I have been using finasteride for 83 days and hadn't experienced any side effects, but when I went to the hospital, I realized it had a major side effect on me. Don't forget to get regular blood tests while using the medication.

Edit:I have been in the hospital for 6 days and Ive been given IV fluids/saline throughout this entire process. My current values are as follows:
CK: 13,635
AST: 302

I’ve been on Finasteride on and off for 3 years , I’ve got all my hair back but my wood can’t even stay hard while switching positions. Anybody dealing with same problem????

I placed an order on IndiaMART to an individual seller. And the parcel was refused at customs and has been sent back. Is this happening to anyone?
It also includes minoxidil hair foam?

Particularly for dating and attracting women

I’m honestly exhausted mentally, and I really need advice from people who have been through something similar with finasteride.

I started taking finasteride in 2025, 1 mg daily, along with topical minoxidil twice a day. You might not believe me, but after just 18 days, my forehead was already filling with baby hairs. I was shocked because I always heard that results take months. I didn’t experience any shedding either.

Unfortunately, I started noticing discomfort in my breast and nipple area, along with swelling and redness. I searched online and became terrified that I was developing early gynecomastia because of finasteride. I couldn’t take the risk, so I stopped.

I continued using minoxidil alone for about a year, hoping it would be enough, but my hair kept getting worse. Day after day, I watched my hair become thinner until my scalp started showing through it. It really affected my confidence, and I felt like I had to do something before things got even worse.

Then I heard that topical finasteride could work with fewer side effects, so I decided to give it a try. I made my own solution by crushing finasteride tablets into my minoxidil.

Things got even worse. My hair started shedding like crazy, sometimes hundreds of hairs a day, even though I never experienced that with oral finasteride. After around 10 days, I started having exactly the same breast and nipple symptoms I had experienced before. I got scared and stopped again.

After two months, I decided to give oral finasteride another chance, this time taking 1 mg every two days. Unfortunately, after around 10 days, the same symptoms came back again.

Now I’m honestly lost. My hair keeps getting worse, my confidence has dropped to almost zero, and mentally I’m exhausted from constantly worrying about my hair and the possible side effects of the treatment.

I really don’t know what to do anymore. I want to save my hair, but I’m scared of sacrificing my health for it.
Any honest advice or personal experiences would mean a lot to me. Thank you for reading.

I just saw this in my Twitter feed today. Anagen is a startup-adjacent biotech company that is releasing a new topical named diazoxide.

Diazoxide, from what I’ve read about it, acts very similarly to minoxidil but also a little differently. Some science behind it I’m not privy to. But it’s interesting!

I didn’t see anything from anyone on here about it. We’re all waiting for PP405 and clascoterone and etc. I’m wondering how much more effective this could be for male pattern baldness compared to minoxidil. I have a ruined hairline, for instance, and if this stuff could induce regrowth in my temples I’d probably buy it immediately.

Any thoughts on this stuff from anyone more versed in the science behind treatments like this than I am?

Be smart.

New delivery systems work.

Have side effects? Go topical

Some areas Slower? Go topical

Got flakes? There's a topical for that.

Get on topicals.

So I went through a traumatic experience last year. Was home bound for 3-4 months and during that my beard became patchy and started shedding a ton of hair.

BUT now it looks like it’s growing back but I need a 2nd opinion if it’s really growing back.

I did go to a dermatologist and she said it’s stress induced alopecia. She said it can grow back in weeks months or even years. I thought she was just giving me false hope. But now it looks like it’s growing back but just wanna confirm if I’m coping or not .

I’m not asking for medical advice.

I’m just asking does it look like there is progress

Did he use a hair system? You can clearly see his hair is thinning back in OK computer era(1997) and yet now he still have full head of hairs

On fin, with min and tretinoin. Wondering if there’s anything else that’s actually worth doing. Used to micro needle but haven’t been doing it recently.

IF ANYBODY KNOWS OF A SOLUTION PLEASE SHARE!!

Hello everyone,
I started taking a compounded prescription containing 1 mg of finasteride and 2.5 mg of oral minoxidil, prescribed by my trichologist.
The problem is that I experienced very severe dizziness and strong palpitations when lying down or reclining while taking minoxidil. Over the past few weeks, I also started experiencing pain.
My tests came back excellent and within normal ranges. I happened to undergo a comprehensive medical examination, but my echocardiogram revealed a mild pericardial effusion. This was yesterday, and I stopped taking the compounded medication that same day, even though it had actually produced very good results over the past two months. My hair had gained significantly more overall volume.
After skipping yesterday’s dose, I noticed that the palpitations, which had been making it almost impossible for me to sleep, suddenly decreased significantly.
I will not take oral minoxidil again, following my cardiologist’s advice. My trichologist did prescribe a lower-dose formula containing 1 mg of minoxidil and 1 mg of finasteride, but I would rather avoid minoxidil until at least the pericardial effusion, hopefully, resolves on its own.
After discussing this with my trichologist, I thought I could continue taking 1 mg of finasteride daily on its own and start applying topical minoxidil lotion to my crown, which is the area affected by hair loss.
What do you guys think? My treatment had been going well, and I had reached day 58, but I genuinely prefer to prioritize my heart health.

