I looked up Cushing’s syndrome and saw some photos. Scary stuff.
Firstly i’ll admit that i’m not taking propecia but i’m taking spironolactone. Apologies if i’ve broken a board rule but i’m thinking its an anti-androgen and it blocks the affects of DHT, therefore similiar side effects exist. I’m a 33 year old woman and about three years ago I started taking spiro. Its taken me three years to suddenly take notice of my face (i’ve been too busy marveling at my hair) and see that I have aged at least ten years. My face has sagged, my brow has come further down over my eyes (I can feel the pressure of my weighted eyelids), my skin texture has gone from perfect to orange peeled and aged. I have yellow pigmentation on my face and brown and grey melasma. My eyes look hollower and the skin beneath them is darker and crepey. My cheeks now look flat, when I did have great high cheek bones, so I guess I have that lipodystrophy. I’m embarassed of my face and still in a state of shock. Oh, and I also have forehead wrinkles and some deep under eye wrinkles. This is all in the space of three years. Of course I came off spiro and minox, watched my hair rapidly deteriorate for a few months and then convinced myself it was the minox and so went back on the spiro. Deep down I KNOW its the spiro as ever since i’ve been on it i’ve had problems with my skin - tightness, dryness, rashes, flushes, a mottled look, oiliness under my eyes (strange I know). And of course all of these were warning bells which I ignored. So I have to choose, and as a woman it is very hard, face or hair? I keep swinging between the two and at the moment i’m on ‘hair’ but i’m watching my skin and as soon as I see any advancement I will come off the spiro, I hope. Thanks for reading.
Wear a goddamn hat or look like a sick old woman, is this really a choice? It’s interesting how it’s causing the same effect as many men experience on Fin, but holy fuck, why would you do this to yourself? Shave your head, there are so many fashion options out there for you. Marry an orthadox Jew, then you will have to shave your head and wear a wig anyway. Please think about your health before such an insignificant cosmetic adornment.
Jesus christ. Spiro (lack of androgens and/or sebum) has attacked my skin like a flesh eating disease. Seriously i’m not being melodramatic. Last night I had that tight, creepy, feeling come over the area (Bag, heh) under my right eye. A few hours later I checked it out in the mirror and a distinct line had developed. Also the skin on my forehead is kind of ‘crinkling’ up. I think the damage is done when I have this contracted feeling from within. Then when I check in the mirror some damage has been done. Gods honest truth this is what i’ve witnessed in the last week when, for the first time, i’ve monitored my face. I cannot believe it. Is it an allergic reaction to spiro, or would it be the same with any antiandrogen I wonder. I took 25mg last night as my last dose (rapid wean off), and even now I can feel sensations in my face like its doing its damage. My god. I am never ever ever touching that shit again. And, I have never heard of this ‘side effect’ being reported anywhere on the internet other than myself.
Perhaps you can try facial exercises and extra virgin olive oil massages to improve the muscles in your face. A quick google search should give you a great amount of results.
The lack of androgen or maybe even IGF-1/HGH is most likely to blame for the increased aging that most of us experienced. I look at pictures of myself just 4-5 years ago and it’s a rather extreme aging. I do believe much of this is reversable if we can get our damn hormones to kick back in again, the skin will tighten up again as androgen levels increase.
A few comments on facial aging from a 2+ year sufferer who has had some temporary 100% recoveries:
Recently I was surfing for a week, so lots of exercise, sun, and salt water, all good. My face looked a lot better at the end of the week. The skin was better but what was most improved was the underlying muscle structure. My muscles became elastic again, tender and stronger throughout my body. My spinal erectors worked properly and I began walking in an upright posture. My face started to look much better and younger. Since this was a period of a few days it wasn’t due to serious fat redistribution but proper muscle structure. The skin did improve but it’s not all. If the skin tightens but the underlying muscles don’t hold right it looks like plastic surgery. If there is fluid retention you look puffy but your features don’t just fall. A combination of all three suck, but the most important especially in long term sufferers I think is muscle tension. My muscles now generally are soft, spongy, and fall with gravity, which is exactly how my face looks.
