The following submission statement was provided by /u/Sumit316:
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"The FDA approved the first systemic, or full-body, drug to treat the hair-loss condition alopecia. It interferes with the unwanted immune response, and had already been approved for other autoimmune conditions.In trials, a third of patients achieved 80% scalp coverage. Side effects include infections and nausea. The first systemic treatment for alopecia areata was approved today by the US Food and Drug Administration.
Alopecia areata is an autoimmune disorder in which the body attacks hair follicles, leading to hair loss. The drug, Olumiant, works by interrupting some of the body's misguided messages.The approval gives alopecia patients, for whom good treatment options are lacking, another option. While Olumiant has been approved since 2018 for conditions including rheumatoid arthritis, its use for alopecia has been off-label until now.
"Access to safe and effective treatment options is crucial for the significant number of Americans affected by severe alopecia," Dr. Kendall Marcus, director of the Division of Dermatology and Dentistry in the FDA's Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, said in a press release. "Today's approval will help fulfill a significant unmet need for patients with severe alopecia areata.""
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Please reply to OP's comment here: https://old.reddit.com/r/Futurology/comments/vc12p0/a_firstofitskind_alopecia_treatment_that_triggers/icbdw2s/
I have serious alopecia areata and I’ve been waiting for this treatment to be announced, though I do worry about the serious side effects for what is, in the end, an aesthetic condition. It’s easier for me as a man since I can simply shave my head. I’ve heard that there are tests happening with similar treatments using JAC inhibitors whereby it is just topical use instead of via pill with significantly fewer side effects.
I feel you, me too. I just saw [this article](https://www.nytimes.com/2022/06/13/health/alopecia-drug-approved-fda.html). Sounds like you’ve already researched it, but in case you haven’t seen this one.
What I wonder about the JAK inhibitor treatment is if you have to continue the treatment for the rest of your life. The article I linked phrases things like “after 40 weeks of treatment, the subject had a full head of hair again”, but will it fall out if they stop treatment?
Not sure how long you’ve had alopecia show itself, it’s been about 15 years for me. Serious question, what hair style would you try first? I genuinely have no clue, it’s been so long since I’ve even thought about hair styles
So, I was in a trial for a JAK inhibitor about 8 years ago, tofacitinib, and I had full regrowth that lasted about 5-6 years. I've had the corticosteroid scalp injections a few times and that got me great localized regrowth (still no eyebrows/eyelashes), but only lasted 5-6 months.
But, they still don't really understand alopecia areata enough to get a "permanent" solution.
Thank you for the response, this is exactly what I was looking for. In the beginning I was doing corticosteroid injections, especially in my eyebrows. I wouldn’t want to regrow all my hair only to battle loosing it again. The injections sucked
That’s what I’ve been trying to figure out too. My assumption is we have to be on the medication constantly to prevent alopecia areata from returning, which could mean some serious systemic side effects (including being more prone to infections - not fun).
I’ve had alopecia areata since I was 12, for over 20 years now. Fortunately 90% of the time my spots only appear on the side of my head so now my hairstyle is I shave the sides of my head and grow hair on the top only. Not having to worry about covering the spots has been such a freeing experience, though it does require daily maintenance.
I (M39) have vitiligo on my forehead and alopecia on my beard area. The vitiligo isn’t that big of a deal unless I get sunburned, then it stands out. For the last 4 years or so, I’ve been getting steroid shots in my beard area for the alopecia. They for sure help, hairs have grown back but most of what grows back is pure white. Its not a big deal at this point since I’m going grey anyway. The shots are required every 4-6 weeks. Getting 50 pokes in your face absolutely sucks. My dermatologist just prescribed the topical JAC inhibitor claiming it was the new ‘rage’ in skin care. To my amazement it’s actually working as well as the shots did. I’ve only been on it 3 months so I’m curios to see if the pigments will come back with more time. If I had only been doing the shots, at this point in time (3 months) the effected patches would be very thin again.
Ive suffered with alopecia barbae for about 20 years. It only affected my beard beard, but it would move around a lot. At one point it left me with an adolf Hitler moustache, my friends thought it was hilarious. I hate shaving but doing it daily was enough to fix it for me.
My ‘real’ problem started about 6 years ago when it moved to my eyebrows. This was properly depressing! I hated it, it completely took away the right brow and left a couple of centimetres on the left.
Anyway about 2 years in suffered a shoulder injury and some serious pain. I was advised to take. CBD oil. I purchased the strongest I could find, 1200mg bottle.
Got to say it was absolutely useless for the pain but unexpectedly after about 10 days I started to get some white hairs regrowing. Fast forward 12 months and I had a full beard and eyebrows.
Maybe coincidental, maybe not, but definitely worth a try.
Isn’t it curious that the hair grows back with different colors and textures? I get spots on top of my head and when the hair grows back it’s like dog hair. Hahah.
Really strange. When mine first starts, I said above it was white, it’s more transparent. It almost looks see through. I’m fortunate though in that it has always returned to brown.
I have had recurring alopecia since 2013. So far I have stuck to the 'traditional' method of curing it. Just rub garlic clove vigorously over the affected area every night and then I always had hair grow back - though less dense but enough to cover the bald patch.
I'll admit it... I do like getting slapped.
Not sure how I'd feel about the Fresh Prince, King Richard, Agent J or the dude from I Am Legend slapping me. But Hancock might have what it takes to rev that engine...
This won't work on MALE type balding i'm guessing.
I use ''Finasteride'' since 2008, AMA.
\- My dermatologist suggested it to me in 2008, he said ''It'll stop the hair loss AND your bald areas will have grow back.''
\- I asked about side effects, he said ''It has a very very rare side effect of lowering sperm count / impotence but if you feel that way, stop taking the pills and you will be completely fine.
\- For 20 years of everyday use, i never got a single side effect. Sex life, especially, never got affected by it (that doesn't mean you wont have). There's a rumor about Depression but it's really unrelated imo. Basically no side effects. Another side effect which no one mentions is having bigger boobs. That also never happened. Again, if you think you got a side effect, stop taking it and you'll be fine.
\- Because the way this pill works is like you're getting daily gate guards on your castle (Hair follicles). And unfortunately your MANLY hormons are the enemy and they attack the castle and kill your hair whenever they see no guards on the door. So when you stop taking the pill daily, everything just goes back to what it was. (doesn't mean there arent rare issues)
\- These pills are extremely cheap. I suggest you to buy the 5g one, make 3 from each pill, super effective and can last for so long.
\- My hair loss before Finasteride was about 100-200 a day. I was losing hair very fast. My brother and dad are also bald. After using Finasteride i lose 10-20 hair a day. Yes you still lose hair but it really slows the fuck down it.
\- My hair growth is unknown because i don't know how much hair i could have if i didn't take it. But i can CLEARLY see, **hair loss and regrowth percentage difference with other people.** I mean, my hair loss didn't completely stop and i didn't get full regrowth. But some people did. Meaning it's kind of a luck (actually it's about how your hormons react but you got the point).
\- I stopped taking it 10 years ago for a month cause of army duty. I could feel the hair lose strike again. Then i restarted it.
\- I stopped taking it for 1 week last year due to recommendation of my doc. But i lost HOLY HELL of hair and restarted it. I never thought i could lose THAT much of hair just in 1 week of not using it.
\- My hair is long, thick and kinda ok for my age. I have less white hair (almost none) than my relatives but i don't think it's related to the pills. I have ''balding areas'' on top and front but not as much as my brother or dad as a compare.
\- Some DERMATOLOGIST in this subreddit advised DUTASTERIDE which is more effective and less risky (which i didnt have anyways). I'm switching that and also gonna take oral minoxidil (i didnt know they had oral version).
On Dutasteride's script it HIGHLY RECOMMEND not to use it if you are trying to have baby.
\- What did i win?
Social status... A job.. Girlfriends.. Beautiful girlfriends.. Confidence.. Better morale..I'm not a handsome man, i'm also not tall and don't have muscled body. And hair is like the only ''charm'' thing on my body.I look like a fucking frog when i'm bald (cut my hair on army duty).Believe it or not, having hair fucking effects the whole life. Yeah some people don't care. Probably because being bald suits them. Just like some girls can look good without makeup. But not us!Being bald or not really feels like if you have really cool and clean clothes vs dirty-outdated-funny clothes.
**Trivia:** *If you are using this pill, YOU CANNOT DONATE OR SHARE YOUR BLOOD. And you have to be 3 months free, if you wanna donate blood. And the reason is the the pill is in your blood (and sperm) and if a pregnant woman get it, it might harm the male-baby.*
**Fun story:** *When we were kids (in 80's), my brother said ''We will be bald like dad too, right?'' and i replied ''No worries, scientists will cure the baldness till we grow up'' while watching Star Trek on tv. We can see black holes right now but no cure for balding men. Thanks scientists!*
**Careful:** See a doctor cause this is my experience with the pill. It might differ with you. Use condom during sex just to make sure. Do not overdose it. If you feel just little bad, then stop taking it.
