MikeN

TooThin, I checked out his website too. Hilarious!. It's the stuff 2AM infomercials are made of.

Hey John. I understand exactly what you're going through. Check out my weblog. I was kind of freaking out between the 3 and 5 - 6 month mark myself. I didn't stop wearing a hat full time for about 6 months. It was a rough time. Based on the pics you uploaded, I think you're going to have excellent results. The waiting is rough but it will be worth it in the end. Take care. It's all going to work out.

I've been using it since it was FDA approved. Its effectiveness has diminished over the last few years. I've looked into avodart and increasing the finsasteride dosage.

I'm 39 and I've taken Propecia ever since it became FDA approved (1997 or 1998). It has lost at least some of its effectiveness over the last few years. I'm wondering if it's still doing anything. Am I wasting my money and losing hair in the process? I have considered Avodart. Dr. Wong was hesitant to prescribe it to me because of my age and he said a side effect is a reduced sperm count. I'm thinking about getting Proscar (generic finasteride) and increasing the dosage. Maybe split the 5mg pill into thirds. Any thoughts or suggestions? Also, what is the best way to split the proscar pill to get a consistent dosage? Thanks in advance.

I'm 39 and I've taken Propecia ever since it became FDA approved (1997 or 1998). It has lost at least some of its effectiveness over the last few years. I'm wondering if it's still doing anything. Am I wasting my money and losing hair in the process? I have considered Avodart. Dr. Wong was hesitant to prescribe it to me because of my age and he said a side effect is a reduced sperm count. I'm thinking about getting Proscar (generic finasteride) and increasing the dosage. Maybe split the 5mg pill into thirds. Any thoughts or suggestions? Also, what is the best way to split the proscar pill to get a consistent dosage? Thanks in advance.

I've been taking Propecia since it has been FDA approved and it has lost or is losing its effectiveness. I'm considering switching to generic finasteride and upping the dose to 1.25mg (1/4 pill) or switching to Avodart. I'd welcome any suggestions.

Hunter, we're in exactly the same situation. I'm 39 and have been on Propecia since it became FDA approved. I've noticed increased shedding over the last 2 1/2 years. Up to that point, my hair loss was pretty much stopped by Propecia. Dr. Wong did my last surgery and I called his office today asking for an Avodart prescription. I didn't speak with him directly but was told that Dr. Wong doesn't like to prescribe Avodart to people that could still potentially want to have kids because the drug could severely and permanently decrease sperm count. Again, I didn't speak to Dr. Wong directly. One of his assistants called me back. I don't want kids but I guess I appreciate his concern but I've never read anything about this side effect. I have experienced a decrease in ejaculation ever since I started taking Propecia but haven't had any other side effects. Since Avodart isn't approved as a drug to stop hair loss, where is everyone getting prescriptions from? Can you purchase the generic version from a US drug company? Thanks in advance for your answers and keep us posted on your experience Hunter.

Hey Lost. There has been definite improvement in the hairline. If you look at my before pics especially where the hair is wet, it was getting to be a loney place front and center and on the top. My results are good. I wouldn't consider them great but I don't have ideal hair to work with either. Unfortunately, it's very fine and Dr. Wong was only able to get 2933 grafts. That's just the way it goes. I don't know if all of the shock loss hair returned. It's impossible for me to say. I would like to make an appt for a consult with Dr. Wong at some point. With magnification, I'm sure he'd be able to tell me how much of the fur on top is native and let me know if a future procedure is even an option. I may have exausted my donor supply. I had a Bosley surgery about 13 years ago. They took two strips and probably threw out a fair amount of donor hair. I paid for X number of plugs and I always assumed they pitched the rest. I didn't know how valuable the donor hair was at the time. Duh. Overall, I'm happy with the results. If my hair were to remain stable "as is" for the next 20 years, I'd be extrememly happy.

Long time, no update. Sorry about that. I'm 15 months out on my surgery with Dr. Wong. Overall, I'm happy with the results. Check out my weblog. If you have any ?s, feel free to shoot me an e-mail. Take care.

Long time, no update. Sorry about that. I'm 15 months out on my surgery with Dr. Wong. Overall, I'm happy with the results. Check out my weblog. If you have any ?s, feel free to shoot me an e-mail. Take care.

