodluck with your regimen and stick with it and I gurantee you will see some good results. Keep us posted!

[beyondthet]

@Northface32 Thank you so much! I will definitely keep everyone updated!

[beyondthet]

Hi all,

Just a random check in. I am starting to shed hair now. Even with my short haircut, I have begun noticing that when I run my hands through it. More than a dozen hairs roll out. I'm not too concerned about it as my hair is noticeably short and thin anyway. I am just going to stick out the treatment for at least a year and see how it goes. Something I just noticed, my hair seems to be thinning everywhere, including my back and sides. I believe I have DUPA and this could affect the results of not only my finasteride journey, as it is known that DUPA patients don't react too well to treatments, but also my results if I were to get a hair transplant. It is shocking because I am only 21 and I feel like I am way too young for all this in my life right now. I am hoping for the best without getting too overly concerned about my hair loss but I can't deny that it is impacting my life negatively right now knowing that I may never be able to get a transplant even if I wanted one. Ahh.. I don't know what I am doing anymore. I just need some time to think through what I'm going to do for the long term because the future looks not so bright right now, but I am sure someone with as much passion and drive for life such as myself can find a way to make it all work out. I am unsatisfied with my looks, but it is personal, I never let that affect my social life. Although, I am single right now, I get a lot of "but you're a good guy and I know you will find someone good" (got that yesterday actually while trying to get into a new relationship) and I know what you all are thinking, that's basically a figurative way for women to tell me to go f*** myself and that's fine, I know that. But I don't care. The way I see it is, I am working on it, I'm trying for it, at least I have not given up hope. The way I see it is, I just have to fix some of my flaws and everyone has flaws. Let's be positive and keep going.

[Diffuse33]

Hello, yes definitively stick with the fin & min no matter how bad your shedding gets (it could last up to two months). When it stops you should get some regrowth pretty soon, by then the fin should also hopefully begin to take effect. You're young, and with your diffuse pattern of hair loss, hopefully you'll be in for some decent regrowth, stay positive!

[beyondthet]

Thank you @Diffuse33. Yes, the only thing that keeps me more motivated than ever is the fact that I am still young but I won't be young forever so I need to do something about this now. As mentioned, because of my dupa I don't think I can even get a HT if things don't work out. Which, to be honest I'm actually glad it's not an option as I never quite liked the idea of a HT anyway because I would not like to pay huge reoccurring fees for sub-optimal results. I really don't like the look and denseness that a HT produces. I think it's better suited for more mature looking hair, but definitely not young, thick, lush results. Perhaps I am being a little too wishful with my thinking, but I really hope I had good hair sometimes, it hasn't effected my confidence and socialness, but sometimes when I get rejected, I often wonder if it's because of my hair or my face and what I can do to fix that. I'm not about hiding under a rock and disappearing, I know I got problems and I am trying to fix them and I know I will. I just haven't found the solution yet.

[beyondthet]

More on Dupa, I actually never knew I had Dupa until my barber mentioned that I can't get a low-fade because my sides are patchy and not full enough and that he can do it but it just wouldn't look good and that a high fade zero or one would suit me better. So I agreed with him and went with the high zero. Later when my hair grew back, I looked at myself later in the mirror and was like ohh shit, I legit never noticed how even my sides and back are also effected by my baldness. Now that I think of it, they have always been really patchy (well ever since my hair started thinning that is) and have never grew as thick and full as other people I noticed on the street. It's interesting because Dupa patients often have it the worst, as they essentially go bald on their entire scalp. My family also have a history of really thin or bald hair (everyone in my family from all I know) but when I was younger I did have super thick hair that just seemed to thin out when I was about 13 years old and now, it's just been getting worse. It's just interesting how I will overcome this battle. I don't have the answers yet but I am willing to ride out this journey and see where it goes. I have a feeling things will get better, exactly when, I don't know but I'm not trying to think about it too much right now.

[beyondthet]

Testicular ache. This morning and throughout the day I noticed an ache in my.. well my testicles. The pain wasn't so bad — it wasn't like someone was tugging away at my sack nor was it unbearable to go by my day to day activities. However, I started to question whether it would have an effect on me long term because obviously some changes were taking place in my body and more specifically my sperm. Thinking of that is what really scares me. For now, I have dropped the Finasteride and will see what I decide to do in the next couple of days. I also have been noticing watery sperm over the past couple of days, but no changes to my libido or sex drive. Just really watery semen. So yeah, I think for now it's time to hang it up and listen to my body and mind and see what I decide to do in the next few days. Again, the sides were not unbearable but could potentially develop into something more severe so that's what is compelling me to stop right now.

[DJR71]

Get off Fin right away. I had the same problem and I only did it for a month. Felt like the blood flow to my testicles was cut off. It only got worse. When I finally threw them away it took around 45 days to get my libido back. I use minoxidil and it seems to work great for me.