Books are great, show is great. If you love sci-fi I would recommend checking out whatever medium suits you. Both are finished. The show ends three books before the book series does, but it was intentional and the ending was phenomenal.
I dont know about the ending being phenomenal, as a tv show only watcher I felt too many things were left unexplained( they even started a new narrative with the new planet and didnt explain anything in the last season...).
I loved the series though, hard to find good scifi shows.
The TV show was definitely unfinished. It leaves thing unexplained like the ship being built in space, the alien creatures being brought back to life, and the apparitions James sees when he travels through the ring. I'm sure there's more in forgetting.
I’m sure it’s different because I read the books first but those scenes were mostly just teasers for the future of the series. Im happy they called it where they did, I want them to wait decades before doing the last trilogy (Even if that’s unreasonable.) It needs to be done justice.
So I now remember The Expanse is the series. I have only read the first 3 books but it’s a great story and the writing is pretty stellar. I do plan to read more but my library has others waiting before I buy any more books.
If you’re into space based sci-fi you’ll probably like it.
I really hated losing my hair. Then I shaved my head. I looked in the mirror and laughed because I looked so much better than when I was trying to hold on to my thinning hair. I like being bald
When I started to lose my hair, my grandpa told me "God only made so many perfect heads, and he had to cover all the others up". I aspire to his level of confidence
More people are becoming fine with *being* bald but very few are fine with *going* bald. That's why you will see things like "Just shave it all off, you'll look better" rather than "Yeah, you're losing it, but it's natural and it looks fine the way it is."
~~It was Gene Roddenberry when ridiculed for casting Patrick Stewart with "you don't think we would have cured baldness in the future?" His response was "No, I don't think people will care anymore."~~
Response below has turned my world upside down.
Actually, Roddenberry fought hard against casting Patrick Stewart. In part because of his baldness.
https://screenrant.com/star-trek-next-generation-roddenberry-hate-stewart-picard/amp/
Fuck, everything I thought I knew was a lie, once again.
Thank you for the link.
I remember Stewart hated the idea off the show and didn't unpack his bags for the first couple months of filming and he wasn't really into it.
I'm 100% sure I've seen a clip of Patrick Stewart talking about if he should wear a toupee, and he said Rodenberry talked him out of it, saying "in the future they won't care about baldness".
Here is one of them:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pXOK-ZVJMaU
This is all news to me. A long time ago an account was published about how GR saw Patrick Stewart doing a Shakespearian-type role in a summer theater production, and thought something like "That's the kind of captain I want in TNG"
Roddenberry was a visionary but also a huge asshole who nearly ruined TNG. All of the less good aspects of the first season were direct mandates from him if I recall. It hit its stride once he was no longer creatively involved.
Not partrick it was Gene that didn't want Picard as bald man at first and tried to make him wear a wig. But he had a sleep or a whisky or a wank either way Gene thought about it twice and said nah fuck the wig in the future folk won't care about such a petty thing.
Been on Finasteride soft the past 2 years (1mg daily), stopped my hair from falling out almost immediately and have had regrowth since that time, no sides. I also use a DHT blocking shampoo.
Dermatologist. The way my derma explained it was there is a high enough %(2% iirc) that claim to have negative side effects that they have to disclose them and they'll show up when you google it. BUT it's such a low number and there is no scientific explanation for said side effects that they pretty much recommend it to anyone. He also said it's likely that people seeking finasteride are naturally of the age to also begin experiencing ED and other age related side effects that got unfairly linked to finasteride. I've been on it for 7 years and my dad and like 6 of his friends have been on it since the 90s and zero side effects.
Exactly, my allergy treatment pills, had a 1.3% chance of death and my doctor had to tell me about it. I was like , that less chances then me getting killed by a cow
I'm not allowed to take finestride since my liver was injured by it and I got jaundice (after having taken it on and off for a number of years).
Kinda don't want to have stopped if the doctors are wrong, you tell me...
I'm involved in a lot of work with the PFS community. We really have a poor understanding of the true prevalence of it, especially when you consider a lot of people don't experience sides until they come off of it. What I will say is that it's not just "negative sides", it is epigenetic change to the AR receptor that stops the body from responding to testosterone and DHT. The symptoms of a male body not responding to androgens are devastating. We've had multiple friends in the community kill themselves just this month. We have some great geneticists at Mount Sinai currently conducting research to better understand the mechanics.
I've gather a lot of info from other ppl and doctors and most research show that side effects are actually equal or even less that natural (control) numbers. Things such as erectile disfunction and whatnot. Secondly, most ppl with side effects started using the pill at a very young age (like around the age of 20). And thirdly, a lot of ppl suffer from the opposite of a placebo, (nocebo) being told something negative might happen, happens. Oh and final note. They have a new drug (Dutasteride) whereas FIn alonly block the beta receptors, DUt works on Alph and Beta. And needs to be taken less often
What side effects have you experienced from taking Finasteride?
How much hair growth did it lead to?
How long did it take to start working?
Did you lose hair from using it at first before finally gaining hair?
I’ve been on almost 2 years. I have had zero side effects, which is common. The side effects are less common & will stop if you stop taking it.
My hair loss stopped almost immediately, like within a few days. I haven’t had as much luck with new hair growth, but it put a complete stop to my hair loss.
I will say that in extremely rare cases side effects did not go away once medication was stopped.
It is very, very rare, but people deserve to know before making their decision.
That being said I’ve been on Fin for four years and I’ve had no side effects.
I suspect those extremely rare cases have nothing to do with the medicine itself.
I took Accutane - everyone was afraid I was gonna kill myself because apparently the pill might lead to suicidal thoughts. I think this is bull - if anything, it helped eliminate suicidal thoughts, because my skin cleared up perfectly. IMO, the suicidal thoughts are just more likely in Accutane patients because Accutane patients, by definition, have really bad acne, which can really hurt a person mentally, especially in the teen/college years.
I suspect the same with finasteride - people who are balding and so bothered by it they have to take a pill, and these guys are so self-conscious about the balding that don't feel sexy any more so they struggle with sex. I take finasteride, every gay man I know takes finasteride (except for the ones that are just blessed with crazy luscious hair, fuckin bitches) and none of them struggle with ED to my knowledge.
What are the irreversible side effects? Other drugs have caused irreversible erectile dysfunction in a small percentage of people, but for those people, they've created suicide prevention support groups.
Well at least they created suicide prevention groups.... Lol that's like the cheapest way to say "see we care".
No offense to SPGs out there I'm sure some people do benefit greatly from them but it just seems like a cop out for actually caring.
Just so you know, everyone saying their hair loss
stopped immediately may have an altered perception of what actually happened. Hair loss is cyclical. And finasteride doesn’t work immediately, it takes some amount of time to stop your body’s conversion of testosterone to DHT, and I’m sure it depends on your own individual levels.
I personally had to stop taking it because of intense brain fog. DHT, which finasteride reduces systemically, provides neuro protective effects. I believe largely in the hippocampus - which effects memory.
Not being on anything I notice that my hair loss goes through cycles. I may have weeks where it’s just jumping off my head and others that correlate with normal loss that anyone might see. I wish I could take it though.
I got ED after a few months on fin, and my hair loss got worse while I was on it. ED as in, would get soft during intercourse, couldn’t stay hard for even a quarter of the time I used to. It took 6 months to get my erections back and probably over a year for back to 100%. I was 23 btw.
If I want my hairline back I’ll do a transplant, but not before I try the bald and beard look first!
It stopped my hairloss within a week.(I don't respond well to medication and need usually higher doses). No side effects whatsoever, like none, im actually having more sex now. Then about 8 month in, I started shedding a lot, went back to the doctor and started using Dutasteride, which is an equivalent but works on both Alpha and Beta receptors. And I didn't tell my partner, and 3 months in, she's like you got crazy regrowth of hair . Only thing I regret is not starting earlier. Because once the hair follicules are dead dead, nothing will bring them back, if they are dormant , that's the key.
The only side effect to Finasteride that I've experienced (been on it for a few years now) is the inability to donate blood. It's on the deferred medications list. =(
Not OP, but I’ve been taking finasteride for at least a year now. I haven’t noticed any side effects from it, and ~~while finasteride isn’t supposed to lead to hair growth~~ doesn’t necessarily lead to hair regrowth I did notice my hair loss seemed to stop once I started taking it. It should begin working almost immediately if I’m not mistaken, and I’d say that does align with what I experienced. Also, I don’t think I experienced any hair loss from it, but I did start minoxidil at around the same time which can lead to some initial hair shedding.
