youngsuccess

Damn, I missed this one too. So far I haven't been home or with my laptop during either of the live chats announced recently. I want to get in on it eventually, but my hours are screwy.

He used this example during the radio program; however, he mentioned the backs of the clerks hands (that is the area that would come into contact with the laser, and tiny hairs are present there). I think the point he was trying to make was that the lasers used to scan items at a grocery store are essentially the same as the ones used to "treat" hair loss. I agree it's a little over the top, but it's a good rhetorical tactic when debating to throw in an extreme analogy like that to make people chuckle. But the point remains that lasers are ubiquitous in the modern world and no "phenomenon" (right?), or initially unexplainable side effect like growing hair, has been observed in any every-day situation in which they are used. People discovered minoxidil and finasteride grew hair when using them to treat other things like high blood preasure and the prostate. THEN research was conducted on their hair growing potential, not the other way around. I also remember reading that when larger doses of minoxidil were originally taken orally, some people did in fact grow large amounts of hair in places such as the back of their hands, so maybe his example is not so far off that something with hair growing properties might do this. What I would like to know is how expensive these machines are, and what kind of maintenance on them is required to justify a $4000 dollar a year patient bill?

Yeah the flap theory definitely makes sense to me- his hair just kind of flops forward, seemingly in the opposite direction. But he does have a hairline, he exposes it at about 1:45 into this video: [url=http://youtube.com/watch?v=bo_2e7REzsw]http://youtube.com/watch?v=bo_2e7REzsw I bet you can already guess the outcome of this (Trump would never agree to go on with this storyline if he were going to lose).

I wouldn't worry about that (get some insurance for yourself anyway though!) The only complication that I can think of is that lab work, which is required by a lot of doctors before the procedure, can be expensive if someone does not have insurance. I think that many of the good docs can have the blood tests done at their offices, so it might not be a factor anyway. I just know that a few years ago I was temporarily uninsured, and I had some basic blood work done at a hospital, which came out to be some ridiculous cost like $700. Definitely not bankrupting, just annoying . I think that because the blood tests required by HT docs are usually not comprehensive, but just testing for a few things like HIV, Hepatitis, etc., it shouldn't be that much. I also feel the same way about Propecia as EmuSteve.

And you are already starting off with one advantage: because you have blond hair, there should be less contrast between your skin color and the transplanted hair, which could make it even more undetectable, especially in the hairline.

Well, if your gut is telling you not to take it, then trust your instincts. You don't seem to be posting here simply for for blind reassurance, which we all can respect. I really do think that the silent majority of Propecia users don't experience problems with the drug. We who take it and are fine tend to encourage people to consider the drug more, and of course those who have had problems with it are naturally going to be more outspoken in an effort to protect other people from side effects. Neither side has malicious intentions; it's all based on personal experience. But again, if you are worried and just get a bad feeling about it, then trust your own judgment and don't take it.

So plugs it is. Yeah, it's strange because I've never heard anyone ever mention anything whatsoever about his hair. Trump, on the other hand...everyone notices that! Most people probably assume it's a rug though. I definitely agree that he must have had work done. I've seen him publicly tug on his hair, as if that's some kind of solid proof that it's "all natural". His light hair color is the only other thing aside from his awkward coming style that maybe conceals it. It's just strange that these guys have millions and millions of dollars (Trump at one time billions) and wind up looking like this. Just goes to show that regardless of financial standing, you don't get too many shots to get the HT right. Thing is, with the modern methods able to repair old work so effectively now, you have to simply be in denial to go on like that if you have the money to correct it. Or maybe the donor is just not there...Trump may have depleted his entirely if all that hair has been transplanted! Ah well, Stan is still the man!

Hey Giants, Hmmm... at 18 you can get Propecia prescribed for MPB. Long term side effects are unknown at this point in time; however, most people who experience side effects report them to be temporary. This is a controversial topic. I can only speak from my personal experience: started taking Propecia at 23 (2 years ago) and never had one problem. Others are not so fortunate. The only thing I would recommend is speaking to a couple of doctors, maybe a good dermatologist who can assess your hair loss and your primary care physician. It would be easy to say, "Oh, well the doctor will know", but apparently some doctors disagree over the safety of finasteride (although I haven't seen any of this). I know that all of the Coalition doctors prescribe it, and I find that pretty compelling. Whether or not they prescribe it for every 18 year old is another story. I think it needs to be looked at case by case. All you can do is educate yourself, speak with a few doctors (whom you trust), and make your own judgment call on whether or not you think the potential benefits outweigh the risks. Good luck!

Whoa...

WTF is with Stan Lee's hair? I've seen him the Sci Fi channel a lot recently, and noticed a few things: thick wall of hair emerging from high forehead region; hair color doesn't match, and not in a subtle way; hair thinner on the sides of his head. I was tempted to say it's a wig immediately, but the hairs actually do seem to growing out of the scalp. Bad HT, or is his hair just naturally this weird? Poor Stan!