31 M, Indian, hair been thinning for 3-4 years now. Started oral Fin twice, 1mg EOD or daily, but stopped each time due to the unmentionables.

I am thinking of trying topical Fin to minimise said unmentionables this time, and figured I could do a Fin+Min solution if I am going through the hassle of applying serum.

So yeah standard questions -

1. How's your experience been?
2. For those who tried both oral and topical Fin, how was the difference in results and the 'negative results'?
3. How big is the hassle - does it affect hair texture? Styling? How long does it take to dry? Is it ok if I am someone who likes to fiddle around with my hair, is it horrible if I get some on my hands through the day? No pets or partner in my life at the moment.
4. Suggestions on Foam vs. Serum?
5. Indian people here - any brand suggestions for Fin+Min solutions?

I am sure the question has been asked 100s of times here already, I will go through the search results as well.

I'm looking for advice from people from this subreddit.

TIMELINE

• May 2021: Shaved my head.
• July 2021: Noticed reduced hair density on the top of my scalp and increased hair shedding.
• June 2022: Started finasteride 0.5 mg/day under a dermatologist’s supervision.
• August 2022: Increased finasteride to 1 mg/day.
• September 2022: Hair shedding stopped.
• December 2022: Added topical minoxidil 5%, but noticed no regrowth.
• November 2023: Hair shedding started again.
• January 2024: Blood work was normal and DHT at 233 pg/mL (Lab A).
• February 2024: Retested DHT at another lab, which showed DHT 564 pg/mL (Lab B). My dermatologist prescribed vitamins/supplements and oral minoxidil 2.5 mg/day.
• October 2024: Since the shedding continued, my dermatologist replaced finasteride with dutasteride 0.5 mg twice a week.
• June 2025: Total testosterone: 603 ng/dL; free testosterone: 19.4 pg/mL; DHT: 384 pg/mL (Lab A).
• July 2025: Increased dutasteride to 0.5 mg three times a week.
• November 2025: Noticed that Viagra was becoming less effective than before.
• February 2026: Experienced weaker erections and difficulty maintaining them.
• July 2026: Testosterone was 740 ng/dL and DHT was 386 pg/mL (Lab A). Another lab (Lab C) reported testosterone at 917 ng/dL and DHT at 375 pg/mL. I stopped taking dutasteride.
• October 2026: My erections have improved, and Viagra works normally again, but hair shedding continues.

Current treatment status (October 2026)

• Oral minoxidil: 2.5 mg daily.
• Topical minoxidil: Currently using before bed.
• Dutasteride: Discontinued in July 2026 due to concerns about sexual side effects.

My questions

Questions

1. Why is my hair loss still progressing? Finasteride initially stopped my shedding, but it returned despite continued treatment. I later tried dutasteride and have been using oral minoxidil 2.5 mg/day plus topical minoxidil 5%, yet I haven't noticed significant regrowth. Should I reassess the diagnosis or investigate other causes of shedding before changing treatment?
2. How should I interpret my DHT or testosterone results?
3. Were my sexual side effects caused by dutasteride? My erections weakened and Viagra became less effective while taking dutasteride, but both improved after I stopped. How likely is a connection, and what should I consider before trying another DHT-blocking medication?
4. What are my best treatment options now? Given my persistent hair loss and concerns about sexual side effects, how can I prevent further thinning and potentially regrow hair.

I’d appreciate hearing from anyone who has experienced something similar or has insight into what I should discuss with my dermatologist.

As the title states. I was prescribed fin/min but do NOT want to take min because of the side effects. I also don’t want to risk topical minoxidil because I have a dog and a cat. I’d rather be bald than potentially hurt those babies.

Has any one had positive results from taking just finasteride?

I feel like my leg hair is needing to be shaved every other day since taking it, which gives me some hope that the hairs on my head are growing just as rapidly too.

How long will it take to regrow fully and have a good thick and strong hair, i know it can't just be told but I'm asking someone​ who is experiencing it.

Had an FUE transplant 5 years ago (2,500 grafts) with fantastic results. The transplanted hair is holding up great, but my remaining native hair continues to thin and shed.

Previously used oral finasteride 1 mg along with a topical finasteride/dutasteride/minoxidil combination. Over the past year, I’ve developed serious sexual side effects, primarily difficulty reaching orgasm even with intense stimulation.

I stopped oral finasteride first, but the issues persisted, so I discontinued the topical combination as well.

