BurnieBurns

22 minutes ago, Iceee222 said:

Thanks for the reply. I’ve hit up many surgeons and that all seem to recommend 25-2800 grafts with the majority to hairline and front of scalp. They said possibly fill in mid scalp but easier to tell in person. I seem happy w that as I will for sure have more grafts in future if I need hair transplant. I want to be on the conservative side. My pics are below. If you think u know someone who would be great for me that’d be awesome. Im 25 been on fin and min topically for 3 years now. 

Thanks for sharing, based on these, that sounds like a good conservative number. Hopefully those surgeons were all recommended? Make sure to look at their examples being sure their crystal clear, check their hairline designs, are they in keeping with the style you’re hoping to achieve?

Read the experiences of former patients. If you’re absolutely confident with more than one surgeon, then you can start factoring in costs and travel.

that’s my two cents.

I’m New Zealand based and made a big mistake by going somewhere local when the country was locked down. I should have waited.

10 hours ago, Iceee222 said:

Hey thanks for your reply. I have been looking around and a few new doctors have come to mind for me. Do you have any recommendations I should look into?

 

after reviewing other docs I still am impressed with the 2 tai doctors as you seem to be too?

There is no best surgeon overall, the is only the best for your specific case.

Ove elite surgeon may suggest a very different approach from another. You can share more detail and photos of your starting point if you want some input.

Youll want to hear as many credible perspectives as possible.

Most Doctors out there aren't equipped to produce decent results incases like yours. The ones recommended specialise in high Norwoods

In my opinion it's madness to to limit yourself to surgeons location near geographically, especially as the cost of flights aren't necessarily much more for further away. Not that there's anything wrong with the two Thai doctors mentioned but you really want to consult with more that a couple of doctors (even recommended ones) before making your decision

4 hours ago, Mark Wolfer said:

Don't buy any topicals from @FUECLINICor angenica.com because you'll never get what you ordered. You'll get a lot of run around and excuses, and no product. That's been my experience now for more than six weeks since I made payment.

Dr. Mwamba and his clinic should be embarrassed.

This has been said many times on this forum, but his clinic does not make and send the topicals. They just forward the prescription to the pharmacy

M W F is a better bet

Dr Hasson isn't offering FUT anymore save for very special circumstances.

3 hours ago, LookMaxx said:

I don’t understand the hype or why it’s a game changer. It doesn’t regrow hair, has to be taken for life like other treatments, requires twice daily topical applications and if you’re diffuse thinner well good luck with that. 

I guess the people who are afraid of finasteride and have made it some sort of devil drug must be ecstatic and overhyping any drug that isn’t finasteride but it doesn’t offer anything new and definitely not a “game changer”

For me a game changer would be something that you take for once and it stops your hairloss for life. Or you take it and it regrows your hair improving your Norwood levels. Better than minoxidil. 

 

For someone unable to tolerate finasteride, it could very much be a game changer

I respect your wishes to stop topical Dutasteride , but it's VERY intriguing why anyone would stop a treatment working so amazingly without sides

2 hours ago, lindros88 said:

I was taking topical Min along with it. I am going to try taking the finasteride mid day to see what happens there, rather than with the minox. I was always taking at the same time. Probably gonna go 1-2x a week and see how we go. If no sides I will go back to 3.

 

Truthfully Ive never been able to push through the sides, even though there are studies that say that they can subside after continued use. I pretty much freak out every time that I feel the sides come on.

I'm skeptical of the claim that sides can go away if you keep using it. I've never heard a single anecdote where someone had strong sides then went away while continuing use unless it was a nocebo

Finasteride most most definitely can cause depression, especially those that are prone in a small minority of men. May be worth taking a break then trying again at a lower dose and seeing if the same thing happens

21 hours ago, Follicle1984 said:

The more I read, the more my belief is that the battle for hairloss should be fought at the follicle. 

I avoided 5ARs like the plague for about 10 years. I tried every natural approach imaginable over that time. I'm on TRT. Perhaps something slowed things slightly. Most likely nizoral shampoo and the periods I was on minoxidil had the greatest effect, really didn't see any decrease in shedding with other stuff. Most I class as a waste of money and or time.

