Mike10

The general public will see the crown loss as balding and more likely to crack jokes about that one.Because it just makes you older. And there is some truth to it. If you are balding in the crown under age 40, its likely you will progress to a higher NW eventually. 

Work looks solid but seems like a lot of grafts for such a smaller case 

Can you post some pre op pics with longerhair to better measure the result?

1 hour ago, TorontoMan said:

The hairline thing isn't based in anything. It's just likely that for most guys the pattern of loss starts at their hair line and in all likelihood it was the part that first started to miniaturize and long before you noticed, hence making it harder to recover. Follicles have a signalling network by which plenty of anagen hairs are supporting a paracrine signal which is like a communication between nearby cells, this is part of the theory of why we seem to bald in patterns. To the OP, you likely just started fin at a point where the amount of dht being reduced by fin isn't enough to overcome its effects, most guys should not expect regrowth on fin, but rather maintenance. Of course your other options are to throw in minxodil, try duta, or even a topical anti androgen 

but he is not maintaining. read again the op. the only question is whether Fin does not work at all (as it the case for 10% of users) or only does not work in the harline. Nobody can say for sure.

Fin is normally not efficient in the hairline. It is works best in the crown and mid

is it possible you are confusing bisanga with mwamba?

1 hour ago, Bandit90 said:

The drug has been used to treat millions of dudes with enlarged prostates for decades now, if it was going to cause a real threat of death, i'm sure a pattern would have well and truly emerged by now. People are going to recommended finasteride for hair loss, as it the one successful weapon we have in the hair loss battle and for the the masses it is generally well tolerated. If you read the side effects of paracetamol you would be so spooked. 

but you do not take the para everyday. comparison seems off

4 hours ago, Gatsby said:

If people want to demonize a legal drug (that doesn't require a doctor's script) then look at alcohol if that's the agenda?. It's forum's that post anti 'FDA approved' meds for MPB that leave a lot of people feeling hopeless, depressed and ruining there lives only to regret not trying these same drugs years later. For what it's worth there was nothing when I first started receding and I was so depressed that I saw a shrink to save my life. Literally! If the hope of a drug like finasteride was around then (oral, topical, whatever) then those early years may have stopped me from being butchered and my quality of life would have been on a different level altogether.

I do not think anybody has tried demonize the drug. At the end it is a personal decision. I just sometimes have the feeling that the picture drawn here is a little bit one sided.  

Unfortunately, I have come to realize that it is quite difficult to have a fair debate about the subject here. This is unlike the German Forum where the approach is more open minded and nuanced.Honestly I think the comparison with any other drug is off given the controversy that has surrounded Propecia. 

Some here also implied that I am personally  doing myself a disservice. Well to shed some light on my personal situation, I am only on PRP treatment since 5 years and my hair situation is stable . So personally this has been the right decision for me. But to be clear, my hair loss situation is not aggressive, so I am not suggesting this would work for others.

Maybe some final thoughts. It is also interesting that some Top Docs who are recommended everywhere  inclduing by this forum are not prescribing Propecia or only recuctantly so. If Finansteride would be so harmless, this would make no sense, right?  I guess there can be no absolute certainty to the long term effect and I have heard of folks getting sides after many years.    

48 minutes ago, TheGreatPretender said:

My understanding Is brief and simple. 

When/if side effects happen they do go away with time after discontinuation or alot of times with reduced dosage. 

The label itself warns about a small incidence of side effects such as in every drug, even aspirine or Ibuprofen have such warnings. This is because during the trials they found X people having side effects, so i am not sure what changes you mean when it's actually there in all panflets. 

They go away a lot of times but not all the times. It is an odd comparision by the way, I guess you do not take aspirin and ibuprofen every day. 

8 minutes ago, TheGreatPretender said:

You "mess" with hormones everyday without even realising it. 

Anything that you ingest orally will always have an impact in your hormonal profile either good or bad that's up to the individual. 

There is very little scientific evidence pointing towards the permanent side effects and until there is actual proof taking anecdotals out I will remain a skeptical in that department. 

