Am I wrong to lose hope?

General
1

First pic (January ‘24) is the only pre treatment photo I have of my temples. The second photo is current. I have been on 1mg ED of finasteride since sept ‘24, added in 1.25mg ED oral minoxidil March ‘25, upped that dose to 2.5mg ED April ‘25. I am seeing nothing but my temples getting worse and worse and worse ever since I started. I did stop topical min (which I used nightly) the day I started oral min. Is this all a big shed phase from the minoxidil? Or am I absolutely fked and out of luck? I am hopeless. I started treatment as preventative maintenance. Now wishing I never started.

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2

shedding is common initially with min and fin. this phase can last several months, but it’s often a sign that the treatment is working to regrow stronger hair. sticking with it can lead to improvements over time. you might wanna keep using what you’re on for at least a year to see true results. check out The Beginner’s Guide for more info.

3

I am slowly entering your present shedding phase. I preplanned to go bald or I would feel depressed about losing too much hair. You should do the same thing, if it is, affecting your self esteem