Questions about using finasteride as a preventive mesure?

[MercuryMorrison]

Hello everyone, I've got a few questions regarding finasteride.

Let me start by saying that I am a 24 year old male with what l would called a Norwood 2 hairline, maybe a Norwood 1.5 hairline. Either way I don't think I have MPB as my hair is still thick enough and the same density all over and I don't have any excessive shedding or anything like that. MPB is kind of a 50/50 thing in my family...Some men in my family have lived and died with full heads of hair, whilst others lost it...So its hard for me to say excatly what the future holds for my hair...My father whome is 45 years old is still a comfortable Norwood 2 and I do take after him alot.

But anyway, I've been considering starting finasteride as a ''preventitive'' mesure. Ideally I would like to keep my hair essentially as it is right now throughout the rest of my 20's and all of my 30's. In order to ensure that I maintain my hair as long as possible I've been thinking about using Finasteride and/or minoxidil, but I have a few concerns.

First and formost...How many people actually experience serious side effects on Fin? I've heard some horror stories about the Fin side effects which make feel really iffy about trying it, but then I've also heard quite a few people say that side effects are generally only seen in like 5% or less of men who take fin?

Secondly, can taking fin cause your hair to get thinner? Because my hair doesn't really shed alot right now I am afraid of taking Fin and causing my hair to thin out. Its one thing if my hair starts get thinner threw genetics, but I certianly don't want to induce hair thinning myself by taking something that might cause it. From what I understand there's a chance that taking Fin will cause you to shed alot for the first few months, but eventaully your hair should thicken back up to its original state? If anyone can clarify here it would be greatly appricated.

I guess that's all I have for now...If anyone has any input on the subject it would be greatly appricated.

[Dan26]

Hey bro, I don't want to overload you with information/suggestions, but here I go anyways!

1) Don't waste your time and money on Rogaine.

2) I wouldn't take fin as a preventative measure personally. You should know for sure beforehand if you are actually experiencing MPB. Taking a genetic hair loss test may be a good idea for you though (http://www.hairdx.com/en-us/GeneticTestMale.aspx) <--- Here is some useful info about how it could help you.

4) Adverse sides are a serious concern. You're going to get a MASSIVE variations of opinions on this. Some people will say it is all internet fear mongering and cite the &#37;'s in the clinical trials. Others will tell you they experienced sides and touching fin would be the biggest mistake of your life. The truth lies somewhere in between.

5) Some people will tell you simply to go see your doctor and talk about it with them. While this is an essential step, understand that your doctor has a very general knowledge of hair loss, and in a lot of cases can misguide/misdirect you. It is important to do your own research.

Information you search through online can be overwhelming. If I could leave with you one important piece of information if finasteride is the route you chose, it would be this.

1) Make sure you have a full panel bloodtest including hormones, as well as semen analysis, before starting the drug.
2) It is worth it to try fin at a low dose first, say 0.25mg every other day. Research has shown they are nearly the same in terms of efficacy.

[elnino]

hey man, im a norwood 3 so been taking it since july 2011. what you have, norwood 1.5 or 2 is quite common for 80 percent of men without losing more. the problem is of course that how to prove that its just a small loss and not male pattern baldness. thing is once you start losing propecia for it lets say a year and you decide to come off it, the hair that might have not been affected will be by coming off it. its a catch 22 and its so fcking annoying!!

anyway my side effects are nitto mate. but like im only after a year so i dont know. its says 3 percent suffer side affects but i do think its higher than that, my advice is to find out first if it is mbp or wait a few months and if it recedes a small bit go on it. it is a big risk like because people like me who are on it know we have to take it forever to avoid being bald. il keep you posted if i do get an effect from the pills but touch wood will go well. also my hair has stopped falling out but no new regrowth

[MercuryMorrison]

Thank you both for the replys...Both are very helpful!

[rdawg]

Hello everyone, I've got a few questions regarding finasteride.

Let me start by saying that I am a 24 year old male with what l would called a Norwood 2 hairline, maybe a Norwood 1.5 hairline. Either way I don't think I have MPB as my hair is still thick enough and the same density all over and I don't have any excessive shedding or anything like that. MPB is kind of a 50/50 thing in my family...Some men in my family have lived and died with full heads of hair, whilst others lost it...So its hard for me to say excatly what the future holds for my hair...My father whome is 45 years old is still a comfortable Norwood 2 and I do take after him alot.

But anyway, I've been considering starting finasteride as a ''preventitive'' mesure. Ideally I would like to keep my hair essentially as it is right now throughout the rest of my 20's and all of my 30's. In order to ensure that I maintain my hair as long as possible I've been thinking about using Finasteride and/or minoxidil, but I have a few concerns.

First and formost...How many people actually experience serious side effects on Fin? I've heard some horror stories about the Fin side effects which make feel really iffy about trying it, but then I've also heard quite a few people say that side effects are generally only seen in like 5% or less of men who take fin?

