splitting hairs

Yeah, I wouldn't get your hopes up mate. This isn't happening any time soon. Even when it does, I still question whether it'll be any good. Your best bet if you're losing hair now is to get on finasteride and consider seeing a top hair transplant doc recommended here.

Tylenol is just paracetamol (or acetaminophen, if you're american). I would seriously doubt it could cause hairloss, it's not referenced in professional sources and the drug is tried and tested - its been around for years. Propecia can cause an initial shedding phase. This means minituirised hairs shed, but then come in thicker a few months later. It could be this, or it could be that you are just more aware of your hairloss now that you are trying to see if the drug is working for you. Either way, give it a year and re-evaluate. Remember, no further loss is still a result. Good luck.

Hi, welcome to the forum. You've found the right place. I'm sorry to hear you previously had a bad transplant. Well done for doing your research, you have narrowed it down to the worlds best two hair transplant surgeons in my opinion. A word on propecia - propecia is more effective at preventing further loss than it is at regrowing hair. It would seem a good idea, if you get a procedure to go back on propecia to protect the hair below your crown. You can discuss this with your doc. 6000-7000 grafts would seem to be appropraite amount of grafts, but please be aware that it is very unlikely you will get this in one session. It would be closer to 4000-5000 grafts. Therefore you will likely need two procedures. Make sure you look at work from Dr hasson and dr wong before making your decision. From my observations, Dr hasson is a little less conservative when it comes to the hairline, which I think frames the face better, whereas Dr wong is more conservative when it comes to hairline placement. Good luck.

This question has been asked so many times before. There isn't any evidence that whey protein can cause hair loss, however, I don't exactly see maximuscle funding such a study!! You get protein from food anyway (albeit its not whey), so will getting it from a supplement make much of a difference?? If you're unsure you could always just taylor your diet so you get your protein from food.

What a transformation. The only question I keep asking is: how did this guy get through the last ten years like that? Maybe he had native hair hiding the shocking work. tremendous work from Dr hasson and well presented Jotronic.

Thank you for your reply Dr Simmons. I too in the past have posted that I thought that a lot of guys experienced erectile dysfunction because of pshychological issues related to the anxiety that is caused by such an effect. This was from my own experience as i had this problem myself after two weeks of propecia - because i was anxious about the prospect experiencing such an effect. After I understood this concept, I haven't had a problem since

Hi, let me first say well done for getting on finasteride, its the best step to try and prevent further hair loss. With regard to side effects - don't read stuff on the internet. There are a whole load of things that may cause such effects and I feel it is best to look at the real evidence we have. Some HT docs recommend using propecia (1mg finasteride) three times a week. I personally take propecia daily because that's what was used in the trials and was shown to be effective. I don't like the idea of taking half a 5 mg tablet every other day. 2.5mg, to me, seems a bit too much to take as a single dose. I would much prefer to quarter the tablets and take 1.25 mg every day. See how it goes, if you get any sides you can reduce it. Good luck.

As always, excellent work from Dr Hasson. The hair balls and the reduced donor density caused by FUE highlight why strip surgery should be first choice for most guys with hairloss.

Ok, Your GP is right to be concerned about you getting finasteride off the internet. You don't know what you're getting, and you have no one monitoring you whilst you're on it. Proscar is finasteride 5mg - it is licenced for treating BPH - not hairloss. Therefore if a dr precribed it for you, his ass is on the line if something goes wrong. Drugs are only prescribed in this way if no alternatives are available and if it is for a real disease. If you went to your doctor and asked for a private prescription (its not prescribed on the NHS)for propecia (1mg finasteride tablets) - you will probably get a better response because its licensed. I personally get my propecia prescribed by my GP on a private prescription.

Thanks everyone for your input. Yes, 50 out of millions of patients is very small, and although statistical significance was not reached, the MHRA did feel there was a trend that showed an increaed risk among finasteride users. This is from 10 years of data. Some of us on this forum might be taking this drug for 40+years. We don't know the implications of this. The risk is very small, and it should be borne in mind that a 50 out of several millions is a tiny percentage. But nevertheless, it is still a risk and needs to be considered - especially for guys that have female breast cancer in their family. Jotronic, I understand where you're coming from that this should not be blown out of proportion and I agree with you, however it comes from post marketing data and the risk is still very real. Cancer is not a small issue if it arises. With regard to the sexual dysfunction - i don't know the figures, but they mentioned that it would be updated in the patient information leaflets (probably the UK only).

