Hello
Thanks for posting your query.
I can understand your concern.
Finasteride doesn't cause any active shedding, however it has been observed in many individuals but its just the regular telogen or sleep phase that make the hair go into dormancy and then the catagen phase or shedding phase in which the hair are shed.
The hair grows back in the anagen or growth phase.
It takes three months for the hair cycle to complete and hence your dermatologist mentioned it takes three months to see results, it would take three months for hairfall to stop completely and for hair to regrow. However, it will start controlling the hair fall in four to six weeks.
Finasteride does not cause any balding nor does it make you actively lose hair. I would recommend that you continue taking it as recommended by your dermatologist. It would surely help in reduction of hair fall.
Hope this helps.
Please feel free to ask followup queries.
Patient replied :
Emphasize the 2nd paragraph:
I'm a 25-year-old male. I am/was losing 100+ hairs a day in the shower, plus more I'm sure that I'm not aware. I went to a dermatologist and was diagnosed with androgenic alopecia 35 days ago. I was prescribed Propecia (finasteride) at 1mg a day. For the past 35 days, I have been faithfully taking 1mg. However, I'm not really seeing a a difference in the amount of hair I see go into the drain in the shower, the remaining hair on my brush, etc. My dermatologist said it would like be two or three months before I might see results. I'm wondering what he meant by results.
According to what the doctor said, there seems to be a lag time. By lag time, I mean a time where hair keeps falling out and new hair is not yet sprouting. Also, I've read on what are probably unreliable internet sources that hair fallout should cease completely after a few weeks. Where can I learn more about this? Should I be having less hair fallout by now? When can I expect complete cessation of hair fallout?
Does Finasteride take “less-good” hair from the Anagen phase to the Catagen phase (where it falls out)? Also, does Finasteride speed up hair through the Telogen phase, so it takes less than three months for new hair to sprout? Also, when hair does eventually reach the Anagen phase again, how long until one can physically see it? Is the new hair like beard stubble, where after two/three days, one can see definitely see it?
Hello,
Thanks for your reply.
Its really difficult to pinpoint the exact time at which ask the changes occur from one phase to the other as it differs from individual to individual. Also its not always possible to notice the changed that take place. Hence its difficult to say when will you exactly see the hair when it comes to anagen.
It takes approximately three months for hair fall to stop. Till then you might see a reduction in hair fall after four to six weeks of starting the medication.
The hair is light and fine when it starts growing, that's when you can see it but its not like beard stubble.
Finasteride doesn't take the less good hair to Catagen and make it fall.
Take care.