Advice greatly needed

[BigThinker]

I've decided to stay away from Finasteride anyway. For me (and I appreciate it's different for others) the potential benefits just aren't worth the risks.

That's a perfectly fair and reasonable decision to make. I wasn't trying to sway you to it, was just trying to defuse your worries (I didn't bother to read very closely).

All the best, man.

[mattj]

Your hairline looks pretty solid. It's a good shape and the symmetry helps.

Any of the treatments, whether it's Fin, Dut or Minoxidil, work better further back on the scalp than the hairline. But the fact that you're young and your har loss has just started is in your favour as it's possible to reverse the miniaturization of those fine hairs you still have.

I hope you're a good responder!

[El Nino]

I value my intelligence a lot more than my hair. If taking Finasteride meant that some time down the line I wouldn't be able to concentrate on things properly, or solve problems to the best of my ability then there's no way I'd risk it.

Very wise decision mate.

If I would have known that Finasteride crosses the blood brain barrier and messes with all the Neurosteroids in the brain, I wouldn't have touched it either.

[WarLord]

I've decided to stay away from Finasteride anyway. For me (and I appreciate it's different for others) the potential benefits just aren't worth the risks.

The "side effects" of finasteride are greatly exaggerated. You shouldn't believe everything, what some nutcases from internet forums say. You couldn't even take aspirine then, because it has "side effects". In reality, finasteride is a very mild and safe drug. It suppresses your DHT on the level of early pubertal boys (ca. 15 ng/dl), so you don't have to be afraid that it would cause some fundamental changes in your body. DHT is important only during puberty; then it only causes baldness and prostate enlargement, so it is a worthless, vile hormone that has no important function. Its importance is emphasized only by internet nuts, who want to justify their unverifable and imaginary "side effects".

As for the choice of anti-hairloss treatments, you can't virtually miss with dutasteride. But with the sentence "I mean I'd much rather be bald than impotent" you showed your priorities.

[clandestine]

^Mate, your agenda is showing.

[mattj]

I do think that you'll find a higher proportion of negative experiences with Finasteride on the forums because:

a) if you've experienced side effects you want to talk about them and perhaps ask about alternative treatments.

b) forum posters are more aware of the side effect potential and the 'nocebo' effect is very real and is proven to increase the rate of side effects in Finasteride users.

But I don't doubt the sincerity of anybody who says that they had the effects. I don't see how anyone could call them nutcases.

[clandestine]

Because those ignorant to the experience of side effects are inherently doubtful of their (read: sides) validity.

[El Nino]

I was taking it for years thinking I had no side effects because I could get it up and didn't grow tits.

Totally unaware it was altering the chemistry of my BRAIN.

[Cob984]

Hey ElNino what do you take as an alternative to finas now?

[drybone]

Very wise decision mate.

If I would have known that Finasteride crosses the blood brain barrier and messes with all the Neurosteroids in the brain, I wouldn't have touched it either.

You keep spreading lies. There is a time for opinion, and they even put up with your trolling but just spreading outright lies should get you banned.

At some point either you put up actual proof of your nonsense or you get banned. Its not healthy for the site to have trolls going around spreading lies. Put up the actual medical evidence that finasteride 'messes' with ALL the neurosteroids in the brain , leading people who read your post to believe its somehow wrecking them.

You did not indicate 'interacting with the neurosteroids. You stated it 'messes' with them. Prove it or I will ask the site administrators to ban you.

[drybone]

I was taking it for years thinking I had no side effects because I could get it up and didn't grow tits.

Totally unaware it was altering the chemistry of my BRAIN.

You were unaware because it did nothing to your brain.

[El Nino]

Hey ElNino what do you take as an alternative to finas now?

I take nothing now and will use HTs to cover any more loss. I have already had two to fill my crown in so I have more reason than 99% of the guys on here to take Finasteride. If I go past a NW5 I will be screwed.

But I will never take that shite again.

[El Nino]

You keep spreading lies. There is a time for opinion, and they even put up with your trolling but just spreading outright lies should get you banned.

At some point either you put up actual proof of your nonsense or you get banned. Its not healthy for the site to have trolls going around spreading lies. Put up the actual medical evidence that finasteride 'messes' with ALL the neurosteroids in the brain , leading people who read your post to believe its somehow wrecking them.

You did not indicate 'interacting with the neurosteroids. You stated it 'messes' with them. Prove it or I will ask the site administrators to ban you.

Blah blah blah...

Why don't you prove that it doesn't? Why don't you really educate yourself about what you are INGESTING into your body and how it interacts with it?

I am sorry that my experience isn't positive and that it doesn't fit into what you want to read and believe on this website. However, this doesn't make my experience invalid.

It is just as valid as all the guys spouting "been on finasteride for....no side effects at all, just jump on it".

Tick tock..

[Borealis]

Feel like my hairline is getting worse whilst on Minoxidil but I never really see or feel hairs come out when I apply it so I'm not sure if I'm actually shedding, or if I'm just being paranoid. I know some people said they lost some hairs but new ones started to grow. I can see a fair few tiny hairs around my temples but I don't know if they're new ones or if they're dying ones? I have only been on minox for like 2 weeks so...

Edit, but then comparing it to my pictures on the first page it doesn't really look any different at all, so why does it feel 100x worse?

[El Nino]

Feel like my hairline is getting worse whilst on Minoxidil but I never really see or feel hairs come out when I apply it so I'm not sure if I'm actually shedding, or if I'm just being paranoid. I know some people said they lost some hairs but new ones started to grow. I can see a fair few tiny hairs around my temples but I don't know if they're new ones or if they're dying ones? I have only been on minox for like 2 weeks so...

Edit, but then comparing it to my pictures on the first page it doesn't really look any different at all, so why does it feel 100x worse?

You need patience mate as 2 weeks is absolutely nothing.

You need to give it at least 6 months before you can evaluate it. I know it's hard not scrutinising your hair every day but it will be better if you can forget about it for a while.