NikkiJ

I've known Dr. Bill Reed for many years, and I really can't find enough nice things to say about him. He has integrity and does an excellent job. I believe you will be in great hands.

Hello Georhenr,

It appears that you will need approximately 2500-3000 grafts. I feel that this will provide you with excellent coverage and results that you will be extremely pleased with. I would recommend starting Propecia though, it really will save the hair you have and reverse the miniaturization in the front. I have seen way too many patients choosing not to go on the medication and lose the non-transplanted hair and be upset that they did not take Propecia. In response to some of the quotes I read regarding the ethics behind the medication, the physicians in no way get kickbacks from the drug companies, in fact I have personally talked to doctors that state that they would never recommend that a patient take Propecia because they would rather have them get multiple surgeries. If anything the doctor loses money; it really is in the best interest of the patient. I have grown up in this industry and watched how it has evolved since the introduction of Propecia; it has literally revolutionized the entire field of hair restoration. Before people would run out of donor area and be left with utter disappointment on how they looked, or they would get a surgery every two or three years, personally I would not want to get surgeries throughout my life, but this is a personal choice that the individual must decide, it is our job just to educate, if the doctor does not he or she is not living up to their Hippocratic oath.

I would like to speak with you personally about your case and so you can call me personally at the office or via email.

Recognize the last name? He is Dr. Craig Ziering's cousin.

I know in the clinical studies in Avodart they had to stop them due to the high incidence of side effects. Avodart has a half-life of 30 days, and so any side effect will last that long.

Finasteride has a very low half-life, which is one day.

I would switch back to Finasteride or just stop taking the meds. It seems like this is affecting your life in such a negative way, I just wonder if it is worth it.

I would get off Avodart for at least 30 days, and then if you wish to give Propecia another shot, you could do so. At least the side effects are gone within 24 hours.

I have been to lectures where hair restoration surgeons have given talks on hair loss, and you would be amazed on how much the doctor's DIDN'T know.

The physicians didn't even seem to understand what Rogaine was and why it worked.

I would only advise going to a hair transplant surgeon or a dermatologist for advice on hair loss.

Merck conducted very specific spermatogenesis studies that concluded there are no risks of trying to conceive while taking Propecia. If there were any risks whatsoever Merck would have it in their package insert due to liability reasons.

If the package insert isn't completely clear you can always call Merck directly.

Hello Heyday,

My name is Nicole and I am the patient coordinator for Dr. Scott Alexander. We are located in Phoenix and are a coalition member. I am happy to arrange a time for you to meet with Dr. Alexander for a consultation.

Please feel free to contact me via email @ nicole_Johnson@bshr_az.com or you can also call our office at 602-956-8800.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Propecia is a patented drug, and so you must be ordering it from a different country, since that would be illegal in the United States.

I'm not sure what you have received, and unless you take it to a lab and have it tested there is no way of knowing what you are taking.

I would suggest purchasing Propecia from a hair transplant surgeon or a dermatologist since most offices will sell it at a much lower price than even the Internet sites. Also ask if they include samples with Propaks, most do; just shop around.

I did a bit of research on this product, and this is what it contains, just in case you hadn't already found out for yourself.

Purified Water, Aloe Vera Gel, Extracts of Seaweed, Green Tea and Saw Palmetto, Glycerin, Propylene Glycol, Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein, Arnica Montana, Hyaluronic Acid, L-Arginine, Dl-Panthenol, Alpha Lipoic Acid, KCI, Papain/Bromelain, Vitamin K, Potassium Sorbate, Methylparaben, Annato.

The only thing I can think that would help is the Aloe Vera and possibly the green tea for its supposed healing properties.

You might try just getting some baby oil spray to keep it moist. I don't think it is worth the money they are asking.

I just found it at shopnatural.com for $6.41. I hope this helps!

It also sells at many other places, and you can find them if you type Biotin Hair Spray in to Google.

Good luck.

I would strongly suggest using the Toppik Spray Maximizer as an applicator. This will allow the Toppik to be distributed more evenly and stick to the hair, not the scalp, which will provide you with optimal results.

I would recommend asking your physician for a referral that is a client of his. Most hair restoration surgeons have a large amount of patients that are stylists, and so they will most likely be more careful around the donor area, etc., whereas another stylist that hasn't been exposed to hair restoration might not.

In response to your question about taking ?? tab daily of Propecia, the studies that were done included doses ranging from .2mg, .25mg, 1.0mg and 5.0 mg, and they concluded that the optimal efficacy and safety are with the 1mg tablet taken daily.

