Thread #18650456
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/balding/ and /finasteride/ general - hair is love, hair is life!
Sticky: http://tuxbell.com/index.php/Balding
Reminder that if you can clearly see down to your scalp when your hair is wet, your hair is thinning, lots of small new hairs sprouting at the hairline or crown is a sign of hair recession.
Holy trinity:
Tabs: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finasteride
Lotion: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minoxidil
Shampoo: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ketoconazole
Finasteride/Dutasteride are 5-alpha reductase inhibitors that prevent free T from being converted to DHT, a byproduct of testosterone that serves no purpose after puberty but to choke out your hair follicles and make them thin out and die in a few short years, a condition known as androgenic alopecia.
5ar inhibitors prevent your hair from getting any worse, mild regrowth is expected, rapid onset diffuse thinners see a significant recovery on fin alone. Can be taken orally or topically.
5ARIs are not dosage dependent, taking as little as as 0.2mg daily fin can reduce serum DHT by 68%, while 5mg reduces by 72%.
0.5mg daily dut reduces serum DHT by 95%, but is considered a second line treatment, and can be more expensive and harder to get prescribed. Start with fin.
Fin has been used to treat benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) for 30+ years, it's very well studied and is tolerated well in almost all men, however, there's a 1-2% risk of erectile issues in controlled studies.
These can be avoided by reducing dosage, spacing out dosage, or stopping the drug. Fin takes days to fully bio-accumulate, the half life of fin is about 8 hours, adverse effects occuring within minutes of starting fin or persisting long after stopping fin are not real and have no basis in reality. Please note that dut has a much higher half-life of 5 weeks, if you're prone to fin sides, dut may cause them for far longer.
Refer to https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3481923/ before responding to PFS trolls.
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Minoxidil (liquid and tabs) is a vasodialator that opens potassium channels and widens blood vessels bringing nutrients to your hair follicles, stimulating them into thickening, accelerating growth and elongating the growth phase. Min is taken with fin to restore your hair to it's original hairline, thickness and vigor when hair loss is caught early enough, (pre-NW2). Can be taken orally or topically.
Topical min does not work in 1/3 of men because they lack the required enzymes in their scalp, all men have this enzyme in their liver so the oral route is a good fallback.
The FDA formulation for 5% liquid minoxidil is food safe (vape juice, ethanol and water) and can be safely taken orally if oral min tabs are expensive or rarely prescribed where you live. As a general rule, ~4 drops (0.1ml) = 5mg minoxidil.
There's a 1-2% risk of fluid retention with higher oral dosages, start with the lowest dosage possible and work your way up when you're sure it's well tolerated.
Ketoconazole is an anti-androgen and antifungal that inhibits DHT on the scalp and used to treat fungal infections of the scalp that may be making your hair loss worse such as seborrheic dermatitis, a condition where you exhibit severe greasy, flaky large dandruff flakes with dried yellow crystals (blood plasma) embedded in the scalp. Some people may only have traction alopecia (hair loss from scratching or friction), but it will not cure androgenic alopecia on it's own. Can only be taken topically.
Do not use spirolactone. Spirolactone is a diuretic which, in large doses, inhibits testosterone and, by extension, DHT.
It is regularly prescribed as an anti-androgen for male to female HRT, and thus, comes with an astronomically higher risk of sexual side effects in men including ED, gynecomastia, and can cause potassium toxicity.
Previous thread: >>18638290
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>>18650456
thoughts on beemaxxing? are we working this in alongside the big 4 now? did china run a trial on its safety and efficacy yet?
https://x.com/ephraimwindex/status/2020035205374017941
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Want to try the nizoral shampoo but here in the netherlands i can only find the pic related one, have any of you tried this one? Which one do you guys use
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>>18650546
that's even stronger than the one sold OTC in the US, they only sell it as 1% ketoconazole here
still works either way, one drop every few days lathered up in the scalp and my dandruff has stayed away for years
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How far away is slow release min? Fin and topical min aren't giving me the results I want but I'd rather not nuke my heart with oral min. Still on the fence on dut considering sides are more likely to appear on it.
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Does this wagie hat make you go bald?
What's your experience with wagie hats in general like this one or construction site helmets?
I'm trying not to wear it too tight but my forehead still feels like ass after a long day. Any tips other than not being a wagie?
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>>18650865
That doesn't have anything to do with the blood flow theory retard. You can lose hair from tight bandanas, hats etc. It's called traction alopecia. Of course if you have AGA your hairs are weaker and more susceptible as well.
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>>18650546
I use Ketozolin and Terzolin Losung, both imported from Germany via my sister. Gotta say I will most likely drop the shampoo because it fucks up my hair and I’ve seen the biggest difference with the solution.
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>it's just hair bro, shave it and embrace being bald
How do you respond to these people usually?
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>>18651471
Jealousy and resentment. If it's at a workplace they will probably spread rumors about you being trans or gay. I've tried before and now at least 25% of my friend group think I'm impotent and my balls are going to fall off because of it. You basically get to introduce the PFS crowd into your life.
