laughter's medicine

You require a prescription, I think you can buy it with out, but it's usually more expensive. Any dermatologist (doctor) should be able to prescribe it along with any doctor. I know that a HT surgeon (doctor) will also usually prescribe and some will have it delivered directly to your house (Shapiro medical group does this). Once you have a prescription you can obtain it just about any where there is pharmacy, from Wal-mart to an on line retailer. Personally I would see a qualified doctor and ask them for a prescription. It will generally cost any where from $45-65 depending on the source and if your insurance will help out (most won't). Another alternative is Proscar which is a 5MG form of Propecia (1 MG) tablet that generally is cut up into fourths, this method helps alliviate the high cost but is said not to guarantee to have the medicine evenly distributed throughout the pill. A doctor should prescribe Propecia with out much of a problem, but Proscar might be a little more difficult to obtain but not impossible.

I've just scheduled my first HT so most of your questions I can't help with. The one I can though is in regards to travel and mileage; the geographic location should not, I repeat should not play a major factor in choosing a HT physician. A person should find one of the best physician (which I hear HW is) schedule a consultation and ask as many questions as possible and if you miss a few questions call them back. A quality clinic and surgeon will recommend the same; the Shapiro group actually gave me the cell number to both the consultant and the doctor and said to feel free to call if I had any questions or concerns. A quality surgeon is way more important then miles required to travel to get to them. This is just my opinion and how I chose Shapiro, which by the way is in Minnesota. I hoped this helped.

Nizoral shampoo; 1% can be bought at Wal-mart and the 2% can be bought on line, both are proven as an anti-inflammatory and help remove DHT from the scalp and has the possibility of providing some minor re-growth. I personally use both and buy the 2% from Dr. lee's website. Nioxin shampoo and conditioner is another fine shampoo, they do have various other topicals but I personally didn't find they helped much. As far as Rogaine, I'm not a user but have read the shed can last from a couple of weeks to a couple of months. Rogaine results vary from person to person and it's an unknown if or how it will help until you take the plunge and use it. Propecia is one of the only FDA approved and clinically proven treatments to slow down or stop hair loss with the possibility of re-growth, which I've used for over 3 years with no side effects. They also sell cover ups that seem to work well but this is another area I'm not completely familiar with. Hope this helps!

Thanks for all the support. This community will definitely continue to hear from me before as well as after. I believe it's important to continue to support and lend advice to anyone in the same situation that's willing to ask and listen. With out the veterans there would be an abundance of very useful information and resources being wasted sitting on the shelf, or head sort to speak.

I currently take MSM and can attest to similar results, it also works great on stiff joints.

I do recall being told by a local salon owner and friend that switching shampoos is good for your hair. I also use Nioxin and switch it up with Dr Lee's 2% shampoo and the 1% Nizoral from Wal-Mart. I also add the Nioxin conditioner daily to help alleviate dryness.

I've been using the 2% for about a year and wasn't really sure if helped, it's hard to say. I'm sure it didn't hurt. I apply it once a day, at night. The only thing I don't really like is the smell, which isn't all that bad, and it dries out my scalp some. I do use his 2% niz shampoo to help with the dry scalp. Besides it is a great shampoo and a part of my small regime.

Done deal, April is it.

I actually think it might of hit an innocent and unsuspecting fan while they were eating a hotdog and drinking a coke. I actually believe it might have been hit there on purpose, do ya think?

That picture is very sad and is proof why a site like this is so important.

There are many different reasons, justifiable or not why you can't please all of the people all the time. Stay positive and try to find light even in the darkest and loneliest of places.

I don't get that vibe at all, just from a very few individuals.

I agree with Bro it does not look bad at all.

It's a cover up/canceller, similar and along the same lines of products like toppik.

Anyone?

I've read articles that stated that there are certain times of the year that we lose more hair and I'm pretty positive winter is one. I think the article referred to November in the northern states. If you have thin hair already it could cause it to look different. Also in my personnel experience winter leaves my hair more flat then in the summer, has been this way since as long as I can remember.

How much work did you have done? Was your surgery performed by one of the doctors that is recommened on this site?

We'll just thought I'd keep you guys informed, I all but decide to go ahead and schedule with Shapiro and am looking into setting a date. I'm definitely nervous, but also anxious to get things going. I feel as comfortable as I believe I possibly can after talking to Shapiro group again, considering the details of the procedure. Again thanks to this forum for the education and the direction to the "RIGHT" doctor! I pray for nothing but positives and hope for the best in mind, body and spirit. I'll continue to keep you guys up to speed and I'm sure you'll continue to hear my voice on this forum. I often wonder if people who do any form of plastic/cosmetic surgery put half the time most people on this forum put into research. Altering one's body is no small step and should be carefully thought out. I recently watched a show were a mother and daughter had implants and it seemed very nonchalant. After watching the surgery there was nothing nonchalant about it.