Remember that the most expensive drug you will ever take is the drug not taken properly.

The physicians I have worked with have always restricted alcohol 24 hours prior to surgery. Aspirin was always the most important one to remember, as it has always been restricted one-week prior to surgery.

Given your age I would recommend trying Propecia first. It actually gives you a 10-15% increase in your testosterone levels. I have really never had any patients in their 20's complain of any side effects, and even if you happen to experience any negative side effects, the half life of Propecia is 6 hours, and so any side effect is completely gone within a day.

I think it is best for a person in their twenties to at least try Propecia before moving forward with surgery. With that said, where is your loss, if it is in the crown definitely try Propecia for at least one year, and if it is in the front that is a different story. What it will do for your frontal loss is reverse miniaturization and stabilize the loss. Either way I would at least give it a shot.

It is the doctor's responsibility to always have the best interest of the patient in mind, regardless of the type of procedure being performed. With that said, if a young kid wants a procedure that does not need it, the physician should refuse, period. If they do not they are not living up to their Hippocratic oath.

I just don't see how doctors can live with themselves at the end of the day knowing that in 10-20 years their patient will probably look completely ridiculous. A physician should always consider the long-term effects of cosmetic surgery before deciding to move forward when you are dealing with such a young client.

The idea behind the Rogaine applicator is so it penetrates it into the scalp. It is necessary to get it rubbed in, but if you use your fingers it becomes somewhat absorbed into the hand.

If you choose to purchase it you can do so at spencerforest.com.

The applicator does seem to work, it tends to work best if you spray the medication or use the dropper to the scalp and then rub it in with the applicator.

In response to the comment on integrity, I believe that the physicians on this site are here because of their level of integrity and willingness to not sell out.

The physicians on this site are at the top of their game and any Bosley or MHR would love to get their hands on them, and frankly the doctor would in turn make a lot more money, but they would have to live with the fact that they were giving their patients sub par treatment.

A hair restoration surgeon has a choice, they can use old technology and perform multiple cases per day, thus making a much bigger profit, or using the best technology and are then limited to one case per day, but have peace of mind because they are living up to their Hippocratic Oath.

Personally I would only associate with a physician that illustrates these qualities.

In the past all an independent had were the referrals. There was no way to ever compete with the larger outfits because our advertising dollar was so limited. But slowly people are becoming more educated and coming to understand that just because you see a commercial 2-3 times a day does not necessarily equate to optimal work. This is still a struggle though.

The people on this site are independents and all share the common interest, to offer each patient the very best treatment possible.

Go to Google and type in "buy Minoxidil" and many options will come up for you. Just buy the generic 5% Minoxidil instead of the Rogaine since it is much cheaper.

I recommend alternating hot and cold compresses to the area. What you can do is take a warm wash cloth and apply it to the area for five minutes followed by a massage from the middle of the forehead towards the temples for five minutes, and then place a cold wash cloth to the area for five minutes every hour while swollen.

A few years ago we added the warm followed by the massage instead of just the cold to our post-operative instructions and out patients rarely swelled, and if they did all they had to do is start this process and the swelling went down right away.

The alternating of the hot, massage and cold gets the fluid moving and makes it go down.

In the past I've also recommended Mederma to our patients, which really seems to help with scarring. I also believe that Rogaine can be beneficial as well due to the effect it has on vascular blood flow, which can aid in growing hair in the specific area.

I agree with Pat on allowing discounts for referrals as it relates to the HTN. The scenario I was discussing would only apply if let's say someone gets a surgery and then refers a friend or family member. Then 1-2 years down the line the person wants a second procedure, and asks for a discount because they referred a friend or family member. This would justify giving the patient a break on price, it just seems like the right thing to do.

Patents that take Proscar can get it paid through their insurance if you have somewhat of an enlarged prostate, which your GP can give you a PSA test to confirm that.

When I viewed Pats' pictures from H&W I was astounded over the amount of donor tissue that was removed and also how some was taken from above the ear.

The reason for my surprise is that it has always been my understanding that you do not want to remove tissue above the posterior occipt bone in the skull, due to the fact that this hair may very likely fall out. This has always been a rule of thumb because the hair located below this bone is genetically programmed differently in most patients, which ensures the growth and success of the transplant.

If you transplant hair that has the DNA to miniaturize it will eventually fall out.

Maybe try using Rogaine on it twice a day. It can stimulate the transplants that haven't come in by improving vascular blood flow.