Robert_

Do a search on Procerin in this forum and read the posts I and others have made about it. You can find much better treatments for much less money. -Robert

Thanks guys. I've been working pretty hard on it and I am anything but a web design guru. I posted all my photos that document my progression from my first and second procedures. I also just set up an RSS feed on it so you can get regular updates if you have a feedreader. -Robert

Sounds great, Pat. Just let me know when you'd like me to start contributing. -Robert

Thanks, Jake. Yup, I'm working on those page tabs now. The content for my own story is coming up. It will be the ongoing theme for the blog.

Hey everyone! I know I haven't been around a great deal in the last few months. I've been super busy with school, family stuff, and working on other stuff. Enough excuses, though, right? Anyway, about a week ago I was thinking about how I need to get my sorry butt back on the forums and do what I love - help out other hair loss sufferers. I mean, it hardy seemed fair that I was out enjoying my hair (4.5 months post op from Dr. Cooley and counting!) and not contributing back to the forums that I love so much. So I'm back. But with something extra. Many times, when guys are trolling the internet they come across bad information about hair loss inadvertently. I came across a way that I could alleviate this. I built a hair blog with RSS feeds enabled. Now, anyone that reads collaborative blog feeds like digg.com and shoutbox.com will see my new posts to my blog every day. I also have links that come back to here, the HTN, Dr. Cooley's office, etc. This way, there is more good information out there besides the slew of "hair mill" and snake oil ads that everyone comes across. I still have a lot of bugs to work out but I've been working hard to get some of my articles on there. Plus, the picture on the upper-right corner will be an animated .gif by tonight's end (hopefully!) Anyway, glad to be back! Now I'm off to check my PM inbox! -Robert

Hey everyone! I know I haven't been around a great deal in the last few months. I've been super busy with school, family stuff, and working on other stuff. Enough excuses, though, right? Anyway, about a week ago I was thinking about how I need to get my sorry butt back on the forums and do what I love - help out other hair loss sufferers. I mean, it hardy seemed fair that I was out enjoying my hair (4.5 months post op from Dr. Cooley and counting!) and not contributing back to the forums that I love so much. So I'm back. But with something extra. Many times, when guys are trolling the internet they come across bad information about hair loss inadvertently. I came across a way that I could alleviate this. I built a hair blog with RSS feeds enabled. Now, anyone that reads collaborative blog feeds like digg.com and shoutbox.com will see my new posts to my blog every day. I also have links that come back to here, the HTN, Dr. Cooley's office, etc. This way, there is more good information out there besides the slew of "hair mill" and snake oil ads that everyone comes across. I still have a lot of bugs to work out but I've been working hard to get some of my articles on there. Plus, the picture on the upper-right corner will be an animated .gif by tonight's end (hopefully!) Anyway, glad to be back! Now I'm off to check my PM inbox! -Robert

tkerr22 and marino450 are correct from everything I have read. It is completely fine to take Propecia while trying to have children. In fact, I am 99% sure Merck removed the warnings it had concerning this from Propecia labels. -Robert

I can totally relate that those first few months on Avodart can be extremely disconcerting. I made myself stick it out and fortunately came out for the better. I can't say that everyone would be so fortunate, though. It's definitely a nail-biter at first! -Robert

Dr. Cooley recommended to me when I was first starting on Propecia to only take it 3 or maybe 4 times a week for this reason. I had already been taking it before and stopped, though, so I went ahead and took 1 mg/day to be safe. If one does take a decreased doseage (say, 1 mg 2 or 3 times a week) then eventually, the user will have to increase the dose but at first that amount should suffice just fine. -Robert

With my very aggressive hair loss I was willing to risk the possible increased risk of side effects with Avodart. This was a personal decision and I don't think anyone else should make a decision based on mine. With the amount of Type I and Type II DHT that .5 mg of Avodart suppresses, it would take the body a long time to build a resistance to the medication that would compromise its efficacy. A LONG time. I'm not too worried about that since I have only been on the drug for a year and a half. -Robert

Have thick skin, guy. Until someone comes and knocks at your door to yell "YOUR HAIR LOOKS AWFUL!", its just words on a screen. If someone does come to your door and do that, knock their teeth out. If you're happy with your procedure then that's absolutely fabulous. I can't be happier for you. Apparently there have been quite a few posters on this forum that haven't been. Just do a search and you can see that for yourself. Do these posters have any more or less right to aire their side of the story? Of course not. Guys, this isn't a court of law. This is an informational forum. Potential patients can read the facts and opinions brought forth by all parties and make their own decisions. That's the bottom line. The minute that arguing takes over a thread, though, is the minute an otherwise knowledgeable and useful poster can be viewed by someone knew to the site as nothing more than an internet tough guy that has nothing more to do with his time than to take jabs at others. Someone may have hundreds or thousands of posts that are filled with great information only to have it all compromised by a heated words. Be all end all: play nice and stop arguing. A civilized discussion is what is needed here, not juvenile bickering. -Robert

