Avodart gameplan

Medications for hair loss
1

Hello all,

Im new to this site but have been reading many of the posts for 3 months now and would like to contribute and help out as you guys have undoubtedly done for many men.

I am 25 and have had a receding hairline for two years which has started to progress uncomfortably into the main body of hair. i’ve also had perhaps a slight thinning anywhere from 2- 5 years max too, although this is not a concern as i started out with very thick annoying hair.

I never thought i would go bald because i have thick hair (still do), and when i raised the possibility with family and friends they risibly dismissed it as a maturing hairline. I decided to act, not because i was particularly worried about the state of my hair, but because i could see the undeniable trajectory and fast progression. Looking back i can now see why i thought my appearance was changing a little, i even recall once running my hands through my hair and thinking it was a little less thick and more manageable to style.

In the UK, there is very little awareness of baldness treatments, i think there is a statistic somewhere showing 9/10 men do nothing about it here. This is down to drugs companies being banned from advertising their products directly to the patient/public. But I decided to have a look around, as a precautionary measure, pretty much as soon as the realisation dawned on me that i could be balding and stumbled across this site. After reading a few posts, within days i was on Propecia.

I then came up with a gameplan, which would be to get on avodart, after reviewing side-effects of Propecia, and to stay on 0.5mg a day for the rest of my life/until a new therapy came out. I decided not to assess any change/progress on a day-to-day basis, as i knew this would drive me insane and not be rational given seasonal changes in hair. At the most I would assess after each four-week hair cut. I would then conduct a full year review of the medication, and only at this point decide whether to change dosing regime or add minoxidil.

I have been on Propecia since mid-sept (will continue to take with Avodart until i run my stock down - might as well), and Avodart since early November last year (took time for me source a legitimate prescription and secure supply; this has to be a sustainable regime) and here are some observations:

  • No side effects on Propecia
  • Shedding of weak, thin hairs 4-6 weeks in on Propecia - which was scary.
  • No adverse side effects on Avodart
  • But there are positive side effects of Avodart strangely - better libido, gym performance, and skin.
  • Greater shedding of weak, thin hairs 4-6 weeks in on Avodart - this was very scary
  • Existing strong hair has thickened up considerably (hope the thickening stops soon) 6 weeks in on Avodart, which would be 3 months after starting dht-blocking with Propecia
  • Today, i see many fine hairs on the temple region, which i assume are going to replace the shed hairs - but early days.

To conclude, i would tentatively say i am a good responder, by the looks of the regrowth. But I will keep you guys updated. Am only afterall 3-4 months in.

2

you are one of the few intelligent enough to tackle your baldness with DHT blockers before it becomes worse.

once you lose hair, its impossible to get it back.

3

» you are one of the few intelligent enough to tackle your baldness with DHT
» blockers before it becomes worse.
»
» once you lose hair, its impossible to get it back.

Thanks. Hopefully, I haven’t left it too late. Apparently a study showed those who best respond to finisteride in terms of regrowth, are those who begin treatment within 30 months. I’m just under that period, in terms of frontal recession.

In terms of thickness of existing strong hair, it has been immensely surprising, given that it is still so early in my treatment and this isn’t what I originally was concerned with. My friends pointed it out, although I had begun to feel the 'bounce’in my hair at 3 months of dht blocking.

Based on such early results, I am confident this should pay off, thankful I stuck with it after initial bad shed.

4

12-week assessment of Avodart

I wasn’t planning on tracking and assessing my hair so early on, but by God, how can i not post with such amazing results already.

My hair texture is so different now; resistance and bounce like i haven’t felt for a few years. Everyone, and i mean everyone, has seen a transformative effect…some can’t put their finger on it, they just think i’ve had a different hair cut haha. If you recall, i was never worried about thickness, but having seen the result, i think i may have previously been accustomed to having thinner hair, and now i want this thick hair!

In terms of what i originally took the medication for, i.e. receding and thinning hairline, the shed did knock out all the miniaturised hair (shedding is a real and horrible thing, believe me!!), but i can see this starting to grow back, but judging my the speed of it, it will take quite a while to come back as full, healthy hair. But remain confident it will.

No bad sides.

I would have thought cycling of the hair would mean the regrowth process is a prolonged one. I certainly am very weary about misconstruing any slight change as one attributable to the medication, but the odds that the complete turnaround in my hair isn’t owing to avodart is slim, i cannot see any other eplanation.

I never intended to post pictures, but it would be an absolute crime not to, for my case. Expect photos at the 24-week mark, when i next post.

5

At the minimum it takes about 9 months to see results. Usually 12 to 18 months.

Are you sure you’re not hallucinating about your results.

6

Now at the 24 week mark.

No more discernable thickening, as I experienced at the 12 week mark. However I am seeing remarkable filling in (thick hair) on the recessions, where the shed had caused great concern, and a lot of fine hair growing too.

I should say I’ve added minoxidil 5% in now, only for hairline, 7 weeks ago.

I’m sure these great results are just the tip of the iceberg, and look forward to the 38 week mark.

Avodart is transforming my hair, appearance and life. Fantastic drug.

Will update at 38 weeks, just like a clinical trial.

7

Now at the 38 month mark. Regrowth continues at a slow and steady pace, which I am really pleased with. Whereas it was about thicker and better texture hair in the first 6 months, now my hairline is growing in.

Fingers crossed dutasteride maintains this level for the rest of my life.

My last update will be at the 52 week mark…although I think I have now come to the end of my journey.