I remember hitting the 90-day mark with a pit in my stomach.
Three months on finasteride.
Three months of showing up.
Three months of hoping.
And still—my hair looked exactly the same. If anything, maybe even thinner.
No regrowth.
No comments from friends.
No "wow, it’s working."
I thought this was supposed to be the miracle drug.
I’d done everything right. Took the pill every day at the same time. Drank more water. Cleaned up my diet. Quit heat styling. Even took those terrible mirror selfies once a week.
And yet, there I was—staring at a crown that still shined under every fluorescent light like a warning flare.
“Maybe you’re just one of the non-responders.”
“Maybe the damage is too far gone.”
“Maybe it’s time to just buzz it.”
I almost gave up. But what happened next taught me more about trust, biology, and patience than I expected.
⏳ Month 3 Is the Most Dangerous Point
Here’s what no one tells you when you start finasteride:
Month 3 is when most people quit.
Not because the drug doesn’t work. But because you can’t see what’s happening inside your scalp.
Hair doesn’t work like fitness. You don’t get visible “gains” week after week.
The hair growth cycle (anagen, catagen, telogen) takes months to complete.
Even if your follicles are waking back up, you won’t see it with the naked eye—yet.
It’s like planting seeds in the ground and digging them up every week wondering why nothing’s growing.
🧬 What Was Actually Happening in My Scalp (But I Didn’t Know Yet)
At the 3-month mark, here’s what was likely going on inside my follicles:
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DHT suppression had begun
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Shedding phase was still clearing weak miniaturized hairs
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New anagen hairs were beginning to form—but were still beneath the surface
Translation?
Progress was happening—but silently. Invisibly. Frustratingly slowly.
🔄 What I Did Instead of Quitting
Instead of throwing the bottle away in frustration, I changed one thing:
I committed to 3 more months, no matter what.
No tweaking. No stacking. No obsessing.
Just give it a fair shot—6 full months before judging.
And here’s what happened next…
🗓️ Month 4: The “Something Feels Different” Moment
I didn’t see a change yet, but my scalp felt less oily.
It didn’t itch as much. I wasn’t brushing off shirt fuzz every two hours.
Something was shifting. Still subtle. Still internal.
But I took that as a quiet win.
🗓️ Month 5: Baby Hairs Appear
I leaned in close to my temples one day and noticed tiny translucent hairs—like peach fuzz.
Was I imagining it? Maybe. But two weeks later, they were still there. Thicker now.
My crown still looked thin—but less patchy. Less shiny.
My barber even asked, “You using something? It’s holding better.”
🗓️ Month 6: “Holy Sh*t, It’s Working”
At month six, I took a side-by-side selfie:
Month 0 vs Month 6, under the same light.
The difference was undeniable.
Not dramatic, not Hollywood-level, but real.
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My crown had filled in noticeably
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My temples looked denser
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My overall hair texture was fuller
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Shedding had slowed dramatically
The quiet investment had finally paid off.
👇 Why Most Guys Never Get Here
Because we expect speed.
We expect clear signs.
We expect the same body that took years to thin to fix itself in 10 weeks.
But finasteride isn’t a steroid. It’s a biological clock-resetter.
And you have to give it 6 to 12 months—minimum.
If I’d quit at month 3? I would’ve missed everything.
💡 3 Lessons I Wish I Knew Before Starting
1. Month 0–3 is just the warm-up
It’s all internal. Don’t expect growth—expect shedding and recalibration.
2. Photos > Mirrors
Progress is too gradual to see daily. Monthly photos saved my sanity.
3. Hair growth is lagging feedback
The progress you see at month 6 started in month 3. Trust the lag.
🧠 Bonus: What Helped Me Stay the Course
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Microneedling (1x/week): To stimulate blood flow and support regrowth
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Topical minoxidil: Didn’t add until Month 4, but helped a lot
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Community: r/tressless and HairLossTalk forums kept me grounded
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Shampoo with ketoconazole: Helped reduce inflammation and scalp oil
I didn’t go overboard. I just stacked smart—and stayed consistent.
🎯 Final Thought: Don’t Quit on the Quiet Phase
If you’re at Month 3 and nothing’s changed, I feel you.
I was you.
But don’t confuse silence with failure.
Your scalp isn’t ignoring you—it’s working underground. Quietly. Patiently.
And if you keep showing up?
Month 6 might just surprise you.
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