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Went to the GP to switch to oral fin after a month of using topical prescribed by my dermatologist (it's so fucking expensive).
He doesn't know anything about AGA.
He googles it.
I had to tell him there's a 1mg dose for hair loss.
Then he tried to scare me with the side effects.
Then he says he's bald and it doesn't bother him (he's in his 60s).
Then he says I'm only 20 and it doesn't look that bad.
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>>18650692
I think I'll use this one for maintenance once a week then once I'm done with the 2% one I'm using, does that sound like a good idea? I'm currently gonna be using the 2% twice a week and once the bottle is finished I'll use the 1% once a week forever
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>>18650456
this is going to come off maybe strange but I shit you not I think being on Duta for 1.5 years now has actually masculinized me further
my t shot up from 780 ng/dL to over 1500 ng/dL on it consistently (multiple tests) and during that time I'm seeing a more prominent jawline, more masculine eyes, easier to put on muscle mass, etc. and I'm 34, I'm not some young buck going through puberty
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>>18652366
I already take 5mg/day and wanna uprate to 2x5mg/day in the future. 5mg doesn’t do shit shit I feel like, meanwhile tazarotene + 5% minoxidil foam gave me results only after 2 weeks of use despite not even using it daily.
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>>18652383
Unlikely because only the hair around my hairline has become really dark and thick and there are now growing not many but a few small, darker vellus hairs. I recently switched Oral Min brands tho and the new ones contain 2 times the lactose the old Pfizer ones did (tablets are also really big)
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Started Minox+Dut+Keto, but is it even worth it anymore? Should I start looking for a HT? When I comb over it doesn't look this bad but still
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How much of a difference will Dutasteride make? I've been on Fin and (oral) Min (2.5mg) for about a year and I've had little to no regrowth, yet It doesn't appear to be getting worse.
Will Dutasteride really be enough for regrowth to start kicking in? I'm asking because I'm going to the dermatologist soon, and I want to know if I should ask for dutasteride or to increase my dose of minoxidil.
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>>18652729
When did you start?
>>18652730
Technically if you are not losing anything then finasteride is doing its job, some regrowth is nice with finasteride but in general it isnt used to reverse all the loss, but just freezing the loss of hair. it might give you some regrowth but minoxidil is what thickens it and might recover your loss. Also maybe worth mentioning: I did sometimes hear that some people did not see a lot of progress from finasteride for about 9-12 months but started getting results after 15 months. But its up to you if you want to keep this routine for 6 more months before making adjustments.
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Should I be concerned if I get an itchy/burning feeling around my crown randomly through out the day?
I've been on 1mg fin daily for a couple of weeks now and whenever I get this feeling, I'll do a very light hair pull and usually pull a single hair out with a very tiny white bulb at the end of it.
Rarely I'll pull one with a thicc juicy bulb at the end of it
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>>18652965
Give it some time, it will take a while before its visible if it will work or not. You have to stay consistent for at least 6-9 months before you can actually see if it will work, sometimes earlier if you are lucky. Now is a good time to take photos so you can check out way later if there is a difference. Losing hair does not happen in one day and building it up will not happen in one day as well. If you are considering a HT down the road you at least want to know if things are a bit stable. In the past some people would jump the gun and get a transplant but because of later regression it would look weird.
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is a 'maturing hairline' an actual thing or a cope? my hairline has receded to like a norwood 2.5, without any thinning besides the temples. is it possible it stays this way or is the progression usually linear until you go completely bald?
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>>18653358
it depends for everyone. some people get a mature hair line and then keep it for a very long time or their whole life, others gain it and then it stays for a while then worsens later, others lose it fast. i guess just because most people's temples are more sensitive to androgens.
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>>18653358
It's cope. ANY recession of the hairline in an M shape is due to AGA aka genetic balding. Your hairline is creeping up at the temples? You have AGA. Hairline recession before 30 should be a red alarm, as you are guaranteed to end up NW3 or worse over the course of your life. Nobody actually "holds" onto a mature hairline indefinitely, they have weaker AGA so they give the illusion of remaining a NW2 for decades, but they are still losing ground. (Or they recede to NW2 and then hop on Fin.) Eventually it will progress further, someone like Henry Cavill had a NW2 for over a decade but now is approaching NW3 and his crown is next.
What the talk of mature hairlines should tell you is that NW2 is the furthest you can recede and remain socially normal, so get on Fin or Dut if you're there or try and gain ground back to NW2 if you're past it.
>>18653385
Fronto-temporal recession is the first stage of balding. A non-receded hairline will have temple corners that form a right angle and the hairline from edge to edge appears straight across or gently rounded, dipping downwards at the corners. A receding hairline forms an M shape with or without a genetic widow's peak like Chris Hemsworth has.
