The Propecia Timeline

I understand that you’ve answered questions similar to this multiple times, however I’m still having a hard time putting the overall logic of this drug together…

First of all, here is my situation. I am 25 years old. I began experiencing light thinning around the crown and in the mid-anterior area about 6 months ago. It seemed to progress very slowly, but 3 months ago I decided to begin propecia 1mg daily. I experienced one or two days of VERY noticeably shedding about a month after starting the drug (I brushed my hand lightly over the top of my head once and saw dozens of hairs fall into the sink one time). I don’t know if this was caused by the drug. I have now been on the drug for 3 and 1/2 months. I now have noticeably more hair loss than I did at the beginning, when I comb my hair I see 10-20 hairs fall out. Am I too optimistic in believing that I should experience good results because of my age and that I began the drug within a few months of my hair starting to thin? Is how quickly you get results an indicator of how good those results will be?

You indicated in response to another reader “When Propecia works, it works very fast. You may not see the full impact for 8 or so months, but you do not have to wait to get the benefits”(March 21 2007). What is the difference between “impact” and “benefits”? One occurs very fast, the other takes 8 or so months? I’m confused… And I’m not necessarily asking you to make a premature prediction about MY results (although if you you felt like it I would be interested), I’m moreso just trying to understand the logic of how I should evaluate my response to the drug over time, so that i can make a more educated decision about whether to continue putting a foreign substance into myself for cosmetic reasons.

Thanks for your time.

The biochemical connection at blocking the DHT occurs in days or weeks after starting the drug, but as hair grows at 1/2 inch per month, it takes time for you to see the results. In addition to this, the impact on each hair may be different depending upon the degree of miniaturization and I believe that this is real, but there are no studies on this that show any science behind this statement. What we do know is that the benefits of Propecia seem to increase over time (up to two years) so my last statement may be the mechanism behind the incremental benefit that is seen. The decision to take Propecia is a personal decision for each man who is balding and all we can do as doctors is advise our patients on what we know.