We'll just thought I'd keep you guys informed, I all but decide to go ahead and schedule with Shapiro and am looking into setting a date. I'm definitely nervous, but also anxious to get things going. I feel as comfortable as I believe I possibly can after talking to Shapiro group again, considering the details of the procedure. Again thanks to this forum for the education and the direction to the "RIGHT" doctor! I pray for nothing but positives and hope for the best in mind, body and spirit. I'll continue to keep you guys up to speed and I'm sure you'll continue to hear my voice on this forum. I often wonder if people who do any form of plastic/cosmetic surgery put half the time most people on this forum put into research. Altering one's body is no small step and should be carefully thought out. I recently watched a show were a mother and daughter had implants and it seemed very nonchalant. After watching the surgery there was nothing nonchalant about it.

Has any one used topical SPIRONOLACTONE?

Please describe what you consider as "thin" hair. With complete respect for opinions as well as facts, don't the majority of people with hair loss have what would be considered as thin hair yet have had successful HT, at least according to their posts and doctors (I do mean the good doctors)? Example; blondes in particular typically have thin hair and that is why I was under the impression generally have more per SQ, at least according to the averages. Also aren't blondes the ideal candidate because of color, etc.? I'm not trying to encourage or discourage just looking for clarification.

Thanks to all for the replies. I can't reiterate the sentiment enough that a person should make their decision based on his or her beliefs and stick to it, as long as your not hurting someone else. Other people's opinions and experience's are invaluable and should be learned from, but at the end of the day it's ultimately yourself you look at in the mirror. As of now I have not set any thing in stone either way with my decision. When I do I pray that it's ultimately the right one for "me" and nothing but positive's come from it. Keep up the good work on this sight and I'm sure now that I have my feet wet with my first posts you'll be hearing from me again whether it's a comment or question. * Note ??“ I don't completely understand why people who are against hair loss drugs or surgery say that you'll mess with the natural recession/balding or whatever you want to call it process. In general I really haven't seen any two men have recession/balding the exact same way but I have seen similarities. Some are left with more up front and some with more in back. There's nothing really beautiful or graceful about the process. And on the other side there is not any thing truly grotesque about it either, although completely unwanted! Have a positive attitude, a smile and a song.

By the way, when I refer to not caring about other people's opinions I'm referring to the comments and or looks people give other people suffering from hair loss. My decision to look into a HT is based on me and nobody else. My loving wife of many years pretty much could care less and supports what ever would make me happy. I do however want to be well informed and have the opions and previous experiences from previous patients.

First off thanks for the replies; The one thing I can honestly say is that this is not about any one else's opinions. I personally don't like looking in the mirror even though by most people's standards it's noticeable but it could be much much worse. I'm hoping not to have any more, if possible, but my plans are not always what's in the cards or what the good lord has planned for me. I do want to state that thinning hair runs in my family and I could stay the same for years and I could get worse, I honestly don't know. What I do know is that I would rather not go from nothing or hardly anything to a huge change. I really want to conceal it as well as surgery and stay ahead of any future loss.

Knock Knock, who's there - anyway that's my lame icebreaker. I've been monitoring the forum on this site as well as others and doing a lot of research on HT (7 months or so) and hair loss treatments (three years). First off I'd like to thank all of you for the valuable information and opinions generated on this site. Well here's my story (by the way I've always had thin hair): I'm in my middle thirties and have had some minor to moderate hair loss starting in my late twenties. I've had some recession at my hairline and temples and a small thinning spot in the back. I've been on propecia for three years, just starting year four and for the most part have slowed (if not stabilized) my loss significantly, but have still lost a little in the front. I'm not a big fan of Minoxidil, the dependency and possibility of more harm then good, not worth the gamble in my opinion. I'm looking into re-establishing my hairline with a HT and was in need of some opinions from some experienced HT patients and fellow suffers. I've visited and had some correspondence with the Shapiro group (I went to them because of this site, thank goodness for this site!) and found them to be very helpful. I was quoted a procedure for 1200 grafts and what seems to be a very reasonable price considering. I've talked to some previous clients and have had nothing but positive responses from all. I have the usual concerns and apprehensions and was in need of some informative opinions. Donor scar, pain, what the future might hold and the big one "will I be worse off and would it have been better not to mess with it surgically. I was told that in my case if there was shock loss it would probably not be noticeable because of the length of my hair and the way I wear it. I was also told that because of the density of my hairline that I was less likely to experience shock, good news I think. Any suggestions or comments, and information would be helpful.