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>>18653358
Mature hairline is a psyop and doesn't exist. It's early stage balding. IN SOME MEN IT DOESN'T RECEDE ANY FURTHER BECAUSE THEY TAKE FINASTERIDE TO STOP IT. All the while telling you that it's just a mature hairline bro you shouldn't worry about it. And if you listen to them and do nothing you just go bald. Basically it's a strategy/psyop to reduce competition.
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>>18650456
Received my minox last week but still too scared to take it. Is there not even the slightest chance it might kill me? I think I have a NW3 vertex pattern, is it even possible to regrow at this stage? I’m also on fin and considering switching to dut on my next refill. Being ugly, short and now balding sucks so fucking much.
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>>18653572
Topical? basically 0% chance unless you are literally pouring it on, even then unlikely. With oral the doses for hair loss are between 2.5 - 5mg which is too low to cause any kind of life threatening scenarios. You might get a rapid heart beat combined with a panic attack and end up in the hospital but anything more serious you would need upwards of a 20mg dose. Someone here took 50mg at once and didn't die, you will be fine with your dose.
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>>18653572
Topical is very safe. If it were even slightly dangerous, it would be prescription only because medical regulators don't take male-wellness seriously. Oral is safe enough for most people, but dangerous enough that I wouldn't personally do it or recommend it to anyone. If someone were to use it, I would highly recommend working with an IRL doctor to monitor yourself since it's not like finasteride where you can write one sentence to a shady telehealth company and be perfectly okay.
Since you mentioned in >>18653610 that you had heart issues in the past, I definitely wouldn't if I were you. If you do use it, please make sure to work with an IRL doctor who can monitor you for any signs of trouble.
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>>18653358
Maturing hairlines are a thing, but so is balding. I developed an awful hairline as a teenager, but wasn't full on balding at that point.
Remember that you don't need to wait to start balding to start treatment, especially if you know balding runs in your family. Fin and min are safe enough to use prophylactically.
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>>18650456
I've been on fin for the past 9 months. Is there any reason not to switch to dut instead of getting another year's fin prescription? I was doing just fin to see if I responded really well to just that (nothing miraculous), so I'm about to add in topical min and see if it can help.
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>>18653845
It just means the hairs lost during that stage were the most susceptible to DHT, they were your first line of defense but also the weakest link, a warning of what was to come if you will. If you are predisposed to lose any amount of hair to DHT then by all accounts the rest will follow suit in time.
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>>18653490
That's a different pattern of hairloss (notice it a lot in asian dudes) but it's still AGA, although it's weird to have your donor area thin. But your hairloss pattern keeping your hairline intact is in no way a bad thing, if you're early with fin+min as a diffuse thinner you can go back to your original density AND hairline, which a lot of dudes who started even early NW2 can't hope to get back.
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>>18654002
All of them can prescribe fin. Doctors and derms are generally stingier with dut (dermatologists are more likely to prescribe it) but most people say try fin for a year anyway since it's cheaper and might work just as well for you.
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>>18653572
I take 2,5mg 4x a day and I’m fine, but given your condition I would try low dosing first (depending on what size your tablets are) and see if you get any side effects + regularly get your body checked by a cardiologist.
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>>18653919
I wanna get myself the Derminator 2 since a lot of people say it’s the best micro needling device you can buy but as mentioned I fear not being able to get a hair transplant afterwards. Fuck I hate hairloss
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>>18654233
Estrogen both protects your hair from AGA and fattens the hair shafts/lengthens anagen. Women have high E and minimal T. This is why most women only experience hairloss AFTER menopause and even then the pattern is usually diffuse thinning. Ironically enough FtM transgenders who take exogenous T without blocking DHT can expose themselves to their hidden genes for MPB and go bald exactly in the typical pattern for a male.
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>>18653844
If you are happy with what finasteride does then stick with it. If after 12-15 months (sometimes results start creeping in later) there still isn't any progress or it does not seem to help then you can always switch. Its not some magic potion, but it might work for you.
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>>18654158
You shouldn't be able to use topical then as a single 50mg (1ml) topical dose results in 1mg being absorbed into your bloodstream, be careful if you do it twice. Maybe you just have anxiety and depression.
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>>18654233
Ngl I’ve seen some posts on tressless that make me want to consider trooning out against hairloss. A few months ago a tranny posted his results after MtF HRT and he regained all his hair, even the temples.
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>>18654417
yeah every single norwood comeback I've ever seen was from someone who trooned out and made their farewell post with a thick head of hair, I don't even care if it's a psyop at this point, I'm fucking jealous
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Is it over for me?
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anyone else here just shave it bro? i use a leaf razor and it's not perfectly BBS every time but i'm very happy with it, i've gotten down to 15-20 minutes for the head and face. was wondering if anyone has tried the new razor 2 and if it's a worthy enough upgrade to justify the cost or if i should just stick to what i got
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Pharmacist said 5mg Finasteride tablet shouldn’t be quartered because Finasteride distribution might be uneven across the whole tablet, so you end up taking more than 1.25mg one day and nothing or very little the other.
Anybody quarter 5mg anyways?
