I’m Terrified that Propecia Will Halt My Development!

feel free to respond in the form of an email….please i dont know what to do
this is very depressing to hear. i have awful thinning on the top of my scalp, and i am over the age of 18, BUT i look younger than most people my age and still have a few patches on my face, where facial hair cannot yet grow, along with other signs that there is more development to come. i saw a VERY reputable hair loss specialist whose last name starts with a B, im sure you know who im talking about dr. rassman, and he said it is fine if i take finasteride. i have been prescribed 1.25 mg’s a day. but i decided to only take .25 a day. im a terrified, am i going to never finish developing now?!??!?! should i stop taking propecia?!??!?!

It sounds like you are extremely confused at this time. I will share some thoughts, but this is not a substitute for your doctor who is prescribing the drug and dispensing it to you. Let’s try to answer your concerns the best way possible. It seem you are stating that you do not have many of the physical attributes of an adult despite the fact that you are over the age of 18 (past puberty). You may be a late bloomer, but if you are concerned you may consider seeing an endocrinologist (doctor that specifically treats disorders affecting hormones). In my opinion, finasteride 1mg or 1.25mg should not affect your normal development if it is still occurring, although at 18 years old I do not expect you to grow another 1-2 feet.

During puberty, testosterone has several roles, including sperm production, increase in muscle mass, growth of penis and scrotum, voice changes, and male sex drive. DHT (during puberty) has different, yet important functions such as growth of the prostate, terminal (mature) hair, growth of arm pit, beard, chest, and pubic hair. If you take finasteride (Propecia) and block some of these effects of DHT there is a very slight chance that these secondary sex characteristic may be affected, but I would think that this is minimal as I have not seen reports that address your concerns. I would have expected to see reports in the literature if your concerns were experienced by others, but in my opinion it is very unlikely. If you are still concerned, you need to discuss these issues with your “Dr. B” or see an endocrinologist. Remember, I am not your doctor and this is not a platform for specific medical advice.