Robert_

This regimen works for me: Avodart (Dutasteride) .5 mg per day Nizoral 2% - 3 five minute shampoos per week Minoxidil 5% - two mL twice a day. One on the hairline and one mL on the crown. Use the cheap wal-mart stuff. Works great. This stuff doesn't help grow or maintain hair counts, but I like the way they make my hair feel/act: MSM - 3,000 mg per day - makes the hair grow faster Nioxin actives shampoo - Thickening agent. Great shampoo and conditioner overall. And for the grudgingly thin spot in the crown: Dermmatch and a sprinkle of Toppik. Substitute Propecia (Finasteride) for Avodart (Dutasteride) if you wish. Anything outside of that list just ain't worth it. -Robert

Bill and everyone else, Remember this thread about Revivogen? You have to read just about all two pages of the thread to tell what's going on, but basically it was me emailing the company to call their bluff on some borderline libelous things they were saying about Nioxin and then later hiding behind a statement to the effect of, "Well, we were generalizing..." or something to that effect. At any rate, I've never heard of any one that has had much or even any success using Revivogen. -Robert

Howdy, Bill. I've been lurking here every once in a while but between you and a few others, there's been no need to post much because you guys are keeping the new guys pretty well informed. I'll try to post more from now on though.

I've used creatine monohydrate and creatine ethyl ester off and on for years with no discernible side effects on my hair whatsoever. -Robert

By the way, if anyone just wants FASTER hair growth, just take 3,000 mg of MSM per day. That'll do the trick. -Robert

What is the name of the clinic you went to? If they have a site, point it out. Basically, the fact that you didn't agree to a procedure right away and came here just saved you years of grief and thousands of dollars. Go see Dr. True, Dr. Dorin, Dr. Bernstein, or Dr. Feller. Each of them are in New York. Run, don't walk.

SPAMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM

Ditto to what he said.

Yup. I did eventually experience a side effect with Avodart. A very slight case of gyno in one nipple. However, with one supplement I was able to be rid of it.

You may not be trying to sell a worthless product but you are trying to drive traffic from this, an information forum, to your worthless website. When 99% of the readers here see other prominent posters calling you out for your BS your websites won't be visited anyway. They're full of wrong information and crappy writing anyway. However, I'm going to go above and beyond what Pat banning will do, buddy. I'm going to get you banned from Google. That's right. Your site has just been submitted to some of the biggest link farms known to Google. It won't be long until you lose even the crappy PR2 that your site has. So say "Goodbye" from EVER being found in the search engine rankings from Google, Yahoo, or MSN. Hell, even Ask.com won't even touch you after millions of known crappy links have been pointed to your site. And I'll do the same to any other crappy website spammers that try to come on to this forum spreading bad information to turn a quick buck. -Robert

Matt Skiba, Good to see that you're doing your research AFTER you decided Propecia is not for you, Mr. Cart-before-the-horse. Now, I can't care less if you do or don't take Propecia for the rest of your life, however I can't sit idly by while you say this: At what point in time did Merck break into your house and force those orange pills down your throat? What's that? Never? Oh, oh ok so you went and obtained the prescription from a DOCTOR, then, right? Who gave you a prescription for the medication, correct? Yes, a prescription medication that listed ALL OF ITS SIDE EFFECTS RIGHT THERE ON THE ASSOCIATED LITERATURE!!! And at WHAT time did you become a victim again? Thousands of men take Propecia every day with no problems. However, MANY men do have problems with it. I will never contest that because I know that it's true. However, YOU are a fear-mongering head case that let other fear mongering head cases on those goofy forums get into YOUR head and convince you that your balls are going to drop off and your face is going to melt because you took two weeks' worth of Propecia. -Robert

