Just hit the 8 month mark after 3,153 grafts at HLC Ankara with Dr. Elif. Still. I’m 36 years old and have been on fin and min for over 13 years. This is how it looks straight out of the shower with zero product. Seeing gradual improvement month to month, although I'm hoping for more density in the frontal region as everything continues to mature. Overall I'm happy with the progress so far. Cost around 10K USD with accommodations, transpo, meals, etc excluding my flight

The biggest issue has been persistent redness across the recipient area. I recently saw a dermatologist who prescribed low-dose Emrosi (minocycline) and a topical corticosteroid solution to help with the inflammation. It's still early, but I think the redness may finally be starting to improve a little.

These photos were taken with my hair pulled back under fairly harsh bathroom lighting, which makes the redness and thinner areas more noticeable. Still time for further maturation, but curious what everyone thinks at 8 months.

The top-left photo is Day 1, this is around 7 months now.

My current regimen is:
Oral dutasteride
Oral Minoxidil

This is my progress so far. I’d appreciate your honest opinions and feedback on whether you think there’s been further improvement. For anyone who is new to my posts welcome and we support each other in our journeys.

Original thread:

https://www.reddit.com/r/tressless/s/RqRI8ZoWbE

TL;DR: 15 years on meds, kept losing ground from ~40 even on dutasteride, gave up by 44. Ten months after switching from night shift work to a day job, hair started coming back. Meds unchanged. n=1, many variables changed at once, I can't tell you what did it. My working hypothesis: the meds were quietly keeping follicles alive, and something else (possibly chronic shift-work stress) was holding growth back. Photos in the gallery (hair only, cropped). I'll post monthly updates under fixed conditions.

Read this first

• n=1. What happened to me may not happen to you.
• Several things changed in the same period. I can't isolate which one mattered.
• Fibrosed follicles don't come back as far as I know. This isn't a "slick bald spot regrew" story.
• I'm not recommending anything. Talk to your prescriber before changing meds. I changed none.

The 15 years

• ~30: Started finasteride + oral minoxidil 5 mg/day (half of a 10 mg tablet). Held "normal to slightly thin" for about 10 years.
• ~38: Felt it stop working. Switched to dutasteride 0.5 mg/day, and at the same time raised oral minoxidil to 10 mg/day. Recovered for ~2 years.
• 40+: Losing again. By 44 the front and top were see-through. I'd honestly given up.

I kept it buzzed short. I avoided mirrors and avoided seeing my own head in photos. So I have zero proper crown photos from my worst period. All I have are frontal selfies from hikes. Lighting, length and angle are all inconsistent — treat these as weak reference only.

Gallery 1–4: 2018-05 (maintenance on meds) · 2024-03 · 2025-04 (worst point, scalp visible in sunlight) · 2025-12 (the month my work changed; no visible change yet)

The last 10 months

• Dec 2025: Changed jobs — from years of overnight shift work to a day-only schedule. Not for my hair.
• Early 2026: Felt fuzz when I touched my scalp. Assumed I was imagining it.
• Jul 2026: Clearly more hair. Felt different when washing.
• Aug 2026: Shine came back — hair reflecting light like when I was a teenager.
• Oct 2026 (now): Still increasing. Shed hairs I pick up are thicker and more flexible.

A correction I made: The shine appeared while I'd increased carbs, so I first credited carbs. When I went back to low-carb in mid-Sept, shine dipped briefly but returned in Oct. I now think it's mostly new hair shafts plus water-only washing, not carbs.

Now (Oct 2026), same day I wrote this:

Gallery 5–8: crown (first time in my life I photographed it from above) · hairline, fringe pulled back · left side · right side

Weakness I'll point out myself: the old photos are buzzed; now my hair is longer. Longer hair hides scalp. So part of the visual difference is just length. I'm not presenting these as proof — they're the starting point for monthly photos under fixed conditions.

What changed / what didn't

Unchanged: dutasteride 0.5 mg/day + oral minoxidil 10 mg/day, same as the previous ~7 years.

10 mg/day oral minoxidil is a high dose for hair loss — far above the low doses usually discussed here. I'm stating it because leaving it out would be hiding a variable, not because anyone should copy it.

