When Propecia stops working

[kb1979]

I've heard that propecia eventually loses its effectiveness for some people over time. Has there been any research done to identify when/how this usually happens for most people?

There are a few things I would be interested to find out:

- Is this more likely to happen in people with a more aggressive predisposition to MPB?

- When this does happen, does it result in rapid shedding like what would be expected if one stopped using propecia entirely or does it occur more gradually?

Any insight would be appreciated...

[Mark]

There's a blog post here about it. (http://www.baldingblog.com/2008/08/20/will-propecia-retain-my-hair-for-years-and-years/)

And Here's a search that might help you out too. (http://www.baldingblog.com/index.php?PHPSESSID=5a740a7660d1bd49211798a92055d0 45&s=propecia+stops+working&x=0&y=0)

-Mark

[kb1979]

Thanks Mark. As usual, you've been very helpful.

As a propecia user for the past 3+ years (started when I was 26), my hope has always been that taking it would simply slow down the progression of my MPB, even if genetics eventually caught up to me later in life. By allowing me to buy some time, I could keep my hair until something better potentially comes along.

Now that propecia has been working for me for a few years, my concern lately has been has been that I will eventually be due for a massive shedding if propecia stops working for me one day (similar to what would happen if I just stopped taking it). It sounds like the doc is saying that sticking with propecia even after its impact is reduced will likely keep my hair loss gradual and therefore buy me the time to decide if I want to pursue something else.

Is that your understanding?