Why Does Finasteride Work For Some People?

[tallglass13]

So it has now been 7 months and I don't have significant results to write home about. My hair might be a little bit better, maybe, but it's really hard to tell. It definitely hasn't gotten worse, that I can say. Part of me wonders if you need a similar time frame to finasteride, I.E. 1 year plus, to see results. Might pack this experiment up for now. I have some fin sitting around from last year, never touched. I know pretty much everyone posting here is against the drug, but I've tried literally every other non-traditional approach with limited results and it fully leaves the system in 90 days. Going to trial 3mg a week and see what happen. I'm 35, **** it.

The real reason finasteride boost hair growth in some people is because of the free testosterone increase of about 10 to 15% which is remarkable. Free testosterone ,DHEA, progesterone, thyroid, are things that help boost hair growth.... Finasteride chemically inactivates five alpha reductase in the liver, boosting testosterone and estrogen, which are the only other pathways. So you get some hair, at the expense of decreased erection and semen quality.. erection needs DHT and some of the anti-inflammatory prostaglandins such as prostaglandin e1 and e3. Finasteride by increasing testosterone increases hair growth.

 

[hominidnumber9]

I might have to run this experiment back again with Nettle Root taken out (due to the SHBG lowering effects). I swear I've seen a slight improvement in the quality of my hair cycling Prog. and taking DHEA, but I might have been handicapping my gains with the Nettle Root and going a little overboard with scalp oil treatments.

I took 1mg Fin last night and it made me feel, weird. Slightly blunted in a way that's hard to describe. First impression, not super thrilled.

 

[brocktoon]

I might have to run this experiment back again with Nettle Root taken out (due to the SHBG lowering effects). I swear I've seen a slight improvement in the quality of my hair cycling Prog. and taking DHEA, but I might have been handicapping my gains with the Nettle Root and going a little overboard with scalp oil treatments.

I took 1mg Fin last night and it made me feel, weird. Slightly blunted in a way that's hard to describe. First impression, not super thrilled.

Wondering if you kept going with taking Fin? If so, how'd it go?

 

[hominidnumber9]

Wondering if you kept going with taking Fin? If so, how'd it go?

I took two 1mg doses spaced one day apart and never touched the stuff again. Caused brain fog and made my penis feel numb. Returned to baseline after about 3-4 days.

Working with a different strategy right now based on everything I've learned so far. Still planning on leaving updates in this thread in the future.

 

[brocktoon]

I took two 1mg doses spaced one day apart and never touched the stuff again. Caused brain fog and made my penis feel numb. Returned to baseline after about 3-4 days.

Working with a different strategy right now based on everything I've learned so far. Still planning on leaving updates in this thread in the future.

Very good. Imagine taking 1mg of fin most days for 8 years...like me. I stopped this past March.

 

[hominidnumber9]

Very good. Imagine taking 1mg of fin most days for 8 years...like me. I stopped this past March.

Yikes. Did it at least help you regrow hair?

I am happy that I tried it because now the mystery has been dispelled. Taking it long term sounds like a nightmare. Short term, there doesn't seem to be much reason to be afraid of it (very short term). It's not like your penis is going to turn black and fall off completely after one dose, though I do know some extremely unlucky people experience life changing results. Everything you do in life carries risks though.

Also, you can't really compare this stuff to any of the "natural" DHT blockers people promote (not that you did). It's way way stronger.

 

[Apple]

Very good. Imagine taking 1mg of fin most days for 8 years...like me. I stopped this past March.

Why did you stop?
Did you have any postive/negative results for 8 years?

 

[brocktoon]

Why did you stop?
Did you have any postive/negative results for 8 years?

I had encouraging results when I first tried Fin years ago at age 45. Over time, however, I gradually suspected that it wasn't regrowing any hair, just slowing its loss. I took some solace in this, but then again this was well before I realized how metabolically compromised (sick!) I was, broadly speaking. I finally quit earlier this year. I think my hair loss has worsened a little so far, but I've gotten a lot healthier overall via the RPF in the last year or two and I want to do all I can to recover my health. Fin had to go!

