My propecia results

[ziggs11]

I keep saying propecia has reduced my hairloss to a slow creep, so I thought I should put my money where my mouth is and show some pictures.

I apologize for the size of the pictures, obviously I was avoiding close ups at the time and I had to crop them appropriately.

First pic is me at 18, you can kind of see the loss at the right temple.

Second pic is one year later, at 19. You can see I've lost probably up to 4-5 cm2 on each temple, and a general thinning in the MPB area.

Third and fourth pics are me about a month ago, and I've learned its not easy to take a decent picture by yourself with an iphone. Regardless, I think you can see how I've kept almost everything, though the frontal third has slowly continued to thin out and creep back.

1st pic (2007)

 

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2nd pic (1 year later - 2008)

This about when I noticed my hair loss, and I started propecia about six months later I think, in  late  2008.

 

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3rd pic (2013)

 

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4th pic (2013)

 

[bullitnut]

Looks like propecia is working well for you dude..... I'm happy for you

 

[Coopman]

Looking good there Ziggs. You sure have responded to Finasteride in a positive manner. Long may it continue!

Having spent many years on various forums. Results from long term positive responders to Fin all seemed to experience (myself included) a very slowly progressive thinning to the frontal hairline area. I guess DHT just affects this area more than others. However as you know a FUE frontal HT tweak to the hairline can sort this out, if Finasteride continues to stabilise your loss.

 

[Harryolson]

This is encouraging reading, I've been dabbling with the idea of using Propecia to regrow my hair if possible, how long of a time frame was it before you could noticeably see new hair growth?

 

[ziggs11]

Thx bullit and coop. Yeah it looks like the hairs in the frontal third will ultimately succumb to miniaturization, but as long as it keeps the crown, mid scalp, and sides from going, i believe I'll be a good candidate for a ~1500 fue hairline HT (initially). I'm going to try and schedule an in-house consult with SMG soon.

Hi Harry, unfortunately I can't say if I ever regrew any hair. My most obvious loss was in the front, which given the early onset and intensity of my hairloss, it seems that propecia can't regrow hair for me in this area. However it's possible that propecia did reverse the miniaturization of hairs in the mid scalp and crown, however all I can prove to you is that I have maintained the vast majority of my MPB-area hair.

So bottom line, the medication got me through my late teens-early twentys and likely makes me a candidate for a modest HT.

Someone with a less intense case of MPB may see greater regrowth than simply sustaining hair, and people who respond well usually see results between three to six months.

If you're thinking about propecia I would contact a dermatologist who is knowledgable about the drug and see if you are a good candidate and whether there are personal factors that would increase your risk of side effects.

 

[Harryolson]

Ziggs, thanks for the advice. I am planning on a consultation with a HT doctor fairly soon to have my hair checked for miniaturization with the intention of trying Propecia after receiving the doctors advice.

Have you experienced any side effects that are permanent?

 

[ziggs11]

I don't know If i can talk to permanent side effects, as I haven't stopped taking the drug since I began. That said, I have not experienced any significant side effects that would stop me from continuing the medication. Maybe occasional mild sexual side effects, just takes a bit more to get going. I have read the accounts of permanent side effects and they can be quite alarming but I can't speak to them. I asked my dermatologist about that stuff and he said he's been prescribing it for years and has had people quit it but no one ever complained to him about permanent side effects.

 

[Harryolson]

Thanks Ziggs,

I too have heard of permanent sides, on the plus side its a small minority compared to the millions of users who take the drug. With this in mind I feel it's worth trying.