Last Updated on May 10, 2020 by Robert Price
Congratulations are in order!
Or, maybe not.
You quit — not cigarettes or booze or meth or hookers or margarine. You quit Propecia/finasteride, and I’m sure you have your reasons. Maybe you had sexual side effects, or you were scared you would develop the dreaded side effects, or worse. Maybe your years of Propecia usage left you with bitch tits, a shrunken member, and post-finasteride syndrome.
Okay, I’m being a little facetious here, and I probably shouldn’t be.
My point is this: Propecia has many drawbacks, even though most users take the drug without developing any disastrous or life-changing side effects.
You quit Propecia, for whatever reason. Now you want to know if it’s possible for you to maintain your gains — your lush, glorious gains! — through alternative means. And the answer is this: Definitely, maybe!
In this post, I’ll review the top six ways to hang onto your hair, once you’ve kicked the finasteride for good. I’m not a doctor, and as always, you should talk to a doctor before starting a new medication, supplement, or hair loss treatment of any kind! Let’s get going…
The Six Steps to Preventing Catch-Up Hair Loss (After Stopping Propecia)
Use a Topical DHT “Blocker”
Presumably, the main mechanism that’s been helping you maintain your hair has been finasteride, which works by reducing DHT levels. So, ideally, you’ll want to replace finasteride with another DHT-lowering product.
Topical treatments aren’t absorbed to the degree that oral medications are, so there’s a lower chance you’ll experience side effects if you make the switch from finasteride to a topical, DHT-reducing product.
RU5881 is a popular albeit potentially risky option, given that it hasn’t been thoroughly tested for safety. Users on various hair loss forums have reported good to excellent results using Ru58831, and you may have similar luck.
Topical finasteride is another one to consider. Natural remedies such as rosemary oil also may have some DHT-lowering effects.
2. Minoxidil, My Man!
Minoxidil is generally regarded as the second-most potent treatment for hair loss, right behind Propecia/Finasteride. It’s FDA approved, and men have literally been using it for generations to help them retain their hair.
With a little luck, Minoxidil may help extend the life cycle of the hairs you were hanging onto as a result of using Propecia.
As I state in my article comparing the effectiveness of minoxidil vs. Propecia, Propecia is generally regarded as a far superior option in terms of combating hair loss. But minoxidil has less side effects, and it’s a proven hair loss treatment that may help extend your hair’s lifespan.
3. Buy a Laser Helmet (Even Though They Look Ridiculous)
I’ve previously dubbed laser therapy as the “why not” hair loss treatment. It definitely can help slow the progression of hair loss, and it won’t hurt your follicular cause!
Laser therapy rarely leads to miraculous, life-changing regrowth, but it can be beneficial for hair-maintenance purposes. Yes, laser helmets look stupid, but they do work. And that’s the important thing, right?!
4. Try a DHT Lowering Supplement
In my research, the two most promising hair loss supplements I’ve come across are pumpkin seed oil and saw palmetto. There’s decent chance either of these supplements will lower your DHT levels to a degree and potentially slow down your hair loss a bit.
If you think you can switch from Propecia to pumpkin seed oil and not lose any hair, sorry! You’re probably mistaken and a bit naive. But adding a DHT-lowering supplement to the mix may help mitigate a disastrous shed, at the very least — so it could certainly be worth a try!
5. Try Not to Freak Out
This step is just for your own well-being, and because stress one of the top 7 things that experts believe can accelerate the balding process. If you become overly paranoid or stressed out at the possibility of “catch-up” hair loss, as many men do, then your baldness concerns could turn into a self-fulfilling prophesy
6. Eliminate Your Other Bad Habits
Smoking and heavy drinking are also known to expedite balding in both men and women. It’s 2017 and smoking isn’t cool anymore, so for god sake, quit if you haven’t already — if not for your lungs’ sake, then for your hair’s sake!
Are you a steroid user? Knock that off, too! Steroids, along with a number of supplements, popular among body builders such as creatine, can expedite male pattern baldness.
Eating a balanced diet will also improve your hair prospects slightly, as any vitamin deficiency can potentially lead to hair loss. On a related note, you may be interested in my article that lists the top 10 super foods can slow or stop hair loss.
Closing Thoughts – Six Ways to Keep Your Hair After Quitting Propecia
Even if you follow all the steps and use all the treatments I list in this article, there’s still no guarantee you won’t experience a shed or recede further after you stop taking Propecia. Hell, you could go completely and rapidly bald, too! That’s a possibility, especially if you were a good responder to the medication and you’re genetically destined to be a Norwood 6 or 7.
But, by following all, or at least a few of these steps, you’ll dramatically reduce your risk of having a major MPB “episode,” so to speak. That’s the good news. Low-dose Propecia is also an option you could consider, if you’re willing to stay on the fin bandwagon — but again, talk to your doctor first!
I wish you luck, health, happiness, and thick, beautiful hair as you begin your finasteride-free journey!
Robert Price is a writer, consumer advocate, and hair loss researcher with thousands of hours of experience in the field. His goal is to keep you out of the hair loss rabbit hole, underworld, or whatever you want to call it. He founded Hair Loss Daily, the unbiased hair loss blog, in 2016. You can learn more about Robert in the my story section of this website.
Are there supplements that actually promote and accelerate male pattern baldness? I would have used them in a heartbeat immediately after getting married 45 years ago. Since I was 5 or 6 years old I have wanted to someday go bald. I don’t need a balding supplement now, as I have been Norwood 6 bald for the last 20 years, but I sure could have used one years ago. As it turns out, my wife loves male pattern baldness and she would have been thrilled had I gone bald right after our honeymoon. I absolutely LOVE being bald. Not just shaved bald, male pattern bald: smooth shiny bald across the top of my head with just a fringe of hair on the sides and back. I tried shaving all my hair off, but it was not good enough. I hated the ‘hair shadow’ effect and I hated the stubble that grew back just hours after shaving. No, I wanted male pattern baldness. Thankfully, by my mid 50s, I was finally bald. I love it!