20 y.o fin results?

[Kxb34]

Hi everyone,
I am approaching my 8th month of fin as a 20 year old. I have experienced absolutely no side effects and would like to get some opinions on my results. I feel like i am always seeing the worst case scenario and always think my hair is getting worse but when I look at photos it does seem to have improved a bit.
Please see the first photo (taken just before I started fin) and the second one (today) (both taken in similar lighting). In both I have blow dried my hair up to expose the (terrible) hairline, although my hair is a bit longer in the second one. It looks like the hair on the side of my head is growing further down my forehead?

Does it look like i have gained some density on the temple?
Thank you for any opinions

[George Pritchard]

I think you can visit a trichologist to stop this process.

[Kxb34]

Thanks for the reply. What do you mean by stop this process?

[Kxb34]

Also, in the first picture i have brushed the hair over my hairline to hide the corner

[Vuldam]

We always see ourselves in a worse light than we really are and how everyone else sees us is never the way we see ourselves, so yes you're right there.
Personally I don't think there's anything wrong with your hair, however it's how you see it and feel about it that matters ultimately. It is hard to compare like for like as both photographs are different as I'm sure you can appreciate, however to me it looks like your hair has grown in more at the temple. That aside, what I'd ask is can you "feel" a difference and by that I mean, is taking the finasteride making you feel better about yourself? It can be soul destroying losing your hair, if you feel better about yourself on the finasteride then it's money well spent, if not I'd reevaluate.
However, I've been reading lots about finasteride as I'm considering starting it and I read that it can take a couple of years to get full satisfactory results. Patience and consistency is key apparently and I also read about shedding after a certain amount of months on it, which makes some guys think it's not working and they quit.
I hope I haven't confused you more or made you feel worse

[Kxb34]

not at all bro, definitely some useful info in there. I think I experienced that shed at around 3 or 4 when my hair looked really bad. I for the last couple of months my hair has started to feel thicker and those gaps on my temple seem to be closing up.
How old are you if you dont mind me asking? and what level of hair loss are you at. I thought that being so young with MPB, fin would not help me but it seems to slowly be doing the trick.

[Vuldam]

Sounds to me as if you're on your way to getting good results, excellent! I'm almost 46, my hair is thinning all over the top, particularly just behind my hairline though. I do still have a full head of hair but I've only just realised that I am now beginning to thin over the top. I'm not sure if finasteride is going to help, I've been trying saw palmetto, rosemary oil, nizoral and a dermastamp but it's only been a few weeks on that stuff and everyday I look and think it's getting worse, evwn though I've been told. It's not.
You've given me a bit of hope about finasteride so that k you. My dad is 72 and has thicker hair than a lot of guys in their teens and twenties, I never saw this coming at all.
I heard that the younger you begin finasteride the more chance you have of it working

[Kxb34]

i mean if im 20 and probably have aggressive hair loss genes but fin seems to be starting to work for me, it should work wonders for your hair! Ive read that it works best for diffuse thinners, along with the fact you've made it to 46 with hair i'd say go for it you're, probably a great candidate. Whatever you decide, good luck!

[Vuldam]

Thank you, I really appreciate your input, particularly since you're a finasteride user. I'd say my hair is more diffuse thinning as I don't have an actual bald spot, even the part just behind my hairline does still have hair. I'm going to do it 🤞. Be patient and stick with what you're doing by the way, you're still going to have times where you won't feel as good about things but don't give up, best of luck to you too