What is the "EXT treatment?" Is that another one of those overpriced minoxidil-and-a-laser-helmet treatment center things? Bill did a great job answering your questions, but there's a couple of things I'd like to add about my own experiences. The scabs don't last long, they fall off in just a couple of days. The redness fades as well. I'm about as pale as they come and no one could tell that I had anything done due to redness and much less scabs. No. And I don't even know what it is. Get yourself some Nizoral 2% three times a week and a quality shampoo for the rest of the time. I use Nioxin, but only because I think it's great shampoo. Use Prell for all I care, because Prell will help you grow hair as well as whatever that "EXT shampoo" is. Edit: I just looked up what "EXT" is. On second thought, save your EXT shampoo to go back to the salesman that sold it to you and beat him to a pulp with it. Then go get some Nizoral 2% and some Prell. Because you're the man. Yes, but only after talking to a doctor about it. And knowing the risk of side effects before taking it. Here's a hint: 99% of the people that cry about Propecia side effects on the web are hypochondriacs or head cases. That's no lie. There's a chance of shock loss, but that's VERY minimized with a great doc. Of course, you don't need a doc yet. You can stave off your future loss with an appropriate blend of medication and treatment. You want to know what it is? Look at the list of treatments I use to the left. Been using it for years. Mild side effects at one time that were easily managed. And I have hair. Don't mess with a hair transplant until you're ready to commit to a medicinal regimen, period. No, you're just comfortably sedated. Take a look at my hair loss weblog for pictures of what the scabs look like directly post-op and in the days and weeks after. Not bad at all. Just take it easy those first ten days or so and you'll be A-ok. My Hairloss Weblog Good hair restoration physicians are just as much artists as they are doctors. A good doc will make sure that your hair is blended appropriately. But this is a moot point since you're going to start medicinal treatments for at least a year before considering surgery, right? (You shake your head yes now) Riiiight. It is only the rarest of cases that hair restoration surgery is worth it for only 800 grafts. if you let someone talk you into cutting into your virgin scalp for only 800 grafts, I'm going to be very very mad at you. Do NOT do this without proper medication and ESPECIALLY not for some measly 800 grafts. And stop using that worthless EXT crap. Throw it in the trash because that's all its worth. Wanna know how I know? Because I've been studying hair loss treatments since 2003. Extensively. That stuff is crap no matter what the slick salesman that sold it to you said it's not. -Robert

Looks like I missed out on some drama... -Robert

Use the Toppik sprayer from Spenser Forrest. This concentrates the Toppik into the zones you most want it, thus making the product last MUCH longer. And if you're worried about Toppik clogging your pores, then wash your face with warm water and a gentle face soap after you've applied it. -Robert

If you're using Dermmatch and Toppik, there's no need for Couvre. Basically, Couvre works in much the same way that Dermmatch does, except that it does not coat the hair shafts, making them look thicker. Essentially, it is "scalp paint," albeit good scalp paint. And Dermmatch and Toppik really is the best combo. Be sure to order each from their respective website's, though. Avoid the cheap imitations. Dermmatch - http://www.dermmatch.com Toppik - http://www.toppik.com/ Also, if you have lighter hair and especially blonde hair, don't expect miracles. Especially with Dermmatch. -Robert

I wouldn't risk it personally. If you want to save some cash just get a script for Proscar. I used to pay around $32 for 10 Proscar pills at CVS. That came out to 40 days at $.80 a day. Not too shabby. -Robert

When I said that the body becomes acclimated to Propecia, I meant that the lower initial dose (3x per week) may not be as effective after a certain amount of time. I'm not advocating anyone going above the recommended dose of 1 mg per day (or 1.25 mg/day if you quarter Proscar). -Robert

Vijay, You can find Dr. Cooley's profile on the Hair Transplant Network here and here is his contact information in Charlotte: Phone: 704-542-1601 Address: The Hair Center 10502 Park Rd. Ste 100 Charlotte North Carolina 28210 704-542-1601 You can also check out my hair loss weblog for more photos of Dr. Cooley and his staff in action. Best of luck! -Robert

Doesn't stop crooks from making it, as reported in this article from just a week ago: No Valentine's day for fake viagra pusher Counterfeit drugs are a big business. And the guys that think that criminals are overlooking popular drugs that men have to take daily for the rest of their life in favor of just Viagra and Cialis are kidding themselves. -Robert

23 lbs? Oh ok. That's nothing more than carrying a few bags of groceries in from the car. My advice (and every physician I've ever heard speak on the subject) is to ensure you don't put an inordinate amount of strain on that area, making it pull apart. I'm sure you would know when you were doing that, though. Best of luck, -Robert

