FL_BOY

Originally posted by bezane:

Repetition. Repetition. But this my subject. Get off it. Psychological sexual dysfunction due to reading side effect labels on meds has the exact same effect as physical sexual dysfunction. It doesn't work.

 

And ask yourself this....Where did the 2% come from? That would be the company. That would be to placate the FDA. That would be to enable them to sell the crap. No one knows. And before someone here chimes in to say they do know. Then they should also know what the % was in the placebo group during phase III. I doubt it though.

 

They are strong drugs made from chemicals that you are putting in your body.

 

Now the blunt part. If I were that beautiful chick and felt like getting my brains fucked out Friday night I wouldn't go back for seconds of a shriveled up dick. Think about that one.

 

Plan a HT regimen. Shave the head and while you're at it trim the pecker hair a bit at the shaft base to make it look longer and screw away.

 

As far as alcohol goes, it is proven to thwart sex drive in about 2% when taken in MODERATION TO ACHIEVE A NICE BUZZ. I personally love to drink exactly 2 martinis (vodka, straight up, bruised, twist) or half bottle of wine and love to get frisky.

Interesting points you make. First off I'm only a NW2, so shaving my head isn't neccessary, yet. I want to at least maintain my hair count and propecia seems like the only way to achieve that. I've thought about an HT, if my hair loss progresses, but I'd still have to take propecia to prevent further loss.

Also, the girl I'm dating isn't just looking to get screwed on a friday night. If so, I wouldn't be so concerned about it and wouldn't be dating her. All in all it may not even be the propecia, but stress or anxiety related. I'm discontinuing use for another week to rule anything out. I'll go from there.

I'm really hoping it's nerves, but I even feel like my sex drive has decreased since being on it. I could be wrong and just psyching myself out. Also, there was drinking involved, but not an exponential amount. Now, I get so nervous because I'm not sure if I'll be able to perform like I should. I was thinking of getting off propecia for two weeks and then assessing the situation.

I've been on finasteride for over 4 months now, and up until 2 weeks ago, I didn't notice any side effects. I recently became intimate with a girl I'm dating, and sexually the equipment doesn't seem to be operating correctly. I feel like I have very little sex drive which is odd because I'm 26 and she's beautiful. I never had this problem in the past, so I'm beginning to think the propecia is causing this. I wouldn't have imagined I'd be part of the 2% that experience sexual side effects. Hopefully I'm not and my nerves are simply playing games with me. Should I stick to propecia? I really don't want to quit because I want my hair, but this is getting annoying fast. Advice?

I've been on finasteride for over 4 months now, and up until 2 weeks ago, I didn't notice any side effects. I recently became intimate with a girl I'm dating, and sexually the equipment doesn't seem to be operating correctly. I feel like I have very little sex drive which is odd because I'm 26 and she's beautiful. I never had this problem in the past, so I'm beginning to think the propecia is causing this. I wouldn't have imagined I'd be part of the 2% that experience sexual side effects. Hopefully I'm not and my nerves are simply playing games with me. Should I stick to propecia? I really don't want to quit because I want my hair, but this is getting annoying fast. Advice?

Your hair didn't look bad before. I'm surprised you needed that many grafts. What NW class were you prior to surgery?

I wouldn't quit. I've been on it the same amount of time and have experienced mild shedding, but nothing major. Everybody reacts differently, so stick with it or you'll have even less in a few years.

Originally posted by calvinmd:

Two comments:

 

-- I'm not saying that NW#2 at 26 is bad. I'm just saying that getting HTs for a sub-#2 appearance seems iffy at 26 years old.

 

Getting a NW#2 hairline can look pretty natural even with some thinning showing later on. But if you're down in the NW#1 range, you look pretty weird with ANY signs of baldness showing later on in life. Getting a NW#1 at any age is really "swinging for the fence," so doing it at 26 seems risky to me.

 

 

-- "As far as future surgery, I'm hoping that propecia will halt any further loss and I won't need work."

