Balding Blog

Is it normal to shed initially on 5AR inhibitors or should I stop immediately once I’ve noticed initial shedding? Is it a tell-tale sign I shouldn’t be taking it? (I’m going to be trialing saw palmetto as of next week I ask because the drug pamphlet of finasteride doesn’t mention initial shedding as an expected occurence at all, nor could I find any studies saying it’s normal to shed on finasteride

Shedding has not been a common report with my patients but I would suggest that you continue it as the shedding should stop in time.

Yes, there is a difference in what you see. Both thinning and shedding of hair are manifestations of hair loss. Sometimes one will shed hair, other times one does not shed and just recedes in the hairline. Sometimes, you see thinning from shedding. All of these are ways to identify that you have a hair loss problem which should be evaluated by a good doctor.

Balding Via Sheeding Vs Via Hair Thinning? Is There A Difference? from tressless

I did not see any hair come out and it appears that my hair is growing.

There certainly is a suggestion that the hair is actually growing but there are small areas that do not contain hair suggesting that some shedding did occur. I see full growth rarely, but when it occurs, you can get full growth in 4-5 months. I think that you are only partly there.

Male 40, Norwood 2, previously thick hair before TE, diagnosed with TE after a trenbolone steriod cycle + fasting + excessive lifting. TE has been going on for 3 months. Derm did not really examine my hair. 1 thing I’ve noticed since onset is that most of the hairs shed are 3 cm or less which is half the length of my overall hair. Based on what I’m reading this sounds more like Androgenic Alopecia to me, maybe both. Is finesteride a bad idea in this case as it will increase shedding?

When you combine steroids, weight loss and stress, hair loss can occur and any genetics for balding can then be ‘turned on’. When this happens, the hair loss may not return. Finasteride might help!

What’s the normal, to-be-expected shedding during the first month on finasteride? Mine is at least 30 hairs every day, and even though I knew some drawback should be expected, I’m getting a little worried. Is this really normal?

Shedding indicates that you will respond to the drug. Keep going

This is what I tell my patients. You should wait out any shedding period and eventually the shedding will stop and the benefit will be there.

1.5 months on fin, shedding HALTED from tressless

I’d say 90% of the hairs I’m shedding are miniaturized. I still have a head of hair but it’s gotten a lot thinner. I’m shedding like crazy mostly mini hairs. But still have new growth at my hair line. 2.5 years on fin topical minox everyday 2x

A normal male without genetic hair loss sheds 100-150 hairs daily. For a balding man, the shed of miniaturized hairs adds to that volume. The 100-150 new ‘terminal’ hairs will replace themselves with another hair somewhere. Still, the miniaturized hairs are likely the end stage for that hair and rarely come back unless stimulated by finasteride or microneedling. If you have been consistently on finasteride without stopping it and shedding now, that is an ominous sign that your hair loss is accelerating. If you stopped the finasteride and just restarted it, the shed would indicate that the drug is working.

J hairs reflect a defect in the placement of grafts. There is a question if all of these J Hairs will eventually grow or not. We don’t really know.