I eventually took the plunge with finasteride as hairloss was really depressing me. I started topically at low doses and didn't notice much at all (side effect wise). I upped the dose feeling a little invicible. I learned the hard way the sides are real. I'm still unsure what may have happened if I kept the topical fin dose very low. But I'd read a lot of people have tried the "Mazarella" 0.005% BD approach and it still caused sides. Interesting the study indicated no one had sides there though. Would be interested in people's thoughts/experiences about this? (Ie very low dose fin...0.1mg per day). I know any lower is likely not efficacious. 

I think what is really interesting are the reports of dutasteride mesotherapy with super low frequency. I've read some get good effect with 0.1mg dut meso every 1-3 months. Surely, if this is the case, shouldn't we be trying topical dut at this kind of frequency? There are enough people here with either hard scientific evidence topical dut is going through the scalp (blood work or scalp DHT level reductions) or anecdotal and subjective reports (nipple sensitivity, ED, reduced libido), which I think have value also. I wonder if we could get similar results as the dut mesotherapy with topical dut application every month? And keep the serum DHT reductions even lower than those Mustang reports with weekly or biweekly applications? (About 20% I believe if I've read correctly?).

I now have some ethanolic topical dut at 0.05%. I am tempted to try a low dose every month. In truth, I'm just a little apprehensive, as the fin sides were horrible. I've just recovered after retrying oral fin 3 weeks ago. After 4 doses I stopped due to nipple pain. Things downstairs took 3 weeks to get going again. I am now finally convinced the fin sides are indeed real and it's not all just nocebo. Not saying that isn't an aspect that can occur too. I'm just know what's going on for me now. It's the long dutasteride half life that bothers me, as I would hate to have to wait months or even a year or more for recovery if it all goes wrong.

Also...I read a concerning study this morning about the potential longer term microstructural effects that can occur in tissues after periods of prolonged DHT reduction. Happy post it if people are interested. Granted it was a rat study. And doses may be higher. It showed however, that fibrosis occurred in the corpus cavernous with reduction in smooth muscle content. With shorter courses of dut, things largely reversed. Longer courses lead to changes which did not reverse. I grant it may not be fully applicable in humans, but it does seem a little concerning. It seems recovery on dutasteride if you get sides could just take a very long time. 

I definitely want to keep serum DHT level reductions to an absolute minimal.

Interested in people's thoughts on very low frequency topical dutasteride anyway? I apologise as I realise my post is a little long and rambling. Just nice to talk to people in the same boat tbh.

 

My thoughts exactly. The frequency isn't adding up to me either. How would mesotherapy be some at 4 month intervals and get results and topical can't? 

There's so much talk about 'losing' efficacy. But look. There are many guys out there with horrible sides that would do anything just to maintain

It would be very unwise to not stabilise your loss before considering hair transplant. Any credible person would say that's rule 1

On 9/4/2022 at 9:31 PM, SoSoz said:

On my leaflet it says:

 

The film-coated tablet must be swallowed whole and must not be separated or crushed

but i've heard people cutting the tablets into smaller pieces?

That's there mainly for legal reasons. People cut finasteride pills all the time

Can't to say exactly without pictures. but if I was a NW7 I'd only go to 3 doctors.

If wanting to start with FUT: Dr Wong at Hasson and Wong

If I wanted to use body hair: Eugenix or Dr Pitella 

Looks freaken fantastic from the front. Can't speak to the color match from the photos but I would strongly assume the positive comments you've had wouldn't just be 'being nice'

25 minutes ago, User578402857 said:

So, I have an appointment on 8 Sept with Dr. Biçer. I'm scheduled to fly out on 6 Sept. from the US.

Problem is, the liaison — whom I have been talking to since my appointment was set up earlier this year — has not responded to any of my texts or email about finalizing my trip in the past few days. For example, I was told some months ago that I'd be provided specific information to help my trip go smoothly: plate of car picking me up, driver's number, etc.

