Just started Propecia, is this normal?

[Alkafar]

Hello everyone. This is what I've been up to, hair-wise:

I'm 24. About nine months ago I noticed that my hair was looking thinner than usual. On most days I noticed some hair fall. I did some research, asked around, and was told by a hair loss specialist that there was an 85% chance it was telogen effluvium, stress-related hair loss. I had been in an extremely stressful environment, and suffered depression as well. I decided he was right and that I should ignore it.

About two months ago I went back to the specialist and pointed out that my hair is still thinning. He did some tests and concluded that it is, in fact, male pattern baldness. On my father's side, all the men go bald in their late 30s. I never knew my mother's side of the family, so I have no information from there. My hair started thinning at the crown/vertex and along the center part, although in the last few weeks I've noticed it looks a little thinner at the temples as well. It is also extremely thin in the front, between my temples and over my forehead.

On my doctor's advice, I started Propecia, cutting 5mg tablets into roughly equal quarters--that means I probably get 0.75-2mg per day, because I'm not too precise with the cutting. I've been on Propecia for about six weeks now. For the first few weeks, I noticed a decrease in the hairs I lost, though I couldn't be sure it wasn't my imagination. I don't have a reliable way to track hair fall. After about a month, I started shedding again, more intensely than before. What's happening? Did it work for a while and then stop? Is it not working at all? As I said, this is all anecdotal, as I have no way to correct for anxiety or the fact that I never notice hair fall when I'm walking around but I notice it a lot when I'm sitting at a desk or something, so I probably overestimate my loss on sedentary days.

Any advice would be fantastic.

[mcw]

i am 24 and started taking propecia when i was 22,,first 6-9 months were terrible and massive shed of hair (on/off)..around the 18th month mark things started to stabilize and i have a head full of hair now...the anxiety sucks but just push through it for now and get a short haircut

[OrdinaryUser]

i am 24 and started taking propecia when i was 22,,first 6-9 months were terrible and massive shed of hair (on/off)..around the 18th month mark things started to stabilize and i have a head full of hair now...the anxiety sucks but just push through it for now and get a short haircut

This is a relief. I've been on fin for 5 months and just have been experiencing a massive shed. Didn't help that I was thinning before I started it, either.

[stan]

i am 24 and started taking propecia when i was 22,,first 6-9 months were terrible and massive shed of hair (on/off)..around the 18th month mark things started to stabilize and i have a head full of hair now...the anxiety sucks but just push through it for now and get a short haircut

hi
what did you exactly notice at 18 month? regrowth? thickening?
and if you had any regrowth where was it and when?

thanks!!

[OrdinaryUser]

hi
what did you exactly notice at 18 month? regrowth? thickening?
and if you had any regrowth where was it and when?

thanks!!

I'd really love to know this as well!