It’s a lot cheaper
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>>18656515
i buy generic 5% minoxidil liquid and put 9 drops in a glass and wash it down with water, which works out something like 12mg probably.
None of the bottles come air-tight so you should probably not buy more than 3 bottles at a time because they'll expire before you can finish them,
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>>18650456
is it too late for him?
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>>18656998
anyway, maybe oral min can help by itself until better treatments come along. you'll still lose hair eventually with just min most likely based off a bunch of anecdotes i've read. 2% ketoconazole shampoo helps a little too
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>>18656991
It would be temporary since the underlying cause of your hair loss is not being addressed and will gradually lessen the effects of min until you visually resume balding. You realistically might be able to see 2-5 years max before it's no longer enough at which point dropping the min will reveal even further loss so you'll be stuck on it despite it no longer working optimally. Maybe if you were to take some off label massive dose it might be enough to last you though you are risking serious health complications and at that point just take fin, hair is more important than whatever is restricting you anyway.
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You guys know your stuff so I’ll ask yall. I’m NW2-2.5 hairline, but I have 2 whorls on my head and I’m thinning from both of them. I tried finasteride in 2024 for a month and got side effects so I stopped. It definitely wasn’t nocebo because I didn’t know what the side effects were. I tried oral min which was ok at 1.25mg but when I got moved up to 2.5 mg i got chest pains so I stopped. I tried topical min and got worse chest pains so I had to stop that too.
I tried finasteride again recently and it really fucked up my body. I was on 0.25mg 3 times a week and got worse side effects than before. I tried to push through but it kept getting worse, so after 3 weeks I stopped. It’s now been 3 weeks since I stopped and the side effects haven’t gone away yet and they haven’t lasted this long before. I’m certain they’ll go away because I don’t believe PFS is real. However I do have some low dose topical finasteride that I’m planning on using once I stabilize. Do you guys think I should try this, or should I try dutasteride? I know that Dut is stronger, but I’ve talked to several doctors who told me that they’ve seen people tolerate Dut when they couldn’t tolerate fin.
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>>18657250
ED and loss of libido, plus bad sleep disturbances and testicle pain that while not horrible, hasn’t gone away. What made me stop was how depressed I got, and I developed gyno super fast. Within the second week I noticed my chest getting bigger but there was no itchiness or sensitivity, and I thought maybe it came from me working out, but the second I my nipples got sensitive I stopped. They can still be sensitive now. It’s not severe at all since I caught it early but I’m hoping these side effects subside soon because the bad sleep is still really getting to me. I’ve rebounded before, I’m hoping I can rebound again.
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>>18657257
>>18657243
>>18657257
There's a story Dr. Rassman (inventor of FUE transplants) told of a guy who got prescribed Finasteride and on the ride home he calls the doctor and says he's impotent. There are powerful psychological factors that can make 5AR inhibition a stumbling block. FWIW, Topical Fin still goes systemic so you can't avoid that. Topical Dut theoretically doesn't due to its molecule weight.
>gyno
You might have a fucked up balance between T and E already and the extra T Fin gives you is being converted into Estradiol.
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>>18657259
Psychological factors are probably at play. I’ve been going through a lot lately outside of hair loss and maybe that’s why I’m still feeling these effects. Should I just mentally prepare myself to go bald? Do I still have options?
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>>18657243
If you are certain that the side effects can't be caused by some psychological factors, then you are probably out of luck with fin. Side effects do happen for some men, you just might be in that very small percentage that really can't tolerate fin well.
You can try topical, but if you already tried oral at 0.25mg 3 times a week, that is already a very low dose and since topical fin goes systemic anyway, it might not make a difference.
Like you mentioned, once fin is fully out of your system this symptoms should go away, but if you do decide to try dutasteride, keep in mind that if you end up developing side effects with dut as well, it will likely take longer for them to go away, since dut stays longer in your body.
I would give dut a try, for some reason some men tolerate it better than fin. Better to know for sure, than to wonder what could have been.
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>>18657283
I think I am just in that unlucky percentage. I’d like to try dutasteride once I feel better but I’m really feeling like shit still. I’m really hoping the rebound comes soon because I’m really tired of my balls hurting all the time. Quick question though, the topical one I got is 0.005%, there’s no way that suppresses serum DHT as much as the higher topical doses right? I also read that 0.25 mg of fin reduces almost the same amount of DHT as 1mg so maybe trying that small dose was pointless
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>>18657243
Get your hormone levels checked. You need to fix what is more than likely a severe imbalance, fin just happened to give you a glimpse into your future as your estrogen increases and test drops even more with age. If it's a relatively benign cause you may even be able to safely take fin after getting things under control.
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>>18650456
>>18650456
Is it normal to already be seeing increase in growth/density after only 3 weeks on fin/oral minox? For reference, I'm a black male with 3c/4a hair. Already seeing a noticeable increase in density and growth everywhere when I have a hair loss pattern similar to LeBron. I don't have a before/after pic but attached is a reference to how it was looking before. The only other thing I've been doing is brushing my hair for 30 min-1 hour daily to maintain my waves along with the oil/conditioner I've been using for them (jojoba oil, curl enhancing smoothie etc).
