6 MONTHS ON FINASTERIDE - MY EXPERIENCE

Key takeaways (6 months on finasteride)

• Continued use: The presenter says they’re still taking finasteride 1 mg daily and have been on it for 6 months.
• Timeline expectations: They note that “full results” on finasteride typically take ~1 to 2 years.

Wellness / self-care strategies mentioned for hair retention + growth

Medication regimen

• Finasteride: 1 tablet (1 mg) daily
  • They report an initial adjustment period with multiple shedding phases, followed by later improvement.
• Minoxidil: Continued use (referred to as “Minoxidil by Intelligent”)
  • They switched from twice daily to once daily because of minoxidil’s long half-life (~23 hours).

Scalp care & anti-DHT support

• Ketoconazole shampoo/conditioner (by Intelligent):
  • Used ~4 times per week
  • Presented as an anti-androgen strategy to help block DHT locally and support “thick/volumized” hair.
• Micro-needling:
  • Reduced frequency from weekly to every month / every other month (or less consistent since March).
  • Reason: avoiding frequent scalp injury (“jabbing needles in your head”) and the belief that long-term weekly irritation may not be healthy.
  • Claimed benefits:
    • Promotes growth factors
    • May improve absorption of topical products like minoxidil

Nutrition / supplements

• Collagen gummies
• Biotin
• Also mentions general health habits (see below).

General health habits (supportive wellness)

• Exercise / fitness
• Eating well
• Good sleep
• Getting sun/tanning multiple times per week

Side effects & personal experience (as described)

Reported physical effects

• Early change (first dose to ~5–6 weeks):
  • Felt “different,” with ball pain reported as an early side effect.
  • They say it resolved by ~5–6 weeks.
• Heavy shedding phases:
  • Early shedding (2–3 weeks): described as extreme with significant scalp itching.
  • Major improvement around ~3 months: after shaving the head, hair reportedly regrew to full density.
  • Another shedding around ~5 months: thinning at the temples/hairline, though coverage improved compared to before.

Sexual function changes

• Morning wood changes:
  • Stopped getting morning erections around ~1 month after starting finasteride.
  • Returned around ~5 months.
  • They speculate their body adapted/leveled out.
• Libido:
  • While many report reduced libido, they say their libido felt higher—especially early on—and they couldn’t clearly explain why.

Productivity / behavioral tips (less central, but implied)

• Don’t ignore early hair changes: They emphasize not waiting until it’s “so bad you finally need to act.”
• Stick with the routine through shedding: They describe shedding as part of the process and suggest riding it out until homeostasis.

Presenters / sources

• Presenter / speaker: Kevin DS (Crosthetics)
• Product/source mentioned: Intelligent (ketoconazole shampoo/conditioner, minoxidil, and the minoxidil dispenser)