[ljf]

Just to add, for anyone considering using minoxidil and/or finasteride - I can highly recommend both for the recovery of my hairloss.

But - read up in the side effects and potential risks, they can both cause other issues in some people, and for me it took a while to find the right finasteride dose.

Another downside is oral finasteride use means I can no longer give blood.

[sizzle]

Did it fill in your crown area??

[Tadpole9181]

Finasteride alone won't reverse that much, it stops the path for testosterone becoming DHT (the cause of androgenic alopecia). Taken orally, it stops or slows all hair loss.

Minoxadil increases blood flow and restores the natural growth cycle lengths of weakened follicles. This is applied topically, and promotes hair growth pretty much anywhere - beard, crown, temples. You can take it orally, and it will promote hair growth everywhere (more body hair). However, it can't fix follicles already dormant or scarred over. So if things are already bald, it may not give the results you want.

A word of warning that about 5% of those who take Minoxadil experience a shedding period where it gets worse. Because it restores normal hair follicles growth cycles, this includes the process of pushing out old hairs. This is not permanent and will last, at most, a month. This is why most providers like "Keeps" will try to sell in batches of 3 months.

In 2026, a new drug will finish phase 3 human trials. That one targets (IIRC) stem cells and can restore even advanced hair loss where the follicles are dormant or dead. Very exciting!

[sizzle]

Wow that would be a blockbuster drug if it passes. Know the name of it?

[ljf]

It is far better than it was, my thinning was definitely crown but also hairline - I went for a walk one day and got really wet and when I looked in the mirror I could see just how thin my hair was. I've applied liquid minoxidil for 5 years now, and it reversed the balding to a good degree, but my hair is still thinner than it was at 30, but it is far far better than it was at 40. I've been using finasteride (tablets 1mg ever 3 days) for a year and it has certainly helped, but at my low dose I expect it to be another year before I know if it is really making a good difference.

My hair is very grey now which I think makes it also look thinner, but I don't want to dye it - though I tried Alpecin 'grey targeting shampoo' and it turned my hair blue... Not a good look for the office and extra visible in video calls

[sizzle]

I’m afraid of the reproductive and erectile dysfunction side effects