Consultation with Dr. tomorrow regarding Propecia

Interesting article in Men’s Health this month about finasteride. The rate of ED is small, but often irreversible.

I’m pretty confident at this point that my only side effects are *slightly* decreased semen volume, a definite drop in “shooting” distance, and a definite increase in intensity of orgasm sensations. I’m not sure how these all relate, but I’m fine with the combination :)

Para,

Now that you’ve been on it for months, have you noticed any regrowth yet?

8-Ball,

The only noticeable loss I had was very minor at the corners of the hairline. The corners pulled back to a nice “mature” place by my early 20s, but had started to move back toward the ear-line in the last couple years. Also a tiny bit of thinning at the front of the hairline other than in the very middle. Anyone who took a look at me and hadn’t examined my hair up close (or who wasn’t also a paranoid man who had also studied Norwood charts ;) ) would say I have a thick, full head of hair — this is definitely a “preventive” things for me. So, I’m not expecting to see significant regrowth. However, I think that there are, nonetheless, several new noticeable hairs in the corners filling in. Given my seemingly slow and minor loss pattern, I’m hoping that finasteride might stop or nearly stop my hair loss. I know that guys with aggressive loss patterns often end up bald eventually even when on finasteride, minoxidil, etc. How’s your hair holding up? My only side effects are still the ones noted above.

I really think people under estimate just how well finisteride works. It really is a very effetive drug for maintaining hair. I think many give up too soon or think because they aren’t noticing regrowth that it isn’t working. But I think a large majority of men would stop their hairloss with this drug. I’d go as far to say it is almost rare that it wouldn’t work.

8-Ball, I wanted to follow up on your question above again. At this point, the corner hair loss has significantly filled in, and my hairline has almost returned to what it was in my early 20s. I hadn’t noticed the very recent regrowth, as I’m wearing my hair longer right now, and the corners are covered because of the way I comb it.

That’s encouraging to hear. How long have you been on it again? Has your hairloss COMPLETELY stopped during that whole time span?

Wow, if your hairline corners filled in somewhat than you are definitely a good responded to the drug. It sounds like I had a pretty similar condition to you, i.e. significant recession of the corners but otherwise a pretty full head of hair, although I had a little thinning on top but nothing even close to a bald spot.

My hair is holding up great ever since starting on the drug. I noticed a quick increase to the density of the crown, but unfortunately my hairline corners didn’t fill in at all. It has, however, COMPLETELY stopped my loss and I don’t think my hairline corners have receded any further since being of it now for about 1 year and 9 months.

I think Joey is right that the drug is a miracle for people who get on it early while they still have most of their hair, provided they aren’t predestined to become totally slick bald on top.