If I Forget To Take Propecia, Will I Lose More Hair That Day?

Hey Dr. Rassman. Thanks for the blog. I know you must get tired of answering the same questions over and over…but we appreciate it. A few propecia questions for you…

I am 23 years old and have been taking a generic propecia compound containing finisteride and something abbrivaited “biot”…don’t know what it’s called though. My primary care physician prescribed it for me because it’s a little cheaper but he says it’s the same thing. Is it just as good? Also, I know that if you stop taking propecia that your hair loss will “catch up”. My question is how long after you take a pill does this happen. If you forget to take a pill one day will you lose more hair that day? Is it a 24 hour thing where hair loss will start creeping up on you without taking another pill…or does it take a matter of days or weeks to fully get out of your system before you start experiencing the increased loss. One more for you…since Propecia is really only real effective for about 6 or 7 years would it be wiser for me to wait and take it when I am experiencing hair loss where it would be most effective. Right now I have a full head of hair but a receding hair line that is not really noticable if my hair is combed the right way. Since propecia really doesn’t help the temple areas should I hold off for awhile and save my years of effectiveness of the pill when I need them? Thanks.

Propecia is under U.S. Patent laws and there aren’t any generic brands legally available in the U.S. While I realize many people may take the generic brands, there is no way for me to assure you that you are getting what you are paying for. Furthermore, I cannot comment on a drug which you do not know the name of — I am not a magician or a mind reader.

Forgetting to take Propecia for a day or two should not make you lose more hair that day. I do not know how long you would need to not take Propecia to see its effects disappear. I suspect it is in the order of weeks or months.

Finally, there is no data to suggest that Propecia is effective for only 7 years. I do not believe for one minute that Propecia becomes ineffective at 7 years, but it may not be as effective as the progressive process of hair loss moves on its own timeline. Propecia blocks hair loss as the daily hormone testosterone is converted to DHT, and the DHT then ‘hits’ the hair that is genetically impacted by whatever the genetic defect that causes hair loss is. There is no magic here and the drug must be taken daily to be really effective. If you stop it after 7 years, you will almost certainly play ‘catch-up’ hair loss.