mattj

Looks very good. It's hard to see the plugs now. I imagine the result is even better now after the third session.

I agree with the others, and I'll add that your donor area at the back doesn't look very thick. Definitely start the Finasteride now rather than seeing it as something to begin after a transplant. I have seen some very good work from Dr Kesser. Have you shown him your photos? The advice to hold off from getting a transplant is best for now, but it wouldn't harm hearing what Dr Kesser has to say.

Hmm, your hair looked very good already based on that photo. Perhaps that's because it was wet and combed.

I agree, you're ahead of schedule there. Looking very, very good.

I really like your hair from the front in those first two photos. But ultimately it's you who must be pleased with his own hair and you do have areas that could be addressed if you can't tolerate having a mature hairline. I notice the hair in the donor region looks like it could be of less than optimal density though. Has your hair remained pretty much the same since you started taking Finasteride at age 22?

I can totally relate to what you're saying about the difference between the reactions of strangers versus people you know. It's hard to make a dramatic change and then deal with the consequences. This could be a visible change in appearance or just as much an alteration of behavior. Normally though this will be something that you only have to endure very briefly, and if you're fine with having a shaved head yourself then it's probably worth just toughing out the reactions of others until people get used to it.

Think of it this way: the long term effectiveness of Propecia is unpredictable, but then so is its effectiveness to begin with. Some guys see re-growth, some maintain their hair, while others have no positive results at all. Unfortunately it's a bit of a crap-shoot.

Shaving it off is worth doing. But you should still aim to keep your hair (if possible) unless you're completely fine with the shaved look. It is possible that would tire of it and when growing it out find you no longer have enough hair for a style you're comfortable with. The doctor you paid a lot of money to see obviously wasn't aware that 1mg is the normal dose for treating hairloss with Finasteride. 5mg is the dose for treating a benign enlarged prostate gland, which is what the drug was originally created for. The drug is available in 1mg tablets under the name Propecia (or various other generic names), but a lot of users buy the 5mg version and cut this into 4 or 5 pieces, as this is more cost effective. You might find that you do well in avoiding side effects if you take the smaller dose.

There is a learning curve with FUE. Of course there was a time when Dr Rahal didn't feel he was ready, but every FUE doctor was at that stage at one time. Dr Rahal is now performing FUE regularly because he is confident in his ability with it, and some of those patients we know will be sharing their results. A couple already have shared their photos of the early stages post-op. I think it's fair to say that Dr Rahal wouldn't be encouraging his FUE patients to post their photos if he wasn't fully confident that the results would be up to scratch.

Assuming we're talking about the same thing, it was a very transparent hit job. As I said, at least one other doctor was also attacked at the time by what appeared to be the same individual. They also attacked forums and the owners of those forums, evidently having some sort of issue with them too. Within that context, back at the time it first happened, I don't think anyone with good judgement took it seriously after the subject was dissected. It was suspected to be a smear by a rival whose own reputation had taken a nosedive on the transplant message boards. By all means post a link to what you're talking about. I'm typing this in defence of Dr Rahal, but to honest, I think a read of the report itself would settle most peoples' minds on the matter.

Was this complaint on one of those 'consumer advice' websites? Some years back an anonymous person made complaints about Dr Rahal and at least one other doctor to a website, all written in the same style by the same person. From time to time people find it and take it seriously, which is frustrating as anyone with an agenda can use that website and there is no fact-checking or verification involved. We do suspect that we know who was responsible, and it wasn't a patient. Forums like this one are open to anyone to post, and if a patient has a complaint there's nothing stopping them airing their grievance here. I would advise anyone researching a doctor to base their opinion on the reputation a doctor has in online communities and speak to genuine patients, and forget the anonymous attacks.

If you've seen no change in 4 years then that's a good thing, but you can't count on it not getting any worse. I hate to say it but it most likely will, especially without medication. Personally I don't give out graft estimates, but I was thinking of a number more in line with what Jotronic said, if you want good density through the area you want to fill in.

What's the deal with the second photo which seems to show no loss at all? Anyway, the photos are pretty dark. I upped the brightness and saw that this caused the temples to retreat further. It's possible that the forelock in the middle of the front is also thinning. Do you believe it is? You say you have no family history of hairloss, but you yourself are experiencing it so I would be cautious in looking at your family members as examples of your own hair destiny. How long have your temples been receded?

Hello unitedwestand, Dr Rahal is most definitely offering FUE. The procedure takes time to master and it isn't a good idea to just jump into it. Dr Rahal now feels he can match his strip results with FUE. All doctors highly recommend taking propecia to hold off further hairloss. You don't say why you're reluctant to take the medication, but my advice is to give it a try and not let the negative experiences that some have put you off. This could be the difference between putting a halt to your loss and seeing it quickly progress to the highest Norwood levels. Taking one little pill daily is worthwhile. If you're young and losing hair fast then it might be best to wait until you're aware of the full extent of your hairloss pattern before choosing to undergo surgery. I hope this helps.

