Hair Loss on Sides and Nape Despite Finasteride Treatment

Hi everyone, in November this year I noticed my hair density went down considerably from the summer. I hopped on 1mg finasteride everyday, ketoconazole 3 times a week, and topical minoxidil on my hairline 2 weeks later. I have had a pretty consistent shed since starting but I think my hair on top thickened up a little. I still lose plenty of hair in the shower but I don’t think it has gotten any worse since I started.

More recently, about a month or so ago I started noticing my sides and nape are losing ground. Especially my sides since I cut that shorter. After looking into it the only thing I think it could be is retrograde alopecia. (My dads whole side of the family is bald, but they have normal MPB and not retrograde loss) However, these hairs don’t look like normal, thin weak hairs that you would see fall out in a shed. The hairs coming out are thick, and from what I can tell, the follicle looks health and not miniaturized. That’s just from what I can see compared to other hairs I shed, that look weak and thin.

Sounds like you might be experiencing something besides typical AGA since the hair from the sides and nape are shedding too. TE could be a cause, often due to stress or changes in health. Your treatment for AGA is solid, with fin and min, so it’s good to stick with it and give it time to work. Consider exploring if anything else might be contributing to shedding with a focus on health changes or stress levels.