 

[Apple]

I had encouraging results when I first tried Fin years ago at age 45. Over time, however, I gradually suspected that it wasn't regrowing any hair, just slowing its loss. I took some solace in this, but then again this was well before I realized how metabolically compromised (sick!) I was, broadly speaking. I finally quit earlier this year. I think my hair loss has worsened a little so far, but I've gotten a lot healthier overall via the RPF in the last year or two and I want to do all I can to recover my health. Fin had to go!

Thanks for sharing. Hopefully we will solve this puzzle one day

 

[Jack Earth]

Fin is at best a decision between your manliness and your hair. At best. So the first question is if you are willing to go for that tradeoff, assuming you are not hopping on trt as well.
If you are not willing to compromise your masculinity, fin is off the table. Simple as. There is no one with zero sides. Only people with sides not strong enough to cluster them around a specific symptom.

What if he goes on trt?

 

[BestSinceDAYONE]

can someone explain to me, why fin even exists, when progesterone reliably lowers dht already? and why prog is not more popular in the hairloss community?

is it not strong enough, even in high doses? is it more feminizing than fin in high doses?

some1 enlighten me please.

what is the difference between fin and prog apart from their synthetic/natural nature?

There hasn't been a study that looked at men taking progesterone reversing their hair loss and its probably bc the results were lackluster...don't you think in an industry where there is so much bull**** that they would try to market something like progesterone if it provided some tangible results?

Remember they accidentally found out that finasteride caused hair growth.

During pregnancy we have high levels of estrogen (anti-Peat), progesterone and prolactin (which is anti Peat).

When estrogen is at its lowest is when female hair loss occurs...

I think its clear its ANDROgenic alopecia for a reason

 

[BestSinceDAYONE]

okay it works. This forum is against it.

Why not just use it topically though? It would be so much safer.

Still goes systemic

 

[johnwester130]

Still goes systemic

do you think topical t3 would help with male baldness?

 

[mrchibbs]

do you think topical t3 would help with male baldness?

Of course:

"There was a dose-dependent increase in epidermal proliferation, dermal thickening, and hair growth in T3-treated animals. Mice that received 3.8 microg of T3 had 42% more hairs per millimeter than controls (p < 0.01), hair length that was 1,180% longer (p < 0.001), 49% greater epidermal 3H-thymidine incorporation (p < 0.01), and 80% more 5-bromo-2'-deoxyuridine (BrdU) stained cells (p < 0.05). Rats receiving 12.8 microg T3 had 48% greater dermal thickness than controls (p < 0.001), 26% greater epidermal thickness (p < 0.001), 85% more hairs per millimeter (p < 0.005), and 130% greater 3H-thymidine incorporation into the epidermis (p < 0.01). Thus, topically applied thyroid hormone has dramatic effects on both skin and hair growth."

Topical triiodothyronine stimulates epidermal proliferation, dermal thickening, and hair growth in mice and rats - PubMed

But there is often the same bottleneck of having to reverse the fibrotic changes in the scalp. T3 helps with that, but it would likely take a long time (6 months to a year probably) to start seeing significant results in terms of hair regrowth. Change is slow.

However, if one massages everyday or say uses dermarolling every 10-14 days, then topical T3 can also promote wound healing, and possibly accelerate the process:

"Daily topical application of 150 ng T3 resulted in 58% greater wound closure relative to wounds on the same animals receiving vehicle alone (P < 0.001). Furthermore, we determined that wound healing-associated keratin 6 protein expression in hair follicle keratinocytes increased in a dose-dependent manner in vivo during topical T3 treatment. The data support our previous hypothesis that T3 is necessary for optimal wound healing. Now, we further suggest that topical thyroid hormone may be an inexpensive agent to hasten healing of certain wounds."

Topical thyroid hormone accelerates wound healing in mice - PubMed

Although the physiologic role of thyroid hormone in skin is not well understood, mounting evidence suggests that T3 plays an important role in epidermal proliferation. The goal of this project was to evaluate whether the topical application of supraphysiologic doses of T3 could accelerate wound...

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

A product like Tyronene can be dilluted in distilled water and tend applied to the scalp with a dropper.

 

[BestSinceDAYONE]

do you think topical t3 would help with male baldness?

To the extent that thyroid works , it has to be because it reduces free androgens. High SHBG binds up free androgens and doesn't let them minutiarize follicles.

