Can I Shave My Head While Taking Propecia?

Dr. Rassman,

I am a 23 year old African American male and noticed a receding hairline and loss of hair in the front of my head on the sides just this year out of the blue. I have been taking Propecia now for about a month. I have 2 questions: Will Propecia work properly if I bald my head so that I can try to hide the receding hairline? AND You said that Propecia takes about 8 months before results start to happen. WIll using Propecia allow me to return my hair back to the normal pattern so that I can have cornrows?

You can shave your head. The efficacy of Propecia (finasteride) will not depend on the length of your hair, but Propecia will likely NOT restore your receding hair line. Propecia shows its most benefit on the top and crown areas of the scalp. It will likely not bring your hair back to a normal pattern, but it will slow down or even stop the hair loss. There is no magic pill or drug that can do this.