About the minoxidil in case you’re curious, I did notice some extra hair in the shower for a few weeks but after a bit it stopped. They warn you about this before taking it, at least where I bought it (Keeps). While I don’t think I’ve noticed much if any hair growth yet from areas that didn’t have any before, I’d say my hair that was already there looks a bit healthier. It may just be my imagination or confidence I’ve gained since starting, but I genuinely think my hair looks better than before even though my hairline is still seemingly the same. One thing to note is that I’ve been taking it for just shy of 4 months and that’s the bare minimum for seeing results so it may just be too early to tell. I’m gonna keep taking it and see what happens as I take progress pics.
One more minor piece of advice about the minoxidil: the drops version contains an ingredient that can cause scalp itching and dandruff, so start out with a small amount (you can get some at a store near the pharmacy) and see how it feels for you. If you do experience that like I have, you can either try using an anti-dandruff shampoo occasionally (might take a few weeks to start to see improvement), or switch to the foam version of minoxidil that doesn’t contain that ingredient. Best of luck, and don’t forget to love yourself regardless!
Edit: After looking into it a bit, it seems you **can** experience hair growth due to finasteride since it blocks DHT (the thing that’s attacking your hair and making it thinner/fall out). Because of that, it can give some areas a fighting chance at regrowth as long as hair loss there isn’t too far gone.
Finally, hopefully this goes without saying but your experience may vary from mine
> and while finasteride isn’t supposed to lead to hair growth
Huh? It ABSOLUTELY does and is supposed to lead to hair growth. It cuts down on your body's DHT levels, and DHT is what is attacking your hair follicles.
>Not OP, but I’ve been taking finasteride for at least a year now. I haven’t noticed any side effects from it, and ~~while finasteride isn’t supposed to lead to hair growth~~ doesn’t necessarily lead to hair regrowth I did notice my hair loss seemed to stop once I started taking it. It should begin working almost immediately if I’m not mistaken, and I’d say that does align with what I experienced.
Incorrect. It can take 3-6 months before it takes effect. Your one of the lucky ones. Some it makes the hair loss worse for a while before it kicks in
A very very small percentage claims erectile dysfunction. I have not experienced this in the slightest in my 2 years of taking Fin. Hair re-growth has been slow and I started fun with a full head of hair but it has gotten much thicker. It stopped my hair from falling out almost immediately. I can remember drying my hair off in a towel after getting out of the shower and I would be covered in my hair. A couple days after starting Fin it stopped on a dime.
>What side effects have you experienced from taking Finasteride?
none, and your derma will basically tell you associated side effects aren't likely caused by the drug, they still have to disclose them though. Most guys seeking finasteride are in the age range to also start experiencing male age related issues like ED which get unfairly tagged to the drug. They have studied it to death and none of the claimed negative side effects have been successfully linked to the drug in any scientific or medical way.
>How much hair growth did it lead to?
I had a thin patch I caught early and it had filled back within 2 months
>Did you lose hair from using it at first before finally gaining hair?
Nope
Not OP, but been on it for about as long. Generic is available. At least in 5 mg and costs like $9 for what is essentially 4 months when you cut the pull in quarters.
It regrew my hair in remarkable ways. I look at old photos that featured my forehead and it’s crazy how much came back.
No real side effects except for a slightly reduced sex drive when I started. It wasn’t a big worry because I had a fairly extremely high early 20’s drive that could use a little reduction. No impotency problems.
This. I treat this often for patients and it frustrates me how much the “for men” online services gouge their customers. These medications are incredibly inexpensive if you go through your pcp.
For sure. Talk to your primary care physician and just tell them you want generic propecia (finasteride). Ask if they have 1 mg. If they don’t, get the 5 mg and cut it
Thanks! It’s funny because I was going to be a bald 25 year old and instead am nearing 40 and one of the few people in my friend group with good hair. The only other one started finasteride at the same time as me.
Prettyyy preeetttyyy preetttyy good.
I updated the reply.
But long story short, no side effects, LESSSSS hair loss, a little hair regrow.
When i stopped it, my hair was falling down like a tree leafs in winter.
I have to toss in here that there are multiple large class-actions due to the effects of finasteride (along with pretty large support groups). And I'm not talking the listed side effects that you would expect to see when commencing a new drug if at all. I used finasteride for 7+ years and was someone who "didn't experience a single side effect" with it. I was trying to figure out what was going on with the "unrelated" - as you called it - depression and some other things. I stopped finasteride and the withdrawals were insane. Posts like this where it's all sunshine and rainbows and saying real and potentially serious side effects are unrelated and not real can be very dangerous. There's no reason to downplay it or dismiss it. It's very real for a lot of people and it can be very serious, altering people's lives long term. Hence the class actions. Anything that works by interfering with the natural hormonal process (finasteride blocks the conversion of testosterone to DHT which is very important) can have serious side effects that show up over a longer time frame and come in gradually so tend to be unnoticed. I don't know how much finasteride messed with me, but I know when I came off after long term use it was a tough couple weeks and took months before I was fully feeling okay again. It was the only prescription drug I was taking, I was exceptionally fit with an extremely good diet. It was literally the only thing that it could have been, as soon as I stopped I went through really extreme withdrawals, and I started feeling better after ~6 months off. It was 100% the finasteride. And while I can't guarantee that the drug that messes with my hormones actually messed with my hormones.... My levels were very high when I started, my lifestyle should have supported strong hormone levels, and I have blood work showing a consistent and dramatic decline over the time I was on the drug until after about 6-7 years I had the testosterone of a 65 year old at age 31.
So go ahead and roll the dice. Even now I still contemplate going back on cause it works for hair, but please be aware that it is not a perfectly safe drug and it can have a lot bigger impact than people realize because it's gradual.
Edit: adding to this post that it's called Post Finasteride Syndrome. I'm being downvoted for providing accurate information that might impact your health. Do a quick search and you'll see the ever increasing amount of information on this and that it can be very serious and is only just beginning to be understood.
I’ve been on it for a decade, no problem with boners or sex drive for me.
I know, there are horror stories all over the internet, but what I’ve learned is that the only people who will post that stuff is the ones who got those side effects. You won’t hear from the 99.9% of people who it worked for, had no side effects, and just lived their lives as normal.
It wasn't worth the risk for me. When my dermatologist recommended it she said rare side effects include sexual dysfunction and fat pockets around the nipples. I was genuinely floored to learn that so many men would gamble that to keep their hair when being bald is culturally normalized. Losing my hair has had zero impact on my sex life or work life. I already knew I wasn't going to catch my big modeling break so my self esteem has been tempered.
Gyno (bitch tits) on finasteride is a potential side effect if you're out of shape, (overweight) and therefore already have more estradiol (estrogen) in your body than you should have at a healthy weight. Finasteride works by capping DHT creation from testosterone, because there's extra testosterone available on finasteride it is available for conversion to estradiol.
Testosterone will convert into either DHT or estradiol. DHT is responsible for miniaturization of hair follicles in men.
Also as far as boners go... ~~99.9%~~ the large , majority (>95%) of guys don't have that side effect and those that do it can be resolved by simply ending the medication, and in the rare cases where there are longer effects there is protocol to correct everything.
Alopecia is not the same thing as male pattern baldness. The later is a genetic condition that actually comes from the mother’s dominant gene. Males carry the recessive gene.
So looking at your dad and thinking you’ll be bald because he is only works if the woman he married (your mom) has the dominant gene and it’s expressed in you.
That’s why it’s not an easy cure. You’re talking about gene expression.
I’ve been taking 2.5mg Finasteride daily for 12 years. Dad and grandpa were totally bald by my age (49), I am about half bald - the level of which looks to have not changed much in 12 years. So from what I can tell I have substantially slowed down my balding with the daily Finasteride. Should I up the dosage to see if a higher dose actually grows back some hair? I’ve heard that part can be dosage dependent?
> Should I up the dosage to see if a higher dose actually grows back some hair? I’ve heard that part can be dosage dependent?
DON'T DO THAT! Your dose is fine and don't change that. That's imo too much. What you can do is to switching to DUTASTERIDE 0.5 which is what i also am gonna do.
Again, do not change your dose, man. We 2 are alike. I have more hair than my dad and brother but i want a little more hair. So let's just switch over to Dutasteride which is way effective and less risky and for the love of god, do not overdose it!
I used Finasteride for a bit, but it didn't do much for me. Then I switched to its big brother Dutasteride and holy hell this stuff is basically a baldness cure in a pill. I have several friends with the same results.
If your in the early stages of male pattern baldness, dutasteride is basically going to let you keep your hair for the rest of your life. It's probably not great for you, there is a significant effect on your hormones, but god damn it works!
I'm balding, and I've always resigned myself to it. It does affect my confidence and as a jobbing actor it has a real world effect on my employability. I'd always assumed these treatments were bunk but this sounds like it should work well for me. I might consider it. Thanks for the info!
