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mpkoons: Do a search on this site for Bosely. I have never checked the place out, but I've seen numerous disaster stories here about that clinic and people wondering where they can go to be repaired afterward.

2 weeks to have staples taken out (one more day for me!). I expect that this is when I will be able to sleep normally again - the only pain I have is the staples pushing into my scalp when my head is pushed against a pillow. I have been sleeping at an angle for most of this time, probably 10 days or so - not to protect the grafts, but because this has less pain/discomfort. I had mine done by Dr Feller - so far I've been very happy with everything (and got lots of good comments from people who I've shown who have never seen or heard of a HT before) - but it is admittedly very early days for me. I doubt that there is any difference in pain with respect to the size of the session. Less grafts would mean that the skin is not pulled so tightly, however I don't feel that this is relevant to the pain.

I'm guessing 500 on each side and 1K on top. How many days post-op are those pictures?

rlc26 - remember that it is not the hair itself which is the important thing which was transplanted, it is the hair follicle. It is expected that the hairs will fall out within the first 20-30 days, and scabs/dry skin will also fall out, sometimes attached to the hair. I'm only 3 days out from my HT, but here is what Dr Feller has mentioned: - After 3 days, the hairs are set in the scalp and it is actually beneficial to gently massage them with water + shampoo + fingertips - If a graft falls out, it will also bleed. No bleeding means that there is no reason to worry.

thanks for the explanation of your viewpoint. I don't think that there is any conspiracy or hiding of the truth, but it does seem that there are definitely a lot of unknowns regarding taking on propecia, and I want to make sure that people are aware of this. You make a good point regarding possible lack of correllation between these permanent side effects and the drug. I think that there is some, however with the large number of users, perhaps this is just the stastical chance of these things happening regardless of the drug. Thanks for the exchange - hopefully it encourages people to investigate this a bit more themselves, and hopefully the conclusion is that it is safe to take.

mahhong: I recommend a quick read of propeciahelp.com help for you. specifically this area When FDA approved it as a safe drug for hair loss treatement, this did NOT include studies of long term affects. The scientific evidence seems to be quite strongly suggesting that a significant portion of people taking the drug ARE having long term permanent problems as a result. When I say significant, I do not mean 'most' or 'almost all', what I mean is that if you choose to take the drug, do not be suprised if it impacts you. The quoted numbers from Merck suggest close to 2% of people will suffer permanent effects after stopping propecia - others think this number is much smaller than reality. One very, VERY telling sign that there is a significant risk of permanent problems after stopping the drug is the fact that in April of this year, Merck has modified their Propecia instruction leaflet to say this exact thing. Claiming that there is no science to support the suggestion of long term effects is just plain wrong - even the company who makes the drug believes that there are. It is quite upsetting that you would take this issue so lightly as to write lengthy advice without appearing to have done any investigation into the matter yourself. I appreciate that you are here to help advise people in your own spare time, and that you want to push an impartial opinion on this contraversial topic, however people should be scared of this drug. They might still choose to use it, like I have, but everyone making this choice should not have it hidden from them that there is a chance of things going very very wrong.

your hair looks very thick. I think you could probably go without doing anything - revisit the issue in a year or two.

I went a few years with minodoxil and saw it sloweddown my receding hair slightly. Then I switched to finasteride for a couple of years and it slowed down my receding hair slightly also. It is only in the last few months that I've tried both at once, and I have been seeing many new hairs. I'm now 30 with quite a receded hairline and had hairs popping up in areas there hasn't been any since I was 20. (I have also been using revita shampoo which may or may not have an impact here also). I wouldn't be so quick to dismiss minodoxil if I were you - it takes about 1 minute to apply in the morning and the same in the evening, hardly what I'd consider high maintenance.

mahhong: side effects will "probably" go away when stopping. Not for everyone. In fact, some people have reported that they didn't have any side effects until after they stopped. DHT is an important chemical in your body, and when you get rid of it, the results seem to be quite unpredictable

I didn't when I lived in Australia, and I don't now that I live in the US. I got my latest one from a Duane Reade's in store doctor.

Ive always had it recommended by GP's. They usually say "you could take propecia, but if you want to save some money, I suggest getting proscar"

where can you get MSM from? Does it need a prescription?

the issue with getting a HT now is that you have no idea what your baldness pattern is going to be later. HT's are things which need to be planned long term. When you get a HT, you should be thinking about how it will fit in with your hair pattern in 10/20/30 years time. At 19 years old, you have very little idea what this will look like. What if you got a HT now and covered the top, and then in a few years the hair around their also disappears and you don't have the skin laxity/donor hair to cover it? I expect that you will see some good results with finasteride (once/day) and minodoxil (twice/day). When you are 25 you might want to re-think the HT, with luck, we will have some cool advancements in technology and it will be an easy fix.

if you are going the finasteride route, I suggest asking for the proscar tablets (5mg) and then cutting them up. These meds are expensive in Australia and from memory proscar is about half the price of propecia. If you have any side effects you will probably know quite quickly and could back off them. I think that the really nasty side effects are from long term use (several years) and like I mentioned, they are still quite rare. NEWHAIRPLEASE: It is interesting that you say that, because that is why I don't like rogaine. I guess each person has their own personal taste.