Hi, I just wanted to make everyone aware of a drug safety update on finasteride, released by the medicines and healthcare regulatory agency (MHRA) - They are the UK equivalent of the FDA. Here's the link:http://www.mhra.gov.uk/SearchHelp/Search/Searchresults/index.htm?within=Yes&keywords=finasteride Basically, there's two things from this, 1) There is now post marketing data to show that Finasteride can cause erectile dysfuction which persists after stopping treatment. If anyone mentioned such a thing in the past, I always shrugged it off because there was no clinical evidence to back it up - but now there is. The second thing is that there is believed to be a risk of male breast cancer. The data, although not statistically significant, is thought to pose an additional risk and therefore is to be added to patient information leaflets soon. Worldwide there have been 50 cases with 5mg finasteride and 3 cases with 1mg finasteride. This second issue is of particular concern to myself, because I have a family history of female breast cancer in my famly. At the moment, I'm still taking propecia but am deliberating over it. Propecia has stopped my hairloss for now, but at 23 I don't think I'm ready to start losing significant amounts of hair again. I'm a bit confused tbh.

azazelgs, Be aware that from looking at the patient websites, there are quite a few guys who have been taking propecia since their early twenties, and now are in their mid-late thirties and still have a significant amount of hair. That bodes well for all of us, and if you do decide to go down the transplant route, it will obviously help a lot. Whenever I feel down about hair loss - I think what it must have been like for my dad - no propecia, no rogaine, no good transplants - it was a case of wear a wig or live with it. So there isn't a cure for baldness - but the drugs we have do a hell of a lot and the top clinics do amazing transplants. So the options are there, we're lucky. So don't fear this. Good luck.

Hi, I'm 23 aswell, and like you I'm a Norwood 3 but my crown is OK. My family history is norwood 6. Hair loss at a young age sucks, there's no doubt about that. I got on Propecia 18 months ago at 22. My hairloss has stopped for now. Give the propecia time. It will probably slow down your loss dramatically. Bill has given you good advice there but for me personally, I didn't want the shaved head look, and i don't think I could embrace baldness - i probaly couldn't handle all the comments. Try and find ways to style your hair, use wax - not gel, try using nanogen fibres - a style thats good for receeders is the faux hawk - give it a go. I did that about a year ago and my self confidence grew. For now, this is how i'm getting by and safe in the knowledge that in 3-4years i'm going to Dr Hasson in Vancouver to get my frontal third transplanted, I know that everyting will work out for the best. Plus you don't have to worry about becoming a norwood 6. Look at hasson and wongs gallery - they are the only clinic to consistently restore a good head of hair to such patients. Don't get me wrong, I still have lapses from time to time where i want a transplant, but thats to be expected. Good luck, if you want to ask anything, PM me.

Just wanted to let everyone know that on Dr Jones's website it says that he is no longer offering PRP treatments as he has not seen satisfactory results from his trial patients. He isn't a coalition member, but credit to him. I think its time for other docs to step up and question whether they are continuing to offer PRP because they actually think it works or just because its the latest craze that brings in 600 bucks a shot. I think we need to end all the PRP hype and look at the evidence. Most clinics have been offering PRP since may/june last year - i think that's more than enough time to guage if it works or not.

We need to see some pics to let you know how many grafts you'll need. 1200 grafts will do very little for you unless you have minimal loss. Be sure to go to a surgeon recommended on this site - they're more expensive than some of the crappy surgeons here in the UK, but you get what you pay for. Hair transplants are something you'll need to live with for the rest of your life. It would be better saving for a little longer and going to a top surgeon than going to a cowboy and getting a botched job that'll leave you looking and feeling worse than you did before. you've been warned. Don't go to any of the crappy FUE clinics you see advertised in the newspapers or back of magazines here in the UK. Make sure you get on propecia if you've got some hair left - go to your GP and get a private prescription - it costs 30 quid a month though. That should be your first step, before you even consider a transplant. I wouldn't go to anyone in the UK except for Dr farjo in Manchester. Good luck.