Secondly, can taking fin cause your hair to get thinner? Because my hair doesn't really shed alot right now I am afraid of taking Fin and causing my hair to thin out. Its one thing if my hair starts get thinner threw genetics, but I certianly don't want to induce hair thinning myself by taking something that might cause it. From what I understand there's a chance that taking Fin will cause you to shed alot for the first few months, but eventaully your hair should thicken back up to its original state? If anyone can clarify here it would be greatly appricated.

I guess that's all I have for now...If anyone has any input on the subject it would be greatly appricated.

Posting pictures would help.

as someone above said, if you're iffy about getting on fin, ease onto it with a smaller dose, as 0.25-0.5mg will still suppress a solid amount of DHT thus still helping to halt the loss.

Especially at an early stage of hairloss, you wont experience much shedding on FIN, maybe a minor amount but it wont take out actual strong hair.

Still you need to prove that it's actually MPB and not just a mature hairline which some men experience.(although showing pictures can help, if you're at NW2 that's more of a sign of MPB.)

[BigThinker]

Hey bro, I don't want to overload you with information/suggestions, but here I go anyways!

1) Don't waste your time and money on Rogaine.

2) I wouldn't take fin as a preventative measure personally. You should know for sure beforehand if you are actually experiencing MPB. Taking a genetic hair loss test may be a good idea for you though (http://www.hairdx.com/en-us/GeneticTestMale.aspx) <--- Here is some useful info about how it could help you.

4) Adverse sides are a serious concern. You're going to get a MASSIVE variations of opinions on this. Some people will say it is all internet fear mongering and cite the %'s in the clinical trials. Others will tell you they experienced sides and touching fin would be the biggest mistake of your life. The truth lies somewhere in between.

5) Some people will tell you simply to go see your doctor and talk about it with them. While this is an essential step, understand that your doctor has a very general knowledge of hair loss, and in a lot of cases can misguide/misdirect you. It is important to do your own research.

Information you search through online can be overwhelming. If I could leave with you one important piece of information if finasteride is the route you chose, it would be this.

1) Make sure you have a full panel bloodtest including hormones, as well as semen analysis, before starting the drug.
2) It is worth it to try fin at a low dose first, say 0.25mg every other day. Research has shown they are nearly the same in terms of efficacy.

Two inquiries:
-Do those genetic tests works? How much do they cost? Seems like everyone should get that test prior to starting fin.
-I plan to start really low dose fin, but, wouldn't the every other day dose diffuse leaving you every other day without any fin to block DHT?

My derm appoint is just too damn far away.

[Dan26]

Two inquiries:
-Do those genetic tests works? How much do they cost? Seems like everyone should get that test prior to starting fin.
-I plan to start really low dose fin, but, wouldn't the every other day dose diffuse leaving you every other day without any fin to block DHT?

My derm appoint is just too damn far away.

1) The genetic test do work, and I agree everyone planning to take fin should try them. It will tell you if you are going to be a poor, average, or good respondent to fin (not with 100&#37; certainty obviously). Thing is, they are pricey, something like $400.

2) I encourage you to read up more on fin and how using a low dose EOD is a great idea for people first starting out. I wish the webpages I bookmarked still worked because I would forward you to them. A part from those studies you will encounter a lot of anecdotal evidence suggesting 0.25-0.5mg doses EOD are nearly as good as 1.25/day. It is seriously worth a try, if you don't like your results after a long period of time (be patient!), you could always change your dose. *btw fin is not 'blocking' DHT it is blocking 5ar-enzyme, and even though it's half life is low, your DHT levels will not go back up so quickly.

And my friend, please get some blood work done before you start fin if you have not already! Preferably hormones too as well as semen analysis. There are very rare cases where peoples endocrine systems have been messed up and they are left with persistent side effects. If you have these tests done, and god forbid you get sides, if you get the tests again you will know the exact effect fin had on your body/hormones. Your starting at a low dose so it is VERY rare this will happen, but for me personally i am planning to do what I said for peace of mind.

[BigThinker]

1) The genetic test do work, and I agree everyone planning to take fin should try them. It will tell you if you are going to be a poor, average, or good respondent to fin (not with 100% certainty obviously). Thing is, they are pricey, something like $400.

2) I encourage you to read up more on fin and how using a low dose EOD is a great idea for people first starting out. I wish the webpages I bookmarked still worked because I would forward you to them. A part from those studies you will encounter a lot of anecdotal evidence suggesting 0.25-0.5mg doses EOD are nearly as good as 1.25/day. It is seriously worth a try, if you don't like your results after a long period of time (be patient!), you could always change your dose. *btw fin is not 'blocking' DHT it is blocking 5ar-enzyme, and even though it's half life is low, your DHT levels will not go back up so quickly.

And my friend, please get some blood work done before you start fin if you have not already! Preferably hormones too as well as semen analysis. There are very rare cases where peoples endocrine systems have been messed up and they are left with persistent side effects. If you have these tests done, and god forbid you get sides, if you get the tests again you will know the exact effect fin had on your body/hormones. Your starting at a low dose so it is VERY rare this will happen, but for me personally i am planning to do what I said for peace of mind.

When I went to go see my GP about it, he had me do a blood test, all good. But yeah, a hormone test might be in order - I'll certainly run it by my derm or GP.