I’m an 18M. I started topical minoxidil 5% in late March 2024. From then until May 2025, my hair fall slowed a lot. Hairline was still receding, but very slowly and overall things looked stable.
In late May 2025, I tried Morr F (topical fin + min) to protect my hairline. Within 12–13 days I developed sexual side effects (from topical), so I stopped. The sides went away, but soon after that I entered a heavy shedding phase, much worse than before (possibly TE).
Around late July / early August 2025, I tried oral finasteride:
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0.5 mg EOD, took ~3 doses, mild sides → stopped
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Restarted in early August 2025 at 0.25 mg daily, have been consistent since still on mild sides tho but just pushing thru
Current routine (Dec 2025):
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Finasteride 0.25 mg daily
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Minoxidil 5% once daily (night)
Current situation:
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Shedding is lilttle less than peak months, but I’m still losing hair from temples/front
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Temples and frontal area still feel thin
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Unsure if this is fin-induced shedding, leftover TE, or fin not working well enough
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I do have mild sexual sides (lower libido, softer erections), but they’re not severe — I still sometimes get morning wood and erections
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I believe most of the sides may be nocebo, and I have no issue continuing fin or even increasing the dose if needed
One more thing I noticed recently: I’m seeing very tiny, thin hairs along my forehead/hairline. They’re small and not cosmetically useful yet. I’m unsure whether this represents early regrowth from fin/min or just miniaturized hairs that were already there, and I don’t want to assume improvement if it’s not real.
My questions:
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Is continued shedding from front/temples at ~4 months on fin normal?
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How do I tell fin shed vs fin not working, especially for the hairline?
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Is it wise to stay on 0.25 mg daily, or should I adjust dose/frequency?
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Would increasing to 0.5 mg make sense if sides are mild and tolerable?