I have heard of several physicians recommending that patients just starting Propecia take it EOD for a few months since research tells that, at first at least, doses as low as .02 mg can be as effective as the recommended 1 mg dose. Of course, after time the body builds a resistance to the medication and so the dose needs to be increased to 1 mg/ per day. That said, I don't think it would be wise for someone already taking Propecia for several years to step down. Your body has already started building a resistance to the drug and I think you would start to see your maintenance slipping after a short while. Of course, this is my non-medical professional opinion. I wouldn't risk it. Have you tried Proscar? That would be a cheaper route. You could actually split a 5 mg Proscar into quarters at 1.25 mg per dose and come ut saving money. When I did this I got 10 Proscar every 40 days from CVS for about $33. Worked like a charm. If you are adamant about decreasing your dose I would seriously consider talking to your doc about it. I could be wrong, but I really think you would be putting yourself in the position to lose some ground. -Robert

Hair transplant surgery does nothing to combat thinning hair. DHT will still ravage your native hair just like it did before the procedure. This means you will continue to thin behind the transplanted grafts if you don't do anything to inhibit the DHT that kills the follicles. Some guys that started thinning in their 40's or 50's may be able to stay the course without meds but for someone like me that started thinning at 17 or 18 it isn't such a good idea. If it weren't for the meds and the procedures I have had there isn't a doubt in my mind I would be a solid NW5 by now. Hell, I was a NW4 when I started at 25. My brother was a NW6 by the time he was 30. That should go to show you what I was facing and how the meds have helped me. Anyone considering surgery should DEFINITELY look into meds. I think it would be irresponsible not to. -Robert

Correct. You should be able to discontinue minoxidil use safely after 3 to 4 months use if you only use it only on the recipient site starting about 2 weeks post-op. -Robert

Nope. Seriously, though: You can use minoxidil for a limited amount of time shortly after your HT (give it about 10 to 14 days post-op before you start). I wouldn't use it for more than 4 months or so, though. I think you will find that it may help stimulate early growth but that's about it. Of course, you won't actually know if it did anything at all, since you have no baseline to compare it to (e.g. a HT without using minoxidil) but I don't think it will hurt. If you use it, be sure to do so consistently twice a day, every day. If you don't, then you're pretty much wasting your time and money. I mean, you can miss a day here and there just don't go overboard. Start at 2% and if you can handle a bottle of that (about a month's worth) go up to the 5% for the remainder of time. Oh, and if you only plan on using it for a few months after your HT, then refrain from applying it anywhere but the recipient area. You don't want the rest of your hair becoming minoxidil-dependant. -Robert

Dr. Cooley can perform FUE. As a matter of fact, on my last visit to his clinic he was conducting a FUE on a patient and I got to meet the patient and view the extraction sites and recipient area. -Robert

I came across this same info back when I was considering Avodart but I (and my wallet) was unwilling to take 2.5 mg per day for 6 months. I'll look for the information I came across that said that taking 1.5 mg per day for 10 days would bring the user up to optimal levels, basically "plateauing" the drug in your system to get maximum benefit in minimum time. -Robert

Why even take them at the same time? Why not just use up the rest of your Propecia and start your Avodart the day after? There has been absolutely no research that I have found (and I have looked) that study the effects of taking both Finasteride and Dutasteride simultaneously. If there were, I am willing to bet that the results would mirror what Dr. Hasson said: that there would be no benefit. If you are in a hurry to start Avodart, just switch over and either ditch your remaining Propecia or give it to another Propecia user you know and save him some cash. -Robert

I can't think of any reason to just take your first Avodart the day after you took your last Propecia. I did it just like that with no problems whatsoever. -Robert

I experienced some shock loss after both of my procedures but it was nothing awful. In fact, it sounds like the idea of shedding spooks a lot of guys a lot more than it should. If it's possible, just try to keep your mind off of it. Just remember that in the long run, you'll be much better off. -Robert

Perhaps the "1, 2 punch" of the Finasteride and the 5% minoxidil twice a day will kick your regrowth up a notch. It wouldn't hurt to add Nizoral 2% to the equation 3 times a week to boot. You may see some pretty good regrowth. You will almost definitely maintain and thicken. Adding a good thickening shampoo and conditioner such as Nioxin Actives or Jason's Thin-to-thick could help your hair cosmetically as well. -Robert

Is propecia the only thing you have used for your hairloss during this time? -Robert

youngguy, Don't expect miracles or anything. MSM seems to make my hair grow faster. It definitely makes my nails grow faster and makes them stronger. There is no benefit to hair loss from taking MSM. None. -Robert

I'm 99% positive that you are experiencing a shed. Stick it out. If anything, you may want to consider upping your doseage to once per day now that the shed is out of the way. Consider throwing in some MSM to help the hair that was shed grow back faster. -Robert

This is correct. You can take either way; once a day or twice. It doesn't matter. -Robert