Accelerated hair shedding that won't slow down

[Floyd8163]

I was on topical finasteride (0.3%)/minoxidil (6%) for 2 years and had stabilized my hair loss. In Dec of 2024, I switched from topical finasteride to oral 1mg finasteride daily and continued with a 5% minoxidil spray. The reason for my switch was because I had a hair transplant procedure scheduled for Feb 20, and would need to stop all topical 2 weeks before and at least 2 weeks after, so I figured switching from topical to oral finasteride would ensure that I would at least still be ok finasteride.

Around end of January, i started noticing accelerated shedding, which I read is somewhat normal when switching from topical to oral finasteride. In early February, I stopped topical minoxidil in preparation of my transplant. I didn't restart minoxidil until very recently.

I'm now over 3 months since I switched to oral finasteride and 1 month since my hair transplant and am shedding like crazy. It is very concerning to me how much I'm shedding. I'm wondering if I should stay on the oral finasteride and reevaluate at 6 months or if I should switch back to topical finasteride. Any suggestions?

 

[Bigmac]

Some people do shed more than others. Switching can be the cause. Have you mentioned this to your HT doctor?

 

[mania]

If you're experiencing significantly more hair shedding than usual and it's not slowing down, it could be telogen effluvium, a common hair loss condition often triggered by stress, illness, or hormonal changes, and it's important to consult a doctor to determine the cause and appropriate treatment