Thread: LOTS of Shedding after 2.5 weeks of Propecia Use -- also possible sides?

Getting ready to step out for a night on the town. Figured I'd give an update. I noticed that a lot of ppl only come on here in moments of despair so I will try to give updates at least every couple weeks.

Shedding has gone down quite a bit... I started using rogaine at the same time as I started propecia so that could be why I was shedding so much. Looking at pics before I started this treatment and looking at pics I took today, seems like I have more density in my hair, or at least the hair is thickening a bit. Sexual side effects don't really seem to be there.. All seems well. Its only been like 3.5 weeks though. The rogaine foam seems to be doing good things to my hair and since I keep my hair short there is no issues applying it. I'm hoping to thicken my hair up quite a bit over the next few months. We'll see!

Here's a picture update... I guess I was kind of denial, saying that the propecia made my hair worse at first, who am I trying to kid it was kind of starting to get bad. It seems to be getting better. I started the rogaine maybe a week before Propecia, so its been like 4.5 weeks of rogaine and 3.5 weeks of propecia.

first pic is from may 10th, the others from tonight 6/16

Originally Posted by ThisGuy

Here's a picture update... I guess I was kind of denial, saying that the propecia made my hair worse at first, who am I trying to kid it was kind of starting to get bad. It seems to be getting better. I started the rogaine maybe a week before Propecia, so its been like 4.5 weeks of rogaine and 3.5 weeks of propecia.

first pic is from may 10th, the others from tonight 6/16
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is your scalp oily/itchy?

what shampoo do you use?

Originally Posted by gutted

is your scalp oily/itchy?

what shampoo do you use?

its not really itchy. I use nizoral shampoo, only like 1-2 times a week. I've been using it for a couple of years now to control scalp buildup. I do also spray some oil sheen type stuff to keep my hair kind of shiny instead of all dry looking from the rogaine. I am part black so I have this rough / dry type of hair that needs some oil.

I started shedding really early when I started propecia like in the first two weeks. It didn't stop till around the third month and it looked to be just starting to work however I had to quit because of sides but in your case the sides don't seem to be a problem, probably in your head if anything. Let me know how the rogaine works because I'm a diffuse thinner also and am considering using it. Good luck

Originally Posted by lucrio

I started shedding really early when I started propecia like in the first two weeks. It didn't stop till around the third month and it looked to be just starting to work however I had to quit because of sides but in your case the sides don't seem to be a problem, probably in your head if anything. Let me know how the rogaine works because I'm a diffuse thinner also and am considering using it. Good luck

I'm not an expert in this but I'd say to cut it down to .5 mg per day or even .25 per day... You gotta figure taking something is going to be better than doing nothing.

Same thing with the rogaine. If you are diffuse thinning, it isn't just going to stop on its own. My advice would be to start bck on treatments asap. What do you have to lose. Reading forums about hair loss isn't going to grow it back. Take the action! What do you got to lose besides more hair that you are obviously not happy with if you are on here. I think thats most of the peoples problem. Denial. Just accept it and do what you can. If your hair is thinning and you're not showing any bald spots yet, you probably have a much better chance of making a good recovery than those with really aggressive hair loss.

Yeah, youre right. I guess the only thing holding me back from starting rogaine is the fear of the shed, but that really isn't a good reason. Would you say your shed rate is the same or less than before you started treatments meaning hair is now regrowing?

Originally Posted by lucrio

Yeah, youre right. I guess the only thing holding me back from starting rogaine is the fear of the shed, but that really isn't a good reason. Would you say your shed rate is the same or less than before you started treatments meaning hair is now regrowing?

I never noticed any shedding actually prior to starting. If I was shedding I wasn't really noticing it. I think you pay more attention to it once you start worrying about your hair. idk. Or you could not do anything and then end up going bald either way.

thought id give an update. shedding has slowed down quite a bit. takes a few pass throughs of a comb to get a hair to fall out, where as before there was 10-15 or more with each pass through. Also, I've noticed probably 75-100 new small little hairs along my hairline area sprouting inside the hairline and outside the hairline towards my juvenile hairline area. a few of them already appear to be same thickness as terminal hair.

Not as much overall hair on my head I dont think as when I started, but the hair that is all looks to be thickening and darkening up as well. Good things to come ahead.

Also, since I first made this post, I switched down to .5 mg per day. not sure how long ago that was. But the day after I first posted this thread I went to just a .5 a day and have no sides, feeling great.

such a good feeling too comb through the hair and not have a bunch of hair falling out anymore. Never really shedded before the meds, but after starting the shedding got horrifically frightening. shedding appears to have almost stopped completely over the past week.