I’ve been noticing a receding hairline since I was about 16-17 years old. However, it didn’t really progress for many years, at least not noticeably. Recently, though, I feel like it may be getting worse, and now that I’m 28, I’m starting to worry that it could continue progressing and lead to more significant hair loss.
I recently saw a dermatologist, and she suggested topical minoxidil. At the time, I hadn’t done much research. After looking into it more, I’ve realized that I’m probably not someone who can realistically apply minoxidil once or twice a day forever. I’ve also read that for this type of hair loss, finasteride may be more effective.
Before I see my family doctor next week, I wanted to get some general advice:
Should I take finasteride instead of topical minoxidil? Or both?
Can finasteride alone, without minoxidil, be enough to preserve my hair?
Since my hairline receded years ago, is any regrowth still possible?
Finasteride + Minoxidil is almost always better than either alone. I cannot tell you to take anything for I am not a doctor however keep that in mind.
Depends upon the activity of your steroid-5-alpha-reductase type I and type II, depends upon the number of androgenic receptors on your scalp (and DHT actvitiy on your body in the absence of finasteride) and intrafollicular DHT reduction value of the drug on you, depends upon the hair cycles that you will go through (more cycles in the presence of DHT = faster miniaturization) etc. BUT, In general yes, but if you had TE/CTE etc. it may get complicated. The amount of cycles that a hair goes through may increase and as such miniaturization process may accelerate. So avoid going through multiple hair cycles, a contributor of which is extreme stress in general. Stress may not cause balding directly but may shed telogen hairs and as such new hairs may be produced, but thinner hairs if DHT is present. Even with fin, not 100% of DHT is nuked, so it will still be against your favor in the long-term, even if in the short-term finasteride may end up thickening and regrowing your hair. It gets complicated quick when details are involved but in general yes finasteride will stop it for some time. Dutasteride will stop it for a longer time. Up until the end of your life, maybe but unlikely, I though hope so
You can in general go back 5 years, so probably no. But exceptions exist, so shoot your shot. Keep in mind that hairline is harder to recover with regrowth agents eg. minoxidil compared to crown.
You are norwood 1 to 2. Classical but early-onset androgenetic alopecia.
