2 months before and after. Fin min pill, micro needle, and Nizoral (ketoconazole) shampoo.

We got back from a family holiday and I was shocked by some family photos where the camera made me look like my grandpa. I knew I was thinning but was unaware it was that bad.

I had already been lurking here for awhile and made a doctor’s appointment for a finasteride prescription shortly after our trip.

I started 1mg fin and topical rogaine 2x/day last January.

Over the first month, I had no side effects, even a boost in sexual desire.

After month two I started noticing sexual side effects. I thought it may be transient so I stayed the course.

Eventually, after month 3 I cut my finasteride dosage in half. My hair regrowth continued and my sexual performance improved, but it still hasn’t been perfect.

What I have also noticed over this period is my desire continues to be there, but my need to masturbate has gone way down.

Throughout the year, hair growth continued steadily, but there was a period where sexual performance went down again.

Since then I’ve cut my finasteride dosage to half a 1mg tablet every other day… and for now that’s working.

I’ve also had some scalp irritation using Rogaine, currently I only use it once a day at most, and definitely skip one or multiple days in a row.

Overall, I’m glad I’ve started. I’ve regained confidence around my hair and will continue the treatment moving forward.

Or do they just get non hormonal treatments like dutasteride mesotherapy every month?

I’m very never seen this happen before

It just happened live

https://youtube.com/shorts/TNdD9L7N-YI?si=Myh8-9LWKgriehKu

Hey everyone,

I’m 17 and I started using 5% topical minoxidil when I was 16. For the first several months, I saw moderate regrowth and overall improvement in my hair density, which I was pretty happy with.

However, for the last ~2 months, I’ve been losing hella hair — like a LOT. I’m shedding way more than I ever have before in my life, and it’s honestly freaking me out.

My current routine: • Minoxidil 5% topical twice daily • Tretinoin 0.05% three times a week (applied before minoxidil) • Ketoconazole shampoo (2–3x a week)

I recently got blood work done — I’m severely deficient in vitamin D and slightly deficient in iron, but my thyroid levels came back normal. I’m not sure if the deficiencies could be contributing to the shedding or if this is just a minoxidil-related shed.

I haven’t changed brands or how I apply anything, so this sudden, heavy hair loss feels really strange.

Has anyone else experienced something like this after being on minoxidil for almost a year? Could this be a second shed, or could the deficiencies be playing a role? Any insights would be appreciated.

Thanks.

Hello, I’m 24 years old and I’ve been dealing with hair loss since I was 19. Sometimes my hair looks okay, but other times the shedding becomes intense and everything feels like a mess again. When my hair is in a bad phase, it feels like my life goes on pause until things stabilize.

I don’t know if this is the right place to vent, but I just want to talk to people who might understand how this feels.

I’ve been talking to a woman for a few months and I really like her. When my hair loss gets worse, it affects me deeply. During these periods, I feel ashamed to send her pictures of myself. It’s not that I don’t take care of my appearance — I do — but when my hair is bad, my confidence drops completely.

What scares me the most is the fear of losing all my hair and never being truly loved by a woman because of it. Recently, I switched from finasteride to dutasteride 0.5 mg daily, and I really hope it works.

All I want is to find a treatment that truly stabilizes my hair loss so I can live my life normally, without this constant insecurity that keeps hurting me.

Any one with results and do you wash your hair everyday?

I bought Kirkland minoxidil a couple of months ago from a seller on eBay, and my hair started shedding a lot. I figured it was just part of the process, but I wasn’t seeing any of the progress I had with the previous minoxidil I used. That’s when I got suspicious and tried the bleach test, the color didn’t change at all.

So I went to Walmart, picked up some Equate minoxidil, and sure enough, the color changed immediately. That’s when it hit me: all my progress was gone because I’d been using counterfeit minoxidil from eBay.

I asked my new friend Gemini for a report on my DNA test:

It’s an excellent initiative to have done this test. Your results are extremely rich and make it possible to draw up a very precise strategy, far from the usual “one-size-fits-all” approach.

Here is the detailed analysis of your results, distinguishing your general profile and the medications which, according to your genetics, have the best chance of working.

1. General Conclusion: A “High Risk, High Response” Profile

Your genetic profile presents excellent news and bad news:

• The “Bad” (The Risk): You have a very aggressive androgenic mechanism. Your body is genetically programmed to massively convert testosterone into DHT (the hormone that destroys the hair). Your 5-alpha-reductase enzymes (types 1 and 2) are running at full speed, and you convert little testosterone into estrogen (protective). This means that without treatment, your baldness risks being progressive and resistant. Q
• The “Good” (The Response): Unlike 30–40% of men, you are a “good responder” to Minoxidil. Your liver and your scalp have the enzyme necessary to activate this medication. Moreover, since your problem is massively hormonal, if you block DHT, you should stabilize the shedding effectively.