7.5mg of finasteride is a great big whopping dose!!! While I don't believe the effects of propecia decline because you become immune to it (I think its because DHT accelerates hairloss by shortening its life cycle, making you reach your genetic end point sooner - thus propecia reduces DHT and delays the inevitable) - I still think its unwise to be taking 7.5mg of finasteride. This dose is unlicensed, meaning there isn't data to prove it's safe. I would be surprised if any Dr told you to take that dose, unless they made it blatantly clear that its not licensed and if anything goes wrong they have no liability. We all want to keep our hair, but we have to be sensible about things too. That dose increases the risk of side effects and may have long term implications we don't even know about - even 30 years down the line. More finasteride won't necessarly mean more hair - in the summary of product characteristics for propecia it says: "there is no evidence that an increase in dosage will result in increased efficacy". The half-life of finasteride is short, but it is believed to inhibit 5 alpha reductase for 72 hours - hence some HT docs recommend Mon wed fri dosing of 1mg propecia. Patients may have taken upto 400mg of finasteride in the trials, but that was for a few months - not their whole life. I hope you weigh up the info and make your decision.

I've seen this quite a lot, although I've seen it referred to as valleys. Don't worry about it. The next few months will be difficult while you wait for your grafts to grow in. Try not to think about it too much. It will all be worth it nine months from now - You did your homework, you chose the best surgeon, now relax and just stick it out for a little while.

I don't think you can say either way for sure whether working out and whey protein affects hair loss. There simply isn't any evidence. However, I certainly don't see maximuscle or anyone else funding such a study!!

Yeah guys, this is the best approach. You guys are gonna have brilliant hairlines when they grow out!! I'm 23 (nearly 24) with a receding hairline. I sent Dr Hasson pics a couple of months back and he suggested adding 2000 grafts to the front third and temples. But after deliberating quite a bit over it, I decided I'd give it a couple of years until the front third thins out a bit, then go and get transplants like yours : 3500 grafts to the front third. It makes the most sense, gives the best long term results in the fewest procedures, without having to wait until your slick bald. Happy growing and keep us posted.

this is a very interesting case with regard to the number of grafts used for this level of hairloss. 4200 grafts would at first seem far too much for this level of hairloss, but if you look at the placement of these grafts, it covers the front third and mid scalp. In my opinion, this is the best approach, because if Dr hasson just addressed the receding corners, in two years time this guys hairloss could progress and he would look unnatural. But, with the placement that has been chosen, he will have a natural appearance even if his hairloss progresses. My question is this: why isn't this approach used more often. Transplanting into native hair gives higher risks of shockloss, but ultimately, this area will need transplanted at some stage, so if there are signs of thinning, why not address it at the same time?? I guess each case needs to be judged on its merits, but some Docs are more willing to take this approach than others. What the patient can afford at the timne would also come into it.

I am extremely relieved to hear that Dr hasson has operated on many patients with scalp dermatitis. I suffer from a mild form which is well controlled and have always been worried I would be turned down for a transplant because of this!!

Nice result. I think everyone on this forum has every right to be skeptical about Armani's results, given his track record and the sheer number of extremely poor reults he has had. Yes, this is a good result, and I'm happy for the patient. But, having "casualties" to the number that Armani has, shows he cares more about his pocket than the long term interests of his patients. All surgeons know that FUE has a high degree of wastage of grafts and for that reason, procedures are kept to below 2000. It isn't sensible to go above this for this reason. Also, ONE result where a patient appears to have had a decent yield for 6000 FUE grafts, shows absolutely nothing in terms of repeatability. I sure won't be putting my precious donor hair on the line for a FUE megasession, unless I had ZERO laxity.

The guys who are most likely to be able to achieve a great hair transplant are those who have minimal loss (up to a NW 3 or 4) and are unlikely to lose more hair (due to genetics and/or being 35+). This means the hair transplant can be less conservative to achieve a result that you mentioned. With that being said, there are some NW 6's who have avhieved a very good head of hair, albeit not "brad pitt hair". It's important to have realistic expectations and accept that if you have advanced loss, or are heading towards it, you probably can't get a result that is a ten. But Having hair that is a 7 or 8 is much better than being a NW 6 isn't it??

Thanks for the input guys!! You've confirmed what I was thinking. I'm sticking to my plan of playing the waiting game until my hairloss progresses to when the front third is gone, then going to Dr Hasson to fix me up!

Low hairlines tend to look very good, and its what most of us would choose. However, they just wouldn't look right on guys in their 40's and 50's. We have to remember we need to be conservative with our donor hair too, since it is limited. I have to say that I feel Dr Rahal does the best hairline work I have seen and I am very tempted to opt for the low dense hairlines that for me, are his signature. But what are the potential future consequences of this? So many guys in their early twenties opt fot this, but I guess it could potentially be something they regret, should their hairloss progress and they then run out of grafts for the rest of their head. This needs to be borne in mind. Is it then ethical to perform such a transplant on a young guy?? I'm trying to weigh up the situation here. Any views would be appreciated.