Current stack:
Topical minoxidil + biotin: Twice daily
Flowmentum Saw Palmetto: Once daily
BON CHARGE Red Light Therapy: 5x weekly
GHK-Cu injections: 2 mg daily

My goal is to preserve and hopefully regrow as much of my native hair as possible without compromising sexual function.

Questions:
Anyone successfully maintained or regrown hair without finasteride/dutasteride?
Any noticeable results from GHK-Cu, red light therapy, or saw palmetto?
Anything else worth adding to my stack?
For those who stopped fin/dut due to sexual side effects, how long did recovery take?
Would appreciate any feedback or personal experiences, especially from others several years post-FUE.

Honestly, I regret switching from finasteride to dutasteride. I made the switch four months ago, and since then, it hasn’t felt like just a shedding phase—it feels like my hair has completely changed. It looks and feels weaker, thinner, and even lighter in color. I’m also shedding heavily and very frequently.
I’m really sad and disappointed. I knew shedding could happen, but I never imagined such an overall change in my hair. Over these four months, all I’ve seen is worsening, with no noticeable improvement. It’s been much harder emotionally than I expected.
And no, I’m not posting this just to bash dutasteride or add another negative post to the pile. I’m being honest about my experience and how this has affected me.

I've seen a few very old threads on this, but nothing with quality responses, so I'm hoping to get some answers.

What concentrations of topical liposomal finasteride are people using out there long term without sides? 4 years ago I was prescribed 2.5% and used that for just a few months before having severe testicular pain, so I downgraded to 1% and have had good results with no noticeable side effects until a few months ago, when I started having significant anxiety/panic issues. I am awaiting a DHT test result to see how much finasteride has gone systemic in an attempt to see if this is the cause of my anxiety. I've also downgraded to a 0.1% concentration for the time being, but I'm wondering if I should go even lower.

Information on the proper concentration is all over the place though, from 0.01% to 2.5%. The purveyors argue that the liposomal solutions have less of the drug go systemic, so a higher concentration is permitted compared to other topical finasteride. I'm eager for my DHT results to see how true this is. If you have any insight it's greatly appreciated -- perhaps 0.1% is still too high and I'm wasting my time/money.

Thank you!

Does anyone know these and if they are legit?

Any info would be nice!

I started to notice my balding around my 21st birthday. I am going to be 25 pretty soon. The balding has derailed my life so bad I can’t even fully explain the extent of it. I am of course on dutasteride and oral min for the past 3 years.

I have had severe OCD my whole life and I was sexually assaulted as a child. However, On the surface my life is near perfect, I have many friends, a family that loves me, a really well paying work from home job, I’m told I’m good looking, etc. but the OCD is crippling and I feel helpless. I have spend everyday these past 4 years looking in a mirror for a minimum of 3-4 hours or ocd google spiraling and crying myself to sleep.

My girlfriend of 7.5 years left me earlier this year, in large part due to my mental illness. I don’t blame her an ounce, she deserves a normal life. But I feel like the most broken human to walk the earth.

I know my hair isn’t that bad. It’s not bad at all even by most people’s standards. But I can’t stand the high corners and thinness of my hairline. I already got a hair transplant and it still looks so thin and receded.

I know my battle is with my OCD and not my hair but I can’t win. I have been in therapy twice weekly since I was a child and I can’t seem to break out of this. I’ve tried damn near every antidepressant or pill in the book but the obsessive loop is just always stronger.

I want out of this hellish loop. Everyday looks the same and I’m terrified of both living and dying. I’m only staying for my mother, but once she goes.

Indiamart sellers are super aggressive in messaging and hound you for a sale. This makes people vulnerable to overpaying for meds. You'll notice how some of them throw out crazy numbers expecting you to pay it but can be brought down with haggling

People who have purchased minoxidil/finasteride/dutasteride/tretinoin/ketoconazole please state the quantity and how much you paid for each. It is in all of our collective interest to know the lowest prices so we don't get fleeced by some middleman lmao

I will edit this post accordingly with updates specifying the lowest costs people have found

So this drug works in kinda weird way i'd seen multiple sheds and improves in 6 months! Months 3_4 was good and density was ok and then month 6_5 I'm on massive shed like around 200 grafts daily..so i don't know what's gonna happen i hope things go well..

The photo without shirt is for month 3 and with shirt is month 6 also I've done a blood work in moth 5 and it says my dht is 377 pg/ml(normal range 110_455 pg/ml)

The hormone test results I obtained in 2024 were measured after using finasteride for two years. The results from 2026 were obtained after using dutasteride for 10 months. There has been a noticeable decrease in all hormone levels except prolactin. Dutasteride is generally known to increase total testosterone levels, but in my case, it seems to have had the opposite effect, causing a decrease. My DHT results are still pending. Do you think there is anything abnormal about these values?