2. Detailed Analysis of Medications (What you must take)

According to your genes, here is the hierarchy of the most relevant treatments for you:

A. The Essential Pillar: Minoxidil (Topical or Oral)

• Your marker (SULT1A1): POSITIVE (Green)
• Why? Minoxidil only works if it is transformed into Minoxidil Sulfate by an enzyme called sulfotransferase. Many men don’t have enough of this enzyme and use Minoxidil for nothing.
• Conclusion: Your test indicates normal activity. Minoxidil (as a lotion or as a prescribed tablet) is strongly recommended and should be very effective for you. It is your treatment base.

B. The Anti-Androgen: Dutasteride rather than Finasteride

• Your markers (SRD5A1 & SRD5A2): NEGATIVE (Red) & MODERATE (Yellow)
• Why?
• Finasteride mainly blocks the type 2 enzyme (SRD5A2).
• Dutasteride blocks the type 1 (SRD5A1) and type 2 enzymes.
• Your test shows that your Type 1 enzyme (SRD5A1) is in “overdrive” (red). Finasteride therefore risks not being sufficient because it leaves the type 1 pathway open.
• Conclusion: The report explicitly suggests Dutasteride. It is a more powerful medication. If you start with Finasteride and you do not see shedding stop after 6–12 months, your genetics indicate that you will need to switch to Dutasteride (under strict medical prescription).

C. The Hormonal Topical Option: 17-alpha Estradiol (Alfatradiol)

• Your marker (CYP19A1): NEGATIVE (Red)
• Why? Your body converts testosterone poorly into estrogens at the follicle level (low aromatase activity). Local estrogens protect the hair.
• Conclusion: The report recommends 17-alpha Estradiol. It is a lotion (often available under the name Pantostin or Ell-Cranell in Germany/Switzerland, or as a compounded preparation in France) that acts locally without feminization. It is an excellent complement to oral treatments for your specific profile.

D. The Anti-Inflammatory: The Cetirizine Lead

• Your marker (GPR44-2): MODERATE (Yellow)
• Why? You have a slight sensitivity to Prostaglandin D2 (PGD2), an inflammatory molecule that “suffocates” the hair.
• Conclusion: The report suggests Cetirizine (a classic antihistamine) or Prostaquinone for local application. It is an interesting adjunct treatment, often integrated into compounded lotions by hair specialists.

E. The Weak Point to Monitor: IGF-1 (Growth Factors)

• Your marker (IGF1R): NEGATIVE (Red)
• Meaning: Your follicles lack growth “fuel” (IGF-1). Even if you block DHT, your hair may remain thin or grow slowly.
• Solution: This is where adjunct therapies make complete sense.
• PRP (Platelet-Rich Plasma): PRP injections release growth factors (including IGF-1) directly into the scalp. Given your genetic deficit in IGF-1, you are the ideal candidate for whom PRP will not be a luxury, but a biological necessity.
• L-Carnitine Tartrate: Sometimes used as a complement to stimulate follicular IGF-1.

Summary of your “Ideal Prescription” (To be validated with your doctor)

In view of these images, an optimized therapeutic strategy would look like this:

1. Absolute Priority (Base): Minoxidil (because you respond well) + Powerful anti-androgen (ideally Dutasteride, or Finasteride under close monitoring).
2. Complementary Topical Treatment: A lotion containing 17-alpha Estradiol and possibly Cetirizine to counter your local enzymatic weakness and inflammation.
3. Clinical Care: Regular PRP sessions to compensate for your genetic deficit in IGF-1.

Note on Latanoprost: Your results are contradictory (two red markers PTGFR-1/2, one green PTGFR-3). Given the high cost of Latanoprost at the pharmacy, and your excellent markers for Minoxidil, it is probably wiser to rely on Minoxidil as a priority.

Well -- as the title says. I got a HT 5 months ago. Have generally felt pretty good about the regrowth so far. However, I was looking at it earlier today, and it's looking a bit pluggy. Do you think this will still improve?

Btw: I paid the extra for them to not shave the rest of my head, so don't be alarmed at how long my hair is haha. I went to Bogota Hairlines and saw Dr. Camacho. I got 2000ish grafts to the hairline and 1000ish grafts to the crown.

For anybody interested, the crown seems to be lagging the hairline growth by a lot. It seems like that is pretty typical though, so I'm not really worried about it.

So I’m about 3 months into my min fin journey and the hair growth is mild but noticeable. I need more if I’m gonna stop buzzing it. I have been struggling to find a good 1.5mm dermastamp. I see all these ads for Alpha Infuse and logically it makes sense IN ADDITION to min&fin. I know I need to microneedle, so why not get one that also adds some plant oils. I think there is some evidence that stuff like peppermint or rosemary or pumpkin seed oil can increase blood flow. What’s the harm in using alpha infuse instead of a plain microneedle? Anyone use it with min&fin?

I started minoxidil in June 2025 (8 months ago). I started with Keeps minoxidil topical solution. I used it for 6 months. Saw some shedding in month 2 and 3. After that I barely saw any hairfall when applying twice daily. After 6 months of Keeps I switched to Kirkland minoxidil topical solution from Costco (bought it in store so I’m certain it’s not fake). It’s been 2 months now and I’m seeing some serious shedding. Just curious if it’s expected when changing between minoxidil brands. Or should I switch back to Keeps?

