What to do if fin is still not working after 2.5 years Finasteride/Dutasteride 6/13/2025
The user is experiencing increased hair loss despite using finasteride and oral minoxidil and is hesitant to switch to dutasteride due to side effects and family planning concerns. Alternatives suggested include dutasteride, microneedling, and addressing stress or nutrient deficiencies.
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5 / 5 resultscommunity Been on min+fin for 2 years, only gotten worse. B/A pics included
The user experienced worsening hair loss despite using finasteride and topical minoxidil for two years and is considering oral minoxidil and dutasteride. Suggestions include microneedling, stress management, and alternative treatments like topical finasteride or ketoconazole shampoo.
community Hair finally restored after 9 months of taking DUT, Oral Minox, Foam Minox, Zinc, Vitamin D,2% Nizoral, micro needling and much less stress.
After 9 months of using Dutasteride, oral and foam Minoxidil, Zinc, Vitamin D, Nizoral shampoo, and microneedling, combined with reduced stress, an individual restored their hair. They saw significant improvement despite initial worsening, and had low Vitamin D levels which they corrected with supplements.
community I don’t think my hair loss is caused by DHT – quitting finasteride after 3 months (1 mg). Need opinions
The user plans to stop finasteride after three months, believing hair loss isn't due to DHT, and will continue with oral minoxidil, microneedling, and ketoconazole shampoo. They suspect stress and poor nutrition are the main causes and seek opinions on DHT blockers' effectiveness.
community 2.5 years oral fin 1mg ED 2 years oral min 2.5mg ED, day one topical dut
The user has been using oral finasteride and minoxidil but is experiencing hair loss again, so they are adding micro-needling and topical dutasteride. They are seeking advice on balancing oral finasteride with topical dutasteride.
community 6 months, no progress on fin and min oral. Male 25
A 25-year-old male has been using oral finasteride and minoxidil for six months without noticeable progress in hair regrowth and is considering switching to dutasteride or a hair transplant. Users suggest giving the treatment more time, adding microneedling, and possibly using topical minoxidil.
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6 / 6 resultsfaqs Is Finasteride unbeatable or are there equally powerful alternatives?
Trials report finasteride as the single medication with the strongest measured effect in male androgenetic alopecia, while dutasteride, minoxidil, topical finasteride, PRP, LLLT and microneedling all have supporting studies and are often reported to work better in combination. Finasteride, dutasteride and oral minoxidil are prescription-only, and several of these uses are off-label.
faqs Castor oil: Can I mix it with minoxidil or finasteride, or will they fight each other?
No study has tested castor oil together with minoxidil or finasteride. Oral finasteride works systemically and is not expected to be affected, but a thick oil left on the scalp could change how much minoxidil is absorbed, so the common advice is to keep the two applications hours apart and to ask a doctor or pharmacist first.
faqs Is pyrilutamide a safer alternative to oral antiandrogens like finasteride?
Pyrilutamide may be a safer topical alternative to oral antiandrogens like finasteride.
faqs Topical or oral? Choosing between pills and lotions according to your case.
Topical finasteride offers localized treatment with fewer systemic side effects than oral finasteride.
faqs Are there really risks with topical finasteride?
Reports on topical finasteride describe scalp irritation and dermatitis as the effects specific to it, and blood levels lower than the oral drug; whether systemic side effects are genuinely rarer has not been measured in a trial powered to answer it. Both forms are prescription-only and contraindicated around pregnancy.
faqs Is topical bicalutamide a safer alternative to finasteride?
There is no published human trial of topical bicalutamide for hair loss, and no licensed topical product exists, so it cannot be called safer than finasteride — or shown to work at all. Oral finasteride has decades of trial data with a documented side-effect profile, and topical finasteride has a phase III trial behind it.
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