Until we figure out the whole cure here is a moisturizing routine I’ve found tom work best:
Anthony Action for men face lotion (for extremely dry skin, also fills in wrinkles a bit)
Keihls creamy eye treatment for area around eyes
Neutrogena deep clean cream cleanser for washing away all dead skin (I also wash the penis with it it improves sensitivity some but don’t leave on for long)
Vitamin e oil for really dry skin times, it’s nice but too oily tomuse every day. I also put this on the penis every time I get out of the shower, makes the skin more relaxed and has reduced wrinkles. Very important in times of extreme shrinkage.
I have been trying to implement a skincare routine based on building collagen. however, every cream contains anti-androgens. Why is it there are so many natural and synthetic ingredients which have an anti-androgen effect?? Extra Virgin Olive Oil contains a high level of Oleic and linoleic acids, these block DHT. Vitamin E, high levels are supposed to help with MPB. Ascorbic Acid (Vit C), a collagen building acid which is linked to androgen blockage. Nearly all the oils - coconut, sesame seed, emu, jojoba, almond, etc etc. Its so annoying as I can’t find a cream without an anti-androgen in it. It may sound as though i’m going over the top, but don’t forget i’m now super-sensitive to any anti-androgen (I had a horrid reaction to using Ketoconazole shampoo), so I certainly don’t want to wipe one on my face, no matter how ‘weak’ it is.
Or its a symptom of high estradiol levels, water retention.
Right before going off Fin then for about 4 months after cessation I would get half dollar sized dry skin blotches on my forehead and crusty flakes on my upper lip. People would always ask me what I ran into. Was annoying. I used to squeeze a vit e tablet on the affected areas and it would clear up a bit. This has mainly resolved for me, at least for now. Still have the blackened sunked in eyes but that might be from lack of regular sleep which I never get since Fin.
This happened to me also. I used to have a lean, angular face before and during Propecia. But in the months going off, now that I look back at pictures, my face began to round, in the cheeks, around the mouth and jaw line softened more. My face also began to look less vibrant. I didn’t realize it was happening at the time but it happened rather quickly. Hasn’t changed back at all to pre-fin appearance. Going on 3 years off Propecia.
I’m pretty positive the facial changes are a combination of fat atrophy (especially under the eyes) causing the skin to droop downwards, and excess fat/water retention due to increased estrogens. You won’t be able to fix the former short of some kind of fillers.
Ok this is going a little bit too far !!! GET REAL…lol 
You disagree?
I am absolutely agree with you…
And “Tryigntorecover” why the Fuck dont you shut up??Why the Fuck are you still here??
In what way is this going a little bit too far?
The only thing that has gone “a little bit too far” is Merck & co’s disregard for their customer’s lives.
As for “GET REAL”, unfortunately all of us here have found ourselves in the position of finding out the reality of big business and have sadly had to “get real” about it. We know at first hand what they will readily do for profit, and also through pfs and the other responses by our bodies to propecia that there is still a lot to learn about the many intricacies of our bodily systems and what can go wrong when they are messed with. It is the deniers that are not in touch with reality. All we are doing is trying to speculate as to what could be causing this. And as our eyes have been opened wide then we also know that we have to be open to many different theories.
I also don’t appreciate a member here laughing at another who has experienced facial changes as a result of this drug. Please don’t be so dismissive. Leave that to the hair loss docs, thanks.
Maybe it is you that should get a bit more real and tread more carefully on a site where other members are suffering a lot more than you.
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Hey man I would cuss u out in caps lock but im 35 and its really not entertaining… I understand that this drug can cause hormonal imbalances but cmon man it changed the shape of peoples faces… I don’t see it… I mean it hasn’t changed mine but I guess I don’t have PFS or full blown PFS…
Right I do understand that the drug causes hormonal imbalaces but I don’t see how it can change the shape of anyones face…Thats crazy…it didn’t change mine…
not changıng yours doesnt mean to not change all of us too. ım lookıng 35 years old rıght now. And my frıends realıse thıs.
Damn that sucks man… Do u get plenty of rest??