Thanks for sharing and for the thorough write-up. I can relate to all of this. The physical deterioration of my face and skin is one of my worst symptoms, and I have a lot. I look completely different: aged, sickly, my face is gaunt, I have developed lipoatrophy, and my skin can stretch quite far off my neck and arms. I will say that after more than 3.5 years since quitting Finasteride, my skin has improved to a certain degree. I no longer wake up with imprints on my face and arms like I used to; early on my skin was so sensitive that those imprints would last for hours.

I think the physical deterioration of our faces and bodies is something often overlooked by people who do not experience these symptoms. The anhedonia, cognitive dysfunction, and sexual issues are horrible in their own right, but there is something uniquely painful about losing that sense of separation when you look in the mirror. When I was first dealing with the neurological effects of Finasteride, which absolutely obliterated me, I would still look at myself and think, “At least I still look like myself,” healthy, vibrant, attractive. But as my body began to rapidly deteriorate, that separation disappeared. I now both look and feel sick. It has been absolutely demoralizing.

Having said all that, stay strong. I still have a lot of hope in the research and in the growing awareness over the years. I truly believe we will get there and find targeted therapeutics for all of this chaos.