I’m 23 and started finasteride 1mg in early September last year. The shedding stopped within about two months, and even without minoxidil, my hair became noticeably fuller and denser for a while. But since June this year, I’ve noticed clear recession at the forehead and an overall drop in density. Now, nearly a year in, my hair looks worse than it did before I started treatment, much thinner, with all the earlier density gone. It’s not obvious to others because I keep my hair short and don’t style it, but anyone running their hands through it would notice.
Something else worth mentioning: I’ve been dealing with disordered eating, generally doing intermittent fasting with small portions (I was obese as a teenager). When I started fin, I was around 60kg or a bit more from diet control. Now, I suspect I’m closer to 40kg. People often mistake me for a teenager. I know this isn’t healthy and I’m working on it.
So I’m trying to figure out what’s driving the hair loss: could the weight loss be a factor? Is this just the shed some fin users experience around the 8–9 month mark? Or should I be adding minoxidil or switching to dutasteride?