Don't be scared of the minodoxil shedding stage. For me, this has meant that instead of noticing about 10 hairs in my comb I'd notice about 15. It would last for about a week - I really don't think it makes much difference, it is just an interesting fact that it does happen. Regarding side effects of finasteride, not everyone suffers side effects (I *guess* that about 70% suffer decreased sex drive) whilst on the drug. From what I've researched, about 2% of these people continue to suffer side effects (including the bad ones you mention) after stopping the drug (i.e. permanently). In summary, 49 out of 50 people will probably be fine, but that one unlucky person will have their life ruined. Avodart is stronger than finasteride and hence the risks are increased. There is no big problem if you miss a days dose. In fact, a lot of people are intentionally only taking them a few days each week to minimise the side effects. As you are young, you should not be having a HT now. If this came on very quickly, then consider diet or stress as possible causes also. nizoral is an anti dandruff shampoo. It makes youre scalp cleaner, which would probably help minodoxil become more effective. Nizoral itself doesn't regrow hair. I don't know what msm is. I guess that the 'big 3' is referring to preferred hair transplant surgeons. Not sure who they would be exactly, but my top 3 would be hasson & wong, rahal and feller. There are many others on this site who are also good though - none in Australia. Be careful about the surgeons in aus. As for a straight forward path for you, I would get onto minodoxil straight away and finasteride also (but you need to make your own mind up as to whether to take this risk). You could do blood tests to check your diet if you think that might be contributing. I prefer the minodoxil brand which is found on this site's store - Spectral UHP. It is 5% like most, but I find that it leaves less dandruff than others and doesn't feel too oily.

I read recently that balding men on average earn more than those with full heads of hair. I guess this is as they are thought to be wise/nerds/smart rather than young/inexperienced. Unless you want to be a model, I doubt that your hair is holding your career back - the negative attitude might be though. It seems like this cure needs to be in the head, not on it.

how is 'oiling' performed? Does it just mean pouring some oil on your head and massaging it? Any particular types of oils better than others?

I've certainly suffered from bad depression due to my hairloss (start getting comments about thinning at age 18, headed for NW6..). Three tips which have helped me in the past are: 1) Go to the gym regularly. No, this isn't because then you will get a super hot body and girls will love you (although that side of it helps), but because regular exercise pushes endorphins through the body. These make you feel amazing. More details here: Exercise and Depression: Endorphins, Reducing Stress, and More 2) Shave your head. There comes a point when hair can get thin enough or receded enough that it starts to look messy and gangly (such as mine). Buzz it down to #1/2/3 and it will instantly look neat and well kept. It is an almost instant several years off your appearance and is now considered sociably acceptable in even the most formal offices. 3) Be proud of yourself and get on with life. You've probably done some pretty cool things in life or achieved something special - be proud of that, focus on the good things. Hair is not really that important at the end of the day, don't let it take over your life.

I don't believe that there are any long term adverse affects to your hair if you start taking it and then stop. You will just lose any gains that you achieved. When you start taking propecia and/or minodoxil, you may see a bit of extra shedding (not much) in the first month, but that is not a big deal, and comes back later. Regarding side effects, perhaps cutting down on the dosage is a good first step rather than stopping immediately - that is what I am doing (switched from 1mg to 0.5mg).

Tell this to the people who have become permanently infertile, think much more slowly, suffered severe shrinkage etc.. It is irresponsible to advertise that finasteride is completely safe when some people do suffer greatly from it. As far as I can tell, one in about 50 guys will have some form of permanent sexual problem after being on finasteride. I have done my research and have chosen to take the gamble and go with it. Everyone who chooses to use finasteride should also be aware that they are taking this gamble.

scalp FUE is taken from the back and sides of the head body hair FUE is taken from one or more of beard/back/chest I think that the scar/blood supply issue results in a lower success rate of transplanted hairs than regular transplants, but some do still survive. I am by no means an expert on that however.

I guess my viewpoint is a bit different to the others. Yes, we are shy about it, we are embarrassed about it and we don't want everyone knowing we are having it done - however your wife has just gone and shown that other people don't think so much of it at all. Most of the worry is something which we invent ourselves. I told one of my female friends about it (very shyly) and her reaction was "they can do that?!? that's awesome! I can't wait!" Completely the opposite to what I was expecting. By having people react in such an easy going, direct way, it is normalising the whole process.. much like breast enhancement is no longer taboo for females. In short, your wife doesn't mind about it - so perhaps you shouldn't worry so much either.

- erection problems - shrinkage - impotence - some mental issues - thinking more slowly/fogginess These are generally thought to be reversible when stopping the drug, however for some unlucky people they are permanent. These are not minor issues, they have destroyed some peoples lives, however at the same time, most people don't suffer significant side effects. Do some research - I don't feel that people on this site give enough consideration to these genuine problems. I am not suggesting that you avoid it - I use it myself - but be aware that there are people who have had far worse effects than hair loss as a result of taking this drug. Scary details here: PROPECIAHELP: Unresolved Finasteride Propecia Proscar side effects info & forum

could you two please discuss why it is/isn't the case as to whether there is evidence suggesting progress? It looks to me like there is, based on many of the threads in this forum

I don't think libel is an issue as there are definitely a lot of horror stories posted here as well. I would hope that the moderators are giving more information than just "excellent choice" for physicians which they recommend. If they aren't, then I think that is a mistake.