We sometimes see female transplant results on here, but rarely if ever do ladies post them themselves or keep a blog. I'll be watching your progress with interest.

I don't think any surgeon would tell you not to take it indefinitely, put it that way. It's interesting that you would notice a reduction in that side effect by merely skipping a dose on the day. To me it seems unlikely that this would happen as the drug stays around in the blood, and those who've had to quit Finasteride altogether because they couldn't tolerate the side effects have reported normalization often a longer period of time. I don't want to completely dismiss your experience, but could it perhaps be some kind of placebo effect?

It looks to have been very successful. I can barely see the scar now, even where scalp is visible.

We've spoken about this before, but I don't think you need to worry about any of the transplant-related drugs causing that sort of problem. Finasteride is an anti-androgen; that's it's purpose and that's why it can effect some users in that way. It would be a mistake to associate all medications with this side effect, especially those administered during the relatively brief period of the surgery, or those that can make things more comfortable for you for a period post-op.

I believe the most recent information is very positive for Propecia users. From wiki: The 2005 Prostate Cancer Prevention Trial (PCPT) showed at a dosage of 5 mg per day, as is commonly prescribed for BPH, participants taking finasteride were 25% less likely to have developed prostate cancer at the end of the trial compared to those taking a placebo.[9] It appeared (incorrectly) that finasteride increased the specificity and selectivity of prostate cancer detection, thus creating an apparently increased rate of high http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gleason_score http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tumor. A 2008 update of this study found that finasteride reduces the incidence of prostate cancer by 30%. In the original study, it turns out that the smaller prostate caused by finasteride means that a doctor is more likely to hit upon cancer nests and more likely to find aggressive-looking cells. Most of the men in the study who had cancer — aggressive or not — chose to be treated, and many had their prostates removed. A pathologist then carefully examined each of those 500 prostates and compared the kinds of cancers found at surgery to those initially diagnosed at biopsy. This study concluded that finasteride did not increase the risk of high-grade prostate cancer.[10][11] Finasteride - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Wikipedia cites an article in the NYTimes: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/15/health/15prostate.html?_r=1&ei=5087&em=&en=813eaa4e10f57756&ex=1213675200&adxnnl=1&adxnnlx=1213503418-GD4DbGjYsDxqV/xuGWnE1A In summary, Finasteride appears to decrease the risk of prostate cancer overall, as well as potentially allow for easier detection of cancerous cells during a prostate biopsy, due to the reduced size of the gland.

I remember you. You always had a distinctive hair style. Has it been five years already? (!)

That's a mighty session. I'll definitely be following your progress.

Personally I have only ever taken propecia (in chopped up 5mg proscar form) and nothing else. My hairloss wasn't very aggressive before I started taking it five years ago and hasn't progressed much since then. I have lost a little density at the front. Propecia is definitely the #1 treatment. Seriously though, once you've absorbed the information we've given you and locked it away for the future, I would put hairloss out of your mind until you actually start experiencing it. Just keep an eye on your hair and look out for any changes.

Hi azjoe1, I got your email. I was planning to reply anyway to comment on your donor hair, which looks very thick and dense and I would say quite ideal. I think people here are noticing that you look to have lost some density throughout the top and your frontal forelock is very thin. So your overall outline might be NW3V-ish, but there are clear signs of a more advanced pattern. It's broken record time but definitely get on the medication, as others have already advised. You could see some thickening up at the vertex and the crown could fill in a little. I don't think you're too old for that if you respond well. I notice that your temple points - those bits that jut forward at the sides, are basically non-existent and your hair goes straight up in line with your sideburns. If you were to undergo a transplant it might be wise to have them built up. I think you're a good candidate. Just how much lower do you want to go with the hairline? Although your donor looks great, it might be wise not to be too aggressive and use up too much. A good head of hair that frames the face doesn't have to be super low.

It's good to be prepared with the info you need should the curse strike. I wish I had started treatment earlier. You say you're only in your twenties like hairloss doesn't happen to people your age. This forum has many twenty-somethings (including myself until last month) as well as some guys in their teens. Most members aged thirty-plus probably saw the first signs of balding when in their twenties. So don't think that youthfulness itself will keep you safe.

You say you aren't anywhere near balding at the moment. I'm glad for you! Are you just thinking ahead or do you have some hairloss that you wish to treat with medications and perhaps address with a transplant? If you have absolutely no sign of hairloss then I'm not sure that you should use the medications merely to prevent hairloss. If you are in the early stages then it's best to start the treatment soon and then, yes, you can keep your hair thick if you respond well to the medication.