There are no hairloss treatments.

[DepressedByHairLoss]

I've been on 1mg of Propecia for about 2 years now. I have noticed sides as well yet I continue to take it because I'm scared to death of living life as a bald man. It's helped to lessen hair loss but it hasn't completely stopped it (I still see hair on my bathroom floor although that may be because I have long hair). If Propecia was much more effective (if it regrew a substantial amount of hair), then I'd be way more tolerant of the side effects. But give it a try man, I'd take side effects any day over living life as a bald man. I dunno, ask me in 5 years again though!

[25 going on 65]

Does it help with the hairline?

Read guys saying their hairline worsens after taking this.

And will I shed?

Yes it helps with the hairline. However I believe my corner recession progressed a bit before fin stopped it, during the first 6 months or so. (Those hairs would have gone without fin anyhow, so, oh well.)
Since then though, the hairline is holding for me.
Most guys do go through an initial shed when starting hair loss treatments, including finasteride, so you probably will too. The important thing is to ride it out at least a full year before even thinking about quitting.

[yeahyeahyeah]

I understand your frustration with the current treatments as well. I will concede that finasteride does slow down hair loss to the point that I'm taking it myself. But in terms of regrowth, the options that we have out there now are utterly pathetic. I haven't seen minoxidil regrow anything other than vellous hairs and for most people, I don't think that it regrows a damn thing. To call it a hair regrowth stimulant is an absolute joke, just like I laugh when people refer to "The Big 3" as minoxidil, finasteride, and some dipshit shampoo like Nizoral. I will concede that finasteride is effective in slowing down hair loss, but the other two (minoxidil and nizoral) are really just a joke and show how pathetic our options are today for regrowing our hair. As I've said so many times before, for an issue that affects our lives so drastically and negatively (hair loss), it's really unconscionable that we have such limited options to treat it.

Have you had any sides etc etc?

How long have you been on it for and at what dosage

[DepressedByHairLoss]

I understand your frustration with the current treatments as well. I will concede that finasteride does slow down hair loss to the point that I'm taking it myself. But in terms of regrowth, the options that we have out there now are utterly pathetic. I haven't seen minoxidil regrow anything other than vellous hairs and for most people, I don't think that it regrows a damn thing. To call it a hair regrowth stimulant is an absolute joke, just like I laugh when people refer to "The Big 3" as minoxidil, finasteride, and some dipshit shampoo like Nizoral. I will concede that finasteride is effective in slowing down hair loss, but the other two (minoxidil and nizoral) are really just a joke and show how pathetic our options are today for regrowing our hair. As I've said so many times before, for an issue that affects our lives so drastically and negatively (hair loss), it's really unconscionable that we have such limited options to treat it.

[yeahyeahyeah]

I've been on it for about 21 months as well as keto shampoo (which I started at least 6 months before fin....maybe longer than that). In the beginning I did notice a slight change in ejaculatory fluid (sorry for too much info), which seemed to resolve itself pretty quickly. I'm not positive it was from finasteride, but it definitely could have been my body going through a drug adjustment period.

As for starting at .25 and working up, I think this may reduce your risk of side effects. I don't think it's necessary for most men, but I also see nothing wrong with "tapering up" this way. If it makes you feel safer than starting at 1 mg or 1.25 mg, I would say go for it.

Does it help with the hairline?

Read guys saying their hairline worsens after taking this.

And will I shed?

[yeahyeahyeah]

Open your eyes and look around while you are out and about in the real world. I could go to any high school in the country and find that well over half of the young guys attending those schools have an adult male hair line. Most of them will get worse during their lifetime, some of them won't. It is very rare for a male to keep his juvenile hair line. These who do keep their juvenile hair lines are the anomalies, not you.

Well then it is not a mature hairline, it is a slow form of MPB.

Do any of them have thinning in their vertex and/or mid-anterior?

They are NW6s.

I have one uncle who has hairloss and it has stopped. But his started when he was in his 40s.

[BaldinLikeBaldwin]

I don't know if "lucky" is the right word to describe those who don't have persistent sides...

I would say those who have are extremely unlucky though.

[worried]

Some Sides can be presistent its written on the propecia website and they can appear in less 2% of users

You are lucky if you didnt feel the sides or got away from the sides

[Tracy C]

As for starting at .25 and working up, I think this may reduce your risk of side effects. I don't think it's necessary for most men, but I also see nothing wrong with "tapering up" this way.

For what it's worth, pretty much every time I have had to go on a medication, I have gone through a taper up period before settling into the dose my doctor specified.

There are others things anyone and everyone can do to reduce their chances of experiencing negative side effects from any medication. Mainly, it is about being as healthy as you can possibly be. It is a well known medical fact that a very healthy person is less likely to experience negative side effects than a person who is not so healthy. Armed with that information, it does not hurt to spend six months or so working on becoming as healthy as you can be before starting. There are really only five simple rules you need to follow and live by to achieve that. They are: Rule #1) Get enough exercise. Rule #2) Drink plenty of water. Rule #3) Eat healthy. Rule #4) Get plenty of sleep. Rule #5) Follow these five rules at least five days a week for the rest of your life. Pretty simple really.

