Category: Drugs (Cause Hair Loss)

Hi there, in the past 2 months I have noticed my hair thinning in my crown area. I am Caucasian male, 23 years old. Since then I ordered Propecia online (it’s not the generic kind) and have been using it for 3 weeks now. I did not go and see a doctor in person to get a prescription.

Now I am getting a little paranoid that my hair is falling out even more since I have been using Propecia. I feel like my hair is thinning all over. Could this just be a placebo effect and me just being overly anxious and paranoid? I mean is it safe to use Propecia or does it make your hair fall out if it is not needed or prescribed by the doctor? I do not have any of the side effects that are listed on their website. Could you please advise as to what to do? I just want to know that what I am taking is not harmful to my existing hair as I might have not needed Propecia in the first place but became paranoid that i was loosing hair in the crown area. Thank you.

The first question you should ask yourself is, “Am I sure I got real Propecia?” If you just bought a prescription medication from an online vendor without a doctor’s prescription or any verification, I wouldn’t necessarily put a whole lot of trust in it.

What I really want to know is, why are you treating yourself? You should never take a medication if it is not needed, and you should’ve been under a doctor’s care before treating yourself with prescription drugs. A doctor can tell you if the medication is right for you. You couldn’t really expect me to encourage or even condone your actions, could you? That being said, Propecia shedding is reported by some people.

Follow the many posts here on the drug Propecia (use the search), get the diagnosis of hair loss, find the presence of miniaturization, and on and on. I can not practice medicine on you over the internet and it sounds like you need to see a doctor.

Hey doc, This site is great. Anyway, been on propecia about 8 months. Hair isnt really any better def a little worse. So what do you think a person like myself, chances are of seeing any improvement in the next 4 or so months?

Did you see a doctor before you started Propecia? Did you get a miniaturization study to see how much of your hair was thinning (miniaturized)? Did you document the process by taking pictures before you started the medication? These are some of the basic things I would look for if a patient of mine states they are continuing to lose hair while on Propecia.

Propecia is not a magic pill and it does not cure or stop hair loss completely. It just may be that your natural (genetic) hair loss is rapidly progressing and Propecia cannot stop it completely. Perhaps without Propecia you may be bald by now. But all of this, I am merely guessing.

I would follow up with your doctor to see what your progress has been. I really cannot predict your future, but if all baseline tests are done, you can have an objective idea of where you are going. At the least start the baseline measurements now (better late than never) and then see what happens in 6-12 months if you stay on the medication.

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Hi,

I have been on minoxidil for about 7 months and i just went through a terrible shed about 2-3 months ago that has seem to have ended because I don’t see too many hair falling out anymore. I still use minoxidil but I have not seen an improvement with the hairs growing back yet. Is it because these shed hairs have to grow through several hair cycles before they can become terminal healthy hairs and is it likely that these lost hairs will grow back if i stay on minoxidil?

To see the value from minoxidil, you must stay on it at least a year. If you stop it at any time, you may lose the hairs that developed minoxidil dependence. Hairs lost from minoxidil induced shedding should return as the hair cycle completes its process.

Hey Doc,

I have been on proscar split into 5 for 19 weeks. At about week 14 I noticed a lot of hair loss at the back of my head in the permanent area. The hairs that fall out are full thickness/growth and have a ‘bulb’ of skin from where it was joined to my scalp. I now lose more hair from here than anywhere else on my head and running my fingers through my hair just above my neck results in 5-10 hairs to come out at once.

Would you think this is TE? And if so would you recommend me to let it run its course? It doesn’t worry me because it is the permanent area I am just curious.

Regards

For those that aren’t familiar with the “permanent zone” of hair — it is the sides and back, as seen in the remaining hair of a Norwood Class 7 balding person (see image at right). We call it the permanent zone (or “donor area”) because the hair is not effected by male pattern baldness.

I cannot say if you have telogen effluvium (TE) just from your description. It is quite unusual for finasteride to cause thinning in the permanent area… and in fact, I’ve never heard of it happening. I would go back to the doctor you received the medication from and have him/her reassess your permanent area that you are concerned about. Your description of seeing 5 to 10 hairs fall out when you run your fingers through your hair is subjective not scientific… and it will not give you the answers you need.

You should have gotten a donor hair density measurement, which shows how many hairs you have in a given area. You also should have gotten a miniaturization study evaluation to see if there were hairs that were thinning. Of course, this may be an ideal case scenario for some, but that is the standard way I run my medical practice.

Hi,

I understand that Rogaine may cause initial shedding, but I’m concerned that mine is going on longer than it should- 2.5 months. At first I had some minor thinning on the crown and minor receding at the temples (my friends think I’m crazy, but I saw a dermatologist who noticed thinning), but not really anywhere else. After following her advice to take Rogaine, my hairline (not just the temples) has receded some, and all of the hair on top of my head is thinner, to the point that I can see scalp, which I never could before. At this point, should I discontinue Rogaine, or try to stick it out for a few more months?

Thanks

I can’t tell you what you should do with medication, but I can tell you that shedding from Rogaine (minoxidil) may last up to 3 months. You have a dermatologist and I would ask her that question, as she has the advantage of being able to examine you.