M20 5+ months on Finasteride + Minoxidil and my crown looks worse. Is this still normal or should I consider Dutasteride?
Hi everyone,
I'm 19M with androgenetic alopecia. My hairline is still intact, but I have diffuse thinning mainly on the crown and mid-scalp.
My current treatment:
Finasteride 1 mg daily (5+ months)
Topical Minoxidil 5% – 1 ml every night
No missed doses, very consistent.
The problem is that my crown looks worse than when I started treatment. Every time I apply minoxidil, I notice many very thin, miniaturized hairs on my hands. Some are so fine that they're only visible under flash/light.
I'm really worried because after 5+ months I expected at least stabilization, but visually my crown seems thinner.
My questions are:
Has anyone experienced worsening around the 5–6 month mark and still recovered later?
Could these tiny hairs be miniaturized hairs shedding before stronger hairs grow?
Should I continue finasteride until 9–12 months, or is it reasonable to discuss switching to dutasteride with my dermatologist?
If you had a similar case, when did you finally notice improvement?
I've attached my current crown photo. Any honest advice or similar experiences would really help.