What do I do? Should I just stick to the flight itinerary and head to Istanbul without this information? Or cancel?

If anyone else has an appointment with Dr. Biçer, too, but had a different liaison they have been in contact with, could I give you my information to pass along so they can reach out to me, so I'm not left high-and-dry? I have my deposit invoice and contract if you need proof of that.

Not going to lie, but my stress level is pretty high right now not having this clarification that I'll be taken care of upon arrival.

Thanks!  

Sounds like you should just call the clinic

59 minutes ago, Savemyhairline said:

Thanks. I believe my hair loss has been stabilized for now, as it does look better after one year on fin/topical min that it did one year ago. Just obviously hasn’t been restored to baseline. I’m considering dut, idk how much improvement it’ll make me have. It seems oral minoxidil is the one that would make the real improvements but currently I don’t feel comfortable taking it.

Fact is, no one should force you into using medication you're not comfortable with. That said, if you ask yourself, we all have a minimum level of coverage we'd be happy with, sounds like you're below that thresh-hold. There is value is waiting until you're older of course but it does sound worth getting more credible opinions.

Ultimately, there is no true oracle of doctors who's word is absolute.

Opinions of elite surgeons, while with ethical intentions, can vary hugely.

Some are conservative / much more aggressive, some pro others cautious of certain medications, some pro or anti FUT/FUE. 

While note the same of course, it may be worth getting other free online consultations from the likes of Eugenix or Shapiro MC. Not to give you a solid answer, got help guide your navigation.

13 hours ago, Savemyhairline said:

So, H&W got back to me. Hasson said he feels I might not be an ideal candidate, but Wong believes he can safely transplant between the existing hair and get around 2000 grafts for the frontal third. According to the advisor, Wong specifically has developed techniques that allow him to navigate around the existing hairs more effectively than other doctors. Here’s another pic Bisanga took, kind of wish my hair was shorter but oh well:

 

 

what do you think? Worth potentially going to Wong instead? I feel like I’ve seen a lot more of Hasson’s work here, though I know both are highly regarded. My top two choices don’t think I’m a great candidate which is making me lean towards holding off, though I am intrigued by Dr. Wong’s thoughts.

I'm also a diffuse thinner with slightly less thinning with yourself and I'm booked for Dr Wong. Feel free to message me if you'd like me to let you know how it goes.

Even the elite doctors have different 'philosophies'. E.g. some doctor wouldn't want to risk losing even half miniaturised hairs while others would agree that they're so find they may as well not be there.

2 hours ago, SoSoz said:

I am about to start finasteride treatment for couple of months to prepare myself for hairtransplant and wanted to gauge peoples opinions on finasteride 3 times a week. Im kinda afraid of taking higher dosage from the start.

Will 0.5mg Mon/Wed/Fri be okay or it wont be effective? I've seen on studies that 0.5mg was optimal dose as well?
Age: 24

Hair:

 

Finasteride as very high finishing returns on it's effectiveness. Many doctors prescribe 1mg 2x a week and say their results are identical to daily.

0.5mg has close to the same effectiveness at 1mg

2 hours ago, Alfred said:

Hello,

Take 1mg a week but topically no side effect and it work as well as 1mg per day with pills.

You can even start at 0,75mg a week

Use 0.025% solution 1ml 3x a week

 

Did you have side effects at other doses?

0.5mg every other day is likely to benefit hugely

This talk sounds like it pokes holes in Derek from More Plates More Dates theory that side effects only hit those with borderline low testosterone. Suppose it's almost impossible to know who will get hit 

I get the mentallity to not want to 'over-hype' new treatments. Fact is that so far it we have the most promising actual data for any new treatment in a long time.

No one can deny that Fin/Dut topically and orally are the gold standard. Going well it could be second best option for those who are unable to tolerate even topical version, (even the Xyon ones appears to give some outliers side effects). Also would be great for those who have severe AGA genes, losing losing ground on 5AR but don't want to take oral minoxidil.