My story (and a question about finasteride)

[Stef1234]

Hello, as many of you here I suffer from young onset MPB. I start shedding when I was 16 and by the time I was 18 (still in school) my receding hairline was quite evident.

I decided to start using minoxidil and since then I've never been off it. I'm now 25 and depending on the chart I'm either NW3 or NW4, which means that I stand decidedly at the point where one chooses to make a last ditch -heroic- effort to save his hair or that he will decide that he will be known from now on as the "bald man" (and shave the head).

Now let me explain that I haven't used propecia along with minoxidil due to the fact that no long term studies have been done to show *conclusively* what the adverse effects of finasteride may or may not be. However I always was open in using it as long as the indurstry would be close enough to the "next big thing".

In general I'd prefer if I was to use finasteride not to do so for more than half a decade (which is about the time period that its effects have been measured well). So since I'm standing in this verge let me ask, would you think that starting finasteride that late on (NW3->NW4) would make sense? And if it will, do you think that in 5 years time I would be able to be off of it only to replace it with the next "big thing"?

For the last of my questions let me clarify that I know that you -people- are not wizards of sorts to know what will happen in 5 year time, but since you're far more knowledgable to the extant research attempts you can certainly have an educated opinion better than I. If -say- by 2019 we'd have sth to replace Finasteride I'd be all starting it now to bridge the gap, but if the "replacement" comes in 2030 I would be very sceptical before starting finasteride for so long...

So -yeah- let this serve as both my introduction and my question to you guys.

Thanks for your hospitality.

[KO1]

I don't know where you got your 5 yr number from...but finasteride has been tested up to 10 years.

As to the next "Big thing". I'm not in the business of predicting baldness cures......so no comment.

[UK_]

Considering the fact that the largest player in "the next big thing" has just announced closure I wouldnt put much faith in a better treatment arriving even in the first half of this century.

[KO1]

Moral of the story. Choose the best treatment NOW. Don't wait for unicorns to hatch. Your hair may well be gone by then.

[Stef1234]

I don't know where you got your 5 yr number from...but finasteride has been tested up to 10 years.

As to the next "Big thing". I'm not in the business of predicting baldness cures......so no comment.

The 5 years figure comes from my backround in research science. Most researches have viable (very trustworthy results) in 5 year cycles. Since Finasteride is no more than 20 years on the forefront, by definition not many 10-year studies have the capacity to have taken place therefore their results are less viable. In general when it comes to playing with my hormonal levels I'm trying to be as conservative as possible even if it means losing my hair.

So the best I can do is use fin 5 years tops according to the information I've gathered thus far. I understand that other guys can be a bit more aggresive at combating hairloss, but that's the best I can do I'm afraid.

As for cure, I think I know the answer, it won't come in our lifetimes. But it's not cure that I expect but rather something to replace fin in a 5 year timeframe. Anyway so you're telling me that I should start fin for the next 5 years and then what? I'm sure to stop it and if nothing is on the horizon it will mean that I'll lose more than if I hadn't started it, that's why I keep it as the last minute thing.

I can wait a bit more, but no more than 18 months, by then I'd have to have an answer (I'd be solid NW4 by then).

[x4342]

Yeah, this is a common question and you received good answers. Trust me, I've been there and the worst thing you can do is to allow speculation to influence your decision to act.

Spencer likes to say that you need to act and live as if there is nothing coming. It's absolutely excellent advice. Absolutely nobody knows what the future holds. There may indeed be something incredible available in the near future. Or, nothing may happen any time soon. The worst thing you can do is allow speculation to prevent you from just making decisions based upon what you have. Make your decisions with the attitude that this is all you will ever have.


Countless people have let their hair go because they were SURE something would be available by 2007. It's a bad hair decision and a bad life decision. Hope for the best, but plan for the worst.

[Stef1234]

Yeah, this is a common question and you received good answers. Trust me, I've been there and the worst thing you can do is to allow speculation to influence your decision to act.

Spencer likes to say that you need to act and live as if there is nothing coming. It's absolutely excellent advice. Absolutely nobody knows what the future holds. There may indeed be something incredible available in the near future. Or, nothing may happen any time soon. The worst thing you can do is allow speculation to prevent you from just making decisions based upon what you have. Make your decisions with the attitude that this is all you will ever have.


Countless people have let their hair go because they were SURE something would be available by 2007. It's a bad hair decision and a bad life decision. Hope for the best, but plan for the worst.

I understand and I agree, but that's not what I'm asking (a prediction), but rather an educated opinion. For example I cannot predict who the winner would be in sport event but if I know the history of the clubs in question I can make a educated guess based on evidence.

What I gather is that you know on this subject as little as I do so you cannot make even that. Unfortunately the current medication is rather poor. Basically just minoxidil, as finasteride is not a viable long term solution and a transplant is too expensive to most under 30s (and by then I would have too little hair to have a transplant make sense).

I'm already on minoxidil, so I think there's little I can do more. Thanks for the info, that's what I was looking for.

[x4342]

I understand and I agree, but that's not what I'm asking (a prediction), but rather an educated opinion. For example I cannot predict who the winner would be in sport event but if I know the history of the clubs in question I can make a educated guess based on evidence.

What I gather is that you know on this subject as little as I do so you cannot make even that. Unfortunately the current medication is rather poor. Basically just minoxidil, as finasteride is not a viable long term solution and a transplant is too expensive to most under 30s (and by then I would have too little hair to have a transplant make sense).

I'm already on minoxidil, so I think there's little I can do more. Thanks for the info, that's what I was looking for.

Oh yeah I totally understand. Sometimes people go overboard and say "everything is speculation!" And I agree that is silly. Not all speculation is equal. It's entirely possible to speculate intelligently rather than making wildly optimistic (any day now!) or pessimistic (nothing in the next 30 years!) claims.
If you are not interested in finasteride, you could look into acell+prp injections. They will be costly but they can reverse some miniaturization. If that was done yearly it could potentially keep you even, provided your hair loss is not extremely aggressive. The issue here is the cost. But if you can afford it, it is something I would look into.

[KO1]

The 5 years figure comes from my backround in research science. Most researches have viable (very trustworthy results) in 5 year cycles. Since Finasteride is no more than 20 years on the forefront, by definition not many 10-year studies have the capacity to have taken place therefore their results are less viable. In general when it comes to playing with my hormonal levels I'm trying to be as conservative as possible even if it means losing my hair.

So the best I can do is use fin 5 years tops according to the information I've gathered thus far. I understand that other guys can be a bit more aggresive at combating hairloss, but that's the best I can do I'm afraid.

As for cure, I think I know the answer, it won't come in our lifetimes. But it's not cure that I expect but rather something to replace fin in a 5 year timeframe. Anyway so you're telling me that I should start fin for the next 5 years and then what? I'm sure to stop it and if nothing is on the horizon it will mean that I'll lose more than if I hadn't started it, that's why I keep it as the last minute thing.

I can wait a bit more, but no more than 18 months, by then I'd have to have an answer (I'd be solid NW4 by then).

If you know you are going to stop taking fin, you should not start. That's it. If you take fin, it is a lifetime commitment. Even if other treatments come out, it's not obvious to me that they will replace fin.

[Stef1234]

If you know you are going to stop taking fin, you should not start. That's it. If you take fin, it is a lifetime commitment. Even if other treatments come out, it's not obvious to me that they will replace fin.

It's not a lifetime commitment if something replaces it. But you're right there's not a trustworthy way to know either way (at least from the uncertainty which exists in this forums that is what I gather).

Indeed I will not start fin, thanks.