Hi All,
I’ve been on finasteride a little over 2 years now. I started with a low dose, around 0.25mg for a few months, then moved up to 0.5mg, and eventually to 1mg, which I’ve been on for over a year now.
A few weeks in I noticed some early improvement. Slight thickening and better density around the hairline, as well as regrowth. But at the same time my skin got oilier and I started breaking out more. The acne stuck around for at least 6 months and included some deep cystic spots. It only started to improve once I added retinal, which helped a lot. Skin’s still more oily than before fin though.
I’ve also had this sore or “bruised” feeling on my scalp, mostly on the crown and temple/hairline areas. I actually had that before starting fin, but it got better during the first few months on it. Lately it’s come back again. It’s not constant, but when it flares up it’s tender to touch. I also get persistent dandruff and a tight itchy feeling in the thinning areas. My libido spiked only slightly in the first few months but went back to normal after that (I think?).
Hair-wise, the early gains didn’t last. Things plateaued and gradually thinned again. My hairline is definitely worse than before finasteride, and recently I’ve noticed more thinning overall. It feels kind of stable now but not in a good way.
Is it worthwhile dropping back down to the dose I noticed the most gains on? Also, is it normal for severe acne to appear just after starting finasteride and last for months? And lastly, is it possible to still grow and recover hair after 2 years on fin, instead of the typical 1 year people mention?
Just wondering if anyone’s had a similar experience — acne that lasts months, early gains that fade, that weird sore scalp feeling, etc. Maybe it’s AR sensitivity, local inflammation, or something else. Open to any thoughts.