"How wonderful it was to have a public forum like "The Bald Truth" radio program..." Yeah, whatever happened to Kobren? I wasn't aware of the radio program at the time I guess, but I read the book, "The Bald Truth" a couple years ago after stumbling upon it in the library, which is how I learned about Propecia in the first place. He was a strong proponent of finasteride use back when the book was published (I think in the late 90s), claiming that it had regrown his hair almost entirely. But I am curious to see how his hair has held up over the past 10 years. I believe he was like one of the first guys to get fin. prescribed for MPB, so it would be interesting to hear his opinions on whether or not the drug always significantly loses effectiveness over the years. Anyone know if he's still around? Sorry to interrupt the laser talk.

Actually, I wish I could post the link to that, as it refers to a case of a guy going in for a second transplant worrying about shock loss. Are we allowed to do that here? It's getting too political around here for me ha ha.

Sure, although it's not really data, just the opinion of a doctor. This is what Dr. Rassman thinks (read it on his q&a website): "Grafted hair is considered permanent and is resistant to shock loss. If you lose any of your hair at all, it would be the native miniaturized hair in the recipient area, not the transplanted ones." Makes sense to me. If someone had a previous transplant, those hairs should be permanent.

On the bright side, I would think that the previously transplanted hair would be less vulnerable to shock loss or at least permanent shock loss than existing native hair, and that current, more refined methods allow surgeons in many cases to blend the new grafts in with the old, making them not a total waste. I suppose this depends on how bad the original work is though.

Smoking maybe can accelerate hair loss in people who are genetically predisposed to balding, just like how one's diet or extreme substances like steroids can. However, like those things, I don't think smoking will cause or influence hair loss in someone who normally wouldn't be experiencing MPB. For example, one of my uncles smoked like 2 packs a day until he was in his fifties, and he had a full head of hair. Unfortunately he is gone now, and cigarettes had a lot to do with it. But yeah, if someone has started balding I wouldn't doubt that smoking can make it worse, along with f*cking up the rest of the body. Interesting article. Smoking is whack!

Ok, I didn't realize that it was part of your signature at first. I guess challenging your feelings about fin. every time you post about something else would get redundant. My bad.

Exactly.

"If you are wary of the side effects of finasteride you can find natural alternatives here..." "Saw palmetto has not been evaluated by the FDA for safety, effectiveness, or purity. All potential risks and/or advantages of saw palmetto may not be known. Additionally, there are no regulated manufacturing standards in place for these compounds. There have been instances where herbal/health supplements have been sold which were contaminated with toxic metals or other drugs." http://health.yahoo.com/drug/d04415a1 It took me about 2 seconds to find other reports that men experience sexual side effects with saw palmetto and other warnings about saw palmetto affecting hormonal changes in the body. I'm not saying this usually happens, but this just goes to show that virtually everything has side effects.

Mp96, Some people are very sensitive about the whole scar issue; others aren't and accept it. If you are confident in shaving your head for now, then just go with it. I think you have the right attitude about not obsessing over the scar: chances are if you aren't dwelling on it, then no one else is going to either. If the only indicator that you had an HT is the scar in the back, then chances are you look good overall.

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I thought DHT is partly responsible for the growth of body hair? In that case, how would reducing the level of DHT in the body stimulate more of it?

The coloring issue reminds me of an idea I had recently regarding the contrast that is produced between darker transplanted hairline hair and skin tone in some guys: using a lightening or lift formula right at the base of the hairs. Bleach produces less subtle results, changing your hair to orange, then yellow, and eventually to white. But hair lightening formulas, actually often included in hair dying kits, are meant to be used before someone dyes his/her hair to a lighter color. It essentially just lightens your natural hair color a little bit to prepare it for the real coloring treatment. Used alone, and perhaps in a more refined manner (say, using a q-tip, if that can be considered a delicate tool), and just lightly dabbing the base of the hairs, leaving it on only for a few minutes before rinsing it off (to go for the most subtle contrast possible), might make the hairs appear softer. This might produce the illusion that the base of the hairs are less coarse- they eventually get darker and thicker the further they grow out. From looking at the native hairs in my hairline, that seems to be the case: guys with darker hair don't have white peach fuzz hairs there naturally, but rather hairs that are indeed dark like the rest but much softer and a tad bit lighter at the base. This of course might sound crazy and like a waste of time.

I suspect that a doctor working for Hair Club or Bosley might be able to confirm if you are suffering from MPB if they perform a thorough scalp examination, but for those patients who only meet with salespeople first, which seems to be the approach, I don't see how they could make a fair assessment of that. You could always try meeting with another dermatologist or try to schedule a sooner appointment, no? Maybe check back with your primary care guy too to rule out any other illness as the culprit?

Well, I'm certainly in no position to assess the cause of your hair loss and perhaps your dermatologist is right. I not familiar with the treatment you were prescribed, but how do you know it was ineffective? I mean, you shouldn't have expected to see significant hair regrowth in two weeks. Do you mean you are still losing large amounts of hair? Or did he confirm that it wasn't working? If this is seriously concerning you, perhaps you should get a second opinion?