Looking for some support - Scary Fin Side Effects

General Discussion
#21

Mac,

I understand your desire to want to try a topical solution, as instinctively it feels like a safe option. But 5ar inhibitors are extremely potent in small doses and they’re absorbed through your skin.

Consider that pregnant women are warned not to even touch Finasteride pills with their hands, as it might cause birth defects.

Mac - If you want an alternative treatment, one safe option that I’m considering trying is topical caffeine. It might not work. But I’d much rather continue balding than to risk touching a 5ar inhibitor again.

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#22

@Mac1100

Have you tried a close crop at all? You could maybe buy a pair of clippers and go over your hair with them. You don’t have to go really short, but short enough that you can see what you look like. Although you may hate it at first, try giving it a non-judgemental month of just living with it and see how you feel. Hair grows back anyway so it’s a no-risk trial. Speaking personally I am so much happier clippering my hair rather than the whole nonsense of hair spraying the little hair I had in place, then being neurotic about the wind etc. I am a lot happier and look better like this. Maybe it’s because I’ve lost hair myself, but as a gay man hair loss is no impediment to finding a guy attractive. In many ways a close crop can make someone more attractive. A lot of it is what we carry in our heads about what we think we’ll look like and how we think we will be so much less attractive. That’s why trialling out a short cut may be an option as it allows you time to try and recalibrate that thinking. Even if you don’t like it, I am sure that safer options will be available in the future. Just keep your mind and body well for this life by staying away from finasteride and anything like it.

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#23

@Mac1100 You’ve got to be kidding. A lot of people would trade a arm and a leg to feel normal again and you are really considering continue taking this poison?

@TFD It would definitely be helpful for our case.

#24

I appreciate everyone’s concern and responses. I currently do not plan on trying the drug again. With regards to shaving my head I must admit this is one topic like many hair loss sufferers annoys me. I am 36 years old. I know what I look like. Many men can pull off the shaved look. But many men cannot. I am in fact one of the last types who cannot. I am 6’2 thin as a rail underweight, big nose and growing genetic bags/dark circles under my eyes. It’s not even a consideration nor do I want it to be a discussion. So please, nobody tell me to “hit the gym” and shave my head anymore. Even if I ever DID shave it, I am completely bald up front so it would look twice as bad.

I am currently speaking with a hair transplant surgeon about potentially going forward with a hairline transplant with the possibiltiy of wearing a hair system behind it to cover the rest of my scalp. He wishes I could take Fin, but understands it was not for me. Thanks.

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#25

I hope you can stay away from this. If I’m not mistaken you have to take fin after hairtransplant.

We were like you, afraid of going bald. Some dudes took the pills and they knew about pfs. Now we are all here in the same boat and regretting our decision.

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#26

Most of us here considered losing our hair/shaving our head to be out-of-the-question before we tried fin. So we can relate to your apprehension.

But one thing I can say for sure is that if you develop PFS symptoms, you will be begging and praying to return to your pre-PFS self, minus the hair.

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