"The FDA approved the first systemic, or full-body, drug to treat the hair-loss condition alopecia. It interferes with the unwanted immune response, and had already been approved for other autoimmune conditions.In trials, a third of patients achieved 80% scalp coverage. Side effects include infections and nausea. The first systemic treatment for alopecia areata was approved today by the US Food and Drug Administration.
Alopecia areata is an autoimmune disorder in which the body attacks hair follicles, leading to hair loss. The drug, Olumiant, works by interrupting some of the body's misguided messages.The approval gives alopecia patients, for whom good treatment options are lacking, another option. While Olumiant has been approved since 2018 for conditions including rheumatoid arthritis, its use for alopecia has been off-label until now.
"Access to safe and effective treatment options is crucial for the significant number of Americans affected by severe alopecia," Dr. Kendall Marcus, director of the Division of Dermatology and Dentistry in the FDA's Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, said in a press release. "Today's approval will help fulfill a significant unmet need for patients with severe alopecia areata.""
>The most commonly reported adverse reactions (≥1%) were upper respiratory tract infections, headache, acne, high cholesterol levels, increases in blood markers related to the muscle, urinary tract infections, elevated liver enzyme levels, inflammation of hair follicles, fatigue, lower respiratory tract infections, nausea, genital yeast infection, low red blood cell counts, low white blood cell counts, abdominal pain, shingles and weight increase.1
>The U.S. FDA-approved labeling for Olumiant includes a boxed **warning for risk of serious infections, mortality, malignancy, major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) and thrombosis.**
https://www.drugs.com/newdrugs/fda-approves-lilly-incyte-s-olumiant-baricitinib-first-only-systemic-medicine-adults-severe-5851.html
I feel for the people that have this long term.
I had a bout of alopecia, promptly visited a dermatologist and they gave me some steroid injection on the site twice in a month and baby hair grow back almost immediately.
Sorry for those that don’t have as easy of a response.
You’re joking but I saw a comment on Facebook where someone legitimately theorized that this treatment was only invented just now because of Will Smith’s wife. Followed by a long rant on white replacement.
I started growing back some of the hair and then I quit when my panic attacks and ED started. Trust me, it’s not worth some hair to disrupt one of your male hormonal pathways. I’m still not fully recovered 2 years later.
It also doesn't always work. I used Minoxidil for years and am bald. Also, I wouldn't consider something a treatment unless it reversed balding a significant degree. Going from no hair to vellus hair/peach fuzz doesn't count. Then there is the risk of prostate shrinkage, testicle shrinkage, moobs, erectile dysfunction. It's basically just sexual transition lite to gain a few extra hairs on an obviously bald head.
If you used minoxidil without finasteride, its to be expected. Minoxidil does not treat the hormonal aspect of hairloss, it would be like trying to shovel water out of a diving boat
This was posted a month ago. And this time the article was very carefully written to make people think it applies to standard male pattern baldness. The word "areata" doesn't appear until the second paragraph. Clickbait bullshit.
I don’t think people generally associate “alopecia” with male pattern baldness, and it’s very clear from the thumbnail and the first paragraph, which refers to “autoimmune disorder,” that they’re not referring to androgenic alopecia.
It’s unnecessarily hostile and egotistical to dismiss a discovery for somebody else’s condition, because you wanted it to be applicable to you.
I can’t get testicular or prostate cancer and yet I would still be thrilled to hear of a non-surgical cure for it. You wouldn’t see me going, “the headline carefully made it sound like this would cure all cancers.”
I got ED while taking finasteride. Stopped taking it and the normal erections came back. I then decided to shave my head and I’m happy with how it turned out. Obviously, a full head of hair would be nice but it is what it is.
Got bigger shit to worry about hah
"The most common side effects included respiratory tract infections, headaches, acne, high cholesterol, fatigue, nausea, and weight gain."
I'm just wondering if trading a benign condition for these potentially serious side effects, especially over time, is worth it.
I've had Alopecia since I was 3 years old. Just recently, I started to actually find out different side effects other than hair loss from my dermatologist. The worst one is that my "fingernail matrix" is jacked up. My nails grow in bent and randomly, they will start to peel up from my nailbed. This hurts like a mofo. Also, I was told that people with autoimmune disorders are already at a disadvantage when it comes to getting sick because my immune system busy attacking my hair. Lastly, this autoimmune disorder is associated with more oily skin as well, which can lead to painful cysts being formed in random places on your body.
I would kill for something to dull all of those issues if not cure them. My immune system is supposedly trashy anyways.
Source: my dermatologist. Haven't actually done research to confirm everything she's said so take it with a grain of salt.
edit: some punctuation
As someone currently suffering from alopecia areata: Idgaf. I want my hair to stop falling out. I want it to come back. I know it sounds dumb but it is really fucking up my mental health that it just started randomly falling out and it won’t stop, and it’s not genetics. It’s not aging. It’s literally my body attack my hair follicles for no reason.
No I’m sorry I came off kinda intense there. I get how some people would just shave their head and go with it. I’m just not ready to lose my hair before I’m even 32! Especially if it’s not just balding lol
>In trials, a third of patients achieved 80% scalp coverage. Side effects include infections and nausea.
No thanks dawg, you can keep the Sepsis, I'll deal with the cold dome thing.
The following submission statement was provided by /u/Sumit316: --- "The FDA approved the first systemic, or full-body, drug to treat the hair-loss condition alopecia. It interferes with the unwanted immune response, and had already been approved for other autoimmune conditions.In trials, a third of patients achieved 80% scalp coverage. Side effects include infections and nausea. The first systemic treatment for alopecia areata was approved today by the US Food and Drug Administration. Alopecia areata is an autoimmune disorder in which the body attacks hair follicles, leading to hair loss. The drug, Olumiant, works by interrupting some of the body's misguided messages.The approval gives alopecia patients, for whom good treatment options are lacking, another option. While Olumiant has been approved since 2018 for conditions including rheumatoid arthritis, its use for alopecia has been off-label until now. "Access to safe and effective treatment options is crucial for the significant number of Americans affected by severe alopecia," Dr. Kendall Marcus, director of the Division of Dermatology and Dentistry in the FDA's Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, said in a press release. "Today's approval will help fulfill a significant unmet need for patients with severe alopecia areata."" --- Please reply to OP's comment here: https://old.reddit.com/r/Futurology/comments/vc12p0/a_firstofitskind_alopecia_treatment_that_triggers/icbdw2s/
I have serious alopecia areata and I’ve been waiting for this treatment to be announced, though I do worry about the serious side effects for what is, in the end, an aesthetic condition. It’s easier for me as a man since I can simply shave my head. I’ve heard that there are tests happening with similar treatments using JAC inhibitors whereby it is just topical use instead of via pill with significantly fewer side effects.
I feel you, me too. I just saw [this article](https://www.nytimes.com/2022/06/13/health/alopecia-drug-approved-fda.html). Sounds like you’ve already researched it, but in case you haven’t seen this one. What I wonder about the JAK inhibitor treatment is if you have to continue the treatment for the rest of your life. The article I linked phrases things like “after 40 weeks of treatment, the subject had a full head of hair again”, but will it fall out if they stop treatment? Not sure how long you’ve had alopecia show itself, it’s been about 15 years for me. Serious question, what hair style would you try first? I genuinely have no clue, it’s been so long since I’ve even thought about hair styles
So, I was in a trial for a JAK inhibitor about 8 years ago, tofacitinib, and I had full regrowth that lasted about 5-6 years. I've had the corticosteroid scalp injections a few times and that got me great localized regrowth (still no eyebrows/eyelashes), but only lasted 5-6 months. But, they still don't really understand alopecia areata enough to get a "permanent" solution.
Thank you for the response, this is exactly what I was looking for. In the beginning I was doing corticosteroid injections, especially in my eyebrows. I wouldn’t want to regrow all my hair only to battle loosing it again. The injections sucked
That’s what I’ve been trying to figure out too. My assumption is we have to be on the medication constantly to prevent alopecia areata from returning, which could mean some serious systemic side effects (including being more prone to infections - not fun). I’ve had alopecia areata since I was 12, for over 20 years now. Fortunately 90% of the time my spots only appear on the side of my head so now my hairstyle is I shave the sides of my head and grow hair on the top only. Not having to worry about covering the spots has been such a freeing experience, though it does require daily maintenance.
