Extreme hair loss on Propecia and Minoxi after one year

[BaldMonkey]

I've been taking Propecia 1mg and Minoxi 5% for over a year now, and it seemed to be working. I was still experiencing a small amount of hair loss, when I brushed my hair I would lose 5-10 hair strands.

However about a month ago I missed taking the medication regularly for about 2 weeks due to travelling. I am back on now, but experiencing extreme hair loss over the last week, now when I brush my hair in the morning I lose around 50 strands. Just running my hand through my hair pulls out around 10. When I wash my hair, hair goes every where... My scalp has been very itchy, and my hair feels greasy all day even though I wash every morning.

I'm not sure what my options are now, and I'm starting to panic that I will be completely bald in a few months. I'm only 25 and my hair has always been a strong part of my identity.

Does anyone have some advice?

[balding23]

A lot of dudes have that "itch" you're talking about either if they a) have an irritation to minoxidil, or b) undergo the balding process. I personally have noticed that when I don't take my propecia I get that MPB itch/irritation on my scalp.

I'm assuming since you haven't taken your meds for over 2 weeks, this might be why you're seeing more hair loss. If I were you, I'd get back on your propecia/minoxidil combo if you can, considering that was maintaining your hair decently well.

[mattj]

I too get the itch if I miss taking Propecia for a number of days.

Did you experience shedding like this right at the beginning of the treatment?

The shedding you're experiencing now could be related to re-starting the treatment rather than a result of hairloss progressing due to the gap in usage. Minoxidil can be especially unkind to users who go through stop-start periods.
I would say it's most likely a temporary shed that you're experiencing and that you should recover soon.

Please report back and let us know how things go over the coming weeks and months. It's always helpful to hear how these tricky situations work out for other people and I'm interested in knowing if and when the shedding stops and whether you recover what you've lost. I think you'll probably come out of this alright.

[BaldMonkey]

Thanks for your replies. Its good to know its temporary. The shedding does seem to getting a bit better.

I will keep this thread posted.

Cheers!