How long before finasteride starts working?

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How long before finasteride starts working?

Finasteride takes months to show visible results in male pattern hair loss.

Most people experience hair loss. The most important cause is androgenetic alopecia (male pattern baldness). It happens due to a higher sensitivity to the male hormone dihydro-testosterone (DHT).

This hormone attaches to the hair follicles and causes their miniaturisation. It will lead to more thinning and shedding of hairs, particularly at temples and the hairline.

Finasteride, a good treatment option for male pattern baldness

So, what can you do to reverse it? Many hair loss treatments block the DHT (DHT blockers) and reduce the severity of the problem. Finasteride is one of these DHT-blocking medicines. It can help you to reduce hair loss, improve hair health, and in some cases, can also lead to re-growing hair.

How long does the finasteride take to work? To understand it, you should first know how it works.

How does finasteride work?

Buy Finasteride online here.

DHT is produced from testosterone, the famous male hormone. A hormone called 5-alpha reductase (5-AR) converts testosterone into DHT. The finasteride blocks this enzyme and thus lowers the indigenous production of the DHT.

However, it is a prescription medication with potentially dangerous side effects. You are supposed to use it only after consulting the healthcare professionals. At Welzo, we provide health consultancy. Click here to consult our experts and order your finasteride after having an online prescription.

When does finasteride start working?

DHT has many functions in the body. One thing good about the finasteride is that it starts working immediately as soon as you take it. It is available as 1 mg oral pills. As you take a pill, it will be dissolved and absorbed into the blood. Once in the blood, it begins to block the DHT production. So, it will start working immediately.

But, it doesn't mean you will recover your receding hairline and stop further hair loss immediately. Why? It is because hairs also have their life cycle. In a nutshell, the strands need time to shift from the resting phase to the growing phase. So, it would help if you take the pill regularly, which will decrease DHT's production for a long time.

A long-term lower level of DHT will start to show its results. The accurate results will appear after months. If you want to know more about the stages of the hair cycle, click here.

How long do you have to wait?

How long do you have to wait before expecting results from finasteride? If you are using the finasteride according to the recommendation, you are expected to see results within 3-4 months. You will note decreased hair shedding and regrowth in the area of hair thinning. However, this time is overly optimistic.

You may have to take the pill for 6-12 months because it is very difficult to shift the follicles from the resting to the growing phase as the length of the resting stage is around 3 months. A study published in 2019 in the Journal of Dermatology found that maximum benefits were noted after taking finasteride for 1-2 years.

Long-term use will reverse hair loss. However, it will not recover the hairs that have already fallen. It is because the hair follicles have already died long ago. What you can expect is to curtail further hair fall. To recover the hair growth on completely bald areas, you need other options, e.g., hair transplants, etc. However, a 6-month-long use will cause;

• A decreased rate of hair loss.

• Some improvement in hair health in the area ravaged by thin hairs

• The stabilisation of hair loss. It means your hairs are not falling anymore; they are just shed as a part of the normal hair growth cycle.

Will everyone have the same response?

The answer is 'No.' It is nearly impossible to predict the exact outcome of the treatment, no matter what dose you will use. It is because there are many person-to-person variations in scalp condition and the degree of hair loss.

No drug can promise a clean comb or brush while brushing the hair. Why? It is because hair loss is normal, and the body will shed 50-100 hairs daily, no matter how strong your strands are.

To know more about normal daily hair loss, click here.

What will the progress of hair growth be like?

If you have decided to use finasteride for your hair problem, you have to take it for the long term. It is difficult to predict the finasteride results timeline. However, the following chain of events is expected for a long-term use.

1. The DHT returns to normal levels.

During the first few months, the finasteride struggles with the DHT and reduces its level to almost one-third. Your DHT levels return to normal within 2 weeks.

However, your hairline will remain where it was before treatment, and you'll not note any significant improvement in hairs. Why? It is because hairs take time to start growing. It is the most critical stage as most people get frustrated and leave the treatment due to a lack of progress. However, it would help if you continued the hair loss treatment. The results are on the way.

2. Hair thickness begins to improve, and hair line stabilises

After 3-4 months of use, you will start to note initial results. You will note that the hairline has stabilized, and there is no more thinning. The hair thickness also improves at this time.

3. Hair count increases

More significant results appear after a year or more of continuous use. The blessings of such a prolonged use are; improved thickness of hairs, increased hair count, and decreased regular shedding.

The results of finasteride are reversible.

However, keep in mind that the half-life of finasteride is just 5-6 hours. It means half of it is eliminated from the body at this time. Its effects will disappear as soon as you stop using it. You can also develop a post-finasteride syndrome leading to erectile dysfunction, low libido, etc. To learn more, click here.

How you can speed up the working of finasteride?

However, everyone will not be so patient. Your pocket can also leave you in a lurch. So, what can you do to get earlier results? Here are some tips that can give you better results in less time.

• Fortify it with other hair loss drugs, e.g., minoxidil. Minoxidil improves blood circulation in the scalp and also aids in taking hairs back to the growing phase. A recent study published in Aesthetic Plastic Surgery in 2020 found that combination therapy was more effective than monotherapy.

• Don't miss the regular pill.

• Regularly massage the scalp with a good combination of essential and career oils.

• Look for the ingredients in your shampoo. It is also advised to use a DHT-blocking shampoo as soon as you are not allergic to it.

• Make your life stress free. Stress can also cause hair loss. Managing your day-to-day stresses will improve your hair health.

Conclusion

None of the hair fall treatments promises results within days or weeks. It is because hairs grow in a slow and protracted cycle. To get the results, you have to continue the finasteride for years.

It has a short half-life, so its effects will disappear as soon as you stop using the drug. So, keep using it as long as you need hair on your scalp. Being a prescription drug, it should be used after a piece of professional medical advice.

If you want to learn more about hair loss, regrowth, and hair loss treatments, click here to visit our page.

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