 

[mrchibbs]

To the extent that thyroid works , it has to be because it reduces free androgens. High SHBG binds up free androgens and doesn't let them minutiarize follicles.

I think that's not at all how it works.

 

[BestSinceDAYONE]

I think that's not at all how it works.

Agree to disagree but the fact that Georgi cannot regrow his hair despite being on every Peat - approved supplement known to man gives me extreme pause.

Topical melatonin stimulates hair growth as well...melatonin significantly reduces androgens (anti Peat)

See the relationship?

 

[Jack Earth]

Agree to disagree but the fact that Georgi cannot regrow his hair despite being on every Peat - approved supplement known to man gives me extreme pause.

Topical melatonin stimulates hair growth as well...melatonin significantly reduces androgens (anti Peat)

See the relationship?

I was just about to ask mrchibbs if he trusts haidut products since he looks in terrible shape scalp and bodyfat.
In our personal training company rule of thumb is if you've never produced the results in your own body, you cant train others.

 

[BestSinceDAYONE]

I was just about to ask mrchibbs if he trusts haidut products since he looks in terrible shape scalp and bodyfat.
In our personal training company rule of thumb is if you've never produced the results in your own body, you cant train others.

I know it's kind of judgmental / low IQ to say "oh I don't like how this person looks therefore everything they say regarding health / nutrition is B.S." but at least have some clients of your own or something to point to to show your diet / supplements provide tangible results.

He looks like he's in his 50s. If he was bald and lean but he is bald, fat, graying. The only thing I can say is he is quite mentally sharp but that can just be genetic.

 

[Lancaster]

Of course:

"There was a dose-dependent increase in epidermal proliferation, dermal thickening, and hair growth in T3-treated animals. Mice that received 3.8 microg of T3 had 42% more hairs per millimeter than controls (p < 0.01), hair length that was 1,180% longer (p < 0.001), 49% greater epidermal 3H-thymidine incorporation (p < 0.01), and 80% more 5-bromo-2'-deoxyuridine (BrdU) stained cells (p < 0.05). Rats receiving 12.8 microg T3 had 48% greater dermal thickness than controls (p < 0.001), 26% greater epidermal thickness (p < 0.001), 85% more hairs per millimeter (p < 0.005), and 130% greater 3H-thymidine incorporation into the epidermis (p < 0.01). Thus, topically applied thyroid hormone has dramatic effects on both skin and hair growth."

Topical triiodothyronine stimulates epidermal proliferation, dermal thickening, and hair growth in mice and rats - PubMed

But there is often the same bottleneck of having to reverse the fibrotic changes in the scalp. T3 helps with that, but it would likely take a long time (6 months to a year probably) to start seeing significant results in terms of hair regrowth. Change is slow.

However, if one massages everyday or say uses dermarolling every 10-14 days, then topical T3 can also promote wound healing, and possibly accelerate the process:

"Daily topical application of 150 ng T3 resulted in 58% greater wound closure relative to wounds on the same animals receiving vehicle alone (P < 0.001). Furthermore, we determined that wound healing-associated keratin 6 protein expression in hair follicle keratinocytes increased in a dose-dependent manner in vivo during topical T3 treatment. The data support our previous hypothesis that T3 is necessary for optimal wound healing. Now, we further suggest that topical thyroid hormone may be an inexpensive agent to hasten healing of certain wounds."

Topical thyroid hormone accelerates wound healing in mice - PubMed

Although the physiologic role of thyroid hormone in skin is not well understood, mounting evidence suggests that T3 plays an important role in epidermal proliferation. The goal of this project was to evaluate whether the topical application of supraphysiologic doses of T3 could accelerate wound...

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

A product like Tyronene can be dilluted in distilled water and tend applied to the scalp with a dropper.

Not trying to be disrespectful here, but how, exactly, can you make conclusions about T3's efficacy from a rodent study that doesn't come close to replicating the extraordinarily complex in-vivo pathophysiology that underlies MPB? Extrapolating low quality, non-specific data to make specific conclusions isn't the way science works.

T3 upregulates protein synthesis, so of course it increases the rate of hair growth in a shaven rat — that doesn't mean said hair growth can be extrapolated across to MPB.

Just my 2c.