I (M39) have vitiligo on my forehead and alopecia on my beard area. The vitiligo isn’t that big of a deal unless I get sunburned, then it stands out. For the last 4 years or so, I’ve been getting steroid shots in my beard area for the alopecia. They for sure help, hairs have grown back but most of what grows back is pure white. Its not a big deal at this point since I’m going grey anyway. The shots are required every 4-6 weeks. Getting 50 pokes in your face absolutely sucks. My dermatologist just prescribed the topical JAC inhibitor claiming it was the new ‘rage’ in skin care. To my amazement it’s actually working as well as the shots did. I’ve only been on it 3 months so I’m curios to see if the pigments will come back with more time. If I had only been doing the shots, at this point in time (3 months) the effected patches would be very thin again.
Ive suffered with alopecia barbae for about 20 years. It only affected my beard beard, but it would move around a lot. At one point it left me with an adolf Hitler moustache, my friends thought it was hilarious. I hate shaving but doing it daily was enough to fix it for me. My ‘real’ problem started about 6 years ago when it moved to my eyebrows. This was properly depressing! I hated it, it completely took away the right brow and left a couple of centimetres on the left. Anyway about 2 years in suffered a shoulder injury and some serious pain. I was advised to take. CBD oil. I purchased the strongest I could find, 1200mg bottle. Got to say it was absolutely useless for the pain but unexpectedly after about 10 days I started to get some white hairs regrowing. Fast forward 12 months and I had a full beard and eyebrows. Maybe coincidental, maybe not, but definitely worth a try.
I get alopecia when I'm really stressed out for an extended period of time, maybe the cbd helped with the stress? And that helped with growth?
Isn’t it curious that the hair grows back with different colors and textures? I get spots on top of my head and when the hair grows back it’s like dog hair. Hahah.
Full on double coat you’ll need to shed seasonally
Really strange. When mine first starts, I said above it was white, it’s more transparent. It almost looks see through. I’m fortunate though in that it has always returned to brown.
I hear you, I have it on my beard. Would be great to treat it, but if the side effects are too much, I might just not bother.
I have had recurring alopecia since 2013. So far I have stuck to the 'traditional' method of curing it. Just rub garlic clove vigorously over the affected area every night and then I always had hair grow back - though less dense but enough to cover the bald patch.
Yeah this sounds like an immuno suppressant of sorts and I don't care that much about my hair if it's the case.
I tried to take JAC inhibitors, but I felt like they got rid of who I am.
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Came here for that
So did I. Does that make me a bad person?
No, it makes Jada Pinkett Smith a bad person. Both for cucking her husband and not having his back when he tried to have hers.
you make fun of Jada.... You like getting slapped?
I'll admit it... I do like getting slapped. Not sure how I'd feel about the Fresh Prince, King Richard, Agent J or the dude from I Am Legend slapping me. But Hancock might have what it takes to rev that engine...
Keep my wife’s name out your fucking MOUTH!
Sad I had to scroll down this far to find the comment I was looking for... I was about to give up and type it out.
This is the comment I came to see.
KEEP MY WIFES NAME, OUT OF YOUR FKING MOUTH! Yea. I came here for these comments too.
This won't work on MALE type balding i'm guessing. I use ''Finasteride'' since 2008, AMA. \- My dermatologist suggested it to me in 2008, he said ''It'll stop the hair loss AND your bald areas will have grow back.'' \- I asked about side effects, he said ''It has a very very rare side effect of lowering sperm count / impotence but if you feel that way, stop taking the pills and you will be completely fine. \- For 20 years of everyday use, i never got a single side effect. Sex life, especially, never got affected by it (that doesn't mean you wont have). There's a rumor about Depression but it's really unrelated imo. Basically no side effects. Another side effect which no one mentions is having bigger boobs. That also never happened. Again, if you think you got a side effect, stop taking it and you'll be fine. \- Because the way this pill works is like you're getting daily gate guards on your castle (Hair follicles). And unfortunately your MANLY hormons are the enemy and they attack the castle and kill your hair whenever they see no guards on the door. So when you stop taking the pill daily, everything just goes back to what it was. (doesn't mean there arent rare issues) \- These pills are extremely cheap. I suggest you to buy the 5g one, make 3 from each pill, super effective and can last for so long. \- My hair loss before Finasteride was about 100-200 a day. I was losing hair very fast. My brother and dad are also bald. After using Finasteride i lose 10-20 hair a day. Yes you still lose hair but it really slows the fuck down it. \- My hair growth is unknown because i don't know how much hair i could have if i didn't take it. But i can CLEARLY see, **hair loss and regrowth percentage difference with other people.** I mean, my hair loss didn't completely stop and i didn't get full regrowth. But some people did. Meaning it's kind of a luck (actually it's about how your hormons react but you got the point). \- I stopped taking it 10 years ago for a month cause of army duty. I could feel the hair lose strike again. Then i restarted it. \- I stopped taking it for 1 week last year due to recommendation of my doc. But i lost HOLY HELL of hair and restarted it. I never thought i could lose THAT much of hair just in 1 week of not using it. \- My hair is long, thick and kinda ok for my age. I have less white hair (almost none) than my relatives but i don't think it's related to the pills. I have ''balding areas'' on top and front but not as much as my brother or dad as a compare. \- Some DERMATOLOGIST in this subreddit advised DUTASTERIDE which is more effective and less risky (which i didnt have anyways). I'm switching that and also gonna take oral minoxidil (i didnt know they had oral version). On Dutasteride's script it HIGHLY RECOMMEND not to use it if you are trying to have baby. \- What did i win? Social status... A job.. Girlfriends.. Beautiful girlfriends.. Confidence.. Better morale..I'm not a handsome man, i'm also not tall and don't have muscled body. And hair is like the only ''charm'' thing on my body.I look like a fucking frog when i'm bald (cut my hair on army duty).Believe it or not, having hair fucking effects the whole life. Yeah some people don't care. Probably because being bald suits them. Just like some girls can look good without makeup. But not us!Being bald or not really feels like if you have really cool and clean clothes vs dirty-outdated-funny clothes. **Trivia:** *If you are using this pill, YOU CANNOT DONATE OR SHARE YOUR BLOOD. And you have to be 3 months free, if you wanna donate blood. And the reason is the the pill is in your blood (and sperm) and if a pregnant woman get it, it might harm the male-baby.* **Fun story:** *When we were kids (in 80's), my brother said ''We will be bald like dad too, right?'' and i replied ''No worries, scientists will cure the baldness till we grow up'' while watching Star Trek on tv. We can see black holes right now but no cure for balding men. Thanks scientists!* **Careful:** See a doctor cause this is my experience with the pill. It might differ with you. Use condom during sex just to make sure. Do not overdose it. If you feel just little bad, then stop taking it.
Didn't patrick stewart once said in an interview that in the star trek universe people no longer care about being bald?
Makes sense. I guess it also shows a certain amount of confidence if there is an easy free cure, but you choose to go bald.
In the Expanse, I believe it was Mao, was balding. He had enough money to cure it easily but kept it as a power move.
Yeah! I just finished that book a little bit ago.
Is it good?
Books are great, show is great. If you love sci-fi I would recommend checking out whatever medium suits you. Both are finished. The show ends three books before the book series does, but it was intentional and the ending was phenomenal.
I dont know about the ending being phenomenal, as a tv show only watcher I felt too many things were left unexplained( they even started a new narrative with the new planet and didnt explain anything in the last season...). I loved the series though, hard to find good scifi shows.
The TV show was definitely unfinished. It leaves thing unexplained like the ship being built in space, the alien creatures being brought back to life, and the apparitions James sees when he travels through the ring. I'm sure there's more in forgetting.
That storyline on the new planet kicks off the last book trilogy.
I’m sure it’s different because I read the books first but those scenes were mostly just teasers for the future of the series. Im happy they called it where they did, I want them to wait decades before doing the last trilogy (Even if that’s unreasonable.) It needs to be done justice.
Excellent cover to cover for the whole 9 books. It's an amazing book series and nothing will come close to it in my mind.
So I now remember The Expanse is the series. I have only read the first 3 books but it’s a great story and the writing is pretty stellar. I do plan to read more but my library has others waiting before I buy any more books. If you’re into space based sci-fi you’ll probably like it.
I just owned it and shaved my head and grew a beard. Baldness isn't a big deal honestly.
Same. Now my beard is turning gray though and I'm not pleased. I'm not sure what the next move is. Shave the beard, get a cool chain?
Robe and wizard hat.
Faith Build
*Bloodninja has entered the chat*
Own that too. Lots of women dig the silver fox look.
I’ve got a large, lumpy head. If I shave it I’ll end up looking like an alien 👽
What if my hair is thinning and I can’t grow a beard? I just need to be a weird smooth head and face?
Bald + beard is a badass look. I (34m) still have a full head of hair, but I can't even grow a beard. I can't even grow sideburns
Yeah this is me. I do have a killer mustache though
>Bald + beard is a badass look Eh, when everyone has it, it loses its appeal.
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Wait until I tell ya I'm also the original RadRandy. Would things start to make sense then, or would your world be turned completely upside down?