I had a HT at Bosley in Seattle and I definitely would NOT recommend them to anyone. Granted, my surgery was quite a while ago but there were many negatives and unfortunately I didn't know any better. The consult was a sales pitch that attempted to make you feel more insecure about your hair loss and make it seem like you had to get the procedure done. The salesman, Mark, was a total jacka$$ and he wore a hair piece. Unreal. Dr. Smith was pretty much a jerk and took two donor strips for 360 graphs. I'm sure a fair amount of donor hair was thrown away. The big ? with Bosley is why??? Why risk it? Go with an established doc that has proven results and paitient testimonials and pics to back up their work. There are others but look at Shapiro or Hasson and Wong. Go with the best and forget Bosley (my opinion). Just do your homework and you'll be fine. Good luck.

Predator, the first few months SUCK! See my weblog and you'll be happy with your 3 month pics. It's going to be OK. In another 4 or 5 months, you're going to be happy you did it. It's all going to work out.

Unless you can wear a hat to work, it will be difficult to hide the surgery initially. "Results may vary." I had to wear a hat for approximately 5 months but I experienced extreme shockloss. My advice is be open about the surgery. In the grand scheme of things, who cares. I told anyone that asked me why I was wearing a hat. I'd let them know I had a surgery. If they asked more questions, I'd tell them. I also let my friends and family know pre surgery. It made the experience a lot less stressful than trying to hide it the entire time. Best of luck!

I think people move on 6 months to a year after surgery because they think a lot less about their hair. That's the case with me. Prior to my surgery and the first 4 or 5 months afterwards, I never missed a post. I read everything. Now I check in once a week or so. I want to keep my weblog updated and contribute from time to time because I think it's important to give back and help others make informed choices.

I've turned a corner. The shock loss hair is back and the new hairs have filled in. So far I'm really pleased. Check out the 9 month pics.

Caesar, at three months, you're in the freak zone. Check out my 3 month pics to make yourself feel better. I need to update my weblog but it's coming in pretty well now (almost 8 months). Hange in there. Growth is on the way!!

Hey Wazzu. I did a consult with Mike as well. I believe he gave my donor hair a 4 rating. My hair is fine. I'm about 7 months out from a procedure with Dr. Wong. Even though I don't have ideal donor hair, you can't see my strip scar with a 6 clipper setting. I could go shorter if it weren't for a low Bosley strip. Rest assured, you're in good hands. The facility is great. I would recommend staying in town the night of the procedure and going back for a shampoo the next day. Also, make sure you're doing your scalp exercises. Good luck.

Mak, I don't think finasteride will have any effect on whether you have shock loss or not. I had an excellent surgeon, took finasteride for years and still experienced heavy shockloss. You just have to know going in that it may happen. If it does, it will come back. You will most likely go through an ugly duckling syndrome for a few months but it will be worth it. Good luck.

Thanks for the support and kind words. It's getting better every day. I have to admit I was worried for a few months because of the shock loss but I'm really pleased with the way things are progressing.

How is the shock loss doing? You did have pretty signifigant loss in the donor area. It will come back. You're definitely starting to see results at the hairline. Hang in there. It's only going to get better.

I've turned the corner guys and I'm starting to see the payoff. I still have a ways to go and my hair is a little wirey right now but I'm seeing definite progress. I ditched the hat about two months ago and I'm concealer free. As always, thanks to everyone who contributes to the community. Had I not found this site, I could have gone back to Bosley. OMG. I think I hear finger nails on a chalkboard in the distance.

I've turned the corner guys and I'm starting to see the payoff. I still have a ways to go and my hair is a little wirey right now but I'm seeing definite progress. I ditched the hat about two months ago and I'm concealer free. As always, thanks to everyone who contributes to the community. Had I not found this site, I could have gone back to Bosley. OMG. I think I hear finger nails on a chalkboard in the distance.

My shockloss is coming back and some of the transplanted hairs are coming in. I'm starting to feel normal again. I have been using a little bit of toppik (not used in any of the pics) to fill in the middle and it does a good job. I see this as a temporary measure. I'm no longer wearing a hat on a regular basis which is great.

My shockloss is coming back and some of the transplanted hairs are coming in. I'm starting to feel normal again. I have been using a little bit of toppik (not used in any of the pics) to fill in the middle and it does a good job. I see this as a temporary measure. I'm no longer wearing a hat on a regular basis which is great.

Turn up the volume and check out his web page. Hilarious. New rule: Never go any Dr. that has their own jingle. http://www.drshapiroshairinstitute.com/