My mother has dupa so didn’t know if that was a sign that I may eventually get it?

Will be interesting 

7 hours ago, arthurSam said:

Oral minox work for about  2 years like topical 

And then what? Up the dose or just come off and lose everything?

Anyone heard of this new approve treatment to parts of europe? I don’t know how effective it is but the company making it said they expect 120 million spent in sales!

2 hours ago, Mike10 said:

the truth is there is no study which proves long term efficiacity of minox oral.We do know that the topical version generally loses efficacity after a few years.The jury is still out there for the oral version.

With topical losing effectiveness is another treatments recommended or just stay the course with topical minox?

1 hour ago, Archan said:

Meds will work till you take them...as u stop them the negative effects will start...bt after a certain age the dosage may have to be altered considering the amount of dht produced by the body and other factors i.e. age and other medical condition at tht age...

Thanks archan. Would disagree need to be upped?

2 hours ago, TorontoMan said:

Yes definitely, everything we have available to us are "treatments" not "cures". You are staving off hair loss and falling from grace slowly rather than rapidly with medications. There is a finasteride study that was done in Asia that showed after 10 years a good number of men on treatment after that many years held on to a good amount of hair, so my assumption is it will do well enough for most men long term. 

Interesting! Thank you for the input. Yes I really was just curious from person insight or research if dutasteride over a period of time may need switched or higher dosage as well as oral minox. Nothing is truly permanent but if they work for 20-30 years I guess that’s all you can ask from them. But also maybe with time from ages 40-80 your dht isn’t as high so those are not needed as much as hair loss in 20s? Who knows 

I don’t know if it has even been studied but if someone took oral minox for 20 years would the hair start to thin again even if they were on fin/Dut? Basically do any of these drugs lose effectiveness 20-30 years down the line? Just curious to hear from people who have taken either for that long or Doctor input!

20 minutes ago, MaximusEastwood said:

One month update - starting the shedding phase.  Not much pain in the donor area, but scar is still visible, and may hair doesn't seem want to cover it on the right side.  Hoping the donor area will thicken back up and fully cover the scar in a few more months...

In terms of exercise, have started to do light cardio, but will probably add back some weightlifting after another month.  Dr. Wong recommends waiting 6 months before "heavy" weightlifting, but not sure I can wait that long to do any resistance training...

Might be some shock loss around scar! In 3 months it will be hidden well. Is the scar at least paper thin or not raised/colored? If so that is a good sign 

1 hour ago, Fue3361 said:

Fun update:

 

Wow. Looks incredible but also super naturally dense. Nothing off about it!

Is having a massive head circumference make results definitely not as optimal?

Another homerun. I’m starting to wonder if you have superpowers Doctor! Insane results. Also you really maximize every graft. You and Dr Konior seem to be stars at that. Continue the great work!

2 hours ago, HappyMan2021 said:

Surprised there is no mention of Machine Gun Kelly yet. While I dislike everything about him, there is no denying he has gotten a hair transplant and the work is amazing. 

 

Wonder who did his along with Joel mchale? Both look good 

4 hours ago, mister_25 said:

Skin to Hair contrast is the main thing that will impact results, if your hair is blonde and your a white guy you can have more coverage for less grafts. Whilst a white guy with dark hair will need to have more grafts to cover the contrast between scalp to hair.

Here is a question of my own that I was thinking about.

If your beard hair is a different colour than your scalp hair. How will that impact your results? My beard hair is almost ginger, whilst my scalp is very dark brown almost black. If I were to use beard hair in lets say my crown and mix that in with my scalp hair will the beard hairs make it look unnatural? The salt and pepper look with a mix of gray and black hairs look natural but how would ginger and dark brown hair look? Unnatural? We've heard of beard hair matching the characteristics of scalp hairs when transplanted but what about the colour of the hair?

Great question wondering same thing due to my ginger beard 

11 hours ago, sunsurfhair said:

Just did a quick search on it for transgenders and the two or combination of options are surgery and vocal retraining for feminization. So no, I don’t believe a medicine could do that. But people who transition use very powerful androgen blockers in order to transition (or visa versa). 
 

What are commonly used medications for transition?

In transgender men, or trans masculine people (FTM), the most common medication used for transition is testosterone.  Administration of testosterone (via transdermal, intramuscular, subcutaneous, or oral routes) lowers serum estradiol levels, raises serum testosterone levels, and results in the development of typical male secondary sex characteristics. Irreversible changes include: deepening of the voice, increase in facial and body hair growth, clitoral enlargement (clitoromegaly), and thickened facial bone structure.  Reversible changes include amenorrhea, male-pattern fat distribution, increased muscle mass, vaginal atrophy, and male-pattern baldness.  Some trans men also describe changes in emotions (e.g., inability to cry, increased anger) as well as increased libido.  Adverse effects can include elevations in blood pressure, polycythemia, worsening of lipid profile, elevations in glucose, elevations in transaminases, acne, and effects on fertility (although testosterone is not an effective contraceptive as it does not interrupt ovulation, so pregnancy can still occur).

Finasteride can also be used to prevent male-pattern baldness in transgender men, as it only blocks dihydrotestosterone (DHT), not testosterone itself; however this will likely slow or decrease secondary hair growth, and may slow or decrease clitoromegaly as well.