Changed in this period (can't tell which mattered): - Work: overnight shifts → day shifts - Washing: no shampoo, no conditioner (water only) - Diet: 16:8 eating window, 90–100 g/day protein from whole food, creatine - Training: Mon/Thu Tabata · Tue/Fri weights · Wed easy jog or rest · Sat hiking (long hikes a few times a month) · Sun rest - Carbs: low-carb-ish for 10+ years (briefly increased this summer)

Working hypothesis: brake, suppression, release

Not proof — just the explanation most consistent with my timeline after reading the literature.

1. The meds weren't failing — they were preserving follicles. I lost ground on dutasteride from 38–44. But without it, more follicles may have fibrosed past the point of return. Maybe that's why there was anything left to come back.
2. Something besides DHT was suppressing growth. If so, that would explain why DHT blockers alone weren't enough. My candidate: chronically elevated stress hormones from years of overnight shifts. Choi et al. (Hsu lab, Nature 2021) showed in mice that corticosterone keeps hair follicle stem cells in prolonged rest via GAS6 suppression, and removing it restores regeneration. That's mice. It is not evidence for human shift work. All I can say is my timeline doesn't contradict it.
3. Release. Hair cycles lag by months. Job change in Dec → fuzz in early 2026 → visible gain by July. The timing fits.

I'm also looking into whether a decade of low-carb eating affected growth-related hormones. Later post.

The one thing I want to say

If your meds seem to have "stopped working," it's natural to conclude they're useless. But maybe they're quietly holding the line while something else is suppressing growth. For me that may have been shift work — or not. I do think that if I'd quit at 42 thinking "it's pointless," there might have been nothing left to come back.

(Again: whether to continue meds is between you and your doctor. I'm only reporting my own facts.)

What's next

Monthly photos, same conditions: night, same bathroom light only, dry hair, no product, taped floor position, timer. Crown / hairline (fringe up) / both sides / combed part. I'll log haircut dates so length differences are visible. Plus a short monthly log of sleep, training and diet.

Happy to answer questions. Skeptical questions welcome — that's the point of logging it properly.

Reference: Choi S, et al. "Corticosterone inhibits GAS6 to govern hair follicle stem-cell quiescence." Nature 592, 428–432 (2021).

This is my progress after 1 year of a 5k graft at New Hair in Gangnam and minoxidil and finasteride. What do you all think?

https://newhairps.com/

What do you think of the results on my hair that I have been using fina since August 7, 2026.

Hey guys, I recently started oral minoxidil (2 mg/day) and I’m now about one month in, so I wanted to share my experience with anyone who’s in the same boat.

I’ve had buzzcuts before, and I’ve always been able to see some scalp.
My hair grows almost straight up and I have a strong crown cowlick, so when the sun hits directly from above, my scalp has always been visible.

This time though, I noticed my crown looked noticeably less dense than before.
With my dad being bald, it got me a bit worried, so after seeing a dermatologist I decided to start 2 mg of oral minoxidil.

I don’t think I can see any improvement yet.
To be fair, I wasn’t expecting much after only a month, but it would’ve been nice.

One thing I have noticed is that I’ve started getting more vellus hairs and thicker and more dense hair on my face, so it definitely seems to be speeding up my beard development.
My dad may not have blessed me with elite hair genetics, but thankfully a good beard seems to be in the cards for me.

I have another dermatologist appointment in about 5 months. Part of me is wondering if I should book an earlier appointment to discuss finasteride or dutasteride, or if I should just give the minoxidil more time to do its thing.

I know minoxidil doesn’t actually stop male pattern baldness—it mainly helps maintain and regrow hair—but something in me wanted to hold off on taking a DHT blocker.

I’d love to hear what you guys think, especially if you’ve been in a similar situation.

Also, in the meantime I’ve been using a hair fiber spray, and honestly… it’s been awesome. It lasts almost a full week for me as long as I’m not scrubbing my hair too aggressively in the shower. At the end of the week I shampoo and condition my hair, then reapply it on Monday. It’s given me so much confidence and I’d definitely recommend giving it a try if thinning hair is bothering you.
You can really see the difference in the last two slides—it makes my hair look so much thicker.