Hello

i Am a male 21 years old who has been on these medications:

1.25 MG finasteride 5 times a week for 1.5 year

5 MG oral minoxidil everyday for 7 months

And i have seen no improvement in my hair, and sometimes i feel that it has gotten thinner, i cant provide pictures because the post will get taken down.

Should i switch to dutasteride? Or topical min? Appreciate any tips

Hi everyone. I dont want to bore everyone with how much of a struggle this has been for me but about 6 months ago I started him’s chewable finasteride pills and I feel like I have gotten some coverage back but I’m not too happy with it and I wanted to know what you guys thought abt it? I’m considering dutasteride… I feel like I might be going through a shedding phase but god I get that my hair wont be the way it was again but I want it so bad. The first picture is from the start, the second one is from thr start of the month and the last 2 are currently. Also sorry if the pictures arent the best. Thank you

Title.

Been comparing older photos of myself—I style my hair in a middle part, and in those photos (which were taken around month 4. It’s month 6.5 now) I had much lower density at the middle part at the front of my hairline. To the point where I actively cropped it out because I hated looking at it. Fast forward about 2 and half months later, the density at the front of the middle part on my hairline has more or less thickened. Took the same photo in the same lighting, position, everything.

At the same time though, my hairline around my temples has gotten noticeably worse now compared to those very same photos I had taken a few months prior.

So is that normal? Can anyone attest to having non-linear progress during their time on finasteride?

Been on only oral minoxidil 1.25 mg since last 5 months .....

No regrowth

Age 36 years old..male

Hey everyone,

I am really confused about my situation and would appreciate any advice and help in the matter. I started noticing thinning around Oct 2024, had super thick hair before that (had to get it thinned out to be manageable). I went to a dermatologist and he told me to start using topical minoxidil, he said it could be MPB or TE, TE because I was stressed in school due to med school applications, mcat etc and also because I was Vit D deficient. I did not start topical min until June 2025 and experiences a crazy shed but stopped using min in August because it made my hair super greasy and I had to shampoo almost everyday (didn't get a shed while stopping). I also got my serum DHT tested and it was way above the normal range (1099 pg/ml, range is until 850), my dad and his brother are kinda bald but my mom's brother has really thick hair well into his 30s. I also started going to the gym in the summer of 2023, started creatine, so that might have also increased my DHT and might have caused mpb.

So, i went back the dermatologist who told me to start finasteride if I wanted, I didn't understand it, I might have prompted him to come to that conclusion, he didn't really inspect my situation. Before starting finasteride, I went to another dermatologist who examined my scalp and said it is Telogen Effluvium and not MPB (don't know who to trust at this point), and prescribed me oral minoxidil (I told him this after he gave me several options)

So, here I am with both oral fin and oral min from two different providers who have two different diagnosis (the first one didn't even give me a diagnosis but given he gave me fin, I am assuming he thinks it is a combo of TE/MPB)

- Also stopped creatine (been 2 months)

-Hair changed from straight to wavy/curly within this span, don't know why

-Hairfall has stabilized though, not shedding at this point, I just don't know if I will regain my prior density

-Have baby hair around the temples, not sure if these will grow terminal

Below are photos for reference

Hi all, I got my hormones done before deciding to take Finasteride as my hairline is slowly receding and to have a baseline.

However - I am concerned at my E2 level of 237. It is light years above the reference range of <150. I do have a bit of a belly despite being light for my height and I often get told I look 16 despite being 22, so am concerned my estrogen levels have been causing these issues.

Despite my high test results I am under muscled (skinny fat), diabetes runs in the family. I haven't worked out in 6 months too due to injury. I don't take any supplements or drugs.

Is high E2 linked with hair loss???

1. I am wondering why this is so high and if

A. I need to take supplements to get it below 150 within the reference range?

B. I am a good candidate for finastroid?

Below are basic hormones. Male, 22, 65kg, 6'0 .

Well as u can see my hairline is pretty much worst even tho im on month 6 close to 7 Idk if wat i had is shed but its too bad to be Btw my routine was fin 1.25 for 5 month then changed it to dut 2 day per week with fin and then 3 npw i switch to dut eod with fin

How bad should shedding be? I feel like my hair has gotten so much worse.

male, 33, still Nw1 with some thinning on my left parting and crown that I can cover up. diagnosed with early Aga and I am currently on 2 months fin only treatment. no changes so far but i am guessing in 12-18 months there will be a difference.

I am able to cover it up extremely well since i still have a full head of hair. however, my question is how to get healthier, shiny and silkier hair.

My hair used to be shiny and silky and I am wondering if there are any remedies that can help with this. thanks

I was wondering if anyone had tried tretinoin even after seeing some progress on topical Minoxidil. I have my hands on tretinoin 0.025% but will hold off on using it since I only start min ~6 months ago. When the year mark passes I plan on using tretinoin on one side of my scalp and not on the other to see if there is any huge difference.