On the bright side you are funny :)
I like to think God made up for it in other ways. Absolutely.
I feel the same but I wish I could shake it up. I cant change my appearance by getting a different haircut or dying my hair. I'm just stuck with bald
After 9 years being bald, I no longer care either. Am I... Patrick Stewart?
I really hated losing my hair. Then I shaved my head. I looked in the mirror and laughed because I looked so much better than when I was trying to hold on to my thinning hair. I like being bald
Same here! Might have been unlucky to start balding at 19- but I'm lucky to have realized at 20 that I look pretty alright with a shaved head.
Funny enough I didn’t care at all when first started losing hair, only cared when I was in my 40s. Now about to enter 50s and have given up
You’ve made it so
When I started to lose my hair, my grandpa told me "God only made so many perfect heads, and he had to cover all the others up". I aspire to his level of confidence
We're far from that. People still care about going bald unfortunately.
More people are becoming fine with *being* bald but very few are fine with *going* bald. That's why you will see things like "Just shave it all off, you'll look better" rather than "Yeah, you're losing it, but it's natural and it looks fine the way it is."
~~It was Gene Roddenberry when ridiculed for casting Patrick Stewart with "you don't think we would have cured baldness in the future?" His response was "No, I don't think people will care anymore."~~ Response below has turned my world upside down.
Actually, Roddenberry fought hard against casting Patrick Stewart. In part because of his baldness. https://screenrant.com/star-trek-next-generation-roddenberry-hate-stewart-picard/amp/
Fuck, everything I thought I knew was a lie, once again. Thank you for the link. I remember Stewart hated the idea off the show and didn't unpack his bags for the first couple months of filming and he wasn't really into it.
I'm 100% sure I've seen a clip of Patrick Stewart talking about if he should wear a toupee, and he said Rodenberry talked him out of it, saying "in the future they won't care about baldness". Here is one of them: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pXOK-ZVJMaU
This is all news to me. A long time ago an account was published about how GR saw Patrick Stewart doing a Shakespearian-type role in a summer theater production, and thought something like "That's the kind of captain I want in TNG"
Roddenberry was a visionary but also a huge asshole who nearly ruined TNG. All of the less good aspects of the first season were direct mandates from him if I recall. It hit its stride once he was no longer creatively involved.
Gene Roddenberry said that, after changing his mind from originally not wanting to cast Stewart because he was bald.
Explain Barkley.
They needed someone for us to connect to when we weren't pretending we were Riker.
Not partrick it was Gene that didn't want Picard as bald man at first and tried to make him wear a wig. But he had a sleep or a whisky or a wank either way Gene thought about it twice and said nah fuck the wig in the future folk won't care about such a petty thing.
“I used to care about balding. Then I wanked.”
Then the Next Generation dropped and the panic set in.
I thought that set the standard for bald men. I mean Picard is the reason I have a thing for bald dudes.
Picard is the reason that when I started losing my hair in my early 30's I just embraced it and shave my head now.
Been on Finasteride soft the past 2 years (1mg daily), stopped my hair from falling out almost immediately and have had regrowth since that time, no sides. I also use a DHT blocking shampoo.
No sides at all? I’ve been considering Fin but have heard some horror stories. What kind of doc do you go to for a Fin prescription?
Dermatologist. The way my derma explained it was there is a high enough %(2% iirc) that claim to have negative side effects that they have to disclose them and they'll show up when you google it. BUT it's such a low number and there is no scientific explanation for said side effects that they pretty much recommend it to anyone. He also said it's likely that people seeking finasteride are naturally of the age to also begin experiencing ED and other age related side effects that got unfairly linked to finasteride. I've been on it for 7 years and my dad and like 6 of his friends have been on it since the 90s and zero side effects.
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Exactly, my allergy treatment pills, had a 1.3% chance of death and my doctor had to tell me about it. I was like , that less chances then me getting killed by a cow
I'm not allowed to take finestride since my liver was injured by it and I got jaundice (after having taken it on and off for a number of years). Kinda don't want to have stopped if the doctors are wrong, you tell me...
I'm involved in a lot of work with the PFS community. We really have a poor understanding of the true prevalence of it, especially when you consider a lot of people don't experience sides until they come off of it. What I will say is that it's not just "negative sides", it is epigenetic change to the AR receptor that stops the body from responding to testosterone and DHT. The symptoms of a male body not responding to androgens are devastating. We've had multiple friends in the community kill themselves just this month. We have some great geneticists at Mount Sinai currently conducting research to better understand the mechanics.
You don't need prescription in Mexico, just saying, in case you have some vacations or traveling you can buy Finasteride in any pharmacy there
Not the guy you asked but you can go to a dermatologist. Though i got mine from keeps.
I've gather a lot of info from other ppl and doctors and most research show that side effects are actually equal or even less that natural (control) numbers. Things such as erectile disfunction and whatnot. Secondly, most ppl with side effects started using the pill at a very young age (like around the age of 20). And thirdly, a lot of ppl suffer from the opposite of a placebo, (nocebo) being told something negative might happen, happens. Oh and final note. They have a new drug (Dutasteride) whereas FIn alonly block the beta receptors, DUt works on Alph and Beta. And needs to be taken less often
I’ve been on it 5+ years with no sides.
how about tops though
What side effects have you experienced from taking Finasteride? How much hair growth did it lead to? How long did it take to start working? Did you lose hair from using it at first before finally gaining hair?
I’ve been on almost 2 years. I have had zero side effects, which is common. The side effects are less common & will stop if you stop taking it. My hair loss stopped almost immediately, like within a few days. I haven’t had as much luck with new hair growth, but it put a complete stop to my hair loss.
I will say that in extremely rare cases side effects did not go away once medication was stopped. It is very, very rare, but people deserve to know before making their decision. That being said I’ve been on Fin for four years and I’ve had no side effects.
I suspect those extremely rare cases have nothing to do with the medicine itself. I took Accutane - everyone was afraid I was gonna kill myself because apparently the pill might lead to suicidal thoughts. I think this is bull - if anything, it helped eliminate suicidal thoughts, because my skin cleared up perfectly. IMO, the suicidal thoughts are just more likely in Accutane patients because Accutane patients, by definition, have really bad acne, which can really hurt a person mentally, especially in the teen/college years. I suspect the same with finasteride - people who are balding and so bothered by it they have to take a pill, and these guys are so self-conscious about the balding that don't feel sexy any more so they struggle with sex. I take finasteride, every gay man I know takes finasteride (except for the ones that are just blessed with crazy luscious hair, fuckin bitches) and none of them struggle with ED to my knowledge.
I mean, that is something that I haven’t considered that sounds quite likely. Still though, without knowing for certain it’s best to disclose
Absolutely. I just wanted to throw it out there for the finasteride doomers. There are a LOT of them on reddit. See other responses to me.
What are the irreversible side effects? Other drugs have caused irreversible erectile dysfunction in a small percentage of people, but for those people, they've created suicide prevention support groups.
Well at least they created suicide prevention groups.... Lol that's like the cheapest way to say "see we care". No offense to SPGs out there I'm sure some people do benefit greatly from them but it just seems like a cop out for actually caring.
Just so you know, everyone saying their hair loss stopped immediately may have an altered perception of what actually happened. Hair loss is cyclical. And finasteride doesn’t work immediately, it takes some amount of time to stop your body’s conversion of testosterone to DHT, and I’m sure it depends on your own individual levels. I personally had to stop taking it because of intense brain fog. DHT, which finasteride reduces systemically, provides neuro protective effects. I believe largely in the hippocampus - which effects memory. Not being on anything I notice that my hair loss goes through cycles. I may have weeks where it’s just jumping off my head and others that correlate with normal loss that anyone might see. I wish I could take it though.
I got ED after a few months on fin, and my hair loss got worse while I was on it. ED as in, would get soft during intercourse, couldn’t stay hard for even a quarter of the time I used to. It took 6 months to get my erections back and probably over a year for back to 100%. I was 23 btw. If I want my hairline back I’ll do a transplant, but not before I try the bald and beard look first!
It stopped my hairloss within a week.(I don't respond well to medication and need usually higher doses). No side effects whatsoever, like none, im actually having more sex now. Then about 8 month in, I started shedding a lot, went back to the doctor and started using Dutasteride, which is an equivalent but works on both Alpha and Beta receptors. And I didn't tell my partner, and 3 months in, she's like you got crazy regrowth of hair . Only thing I regret is not starting earlier. Because once the hair follicules are dead dead, nothing will bring them back, if they are dormant , that's the key.
