Finasteride results, month by month: what 4,316 people reported

Finasteride before-and-after photos are easy to find, but one photo says little about what to expect. This page collects 5,913 progress reports by 4,316 people on r/tressless (2013–2026) who posted their own results after a stated time on finasteride, 2,018 of them with photos, and counts what they said about it.

What the label says

The US label of Propecia (finasteride 1 mg) says: “In general, daily use for three months or more is necessary before benefit is observed”, and “Withdrawal of treatment leads to reversal of effect within 12 months.” In the 12-month trials, decreased libido was reported by 1.8% of men on Propecia (1.3% on placebo), erectile dysfunction by 1.3% (0.7%) and ejaculation disorder by 1.2% (0.7%). Since approval, reports have also included “sexual dysfunction that continued after discontinuation of treatment” and “depression, suicidal ideation and behavior”; the label notes such voluntary reports can't reliably give a frequency or establish that the drug caused them (DailyMed label, checked 16 Oct 2026). If your mood changes on any medication, talk to a doctor.

How people described their results, by time on finasteride

Each person counts once per time bracket (their latest report in it). 2,427 of the 4,316 people also used minoxidil, so many of these are not finasteride-only results; the next section splits them.

under 2 months (461) 26% regrowth · 1% holding · 14% worse · 59% unclear (of those who gave a view: 64% regrowth) · 23% mention shedding
2–3 months (1,174) 37% regrowth · 2% holding · 14% worse · 46% unclear (of those who gave a view: 69% regrowth) · 17% mention shedding
4–5 months (854) 35% regrowth · 3% holding · 20% worse · 41% unclear (of those who gave a view: 60% regrowth) · 18% mention shedding
6–8 months (1,053) 30% regrowth · 5% holding · 25% worse · 39% unclear (of those who gave a view: 50% regrowth) · 19% mention shedding
9–11 months (468) 32% regrowth · 6% holding · 27% worse · 34% unclear (of those who gave a view: 49% regrowth) · 21% mention shedding
1–2 years (777) 32% regrowth · 9% holding · 24% worse · 34% unclear (of those who gave a view: 49% regrowth) · 13% mention shedding
2 years or more (470) 24% regrowth · 21% holding · 26% worse · 29% unclear (of those who gave a view: 34% regrowth) · 11% mention shedding
  • saw regrowth or thicker hair
  • said their hair was holding (no further loss)
  • said it was still getting worse
  • didn’t say, or asked others to judge

Read with care: these are people who chose to post, in a hair-loss community. People who see regrowth like to show it, and people who gave up often stop posting, so the shares are not success rates.

With or without minoxidil (6 months or more)

One report per person, their latest at 6 months or more on finasteride.

What they usedPeopleregrowthholdingworseunclear
Finasteride tablets (or form not stated), no minoxidil1,09125%12%31%33%
Finasteride tablets (or form not stated) + minoxidil1,18735%8%21%36%
Topical finasteride (with or without minoxidil)17732%6%23%39%

This compares groups of people who posted, not treatments in a trial: who adds minoxidil, or chooses topical finasteride, differs in age, hair loss and how long they had been losing hair.

Side effects people mentioned

Share of people whose progress report mentions having it (latest report each). People mention side effects when they matter to them, and people who stopped early because of side effects rarely post a progress report, so these are not frequencies from a study.

MentionedEveryone (4,316)Tablets or not stated (3,887) Topical (429)
shedding (the “dread shed”)17%17% 17%
sexual (libido, erections, ejaculation)7%7% 4%
other (tiredness, skin, testicular ache, etc.)5%5% 5%
breast tenderness or swelling1%1% 0%
mood (low mood, anxiety, brain fog)1%1% 1%

The same people, later

218 people posted an early report (under 6 months) and a later one (9 months or more, at least 3 months after). Early on, 37% described regrowth; in their later report 39% did, 9% said it was holding and 19% said it was getting worse.

People happy with their progress are more likely to post an update, so this group leans positive.

  • “overall I do feel like my hair has gotten better”
    4 months in (reddit, Jan 2023)
    “in general my hair got thicker to a point where people complement me for not balding”
    Same person, 3.5 years in (reddit, Apr 2026)
  • “Now i lose about 5-10 hairs per day after the shed phase but no regrowth except little hairs on my hairline where i put minoxidil.”
    6 months in (reddit, Jan 2024)
    “My hairline has gotten slightly worse nothing crazy though.”
    Same person, 2.5 years in (reddit, Jan 2026)
  • “been on fin for 3 months no change really”
    3 months in (reddit, Feb 2023)
    “held ground for 2.5 years now receeding more and crown thinning”
    Same person, 3 years in (reddit, Dec 2025)
  • “My shedding also stopped at first, it started again”
    3 months in (reddit, Aug 2023)
    “the density gains have been insane”
    Same person, 2.5 years in (reddit, Dec 2025)
  • “Only noticed results like a week ago when my mum pointed it out tbh.”
    2 months in (reddit, Nov 2021)
    “Things had been stable before very recently.”
    Same person, 3 years in (reddit, Feb 2025)
  • “shed finally started after almost 6 months on fin”
    6 months in (reddit, Sept 2024)
    “it’s been 10 months now still no difference”
    Same person, 10 months in (reddit, Feb 2025)
  • “Last month been shedding lost progress hair & hairline is thinner”
    5 months in (reddit, Jul 2023)
    “Hair stayed the same after first year of treatment”
    Same person, 2 years in (reddit, Jan 2025)
  • “4 months on fin and my hair is now the worst it's ever been”
    4 months in (reddit, Jun 2024)
    “I thought at month 10 I was already seeing improvements, but I'm way below baseline.”
    Same person, 10 months in (reddit, Dec 2024)

When people stopped

68 people posted about their hair after they stopped finasteride: 24 said they lost hair or their gains, 7 that it held, 6 that it was still fine or better, and 31 didn't say. 30 of them mention sexual side effects and 14 mood side effects they had had.

In their own words, by time on finasteride

under 2 months

2–3 months

4–5 months

6–8 months

9–11 months

1–2 years

2 years or more

Recent progress posts with photos

How this page was made

We took r/tressless posts whose title reads like a progress report with a stated time (“6 months on fin”, “1 year results”), that mention finasteride in the post or the poster's own comments, and left out transplant posts. Each post was read to note whether it is the poster's own result, how long they had taken finasteride, tablets or topical, what else they used, how they described the result and any side effects they said they had. Posts that mention suicide or self-harm are counted but never quoted or linked. Photos were not judged: the verdict is the poster's own words. Each quote is copied word for word from the post or the poster's comment it links to. Removed posts are left out and usernames are not shown. Data as of Oct 2026.

Next: the finasteride guide (how it works, the trials, side effects), dutasteride results, minoxidil results, minoxidil vs finasteride, the receding-hairline self-check, mature hairline vs receding, the Norwood stages, or, if a transplant is ever the question, the independent doctor directory.

SaveMyHairline is an independent hair transplant doctor directory: published prices, checked credentials and real patient reports, with sources — and no clinic can pay to appear.