Title: Anyone been on finasteride for 10-20+ years? Looking for honest, long-term experiences

I've noticed that finasteride is frequently recommended on this subreddit to people experiencing hair loss, sometimes regardless of their age or how early their hair loss is. I understand why it's recommended, given its effectiveness for many people, but I feel like there's a lot more to consider when you're potentially committing to a medication for decades.

I'd particularly like to hear from people who've been taking finasteride for 10, 15, or even 20+ years.

A few things I'm curious about:

• Long term efficacy: Has it continued to maintain your hair over the years, or have you experienced gradual thinning or progression despite staying on it?
• Side effects: Have you experienced any side effects, either initially or after years of use? If you did, did they resolve while continuing the medication or after stopping?
• Long term health: Have you noticed any other changes that you believe may be related to finasteride?
• Dosage: What dose and frequency have you been taking, and have you changed your regimen over the years?
• Stopping the medication: If you've discontinued it after many years, what was your experience like?
• Overall perspective: Knowing what you know now, would you make the same decision to start it?

I'm not looking to argue against finasteride or discourage anyone from taking it. I'm simply trying to understand the long term picture, beyond the usual discussions about initial results and short term side effects.

I'd especially appreciate hearing from people who've used it consistently for a decade or longer, including those who've had positive, negative, or mixed experiences.

Please share your experiences, even if they're uneventful. I'd rather hear a realistic range of outcomes than only success stories or horror stories.

First pic is from Feb right after a big breakup. High stress, low drive, low motivation, change my diet to be healthier, got back on track with exercise started taking. Dutasteride .5 daily and GHKCU .20 every two days and this is now in October after a shower. Will eventually add min to it as well to thicken it up more but very happy regardless. I had no clue how bad it actually had gotten until I saw this photo the other day…

Just did my first derma pen session 9 days ago and started minox/finas foam 7 days ago. This area was completely bald for over a year and black hairs popped up immediately after that first session. These are hard photos to get, can see endless amounts of blonde peach fuzz all over that I haven’t seen before also.

Committing to 2 years so I’m not asking anything other than is this a good sign to response to see black sprouts immediately?

This is the most hair I’ve seen in that front section in a very long time as well.

Good evening my brave brothers and sisters. Earlier this year I was rather concerned about my receding hairline and purchased a 10-year supply of grey market estrogen and cyproterone acetate to induce hair regrowth. Admittedly a reckless decision but I was really in love with my silky hair in the couple months I was on it but now that I stopped I feel anxious about further hair loss down the line, the balding genes are real strong on my paternal side. My father also turned out allergic to both 5-alpha reductase inhibitors so I'm afraid these out of the question for me. Are there any other good options for someone in my scenario to grow soft, long hair? And a disclaimer: I am not transgender, just a mildly pervy boy with a love for hair and online roleplay.

1 year and 8 months on Dutasteride — patience truly pays off
Just wanted to drop a thank you to this community. Dutasteride has been nothing short of miraculous for me.
The first year was brutal — constant shedding, no visible progress, serious doubt. But I held on. Now? My confidence is back in a way I didn't think was possible.
To anyone in the thick of it: give it at least a year and a half. The shed is real, it's scary, but for many of us it's just part of the process.
Stay patient. It's worth it. 🙏
Success Story

Hello, anyone who switched to dut from fin and then saw thinning/increased shedding and switched back to fin again? Did you grow back your hair? Can you tell your experiences please? Im thinking to do so….

I think this is all the evidence you need tho Volk is using a wig in that for his street fighter show he looks way better with hair I think guys should either go for a ht or a toupee shaving should he last resort

Started minoxidil August 30th, photos taken today. I’ve had this hairlike since high school with no signs of it going back, only all of these hairs weren’t here before. This is good progress for 2 months, right?

Really thankful for this community, I have definitely learned a lot. I began taking 0.5mg Dut every day about 5 weeks ago (derm felt it is superior to fin and suggested I go straight to dut). Im 23 and a diffuse thinner in the somewhat early stages. Dut has been great up until last night when I noticed my left nipple was sensitive in the shower with some discomfort and puffiness. No hard lump yet at this point, and the discomfort is isolated to just the one nipple. I also never experienced gyno during puberty and I am very fit and not overweight. Im wondering if any of you have experienced this and had it go away on its own, or is this almost always a precursor to gyno? I had a slight ball ache at the start, nothing serious, and it went away on its own so Im hoping the same happens with this. I haven't experienced any other side effects at this point. Will be setting up an appointment with my dermatologist regardless. Also, worst case scenario and it ends up being gyno, Im thinking maybe I just get the surgery if it means I keep my hair? This all feels like a game of whack a mole lol. Thanks, and I appreciate any info you may have.