I hope for your sake you didn't. Like I said before, I tend to be a bit more safe than sorry. But to lug a deer stand on your back (how much does it weigh) 3 times within 4 days of your procedure is a bit much. I ope you aren't exerting too much pressure on your donor area sutures. At any rate, congratulations on your procedure. -Robert

Vijay, Does your hair loss follow the typical male-pattern baldness loss pattern as depicted on the Hamilton/Norwood Scale? If so, then you can be 99% sure that your hair loss is due to male-pattern baldness. However, if your hair loss appears to be more sporadic and occurs in patches, you should see a dermotologist to determine what the exact cause is. You may have severe inflammation that can contribute significantly to hair loss. It is important to have your existing scalp conditions under control before proceeding with surgical hair restoration. I agree with JakeVig that Nizoral 2% can be a HUGE benefit for someone with dandruff and itchy scalp. Other medicated shampoos such as Neutrogena's T-Sal and T-Gel added into the rotation can help too. You never said if you were using any medications to combat your hair loss such as Propecia or Minoxidil. You definitely shouldn't use minoxidil until you get your current scalp condition straightened out as it can be very irritating even to healthy scalps. However, Propecia may be an option for you at this time and should definitely be strongly considered before surgical hair restoration and for the long-haul after the procedure. -Robert

Well, I'm not going to comment on the validity of this stuff because I'll leave the consensus up to you guys on this one. There are enough guys in this thread that have been researching hair loss long enough to know a viable hair loss treatment from the more questionable substances that are peddled online. However, one thing I do want to point out for anyone considering using this substance is that the dramatic "before/after" photographs of the person shown on the home page does not appear to be of someone suffering from male-pattern baldness. The pattern does not follow the traditional hairline recession/thinning crown criteria and looks to be a more random, clumped fallout sort of hair loss. The causes of that kind of hair loss can be extremely varied, from illness to medication to many other things. Anyone considering treatments that make spectacular claims and have little to none associated scientific documentation to support these claims is invited to check out this article on questionable hair loss treatments. Caveat Emptor, Robert

MichiganBaldy, Why not upload the video on YouTube or Google Video and repost the link here on the forums? That link does not work for me either. -Robert

Mark H, I see no reason for you to apologize. I was only kidding in my last post about anyone having to hug and make up in this thread. We're all big boys, we can take a little opposition and lively debate. God knows, I know that Jotronic, Bill, and myself have seen it on these discussion forums a time or two. Personally, I don't count Folligen, Graftcyte, or Tricomin to be the same caliper of treatment as to what you recieved from Dr. Cooley's office post-op. Dr. Cooley's post-op therapy spray that he gives to all of his patients may contain copper peptides, but also contains other agents that he employs that speeds the healing process considerably. Anyone keeping up with Dr. Cooley patients that post photos can attest to the fact that Dr. Cooley's patients do tend to heal very rapidly no matter what their age. I'm not saying that the spray he gives to patients post-op is the sole reason for this, but I do believe that is a crucial component. I bring Dr. Cooley up for two reasons: Mark H had his recent procedure performed by Dr. Cooley and no doubt recieved this spray and Dr. Cooley is the only physician that I know of that hands out a spray like it. I am afraid that I do not know what other ingredients are in the spray and even if I did, I'm sure that it's proprietary anyway. However, I can say that I am continuously impressed that Dr. Cooley goes to that length for his patients. Every physician is different. There is more than one way to skin a cat and more than one approach to successful post-operative care. I don't think anyone participating in this discussion will disagree with my sentiments that Dr. Cooley, Dr. Hasson, and Dr. Wong all perform impeccable hair restoration surgeries and are among the elite few in the world. So I have no problem taking and heeding the advice of any one of them. If there appears to be any discrepancy in their post-op care advice, then I would suggest that each patient do what their respective physicians recommend. However, as far as copper peptides utilized at any other time than post hair transplant surgery, the studies, however limited, are promising. Mark, I don't have any reason not to believe Folligen's claims of significantly higher concentrations of copper peptides as opposed to it's competitor, Tricomin other than the fact that Tricomin no doubt knows about Folligen and their website. I strongly believe that if any false information were posted about Tricomin, ProCyte's lawyers would undoubtedly have the content pulled. But it's been there for a few years now. I'm still waiting for my shipment to arrive so that I can start my 6 month test. -Robert