Here are the steps I'm taking in my hair regrowth journey!
I wanted to take some time to share what I hope will be a helpful post to anyone who is considering taking the jump onto Fin/Min. I am 32M, and am still very early in terms of the medication (3 weeks). But I feel like I have taken a lot of steps that have really helped me to feel very confident in the medication regimen. I wasn't always this way, and I definitely wasted valuable years being apprehensive to the medication because of the 'possible' side effects. Unfortunately, a lot of that apprehension came from over-reading posts here on Reddit. So before taking the jump officially, I decided to map out things that I felt like would help me reduce anxiety as much as possible, while also maximizing the possible results.
If these steps help a single person to achieve their hair regrowth goals with the help of the medications, then this post was worth it. So here are the things that I have found valuable so far.
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Pre-Medication Blood Work - On Day 0 (after I had received my pills, but before taking them), I went to the doctor and got a pretty solid blood panel done. I wasn't able to completely optimize it for these specific medications, but I was able to get a number of valuable health metrics checked. This gave me a reference point for these metrics before taking the meds, and also gave me a foundational confidence to get started.
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AI Blood Work Analysis/Logging - A nurse called me and basically said, all is good except your LDL cholesterol is a little high. Keep working out and eat a little healthier and you'll be good. This was great, but not super insightful. So, I went to one of the online AI softwares, and provided my health metrics as reference/context documents. I asked it to analyze all of the information and give me a full assessment of my general health. While I understand it's not a doctor's opinion, it gave me peace of mind knowing what each of the metrics meant, how they worked together, and what my general health picture was before starting.
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Determine key daily metrics to monitor - I have been using my Garmin watch for working out/running/walking for the last couple years, so it has my data dialed in. Once again, I used the AI software to determine what are the most important daily metrics that I should monitor while taking Finasteride and Minoxidil. It recommended me to take a daily data points for RHR (Resting Heart Rate), Sleep Score, HRV (Heart Rate Variability), Overnight Respiratory Rate, and Weight. These are not often impacted by Fin, but Minoxidil can easily drive significant changes in these (and would show 'side effects' in actual data, versus an eye test/anxiety induced feeling). Min is a vasodilator so it lowers blood pressure. This shows up in changes in heart rate, sleep, and breathing rate. Weight gain can also occur from fluid retention. By building a 4 week baseline before starting, I am able to actively monitor while taking the medications.
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Diet and Supplements - If you are willing to f*ck with your hormones (DHT) for the benefit of your head hair growth, you better be willing to make the necessary positive changes in what else you put in your body (in my opinion). I have always been in 'decent' shape. Never super fit, never super out of shape. But it has been mostly due to a semi-poor diet, because I've always been active. I love barbecue and fried food and the sh*t that made America obese. I have made a concerted effort over the last 3 weeks to reduce calories slightly, increase protein, increase fiber, and reduce "unhealthy food" in moderation. Small changes that have helped with this: Adding unflavored protein to my electrolytes/creatine before the gym. Switching to 96/4 Ground beef instead of 85/15. Switching to chicken breast instead of chicken thighs. Reducing the fat on dairy (cottage cheese, shredded cheese). Increasing fiber consumption, in the form of some more veggies and fruits. But also adding in dates and whole psyllium husk. This has helped my stomach feel better throughout the day, which has really helped with my general well being. Finally, drink a lot of water. It's really good for you and honestly, it helps more than I think I will ever be able to comprehend. There is a reason all life as we know it requires water. Drink it with the proper electrolytes and hydrate your body from the beginning. Finally, remove alcohol as much as possible and stop smoking. If you're taking these meds, you are prioritizing your hair. If you are drinking regularly and smoking, you are prioritizing those over your hair. Which is more important? If your hair isn't as important as drinking and smoking, why are you taking Fin/Min?
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Exercise - Depression hates a moving target. I heard this at some point in my life and am a firm believer in the core principle. If you are active (lifting weights, walking, running, biking, swimming, etc... moving your body daily), you are going to have a better all around mindset about yourself and life in general. If Finasteride can impact the mental in any negative way, why not actively ensure that I am taking all necessary steps (no pun intended) to combat that from Day 1? I have been timing my split dosing to coincide with my workouts. I'm taking 1/4 pill (.275mg Fin, 1.25mg Min) when I first wake up. I usually get to the gym about an hour or 2 later. I take 1/2 pill (.55mg Fin, 2.5mg Min) after lunch, before I go on my daily walk. I have found that exercise after taking the pill, has completely removed any post-pill-consumption anxiety. I am moving my body and my brain doesn't take time to think about "what is that feeling?". Movement is medicine for both the body and mind and matching the minoxidil peaks with exercise has been very helpful to me.
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Stress - Stress is a major factor in hair loss. The onset of my hairloss coincided with one of my closest friends passing away and also I got very sick with the first variant of COVID. The level of stress/anxiety I felt during about a 3 week period was severe and something I had never experienced before. I'm not a doctor, so I can't be certain, but my hair loss felt tied to that time period. I am actively doing as many things as I can to reduce stress now. The following things have helped me a ton. I've started to Sauna 4-5 times per week (only 10 mins at 175 F degrees per session). I've switched out watching TV in my downtime to reading. I've already read 5 books in 2026 and I don't think I had read 5 total books in the 5 years previous. Get lost in a book for a week and watch your hair regrowth months fly by. Finally, get some sun. The sun is the other key factor for life. Enjoy it. Don't over expose but get some rays on your skin every day and watch your mood and mindset improve.
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Shave your noggin on Day 0- My hair wasn't terrible by any means when I started, but this has been one of the biggest factors for me. With a shaved head, guess how much worry I have about looking like I have thin hair/receding hairline? Zero. Because there is no hiding it with a shaved head. You can wake up every damn morning with no stress about your hair, and can simply look forward to the growth that is coming down the pipeline over the next year. This has also made it much easier to revitalize my scalp biome and renew the health of my noggin.
Before any of you come for me for giving advice being only 3 weeks in, this is meant to be a productive post for those who are hesitant to get started on their hair regrowth/saving journey. I lost some valuable years because I spent time in this specific thread, and I read the wrong posts and allowed the wrong things to stick with me. I moved forward with fear instead of knowledge/understanding. I think a post like this might have helped me, and so my only hope is that it helps someone else. Many of you may not have the ability to address all of these things. But I'd be willing to bet everyone of you has the ability to address at LEAST 2-3 of them.
Here is a picture of my head on Day 1 for your reference (and mine). I haven't experienced and side effects. My sleep score, Resting Heart Rate, Heart Rate Variability, Respiratory Rate and Weight have all improved in the last 3 weeks on the medication (versus the 3 weeks before starting the medication + the new lifestyle changes). In the last few days, I'm starting to see lots of (new I think) small, small blonde hairs around the hairline that I did not see when inspecting last time I had buzzed my head (last summer). I'm planning to post a 3-month follow up in May and will hopefully have some great progress to back up this post!
Best of luck lads. If you're taking the time to try and save your hair, why not take the time to really improve as many other (related) facets of life as well!
Cheers and stay positive!
Posted Mar 6, 2026, 3:41 PM UTC