In transgender women or trans feminine people (MTF), the most commonly used medications are estrogens and anti-androgens. Administration of estrogen (via oral, sublingual, transdermal, intramuscular, or subcutaneous routes) lower serum testosterone levels, raises serum estradiol levels, and results in the development of typical female secondary sex characteristics including: breast growth, softer skin, decreased muscle mass, and female-pattern fat distribution.  These effects are largely reversible. Estrogen can also cause testicular and penile atrophy (ultimately resulting in potential erectile dysfunction and infertility). Some trans women also describe changes in emotions (e.g., more tearful) as well as decreased libido.  Adverse effects can include increased risk for thrombosis, elevations in blood pressure, elevations in prolactin (rarely including development of a prolactinoma), migraines, elevations in transaminases and effects on fertility (although estrogen is not an effective contraceptive).  Estrogens will NOT heighten voice pitch, decrease facial hair, change facial bone structure, or reverse male-pattern baldness.  Other methodologies would need to be employed (e.g., voice training, electrolysis or laser hair removal, facial feminization surgery, hair restoration, etc).

Anti-androgens (i.e. spironolactone, bicalutamide, flutamide, finasteride) are also commonly used in trans women who have not had an orchiectomy.  These medications block the effects of testosterone, resulting in decreased erectile function and allowing estrogen to develop typical female secondary sex characteristics. Finasteride, however, specifically targets dihydrotestosterone (DHT), not testosterone, so it is not as effective at lowering total testosterone levels.

GnRH Agonists (i.e. Lupron) could also be used instead of Anti-Androgens to block endogenous testosterone production. Lupron is typically given intramuscularly every couple months and is very effective at blocking total testosterone levels.  However, it can be difficult to obtain insurance coverage for it, and is otherwise fairly expensive out of pocket.

Progesterones activate the androgen receptors slightly, so may be used to improve libido and mood. in some cases, it may be indicated to maximize breast growth, though this is likely happening via weight gain. Of note, some studies show a possible increased risk for VTE, cardiovascular disease and/or breast cancer with use.

Not all transgender patients will want to take medications for gender transition and the risks, benefits and alternatives should be discussed with each individual along with their personal goals for transition to determine the right course.

Thank you for this! 

Just now, mr_peanutbutter said:

i could imagine finasterid in puberty could maybe have an effect on voice though but after this i cant imagine (you could research if people born without 5 alpha reductase have high or deep voices in adulthood…they are called güevedoce

 

another examples would be enuchs. in europe there was a time where they castrated little boys in order to keep their voice high. they had to do it before puberty before larynx started to grow. once pubery kicked in it would have been too late bc the larynx wouldnt shrink even after castration

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Castrato

Very interesting. Thank you for the history and the new cases to research. I assume that’s why voice feminization is usually surgery based since no known drug could gain higher pitch compared to dht or test helping with lower pitch 

2 minutes ago, mr_peanutbutter said:

i dont think its that easy. think of male to female transgenders. i talked to one once and the voice was really telling. and those people talk way more then just finasterid. 

 

the voice is determined by the larynx and that organ would have to shrink again which is not possible with medication afaik

Thank you for your input. I 100% agree. I was just curious what if any effect fin may have on the voice but it was more hypothetical than anything. 

2 hours ago, Fue3361 said:

wait, can your voice feminize?  I'm aware it can get more masculine.  Don't think it can go backwards though, can it?

I have no clue. I know to masculinization it people will take test. I didn’t know if blocking DHT and it going more estrogen route could revert your voice a little higher?

9 hours ago, sunsurfhair said:

That’s a good question I haven’t heard of that but who knows? Sounds rather unlikely though. These are the most common symptoms of high estrogen in men (regardless of Fin or Dut) —

 

• Extra water retention or unexplained puffiness.
• Extreme fatigue or tiredness for days at a time.
• Stubborn belly fat that you can’t get rid of.
• Issues with getting and maintaining an erection.
• Low libido.
• Mood swings and emotional outbursts.
• Loss of lean muscle mass or tone, despite working out.
• Gynecomastia or sudden, excess fat in the tissue around the breast.
• Depression.

Interesting. I’ve wondered for awhile if finasteride had any reports of feminizing a voice but I haven’t heard of it

Thank you Melvin I will be listening to it during my jog!

Just now, UtahHair said:

Thanks, you are right, not the most flattering with the wet hair but allows a good look down to the scalp and follicles.

 Very true. I could probably count the follicles if I wanted lol either way I think HW did a good job and it will continue to thicken

Wow thanks for adding wet hair. More people should do that. You did direct light with wet hair which is the absolute worst it could ever look and it looks great! Congrats 

6 hours ago, sunsurfhair said:

You can get an increase in Estrogen as well as a slight bump in Total T for some men because when DHT is blocked from conversion, it will backslide into more T and aromatize into more Estrogen. Thats how / why some men develop gynocomastia (breast tissue) and other estrogenic side effects. Rare of course but that’s the reason. 

Could men develop higher pitched voices too due to the estrogen?

Also some wear wigs if not a ton for movies 

1 hour ago, ostein said:

I have had moments of regret too, especially during the first 2 weeks after the transplant. I got very depressed during this time, but it went away so hang in there.  I have had two HT's. First was a FUT and the second was FUE. The thing I get most depressed about is my FUT scar. At least you don't have that. Overall, I am more happy than regretful with regards to getting the HT's. 

Did you go to a recommended doc for fut?