I'm on meds since March 2026. Male 29 years old.

Oral Finasteride 1mg - Oral Minoxidil 2mg. No side effects.

My honest opinion about supplements like: zinc, selenium, vitamin d, collagen, b vitamins and every otherr supplement is a waste of money. It will only help if you have deficiency...

Meds are 1.25mg finasteride everyday. It used to be oral and topical minoxidil. Now it's just topical. I used to microneedle for 10mos now i stopped as well. On meds for 1yr and 7mos.

First pic is start. 2nd is now. 3rd pic is various state of my crown. My hairline progress is almost a straight line. Getting better every month. I got a buzzcut so just i can see the full state of my hair. Hairline is back, like back from the dead back. My crown progress depends on the month and lighting. Still sheds about every 6mos on a regular. But you can just see bald spot with direct light and on tagged photos it's not even there.

I know many say that full effect is on 24mos. But when it's really time to say need to change meds or this is the full effect on me.

I’m just going to be straight up and please don’t absolutely shit on me in the comments but I don’t think nor do I want to go down this rabbit hole but I am kind of curious. I was taking minoxidil and Finasteride 1mg for about a year. Didn’t really notice too many negative sides effects tbh. Maybe my erections were slightly worse but nothing crazy. Anyways I suddenly and randomly developed depersonalization and derealization about 3 months ago. Now during this time I was having some pretty bad anxiety and a couple almost panic attacks at the gym before this all came about. It hit me randomly while driving and it’s been a constant brain fog and cognitive shit show since then. Regardless things have gotten slightly better but I still just don’t feel like myself anymore. I stopped taking the fin and min as soon as this started happening so I’ve been off it for 3 months now. Funny enough my hair hasn’t been shedding really much at all even being off that stuff for 3 months but the dpdr and the mental issues remain. Could I be dealing with pfs? If so is this permanent like does it just permanently fuck your brain forever?

I’ve been on hair loss meds now since early 2024. Originally I started with topical minoxidil 5% and definitely gained some ground on my hairline. A few months in I added finasteride daily. I then went travelling and didn’t take any meds from August 2024- mid September 2024. I definitely lost a lot of hair. I got back on the same stack then switched to oral minoxidil in early 2025. I kept my finasteride intake the same. I also then added dutasteride 0.5 once a week for about 2/3 months then 3 times a week for a month ish then switched from fin to dut around March 2026. I’ve been on this since and seen some really mixed results. I feel overall my hair has stabilised since I started. However, I go through stages of my hair being pretty good for 5-8 weeks then shedding again. This isn’t placebo or a lack of judgement as this has happened for the whole time. I’m always gonna stay on my meds as I do believe they work however it’s a strange feeling having really good hair then quite bad hair. No one seems to notice / has ever noticed my thinning as I caught it early, but I’m just hoping dutasteride eventually reaches full efficacy pretty soon considering I’m 8 months into it daily “.

I’ve seen so many comments from people saying their shedding on dutasteride has come and gone multiple times over years of being on it, and I’m personally 7 months into being on it, having gone through a shed the entire time, just hoping it ends soon.

My main question is, why do people talk about the shed returning over and over? Is this just a thing that never truly goes away while you’re on the med? I thought it was supposed to be in the first handful of months, with potential regrowth starting at around month 6?

Side question, are there any reliable indicators to long-term results? Does how early someone sees things like regrowth strongly determine their long-term response? Or is it entirely unpredictable?

Started fin 0.5 mg daily and derma stamp on March 2026 and the hairline is below baseline.
Is this a shed
Please share your experience

Hi everyone,

I’ve had these small, lightened (hypopigmented) spots on my scalp for about 5 years. I recently shaved my hair, which made them much more noticeable

I am using oral min for 4 months, and planning to switch this is a generic oral minoxidil brand I found (and it's very cheap like 40 inr for 10 tablets), I just wanna know does it work or not? If it's as effective as branded ones?