Author: Dr. William Rassman

How long can MPB take?

My hair kind of leapt into a widow’s peak during 2003/04 and is now considerably thinner than it has ever been in my life. So this is about 5 years maximum – i thought MPB took on average 15 years or more?

What happened?

Once you know you have male pattern baldness (MPB), it remains a progressive process until the day you die, but in reality most people slow down the loss in their late 30s or 40s. There are always exceptions to the rule, but most people are destined to develop a pattern and that pattern is not always a class 6 or 7 pattern (see Norwood Chart below). They may stop at a class 3… but of course, each person is different.

For how long should a guy under 25 expect fin to work?

Finasteride will work as long as your take it; however, by work I mean slowing the loss down, stopping it or reversing it (usually temporary for months or years).

Firstly your site has done wonders to increase my knowledge. However, I first noticed losing my hair at the age of 27 in the crown. I am now 37 and the loss has increased dramatically all over, so much so that I am receding into my bald crown. My hair grows unevenly but now only hair on the top grows but at different lengths and rate. My receding hairline is now moving into the middle of my head which is now very thin. Miniturisation is throughout. I thought that this process would have slowed into my late thirties. Should this be the case or is this a very long balding process? In fact it has sped up over the last 18 months, Is this normal? Been on propecia 4 1/2 months with little effect. In my situation will propecia have some impact at all? Thank you very much

First of all, I would expect that you should see slowing of the balding process about now. The full value of Propecia takes a full year or so. We use general rules about balding and although most men slow down their balding process in their 30s, some don’t follow the doctor’s rules. Hair loss is a progressive process in most men, but fortunately it slows down to a ‘crawl’ by the time most men reach their 40s. You should be followed by a good doctor with yearly miniaturization studies. At the least, it will give you a good metric as to how you are doing. Good photography will also help define what is happening to you. You need to have a good dialog with a doctor who can work you through the process you are going through.

I took my first 0.25mg of fin yesterday, and today I can’t get an erection. I have no idea if its the compounding fear in the back of my head to check if I have side effects that is preventing my dick to get hard, but I struggle to get “into” porn that would usually get my blood pumping to my member almost immediately. Again, have no idea if its fin or if its in my head, but still I want to wait out the finasteride and see if my dick gets hard again. If it does, then its the fin that caused the ED.

With ED developing in just one day, I suspect you are dealing with a powerful placebo effect, rather than a drug effects; nevertheless, it should be out of your system in less than one month, but I have seen lingering effects last 2-3 months on occasion. I would stop the finasteride.

Generally the statement is ok. I see many men immediately stop the loss and have have seen reasonable growth in less than 6 months on some men but I tell everyone to wait 12-18 months to see maximum yield.