Also, no side effects yet.
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>>18657426
His entire existence hinges on his looks so yes he's on fin at the very least.
>>18657472
Depends could be a hyper responder and the hair was miniaturized past the point of noticing it shed. Remember the thin hair must fall out so that a thicker one may replace it.
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>>18657472
oral minox? possible. fin needs at least 3 months to work due to how it synchronizes the hair cycle as the hairs that were being choked by DHT get a release from it
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLU1CrF6x3RztggfNIB6_sgDTWP090OI h2
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>>18657534
to be desu it's not really worth using min if you aren't going to also be using fin.
fin stops the actual loss (the thinning), min helps regrow hair.
i say this as someone that used min for like 3 or 4 years before hopping on fin. and i regret that because now i'm not sure if i am a min responder at all (many guys simply just aren't, i've seen estimates that it might even be a majority) or it just wasn't having a noticeable effect because the rate of loss was greater than whatever min was growing back. but i don't wanna stop and risk going bald again to see.
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>>18657294
Yes, smaller doses should suppress less DHT. Trying 0.25mg instead of 1mg makes perfect sense and is often recommended by doctors for people who do get side effects, so it wasn't pointless to try it out.
Also like some other anons mentioned, you might want to check your hormone levels by going to an endocrinologist.
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>>18657543
I thought the same. I added oral minoxidil and saw insane regrowth, like it was a completely different drug. Dropped the topical after tapering for 3 months, saw no shed or loss. This way for certain you can know oral minoxidil is actually working, and I certainly don't miss the application process.
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>>18657761
Topical minoxidil only works if you have the inflammatory issue with your scalp taken care of. I was wasting product for almost ten years until I was put on antibiotics. However, I also use the oral tablets now.
Protip: foam is just a glorified mousse. I mean, it’s a great mousse, but doesn’t really work unless you had derma stamps from a clinic. The liquid works, however, and like I said, only after inflammatory issues are treated. Works even better alongside pills.
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>>18657788
5% liquid taken orally 2.5mg in the morning 1.25mg at night
>>18657801
I really don't think it works well regardless. I would bet a vast majority only see results from the systemic absorption equating to low dose ~2mg oral when done twice daily, this would also explain why I never shed after introducing oral. The hyper responders to topical are just regular, but actually responding purely to the topical moa and not relying on the secondary absorption into bloodstream.
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>>18650800
For 2% of users, yes, it can cause lower libido and erectile dysfunction that goes away a week after you stop taking the drug. Just take the fucking pill pussy if you get any sides and they really bother you then stop.
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>>18650854
My father wore a cap for an entire summer while working as a pastry chef and got a scalp fungal infection so bad parts of his scalp fell off in chunks. He still has a full head of hair at 54. It's literally all genetics, everything else is cope.
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>>18658138
That takes 10+ years to happen even after the spot goes slick. If you're below NW4 that hasn't happened yet. What you need is something that will stimulate the follicles to stay in anagen (Min) so they grow thicker and fuller + each follicular unit produces more follicles, and to nuke scalp DHT 100%; only HRT can do 100%. Closest if you still want to be a male is 2.5mg of Dut which lowers scalp DHT by 80%.
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>>18658148
People are generally incredibly ignorant to just how easy it can be to mess up your hormonal balance and attribute it to fin. If I eat a carb heavy diet for a week or two I definitely start to experience some ED and general overlap with the PFS (excess estrogen) symptoms. Combine that with OCD, anxiety, depression etc.. and it's a recipe for disaster.
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the entire world is making fun of us baldbros right now. why are we treated like this?
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>>18658224
No that's not biologically possible. It can appear smaller due to lack of blood flow aka erectile dysfunction. Blasting HRT can't even reduce the size on it's own, that comes from lack of erections over a long time aka atrophy.
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>>18658241
It can affect libido albeit rarely. Go to a doctor in a month or two if it hasn't resolved itself. Yes but it would be better to find out first if dutasteride is the cause before you attempt to treat it yourself.
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If Dutasteride is so much more effective, why is it always Finasteride that's advised to be taken first?
Wouldn't it be bad to get on fin, find its not working and then have to switch to dut? Because your bodies hormones are having to adjust twice.
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Hang in there bros. Clascoterone will buy us time, GT20029 will cure AGA.
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Caucasoids (the whiter the worse it is) are the most prone to balding followed by blacks, then asian, then finally mexican. The only race I've seen that seem to have anti-balding genes are the native americans, their genetics somehow even block the balding genes in their white admixture.
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to this. what did he do to his crown? i'm sure that dark spot is not a shadow.
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sup chooms, anyone had significant improvements from upping the dosage of dutasteride? taking 0.5mg and I have a lot of intermediate hairs that won't grow long but look alive. I'm on oral minoxidil as well (5mg) and recently started using topical minoxidil once per day with a weekly microneedling session of 0.6mm. I would add RU58841 if I could find it in my country but I can't. dut isn't too expensive right now but upping the dosage 5 fold would certainly make it expensive.
