Gatsby

On 4/17/2024 at 6:09 PM, dba said:

Hi everybody , I know I'm playing with fire, however I'm set that I'm not wanting to take finasteride thats for sure I've seen quite a few cases with insane results with no meds.

@Stewie how long will my hair transplanted hair last ? With nothing

Im having surgery with Dr Arika Bansal in 2weeks.

is there anything else I can take other than finasteride or hormone messing around stuff?

This is something you need to be asking Dr Bansal. You really need to be forward and remember that you are the one paying them.

@mtb you've slayed the Norwood Reaper! 💯🏆

I've taken Wellbutrin and didn't notice a thing. I wouldn't worry about it all. All the best.👌

In my opinion I think it’s best to work front to back. What does your hairline look like when you style it? If you can camouflage this I would try and hold off on using those precious grafts for a while. If you do have surgery going by your pics I suggest filling any disconnect between your lateral humps. This is again just my opinion and others I’m sure will chime in. All the best! 

I’ve tried lots of things over the years for transplant redness (as well as scars). To be honest I don’t know if anything really helps to speed up this process. The good thing though is that it will definitely disappear in time. 

The scar I should add was the result of repairing two botched hair plug transplants from the late 80’s. 

3 minutes ago, Rossybop said:

Its looking and feeling worse as the days go by. How did you get on with the hair systems? I've been looking online, some of them seem to look wonderful, thick and full.

Initially great. I owned it and threw a wig party. The last ten years was a drag and I would have loved to have just thrown them in the bin. I wore a hairpiece to hide a hairline scar (as well as my baldness). 
 

Personally I would not lower your hairline any lower than it already is. Going by the photos you have provided I would not have any surgery. Are you taking any medication at the moment? 

Did you need read my response?

7 hours ago, Rossybop said:

I have not tried oral minoxidil. Its hard to style it because its so thin, it just leaks weak and inconsistent and generally not great whichever way I style it. I'm actually thinking of trying hair systems instead. What do you think? I'm 33, ill be 34 in a few months.

I wore a hair system for 25 years. But with your amount of hair I personally can’t see why? All the best. 

An incredible result. Not to mention with a great economy of grafts used also. 10/10! 👌🍾🥂

22 hours ago, Hair-here said:

I’ve been on fin for almost two years.

For almost all that time I’ve had some of the typical mild sexual side effects- lower libido, weaker erections, etc.  Everything still works, but it’s still kind of annoying. I’m a NW 6/7 and had a transplant so the doc recommended taking it to protect the transplant and whatever further loss could occur- so I’m not protecting a full head of hair with fin by any means.

I took 1mg of fin for a year then decreased to 1mg every other day for a few months and then have been doing 1mg/twice a week and .25mg every other day for a few months now.

The decreased dosage doesn’t seem to have helped the sides go away.  I think I’m at about the lowest dosage that could be effective and so I’m close to quitting.

Has anyone else gone this route of lowered dosages without getting rid of side effects? What did you do?

I was in a very similar situation as you. I started with 1mg a day and developed sexual side effects after 6-8 weeks. I stayed on the drug for another 6-8 weeks. The side effects stayed so I ceased the drug. I then waited two months so the drug was out of my system (and my libido had returned) and tried 1mg every other day. The same thing with sexual side effects happened again at about the two month mark. I stuck with the drug this time for six months in the hope that the side effects might eventually pass which they didn’t. After six months I ceased the drug again. I tried the same again on 0.25mg every day for for another five months at a later stage and again under the guidance of an excellent dermatologist using 0.25ml topical minoxidil for about six months which also resulted in my libido disappearing so I stopped that too. 
You could try a topical version of Finasteride at say 0.1ml’s as many people who get side effects orally don’t get side effects topically. This could rule out the drug if you still get side effects. The benefit of a 5ari is that even as a Norwood 7 like myself who has had surgery, you want to still protect your donor (and transplant) from thinning over time. The donor is DHT resistant. It’s not DHT proof. I’m currently taking 5mg oral minoxidil a day with no side effects of any kind and it has made my hair fuller and thicker. All the best. 

@knightfurii I would take the advice and begin finasteride now at 1mg a day as stated by your doctor. I would give this medication a good 6-12 months to see how much your hair will benefit from the drug. Even if you feel your hair is still the same in 12 months then you have stabilized your hair loss and the drug is working. This will then position you well if you decide to have surgery. However you may also be happy with the results of just staying on Finasteride. All the best. 

Have you tried oral minoxidil? IMHO I would not get another transplant at this stage. Going by your pics I think it just needs to be styled more. How old are you can I ask?

Hasson and Wong come to mind.

These are great results and a great example why medication should always be the first port of call before surgery. 👌

12 hours ago, salsazio said:

If u take oral minox and have side effect (cardio), the interrupt can cause a big effluvium?

Taking any medication for your hair loss can cause a shed in the early stages.

11 hours ago, dba said:

@Gatsbyis this to see the blood supply in the head?

No. It's to test for any scalp conditions like Hashimoto's disease, Lichen Planopilaris, scarring alopecia, etc.

Three months is way too early. It takes one year to reach full benefits. But sure, you can expect to see benefits before this. 

1 minute ago, Jamos1982 said:

How soon did you see results on it? I think my hair is thicker but I don’t have extra body hair. 

Probably by 5-6 months I noticed improvement. At one year I definitely felt the full benefit of thicker scalp and beard hair. My hair transplant just felt fuller all round. Same with my donor. 

1 minute ago, Jamos1982 said:

I’m only on 2.5mg a day. No sides after 12 weeks. Not sure to go up to 5mg 

Be guided by your dermatologist on the dose. 5mg is maximum. I didn’t start on this dose. 

5 minutes ago, Jamos1982 said:

Wow yeah that is cheap! I got a 3 month supply in Thailand when I was there but I’ll run out soon. I’ll have to find a dermatologist in Sydney that Can subscribe it , 

Loniten comes in 100 tablets of 10mg. I just break the tablet in half. 

@track_rat this is becomes the greatest repair of all time. Already those ilL placed beard grafts in the crown by Eugenix are becoming a thing of the past! You are down the home straight now proving that guts, patience and determination does work. Super happy for you. The next surgery will seal the deal for sure. 👌💯

On 4/22/2024 at 4:02 PM, Jamos1982 said:

I’ve been on oral 2.5mg for 10weeks now with no sides do you think sublingual it worth changing too considering it’s more maintenance for me and trying to thicken my hair as much as possible. Also what’s it cost? I’m also in aus 

Loniten 5mg oral minoxidil is $30 for a 200 day supply. That’s cheap! 

You have a lot of hair to keep so medication would be your first option. Going by this one pic I would say you are a Norwood 5 going to Norwood 6. At 65 your hair loss may well have stabilized. But if surgery is on the card then I would still be looking at medication first. All the best.