Author: Dr. William Rassman

I have been seeing my hair go back every year since I was 17. I am scared that I will lose all of my hair. What can I do?

I would go on the drug Finasteride for a year and see if you can stop or reverse the loss. You have lost the frontal corner hairline as it is going up and the temple peaks are also gone. If this does not work, then a hair transplant would solve the problem very nicely.

Can Finasteride help recover my hair loss?

There seems to be a lot of different opinions floating around regarding it’s long term effectiveness … With consistent use, does it maintain it’s therapeutic effects, or does your genetically predetermined Norwood level eventually develop as you age despite taking it? I’ve seen some people state that it continues to have it’s effects for as long as it’s taken but then others state that it only delays the inevitable and if you are let’s say genetically programmed to be Norwood 5, that you are going to eventually go there despite finasteride use? What is the actual case? (I know there’s different variables and there’s a small percentage of people who are non responders, but I just mean in general).

Finasteride always works to (1) slow hair loss (2) stop hair loss or (3) reverse hair loss. The aggressiveness of the body’s genetic hair loss is a variable. Apoptosis (cell death) occurs with genetic alopecia. We believe that each hair on the head is programmed to grow only a certain number of hair cycles. Once those cycles are reached, the hairs die. Finasteride seems to alter the duration of these cycles, possibly the number of hair cycles you can achieve, but this is just a guess. Good question.

My dermatologist is offering me to take fin. Im 22 and have a receding hairline, but it doesn’t look too bad yet. I wanna maintain my hair and be proactive, but I’ve been reading stories of fin accelerating their balding and not always regrowing what was lost from fin. I’m scared that this will happen to me. What are your guys experience with this?

Not a problem. Putting the side effects to the side, the only problem with finasteride is that in some men it doesn’t work well, but most men see a slowing of their hair loss or a complete stop of their hair loss. A 70 year old patient of mine was prescribed finasteride by his doctor for his prostate and he came to see me to show that he regrew much of his lost hair, with a big smile telling me that I won’t get any money for a hair transplant on him. Ha Ha I said.

If you are having hernia pain it is probably due to the hernia and you should see your doctor. Finasteride will not effect the hernia

Hello Doctor!

I have a question about hair loss. I have been diagnosed with “folliculitis”. I’ve seen several dermatologists, and none has helped. Moreover, I am losing my hair. Can folliculitis cause hair loss? Is there any drug that can help me?

Thank you very much.

Folliculitis is an infection of your hair follicles. It can clear up on its own or your dermatologist can prescribe you medications to treat it. You shouldn’t lose hair from folliculitis unless it is chronically infected. Keep in mind though, the most common cause of hair loss in men is genetic hair loss.

I have thousands of patients on finasteride and it is clearly holding on to their hair. When and if they stop it, the lose huge amounts of hair and then we have quite a conversation. Most want to get back on finasteride but some don’t fully go back to their hair status from before they stopped it. I have seen this effect in young men in there 20 and 30s and in men in their 60s and 70s as well.

Can fin work by itself ? from tressless

yes, finasteride can regrow hair in the front and mid-scalp, especially in the younger male.

This is an interesting hypothesis that finasteride might reduce the symptoms and possibly severity of Covid 19 symptoms

Finasteride & Covid