Having said that, it is also important to note that if a person is deathly terrified of the possible side effects of any medication, that person is far more likely to experience the possible negative side effects. The mind is funny that way.

[25 going on 65]

Would starting at .25 be wise.

How long have you been on propecia, have you had any sides?

I've been on it for about 21 months as well as keto shampoo (which I started at least 6 months before fin....maybe longer than that). In the beginning I did notice a slight change in ejaculatory fluid (sorry for too much info), which seemed to resolve itself pretty quickly. I'm not positive it was from finasteride, but it definitely could have been my body going through a drug adjustment period.

As for starting at .25 and working up, I think this may reduce your risk of side effects. I don't think it's necessary for most men, but I also see nothing wrong with "tapering up" this way. If it makes you feel safer than starting at 1 mg or 1.25 mg, I would say go for it.

[Tracy C]

And I dont know why you keep calling this a male trait, because there are so many guys like tom cruise or brad pitt that keep their juvanile hairline

Open your eyes and look around while you are out and about in the real world. I could go to any high school in the country and find that well over half of the young guys attending those schools have an adult male hair line. Most of them will get worse during their lifetime, some of them won't. It is very rare for a male to keep his juvenile hair line. These who do keep their juvenile hair lines are the anomalies, not you.

Thats the thing we dont have many high norwoods.

Do any of them have thinning in their vertex and/or mid-anterior?

[yeahyeahyeah]

I understand the frustration with current treatments. I would love to stop taking hormone medication if something newer would come out.
That said, finasteride really is a better hair loss treatment than the reputation it seems to have on these forums. When reading the scary posts about guys who got side effects, we often forget that less than 5% of all men who take this drug will experience sides over a 5-year period.
And the thing is, it works. It doesn't regrow a teenage rock star head of hair, but it can be the difference between adjusting to a new self-image every 6-12 months vs. looking the same for many years.
Let me make it clear: I want to stop taking hormone drugs. I would love for something better to come out so I could quit fin. But other than dutasteride, it's the only way to actually fight MPB right now. It's let me keep a NW2 and reverse my thinning--had I not taken it, I would have visible diffuse loss in at least a NW3v pattern right now.
And then there's Spencer, who I believe is a NW3. The dude started balding more than 2 decades ago... without treatment he would be at least a NW5 right now, probably more like a NW6.

So in closing: I agree, we need better treatments. But I'm still glad to have current ones. When it comes down to it, you want to be able to live comfortably today, not "in another 5 years."

Would starting at .25 be wise.

How long have you been on propecia, have you had any sides?

[yeahyeahyeah]

The vast majority of guys want to believe that this is a myth. It isn't a myth. This is one of those natural and normal male physical traits that differs from females like bigger hands, bigger feet, deeper voice, wider shoulders and so on.

Whether you wait to treat it or not is entirely up to you. It is your decision alone and no one can or should make it for you. You can only try to predict what will happen but you cannot know for sure what will happen. You need to look at your male relatives from both sides of your family to try to determine if it is likely to get worse or not.

Thats the thing we dont have many high norwoods.

And I dont know why you keep calling this a male trait, because there are so many guys like tom cruise or brad pitt that keep their juvanile hairline

[25 going on 65]

I understand the frustration with current treatments. I would love to stop taking hormone medication if something newer would come out.
That said, finasteride really is a better hair loss treatment than the reputation it seems to have on these forums. When reading the scary posts about guys who got side effects, we often forget that less than 5% of all men who take this drug will experience sides over a 5-year period.
And the thing is, it works. It doesn't regrow a teenage rock star head of hair, but it can be the difference between adjusting to a new self-image every 6-12 months vs. looking the same for many years.
Let me make it clear: I want to stop taking hormone drugs. I would love for something better to come out so I could quit fin. But other than dutasteride, it's the only way to actually fight MPB right now. It's let me keep a NW2 and reverse my thinning--had I not taken it, I would have visible diffuse loss in at least a NW3v pattern right now.
And then there's Spencer, who I believe is a NW3. The dude started balding more than 2 decades ago... without treatment he would be at least a NW5 right now, probably more like a NW6.

So in closing: I agree, we need better treatments. But I'm still glad to have current ones. When it comes down to it, you want to be able to live comfortably today, not "in another 5 years."

[Tracy C]

This mature hairline sounds like a myth to make guys feel better.

The vast majority of guys want to believe that this is a myth. It isn't a myth. This is one of those natural and normal male physical traits that differs from females like bigger hands, bigger feet, deeper voice, wider shoulders and so on.

Whether you wait to treat it or not is entirely up to you. It is your decision alone and no one can or should make it for you. You can only try to predict what will happen but you cannot know for sure what will happen. You need to look at your male relatives from both sides of your family to try to determine if it is likely to get worse or not.