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>>18658733
it's 2026 and the only dramatic timely results come from ppl who drop fin and jump straight to HRT, it's like a cruel joke.
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>>18658565
This is the guy who said nobody should go bald because Propecia exists back when he was a teenager. I also thought I would just "take fin once I noticed a problem" but I waited until I was NW2 instead of starting it at 18 and keeping my NW1 forever. It's tragic...
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>>18658733
Yeah, I think Haircafe showed a study where the amount of DHT in the follicle on Dutasteride was undetectable. What we really need is a growth stimulant as good as estrogen without, er, the side effects.
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>>18658780
You wouldn't want to take SERMs indefinitely. If the hair growth could be maintained after ceasing hrt then maybe if you're that desperate.. I think you would lose your gains regardless if dut + min wasn't cutting it.
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sharp, right angle temple points are the most aesthetic part of a male hairline
but also the first to go, and the hardest to get back
life is so cruel bros
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>>18659175
For what I'm paying now, roughly 1000 bananas (BRL) per year for 360 capsules.
>>18658775
>>18658733
>0.5mg suppesses like 95% serum DHT
He's made one or two videos talking about higher dosages of dutasteride and in one of them he notes that despite the serum DHT levels not being much different when comparing 0.5mg to 2.5mg (92% vs 96% respectively), the scalp DHT is significantly reduced, from 51% to 79%, and that's what actually matters for AGA.
Can't help but feel hair greed if the only downside is monetary and it isn't even severe, the side effect profile is the same as the standard dose.
https://youtu.be/rCXByxgBrn4
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>>18659537
>the scalp DHT is significantly reduced, from 51% to 79%, and that's what actually matters for AGA.
But even at 0.5mg of Dutasteride, the scalp DHT in the hair follicles themselves is so low that it cannot be measured.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CM68p8ofPps
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how real is the 'shedding phase' of minoxidil? i suspect a lot of people call it shedding as a cope when it just doesn't work and they continue to bald.
i'm asking, because my hairline has receded, but it's not too terrible and i just want to ensure it stays the same. topical min without prescription is the most accessible, but i wouldn't want it to make things worse.
also, how expensive would topical min end up being if i only apply it to like 1 cm along the hairline? can the supposed shedding affect areas where i do not apply the min?
all in all, which of these meds is best to take 'just in case'?
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>>18659668
>á
I dont think you are German anon.
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Almost 3 months into finasteride, the sheds have been BRUTAL, I've never had so much hair fall out before and it looks so thin from the top. Well, all that's left for me to do now is trust the plan and watch it all regrow thicker and healthier. If it doesn't I'll jump off a bridge.
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>>18659996
Dude, male pattern baldness is progressive after its onset. This can translate to only milimeters of your hairline creeping up each year. But while that is imperceptible year by year, give it a decade or two and it adds up. A lot of celebrities had minor AGA genes, and then they either get on 5AR inhibitors or get a hair transplant.
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>>18659999
I'm aware. By the its real bad I'll likely be 40 any how.
I just dont want to mess with taking meds that will implode your hair line if you stop taking them. I dont like those forever type deals you know? If I could take it for a week or something sure but I jist know something will go sideways taking meds like that every single day for tue rest of your life.
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>>18660004
>If I could take it for a week or something sure but I jist know something will go sideways taking meds like that every single day for tue rest of your life.
Trust me, it sucks to know that you need meds to save your hair. But I take a glass half full attitude - there are health benefits to 5AR inhibiting drugs. Haircafe has a whole playlist where he goes over the deleterious effects of DHT on the body after puberty. Because DHT is more potent at the androgen receptor, it is even linked to increasing the onset of androgen sensitive brain diseases like Alzheimer's/Parkinson's. Dutasteride can help if you have oily, acne prone skin since it blocks the type 1 5AR enzyme with considerable more potency than Finasteride. At the very least, you have the benefit of knowing by taking these drugs you will avoid BPH and won't have trouble urinating once you're into advanced old age. You never hear about Post-Proscar/Post-Dutasteride syndrome even though those drugs are more potent than Finasteride, since Finasteride is the most common drug prescribed specifically for male pattern hairloss. And losing your hair is GUARANTEED to cause you depression.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Om1koF9kptk
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>>18660004
Your hairline wont "Implode". You will just resume balding and lose what you were able to recover. It's completely up to you how long you want to preserve your hair for, just quit when you no longer care.
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>>18660004
>I just dont want to mess with taking meds that will implode your hair line if you stop taking them
You'll just start balding again as you would have, the only way DHT blockers can "implode" your hairline immediately if you stop taking them is if you stop during a shed phase.
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>>18660386
Topical is safe though its a weak DHT inhibitor. You would ideally stack it with dutasteride to come closer to the mythical 100% scalp DHT inhibition. It's not a replacement for any of the big 3, it's supplementary and kind of a shitty one when you considered the price.
