chrisis

Hey JRCore17, I'm really pleased you had a good experience and it was nice to hear from you recently. I will look forward to reading about your progress. Chris

You could try some physical hair straighteners? Just use a heat protectant product to help prevent damage.

Thanks Garageland and good advice. Pretty much the route I went down

Hi Jimmy It's definitely worth considering surgeons based abroad. I am from Newcastle and had mine done in Belgium. It's just a matter of looking at patient results and reviews to determine the best surgeon for you and your budget. Whilst money is a concern and restriction for many, remember surgery is a permanent procedure and it comes with the possibility of destroying limited donor hair. In my view the surgeon's skill and how the clinic operates as a team is the number #1 consideration. If you have any questions, just give me a shout. Chris

Hi mjohnson30 Saw palmetto is a 5-alpha reductase Inhibitor, just like finasteride. If you got side effects from saw palmetto, I suspect you're at risk for side effects from finasteride too. I talk to quite a few guys who've experienced PFS side effects from saw palmetto, and in fact I'm working with a group of them to help expand the definition of PFS and spread awareness. My suspicion is people are opting for it as an alternative to finasteride, mistakenly assuming because it's natural, it's therefore safe. Here's an interesting article on the topic: Saw Palmetto and Testosterone: Potent DHT Blocker

This is exactly why I had FUE. Today I had a guard #1 hair cut on the back and side and there's no scar to see. I did not see the sense in swapping my paranoia about hair at the front for paranoia about the back of my head. Even if transection rates were inferior to strip (which has been theorised but not proven), then I'd still accept a10-20% transection rate to not have a strip scar. I don't think I'd go as far as 50%, but I don't think a reputable FUE surgeon would be transecting every other graft and still producing good results.

Totally agree with you Matt. I think we've had a very similar experience.

I must clarify the distinction between propeciahelp.com and the PFS Foundation. They're separate, the former is a forum.

I fundamentally disagree, but I've been there years and you've had a look, so there's a difference in our perspective and experience. We'll let the studies do the talking. Apologies if I seemed passive aggressive, but this is an emotive and important topic.

Gambling with your health for the sake of your hair, when three studies will be released in the next year? My experience suggests that's the very definition of rolling the dice, especially since you've already exhibited signs that you're susceptible. By the way, mixing up drugs and doses is also a risky business. I spoke to one guy who crashed because he went away on business and forgot to take his Propecia. He'd been taking it for over ten years prior to this without any problem. No need for "" around the word imminent by the way, unless you know something that I don't about the PFS Foundation? They're a genuine organisation investing millions into understanding this drug, donated by sufferers and their families - especially of those who've died. You should spend some time on their site and learn about them. We're going around in circles here so once again, I wish you well.

Hi irishsailor, Check the chart I posted earlier: This shows that even 0.2mg only inhibits very slightly less DHT than 1mg. Since most men are taking 1mg or 1.25mg and above, it seems the difference would be infinitesimally small. I thought I'd give everyone a glimpse of what it's like in my world right now. I received this message on Skype just today: Hello, I found your skype on the propeciahelp site. I also started suffering from PFS crash, It would be good If i could talk to someone about it. Thank you, I just want some chat about my recovery regimen, Im in the beginning of my crash:( btw I am from Hungary. I've also received a few messages privately on this site about this topic. I'd say I receive roughly about the same number of enquiries about PFS as I do about hair surgery. It's reassuring to see the tide slowly changing on this topic, and I appreciate the support shown here and that people are sharing their stories openly.

A Dutch guy contacted me who had this exact experience. He switched from the brand to generic and developed side effects. Bear in mind, he'd taken Propecia for many years without issue, so didn't anticipate that changing to generic finasteride would do anything other than save him some money. He contacted me to ask for advice and I helped him wean off the drug over a long period. Fortunately he had no lasting sides - a lucky escape. I suspect the reason he developed sides is because he switched from 1mg Propecia to 1.25mg Proscar. If we consider that our hormones work in harmony, even a 0.25mg change in finasteride dosage can cause severe disruption to our bodies.

Hi Spanker I've discussed this with my doctor both prior to my surgery and prior to working with him. First, I was pleased that he didn't demand that I take the drug before having surgery, unlike other doctors. Second, he is aware of PFS and sympathetic. I've discussed PFS with other doctors who have entirely rejected it, so once again, I was satisfied with his response. I don't expect him to stop prescribing Propecia - this is an industry-wide issue, but I have recommended that patients are fully aware of the risks. I will continue to further this awareness where I can, e.g. here in this topic. It's my understanding that the studies will be released imminently, i.e. within 6 months to a year. Most people can afford to wait, rather than hastily take a drug that may have life-changing consequences. I don't think that's "evangelical" in the slightest. It's good, sensible advice. If you feel you can't wait, then go ahead and roll the dice. It's up to you.

Hi Blake, Which I first consulted for my surgery back in 2012, I was told by Dr. Feller that I wasn't an FUE candidate. After much deliberation, I eventually opted for FUE surgery with Dr. Feriduni and I'm really happy I made that decision. One of the reasons I was so keen on FUE is because I like to keep the back and sides of my hair very short, as the "undercut" hairstyle is the most popular current hairstyle for men, e.g. (this is pretty close to how I have my hair) My question is, how close could you shave without these mFUE incisions being visible? In my case I can shave down to guard #1 and nobody can see any of the FUE scarring, not even my hairdresser who knows I've been for surgery. We always use a guard #1 in the donor region and it looks great. My FUE was performed with a 0.85mm manual punch, so I'm curious, how would an mFUE extraction compare with these dimensions? As I'm sure you're aware, FUE doctors strive for a balance between minimising transection rates and visible scarring, so hole punch size is a very important consideration. This would apply to mFUE too, so if you can provide typical dimensions of an mFUE extraction, it would give us an idea about how the scarring would look, and whether a grade #1 undercut hairstyle would be possible with this technique.

Exactly. And aside from neurological issues caused directly by finasteride, who's to say that sexual dysfunction alone isn't enough to compel someone to commit suicide? Isn't finasteride still responsible? Now consider that this sexual dysfunction is compounded by subsequent marital and family problems. Couldn't depression result from this, albeit indirectly? Sexuality and relationships are so centrally important to us, so I'd say yes.