Also, a lot of people within those forums semm to have other problems besides hair loss or Finasteride side effects and of course it's easier to blame something on a drug then on yourself when things don't go as you wish. 

Well you have the right to believe whatever you want of course but you should know that causal effects like these are dammed near impossible to prove. There are enough credible reports for the FDA to require changes in the label. Many Drs believe PFS real. So does Spencer Kobren to my knowledge. More generally, there is a different vibe on other Forum like the German Hair Loss Forum on this drug. The lengths some are going through to defend this drug here almost makes me a little suspicious.   

At the end I agree that taking Finansteride is a personal decision as there is a risk/benefit analysis. Some here try to ignore it but PFS should not be denied:https://www.pfsfoundation.org/. Messing with your hormones produces strange reactions in some individuals. Just because you tolerate the drug well does not mean everybody does.

21 minutes ago, TorontoMan said:

That's like me telling you; you should be more careful posting baseless articles as not starting finasteride and losing hair can bring ppl to the point of suicide. 

I called the article non-sense, not suicide, that should be fairly self explanatory. If you at least posted something that showed numbers we could have a conversation. But it doesn't state any percentages or give any examples, while we have studies that show the risk of side effects are fairly low, and to the extreme ppl consider suicide even lower. You didn't actually accomplish anything, of course theres a chance that medication could cause ppl to become depressed, some anti-depressant drugs cause ppl further depression in the long run. In the end you say the medication can be dangerous for some, which was my point to begin with. 

Then it is still not clear to me why you call the article nonsense or baseless when it is just stating what action the FDA has taken with regard  to expanding the label. And I have never heard of a single person committing suicideover the fact that he is balding. Look, you may think that balding is the worst thing that ever can happen to you but when you have serious permanent health issues you would not even care anymore about your hair. 

I would also strongly disagree that sides are fairly low with Finansteride. Permanent sides I may agree with. But temporary sides are not rare at all

24 minutes ago, mister_25 said:

There are also been people who have taken their life over lack of self worth which hair loss can contribute to. There are also people out there who severely regretted not getting on the medication sooner or people who regret dropping the medication temporarily (for example, trying to have a child) that could all lead down a path of low self esteem.

And he never said suicide is nonsense, don’t twist words.

I do agree though, it’s not nonsense. The medication does have risk involved and there are dangers, that shouldn’t be ignored and people should be aware of what they are being offered.

Well he should be a lot more careful using this term when people have actually  been committing suicide over this drug. Did it ever occur to him that this might be just be a little offending? I never doubted that this medication has helped a lot of people. My point is that this medication can be dangerous for some. Even if this is a minority my point still stands. 

11 minutes ago, TorontoMan said:

I’ve been on it for 3 years and it’s kept me out of deep depression. The article is nonesense because it doesn’t provide anything to back it’s claim. Millions of men all over the world are on this medication and some on various other things. 
 

you sound like a person who is more interested in argument than conversation. 

Nonsense my ass. The FDA is requiring the addition of suicidal ideation and behavior to the adverse reactions listed on Propecia's label.

13 minutes ago, TorontoMan said:

Non sense, not mentioned is the risk to mental health caused by hair loss. 

You call suicide non sense? Your dismissive attitude is totally out of line when there are actually people who have taken their life because of this medication. 

Finansteride is indeed a dangerous medication: https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/fda-requires-disclosure-suicide-risk-anti-baldness-drug-2022-06-10/

I tend to agree with Eugenix on this one

 Hi I would leave it as it is. Your hair looks good, focus on the more important things in life. 

I tend to agree that there is no urgent need for medication in this case. Oddly enough, the clinic did seem to recommend medication. Some clinics do recommed Finansteride in each and every case, an approach I do not agree with 

In terms surgical skills I do not think there is much between them. 

On the consultations, I can confirm your impression from personal experience. At the end Bisanga told you what needs to be told. needs Then it is the patient's decision if he wants to proceed regardless.  

you have pics?

who was the Dr?

not too young but still young nevertheless considering this is a lifelong process. But I think this patient will do ok. I would  also be better if clinics always would post more background info than just the pics

he has good hair for his age. Finansteride may not be needed after all