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>>18660422
Yeah RU would be ideal. If you're already maxxed out on dut and oral min then adding additional treatments will certainly not make the difference and you should be looking into a transplant or simply make peace with what you have.
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My doc prescribed me three months of 1.25mg if oral min. I'm nearly the end of the three months and then I'm go upgrade to another three months of 2.5mg.
Under bright light, I've started to notice very new hairs growing all along where my scalp has receded which has me optimistic. Maybe it's too early to tell, but should I cut my incoming batch of 2.5mg min to make them last longer if 1.25mg seems to be working? I'm also worried about a shed from increasing the dosage. Or should I just increase dosage and hope it accelerates the regrowth?
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>>18660663
1.25mg is an introductory dose equivalent to once daily application of topical. 2.5mg is equivalent to using topical twice as it is directed to be used. You can get oral minoxidil incredibly cheap if you take the topical liquid orally if price is your concern.
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Has anyone actually had good results from low dose oral min? Like 1.75 mg or lower? I have a previous heart condition so don’t want to take the full 5 mg or even 2.5 mg but understand that extremely low doses have a much more tolerable side fx profile, some people are even microdosing at 0.25–0.5 mg. Thoughts?
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>>18660689
Just try tropical first. About 2% of the minoxidil applied to the scalp goes systemic. Which is about equivalent to 1mg oral per application. 2 percent of 50mg = 1mg (50mg minoxidil is contained in 1ml of the standard 5% topical solution). That's equivalent to 2mg a day if you're using it as directed. If you're already tolerating topical at such doses oral would be tolerated just as well within those doses. If you want to be even more cautious just cut 1.25mg in half and take it a couple hours apart and so on with higher doses.
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>>18660689
Anon from above, I'm on 1.25mg now, about to try increasing the dosage to 2.5mg
Just about three months as of next week so it's too early to truly say, but so far I've already seen hairs regrowing where my hairline has receded, so if they were to fully grow out, I'll be back to normal (am probably a n2-3)
1.25mg grows hair about 17% faster than normal, and 2.5mg by around 36% so I'm hoping to have an inch of growth back by spring
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>>18660748
Well the absolute worst case scenario disregarding 1 in a million side effects would be an increased resting heart rate from such a low dose. If you can workout without risking a heart attack because of your previous heart issues you can likely handle 1.25mg. Avoid all minoxidil if you or your doctor have concerns related to physical activity and your heart. Your question is best taken up with your doctor though if you must try do so safely and have someone be aware of it. 1.25mg has a half life of only a few hours and your heart rate would return to normal rather quickly. Water and salt can be used in an emergency to reduce the effects if you start freaking out. Definitely ask your doctor though!
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>>18655290
>>18655299
>>18657522
>>18661289
that's not him that's an album cover
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do ppl who care a lot about their hair only lose hair? is hair loss just psychological?
i buzz my hair and let i grow out and do the same thing since i'm 16, hair still full after 10 years.
i never cared about it and dont have hair loss
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>>18661794
no, it's genetic or stress-related. i never cared about hair loss until i noticed my hairline very slightly receeding at age 27. 7 years later, it slowly keeps receeding and i have at some point stressed over it but ultimately decided not to get hormonal pills just to keep hair because in my case it would mean being a total fruitloop - i'm tall, married with multiple children and my wife doesn't give a shit about my hair.
obviously if someone's way younger and is looking to impress/get a girlfriend then yeah, maybe it's worth some of the risk of potentially getting gyno and dick problems
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At what point in your hair loss journey were you given the superhuman ability to tell someone's norwood from a brief glance? For me it happened after 3 months on Fin.
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How long until you can do sports again after a hair transplant? Is it more than a month? I'm a professional athlete, it seems super fucking retarded and gay if you cant do stuff for more than like a week. Also I have long hair, will I look retarded for like 4 months if I dont shave it? I dont want to shave my hair it doesnt suit me
Currently using fin only, also stemox but it's effect pretty minor I think and a bunch of small adjuncts. Considering starting ru and also have a dermaroller which I havent used yet, I already got improvements in density with fin and stemoc and the other adjuncts (rlt, scalp massage etc) but ny hairline is the same
Fuck these captchas
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why hairdresser is gaslighting me and telling me i'm not balding. he says my hairline receding 1cm since I was a kid and my partings becoming wider is just "your hair maturing" and it's normal.
he's trolling right?
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>>18662328
my hairdresser is the only person telling me to hop on min+fin as soon as possible but he's extremely homosexual and got a hair transplant + on the meds himself, which kind of paints a clear picture for me on whether i actually need it or not
also there's no such thing as a mature hairline, it's all receding. it can recede and slow down but then accelerate due to stress or mineral deficiencies but it is just male pattern hairloss
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>>18662328
Do you think the norwood reaper is going to magically leave you alone without you doing anything about your hair?