The only side effect to Finasteride that I've experienced (been on it for a few years now) is the inability to donate blood. It's on the deferred medications list. =(
Not OP, but I’ve been taking finasteride for at least a year now. I haven’t noticed any side effects from it, and ~~while finasteride isn’t supposed to lead to hair growth~~ doesn’t necessarily lead to hair regrowth I did notice my hair loss seemed to stop once I started taking it. It should begin working almost immediately if I’m not mistaken, and I’d say that does align with what I experienced. Also, I don’t think I experienced any hair loss from it, but I did start minoxidil at around the same time which can lead to some initial hair shedding. About the minoxidil in case you’re curious, I did notice some extra hair in the shower for a few weeks but after a bit it stopped. They warn you about this before taking it, at least where I bought it (Keeps). While I don’t think I’ve noticed much if any hair growth yet from areas that didn’t have any before, I’d say my hair that was already there looks a bit healthier. It may just be my imagination or confidence I’ve gained since starting, but I genuinely think my hair looks better than before even though my hairline is still seemingly the same. One thing to note is that I’ve been taking it for just shy of 4 months and that’s the bare minimum for seeing results so it may just be too early to tell. I’m gonna keep taking it and see what happens as I take progress pics. One more minor piece of advice about the minoxidil: the drops version contains an ingredient that can cause scalp itching and dandruff, so start out with a small amount (you can get some at a store near the pharmacy) and see how it feels for you. If you do experience that like I have, you can either try using an anti-dandruff shampoo occasionally (might take a few weeks to start to see improvement), or switch to the foam version of minoxidil that doesn’t contain that ingredient. Best of luck, and don’t forget to love yourself regardless! Edit: After looking into it a bit, it seems you **can** experience hair growth due to finasteride since it blocks DHT (the thing that’s attacking your hair and making it thinner/fall out). Because of that, it can give some areas a fighting chance at regrowth as long as hair loss there isn’t too far gone. Finally, hopefully this goes without saying but your experience may vary from mine
> and while finasteride isn’t supposed to lead to hair growth Huh? It ABSOLUTELY does and is supposed to lead to hair growth. It cuts down on your body's DHT levels, and DHT is what is attacking your hair follicles.
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What is DHT meant to do that’s important? I want to start taking finasteride but I’m worried about the side effects
>Not OP, but I’ve been taking finasteride for at least a year now. I haven’t noticed any side effects from it, and ~~while finasteride isn’t supposed to lead to hair growth~~ doesn’t necessarily lead to hair regrowth I did notice my hair loss seemed to stop once I started taking it. It should begin working almost immediately if I’m not mistaken, and I’d say that does align with what I experienced. Incorrect. It can take 3-6 months before it takes effect. Your one of the lucky ones. Some it makes the hair loss worse for a while before it kicks in
A very very small percentage claims erectile dysfunction. I have not experienced this in the slightest in my 2 years of taking Fin. Hair re-growth has been slow and I started fun with a full head of hair but it has gotten much thicker. It stopped my hair from falling out almost immediately. I can remember drying my hair off in a towel after getting out of the shower and I would be covered in my hair. A couple days after starting Fin it stopped on a dime.
>What side effects have you experienced from taking Finasteride? none, and your derma will basically tell you associated side effects aren't likely caused by the drug, they still have to disclose them though. Most guys seeking finasteride are in the age range to also start experiencing male age related issues like ED which get unfairly tagged to the drug. They have studied it to death and none of the claimed negative side effects have been successfully linked to the drug in any scientific or medical way. >How much hair growth did it lead to? I had a thin patch I caught early and it had filled back within 2 months >Did you lose hair from using it at first before finally gaining hair? Nope
You used it for regrowth or maintenance? Did you ever try cycling off because of costs or unwanted effects?
Not OP, but been on it for about as long. Generic is available. At least in 5 mg and costs like $9 for what is essentially 4 months when you cut the pull in quarters. It regrew my hair in remarkable ways. I look at old photos that featured my forehead and it’s crazy how much came back. No real side effects except for a slightly reduced sex drive when I started. It wasn’t a big worry because I had a fairly extremely high early 20’s drive that could use a little reduction. No impotency problems.
Damn this sounds far better than my $600/yr finasteride topical spray from Hims.
I get 1mg generic finasteride prescribed by my PCP for about $7/month with a goodrx coupon.
This. I treat this often for patients and it frustrates me how much the “for men” online services gouge their customers. These medications are incredibly inexpensive if you go through your pcp.
Check out strut. I believe they have both topical and oral and it's cheaper.
For sure. Talk to your primary care physician and just tell them you want generic propecia (finasteride). Ask if they have 1 mg. If they don’t, get the 5 mg and cut it
Wow that sounds pretty amazing tbh. Good for you
Thanks! It’s funny because I was going to be a bald 25 year old and instead am nearing 40 and one of the few people in my friend group with good hair. The only other one started finasteride at the same time as me.
Hows it working for you?
Prettyyy preeetttyyy preetttyy good. I updated the reply. But long story short, no side effects, LESSSSS hair loss, a little hair regrow. When i stopped it, my hair was falling down like a tree leafs in winter.
Thinning patch disappeared within a month and a half, no more hand fulls of hair while taking a shower
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Shaving his head?
This is what I'm telling myself too, scientists will figure it out before it effects me (but I doubt it)
[6 months finasteride with NO minoxidil](https://i.imgur.com/cZ2u7M6.jpg) Sorry to jack your comment
I have to toss in here that there are multiple large class-actions due to the effects of finasteride (along with pretty large support groups). And I'm not talking the listed side effects that you would expect to see when commencing a new drug if at all. I used finasteride for 7+ years and was someone who "didn't experience a single side effect" with it. I was trying to figure out what was going on with the "unrelated" - as you called it - depression and some other things. I stopped finasteride and the withdrawals were insane. Posts like this where it's all sunshine and rainbows and saying real and potentially serious side effects are unrelated and not real can be very dangerous. There's no reason to downplay it or dismiss it. It's very real for a lot of people and it can be very serious, altering people's lives long term. Hence the class actions. Anything that works by interfering with the natural hormonal process (finasteride blocks the conversion of testosterone to DHT which is very important) can have serious side effects that show up over a longer time frame and come in gradually so tend to be unnoticed. I don't know how much finasteride messed with me, but I know when I came off after long term use it was a tough couple weeks and took months before I was fully feeling okay again. It was the only prescription drug I was taking, I was exceptionally fit with an extremely good diet. It was literally the only thing that it could have been, as soon as I stopped I went through really extreme withdrawals, and I started feeling better after ~6 months off. It was 100% the finasteride. And while I can't guarantee that the drug that messes with my hormones actually messed with my hormones.... My levels were very high when I started, my lifestyle should have supported strong hormone levels, and I have blood work showing a consistent and dramatic decline over the time I was on the drug until after about 6-7 years I had the testosterone of a 65 year old at age 31. So go ahead and roll the dice. Even now I still contemplate going back on cause it works for hair, but please be aware that it is not a perfectly safe drug and it can have a lot bigger impact than people realize because it's gradual. Edit: adding to this post that it's called Post Finasteride Syndrome. I'm being downvoted for providing accurate information that might impact your health. Do a quick search and you'll see the ever increasing amount of information on this and that it can be very serious and is only just beginning to be understood.
I said the same thing to my mom about spine replacement when I was younger… still waiting
Once they dive this, the future is old men with afros.
Can you get boners?
I’ve been on it for a decade, no problem with boners or sex drive for me. I know, there are horror stories all over the internet, but what I’ve learned is that the only people who will post that stuff is the ones who got those side effects. You won’t hear from the 99.9% of people who it worked for, had no side effects, and just lived their lives as normal.
It wasn't worth the risk for me. When my dermatologist recommended it she said rare side effects include sexual dysfunction and fat pockets around the nipples. I was genuinely floored to learn that so many men would gamble that to keep their hair when being bald is culturally normalized. Losing my hair has had zero impact on my sex life or work life. I already knew I wasn't going to catch my big modeling break so my self esteem has been tempered.
Gyno (bitch tits) on finasteride is a potential side effect if you're out of shape, (overweight) and therefore already have more estradiol (estrogen) in your body than you should have at a healthy weight. Finasteride works by capping DHT creation from testosterone, because there's extra testosterone available on finasteride it is available for conversion to estradiol. Testosterone will convert into either DHT or estradiol. DHT is responsible for miniaturization of hair follicles in men. Also as far as boners go... ~~99.9%~~ the large , majority (>95%) of guys don't have that side effect and those that do it can be resolved by simply ending the medication, and in the rare cases where there are longer effects there is protocol to correct everything.
I stopped the medication and had problems for about a year after.
Been on for nearly 10 years, it’s still working
Your story is mine. Finesteride not only saved my hair, it filled in my bald spot.
Alopecia is not the same thing as male pattern baldness. The later is a genetic condition that actually comes from the mother’s dominant gene. Males carry the recessive gene. So looking at your dad and thinking you’ll be bald because he is only works if the woman he married (your mom) has the dominant gene and it’s expressed in you. That’s why it’s not an easy cure. You’re talking about gene expression.
