Finasteride for hair loss and prostate? Looking for real-world insight.

Hello everyone.
I’m 30, Asian, endomorphic, and recently started taking the gym more seriously as part of improving myself. That made me think about my confidence too, especially my hair.

My balding started at 27 and it felt like it happened fast. I still have hair, but the growth on top is slow compared to the sides. Baldness runs in my family. My younger brother started thinning in high school, so I guess I was “late” compared to them.

I work in a hospital and asked my doctor friends about finasteride. Most of them are in Family Medicine or Women’s Health, and they explained that finasteride is mainly for prostate issues and the hair growth effect is more of a secondary benefit, similar to how glutathione whitens as a side effect. That made me curious to hear from people who use it specifically for hair loss.

My grandfather has an enlarged prostate, so I’m also wondering if finasteride actually helps with that or if it only treats certain prostate concerns. I’m not sure if that matters for me but I’d love to understand it better.

I used minoxidil for about two years, but it mostly grew my beard. I’ve been researching finasteride and it seems promising. I know there can be side effects, especially with libido, but I’m not in a relationship and I’m not sexually active, so right now I want to focus on what I want, which is to try giving my hair a chance again.

I’ve accepted that I might be bald, and people say I look fine, but since I’m improving myself in the gym, I also want to work on my hair. Even a little improvement would boost my confidence.

I’d really appreciate your honest experiences with finasteride. What should I expect, how did your body react, and how did you manage it? I know every person responds differently. Also, if anyone wants to be an accountability buddy, I’m open to it.

Thank you for reading and for any insight you can share.