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10 months on meds update
first pic was 2mo into therapy so this is 8mo of progress
yeah I know it's the other side and different angle etc. but you get it
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>>18662861
are you suggesting I edited the photos? I got 600+ other progress photos I can post, this one is 6 months in
not my bad you can't be happy for other people
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>>18662896
see pic
>>18662903
thanks, not yet but I hope to have a straight hairline by the end of the year
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>>18657243
Your side effects are fucking fake and you need to hop back on finasteride. Take the fucking pill and figure out whatever the fuck is causing your """side effects""". Finasteride blocks the 5AR type 1 enzyme, which only transforms T outside of the brain (which means no neuro toxicity and no direct psychological effects) . Take the medication or be bald for the rest of your life. Stop being a fucking pussy.
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>>18662916
4 months fin 0.25mg + 2x min 0.5% + retinoids
6 months dut 0.5mg + 2x min 0.5% + tret 0.1%
fin + first month of dut were jeet pills, then I switched to generic dut out the pharmacy and now the last two months I've been getting Avodart as it's the same price as generic when subsidized
no sides other than no morning wood, also oral min gave me sick sides (water retention) at any dose 0.5-5mg so umfortunately I have to stick to topical
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>>18662852
>>18662876
impressive. any sides?
>>18662918
where did he mention psychological effects?
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>>18662928
yeah, I had sex while on meds, no problems with libido, ball aches, watery cum etc. at all, even had increased libido when first starting fin and switching from fin to dut
I have pretty bad death grip syndrome so I probably wouldn't even have noticed reduced sensitivity or delayed ejaculation
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>>18650456
Middle aged balding man here to tell you that 100% of hair products outside of getting plug surgery are snake oil. Nothing works. NONE OF IT. Don't waste your money, and tell everyone who tells you to try bullshit like Propecia to fuck off and never speak to you again.
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>>18662925
Psychological effects are the only possible source for his BS side effects, and finasteride is not the source. The slight increase in free T caused by finasteride can not be attributed to his reported physiological side effects. I'm 100% sure it's psychosomatic.
>>18662940
I'm trying to help the dude. He can tolerate it.
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>>18663047
i was watching a video from that hair surgeon that has alopecia totalis (forgot his name) and he said that something like 80%+ of his patients have worse recession on their right sides than left.
for me personally, my hairline is worse on the right side, and i have relatively little loss on the left side of my crown but the right side of my crown is by far my worst hair loss area. it's not centralized/symmetrical. i wonder why this is.
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>use topical Minox at suggestion of dermatologist
>have to stop because get dog and Minox is poisonous to animals
>call dermatologist three times to request a script
>still no returned call despite talking to receptionist each time
Do I just use Ro at this point? This shit is ridiculous.
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Around 2 months fin. Does this look like shedding?
I know the angle is different.
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>>18663377
ignore >>18663404 what's going to happen is all your long hair is going to fall out in a fast-forwarded version of your balding pattern ie if you were going to have a horseshoe pattern you'll get that. HOWEVER, what should happen is a new, short layer will be growing underneath it, and this layer will slowly restore your hairline and density. You need to endure it, just feel your scalp to see if you can feel the new layer coming in.
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>>18663227
>>18663270
I think its mostly cats being very sensitive to mine, dogs can tolerate it a little better
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>>18663605
We can also ask another telehealth company but you gotta pay and I ain’t got no money for that. My insurance pays for my current telehealth doctor but I don’t wanna ask twice. Yeah you can order from other EU countries but it’s Indian stuff that’s never in stock unfortunately, otherwise I would bulk buy. The UK is way more loose regarding prescriptions and meds, almost like the US from what I know. Doesn’t help that Germany is a control state.
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>>18663647
Possibly, but my dermatologist ist stingy about hair loss and told me "just to accept it" but she also told me she would hand out a prescription if I can prove I’ve taken certain meds before so I’m gonna try that soon. Other than that the best chance is go visit an urologist. It’s such a fucking shame you guys aren’t in the EU anymore, iirc Hair repair clinic sells you 365 Avodart pills for £250.
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>completely ignored diffuse thinning for years because it wasn't noticeable at all, and I was tight on cash anyway
>one day I woke up and could faintly see my scalp through my hair with a fully dry head
I might have fucked up
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>>18664403
On the flip side, diffuse thinning without hairline recession responds the best to treatment, since you need density not a dramatic hairline lowering. Unless you’re unlucky enough to have DUPA or retrograde alopecias…
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>>18664457
It’s off patent so in theory that’s possible. But at 0.5 daily your male pattern hair loss is cured according to that 2023 study that showed DHT in the hair follicle is extinct on Dut. While more hairs recover at 2.5mg (due to more scalp suppression), it’s probably not enough for the hairs that have gone fully vellus. Because too many cycles of DHT prior to treatment damaged those follicles beyond recovering. You need a growth stimulant and VDPHL seems to be the best one next to…estrogen.
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>>18664457
>>18664472
would it even matter when dutatseride has such a long half life anyway?