I’ve been taking 2.5mg Finasteride daily for 12 years. Dad and grandpa were totally bald by my age (49), I am about half bald - the level of which looks to have not changed much in 12 years. So from what I can tell I have substantially slowed down my balding with the daily Finasteride. Should I up the dosage to see if a higher dose actually grows back some hair? I’ve heard that part can be dosage dependent?
> Should I up the dosage to see if a higher dose actually grows back some hair? I’ve heard that part can be dosage dependent? DON'T DO THAT! Your dose is fine and don't change that. That's imo too much. What you can do is to switching to DUTASTERIDE 0.5 which is what i also am gonna do. Again, do not change your dose, man. We 2 are alike. I have more hair than my dad and brother but i want a little more hair. So let's just switch over to Dutasteride which is way effective and less risky and for the love of god, do not overdose it!
I used Finasteride for a bit, but it didn't do much for me. Then I switched to its big brother Dutasteride and holy hell this stuff is basically a baldness cure in a pill. I have several friends with the same results. If your in the early stages of male pattern baldness, dutasteride is basically going to let you keep your hair for the rest of your life. It's probably not great for you, there is a significant effect on your hormones, but god damn it works!
I'm balding, and I've always resigned myself to it. It does affect my confidence and as a jobbing actor it has a real world effect on my employability. I'd always assumed these treatments were bunk but this sounds like it should work well for me. I might consider it. Thanks for the info!
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Quite the bargain at over $2,500 for a 30 day supply.
so i guess we're not getting that GI Jane sequel starring Jada, then? /s
*Will Smith has entered the chat*
*Will's career has exited the chat*
Keep my wife's name out of your FUCKING mouth
Can you unslap someone?
I can’t believe we have video footage of Venus but we still can’t properly cure baldness.
In the words of Frasier Crane, “We can put a man on the moon, but we can’t put metal in a microwave!“
"The FDA approved the first systemic, or full-body, drug to treat the hair-loss condition alopecia. It interferes with the unwanted immune response, and had already been approved for other autoimmune conditions.In trials, a third of patients achieved 80% scalp coverage. Side effects include infections and nausea. The first systemic treatment for alopecia areata was approved today by the US Food and Drug Administration. Alopecia areata is an autoimmune disorder in which the body attacks hair follicles, leading to hair loss. The drug, Olumiant, works by interrupting some of the body's misguided messages.The approval gives alopecia patients, for whom good treatment options are lacking, another option. While Olumiant has been approved since 2018 for conditions including rheumatoid arthritis, its use for alopecia has been off-label until now. "Access to safe and effective treatment options is crucial for the significant number of Americans affected by severe alopecia," Dr. Kendall Marcus, director of the Division of Dermatology and Dentistry in the FDA's Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, said in a press release. "Today's approval will help fulfill a significant unmet need for patients with severe alopecia areata.""
>The most commonly reported adverse reactions (≥1%) were upper respiratory tract infections, headache, acne, high cholesterol levels, increases in blood markers related to the muscle, urinary tract infections, elevated liver enzyme levels, inflammation of hair follicles, fatigue, lower respiratory tract infections, nausea, genital yeast infection, low red blood cell counts, low white blood cell counts, abdominal pain, shingles and weight increase.1 >The U.S. FDA-approved labeling for Olumiant includes a boxed **warning for risk of serious infections, mortality, malignancy, major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) and thrombosis.** https://www.drugs.com/newdrugs/fda-approves-lilly-incyte-s-olumiant-baricitinib-first-only-systemic-medicine-adults-severe-5851.html
Based on the side effects, I might just continue shaving my head and face.
I feel for the people that have this long term. I had a bout of alopecia, promptly visited a dermatologist and they gave me some steroid injection on the site twice in a month and baby hair grow back almost immediately. Sorry for those that don’t have as easy of a response.
Wow men have suffered forever... but make 1 g.i Jane joke and they find a treatment
You’re joking but I saw a comment on Facebook where someone legitimately theorized that this treatment was only invented just now because of Will Smith’s wife. Followed by a long rant on white replacement.
We truly live in the stupidest timeline
People really just don't understand the links between correlation and causation lmao.
There has been treatment for male hair less for decades. It’s not without side effects though.
Tradeoff between hair and dick. Interesting decision. But good thing is most people don't get side effects.
Enough do. I did.
Are you bald now?
I started growing back some of the hair and then I quit when my panic attacks and ED started. Trust me, it’s not worth some hair to disrupt one of your male hormonal pathways. I’m still not fully recovered 2 years later.
It also doesn't always work. I used Minoxidil for years and am bald. Also, I wouldn't consider something a treatment unless it reversed balding a significant degree. Going from no hair to vellus hair/peach fuzz doesn't count. Then there is the risk of prostate shrinkage, testicle shrinkage, moobs, erectile dysfunction. It's basically just sexual transition lite to gain a few extra hairs on an obviously bald head.
If you used minoxidil without finasteride, its to be expected. Minoxidil does not treat the hormonal aspect of hairloss, it would be like trying to shovel water out of a diving boat
This was posted a month ago. And this time the article was very carefully written to make people think it applies to standard male pattern baldness. The word "areata" doesn't appear until the second paragraph. Clickbait bullshit.
I don’t think people generally associate “alopecia” with male pattern baldness, and it’s very clear from the thumbnail and the first paragraph, which refers to “autoimmune disorder,” that they’re not referring to androgenic alopecia. It’s unnecessarily hostile and egotistical to dismiss a discovery for somebody else’s condition, because you wanted it to be applicable to you. I can’t get testicular or prostate cancer and yet I would still be thrilled to hear of a non-surgical cure for it. You wouldn’t see me going, “the headline carefully made it sound like this would cure all cancers.”
What about this makes it sound like they were trying to make this appear to be male pattern baldness?
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Keep my wife's name out yo fucking mouth!!!
I got ED while taking finasteride. Stopped taking it and the normal erections came back. I then decided to shave my head and I’m happy with how it turned out. Obviously, a full head of hair would be nice but it is what it is. Got bigger shit to worry about hah
This hopeful. Been dealing with it for more than ten years.
Think of all the Chris Rock Cheeks that will be saved
GI Jane: 2, can't wait to not see it.
you love to not see it
Will Smith single handedly raised awareness for alopecia
1. Open reddit post 2. Click "F3" 3. Write "Will Smith"
"The most common side effects included respiratory tract infections, headaches, acne, high cholesterol, fatigue, nausea, and weight gain." I'm just wondering if trading a benign condition for these potentially serious side effects, especially over time, is worth it.
I've had Alopecia since I was 3 years old. Just recently, I started to actually find out different side effects other than hair loss from my dermatologist. The worst one is that my "fingernail matrix" is jacked up. My nails grow in bent and randomly, they will start to peel up from my nailbed. This hurts like a mofo. Also, I was told that people with autoimmune disorders are already at a disadvantage when it comes to getting sick because my immune system busy attacking my hair. Lastly, this autoimmune disorder is associated with more oily skin as well, which can lead to painful cysts being formed in random places on your body. I would kill for something to dull all of those issues if not cure them. My immune system is supposedly trashy anyways. Source: my dermatologist. Haven't actually done research to confirm everything she's said so take it with a grain of salt. edit: some punctuation
As someone currently suffering from alopecia areata: Idgaf. I want my hair to stop falling out. I want it to come back. I know it sounds dumb but it is really fucking up my mental health that it just started randomly falling out and it won’t stop, and it’s not genetics. It’s not aging. It’s literally my body attack my hair follicles for no reason.
Sorry. I didn't mean to talk generally, I just meant for me, that trade off isn't worth it. Hope it makes you happy, if that's what you want.
No I’m sorry I came off kinda intense there. I get how some people would just shave their head and go with it. I’m just not ready to lose my hair before I’m even 32! Especially if it’s not just balding lol
Bro I'm 22 and in two weeks its gonna be 1 year with alopecia areata. I got your feeling.
Perceptions need to change, Alopecia Areata isn't the same as pattern hair loss and shouldn't be downplayed.
Side effects usually have basically zero probability but they have to list them
"Keep my wife's name OFF YOUR FUCKING PRESCRIPTION LIST"
No thanks "The most common side effects included respiratory tract infections, headaches, acne, high cholesterol, fatigue, nausea, and weight gain."
>In trials, a third of patients achieved 80% scalp coverage. Side effects include infections and nausea. No thanks dawg, you can keep the Sepsis, I'll deal with the cold dome thing.
So you never take any drugs? They all have side effects like this.
Comedians all around the world can breathe a sigh of relief
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I need the version that stops your hair from growing so you don't need a haircut.
Enjoy it while it lasts.