 

Bad assumption. I'm not just being generally conservative again, I'm actually going off a lot of long-term users on this. Search the net, and you find lots of complaints that finasteride can begin losing its effectiveness after only 4-7 years. And even though this doesn't always happen, there are also a fair number of complaints that Fin's side effects are still worsening several years into usage.

 

Fin is a good drug to have in the MPB arsenal, but I sure wouldn't bet on it to hold my MPB at any given point. It seems to be only a slowdown of MPB for several years, rather than a true stoppage.

 

You're right, it probably is risky, but it's all I think about. I don't want a NW1 hair line, I just want to fill in my thinning hair line and temples a bit. Something just to make it look fuller. As far as propecia is concerned I've heard that some users notice the effectiveness decline, but I've also heard of people being on it for 8+ years with no more hair loss. I'm sure it depends on the person. I'm hoping it will give me at least 5-6 years and hopefully by then stem cell is available.

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Originally posted by tisab:

i would say a norwood 2 at the age of 26 is not so bad, especially since he said he saw his first loss of hair at 19

 

if u take 19 and go to 26, thats 7 years.

with that being said there is a chance and probability he wont go too far down the norwood scale.

 

remember i said probability, MPB is very spontaneis in which i mean in can be slow several years and just spook up on you.

 

one thing is i dont think norwood 2 on a 26 year old is bad, its just maturity

 

but if you do go on with your surgery just be prepared that you may several other surgeries in the future to catch up with your hairloss

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My hair loss has been very slow, which is unusual, I think. As far as future surgery, I'm hoping that propecia will halt any further hair loss and I won't need more work.

Thanks for the quick replies. First off I'm 26 and have been experiencing mild hair loss throughout my frontal region for about 6 years. I'd say my hair line has receded about 1/8 inch since the age of 19 and has also lost density. Basically, I just want to fill in my entire hair line and the temples as well. I want more density so I don't feel like I'm always having to style my hair to cover the problem area.

I've been on propecia for 4 months and it seems to be doing its job. Now, I'm thinking of adding a topical to try and get some density back in the hair line. Minoxidil claims to not work on the hair line, but I've heard about many guys having good results. If that doesn't work I believe surgery is my only option. If I do have it done, I want everything completed in one session because in my opinion 700-800 is the max I would need to fulfill my goal. Money is an issue as well, but my hair is a bigger concern. FUE sounds more appealing, but the price deters me a bit. I guess what it comes down to is that I need to see a reputable surgeon and go from there. There's just so much going on in my life right now and it's difficult to allot time for this.

I'm a NW2 and I desperately want to get my temples filled in, and also some grafts on top behind my hair line. I've heard most surgeons have a minimum number of grafts they'll do or a minimum amount you have to spend. When I went to MHR they did nothing under $4000, which I found strange. I'm not going back by the way because I've heard about their negative reputation. The work I need seems to be minor and I don't want to spend more than I have to. So, are there surgeons out there that don't put a minimum requirement on procedures?

I'm a NW2 and I desperately want to get my temples filled in, and also some grafts on top behind my hair line. I've heard most surgeons have a minimum number of grafts they'll do or a minimum amount you have to spend. When I went to MHR they did nothing under $4000, which I found strange. I'm not going back by the way because I've heard about their negative reputation. The work I need seems to be minor and I don't want to spend more than I have to. So, are there surgeons out there that don't put a minimum requirement on procedures?

Originally posted by scooping around:

well FL-boy...

I just got back from my surgery with Dr. Keene, and starting with the recovery. Let me know if you have any questions about my surgery at all. It was definitly an experience to remember.

Nice, hope it went well. How was the overall experience?

I've been visiting regrowth.com for about two years, but after coming here it's no comparison. This site is filled with more helpful people, and with better insight. Most of the people over at regrowth are against hair transplants and don't offer very positive feedback. This site is refreshing.

Originally posted by scooping around:

The percentage of people that see the negative side effects of propecia is rare, but they do exist. From what I gather through my research, most of the results that I've seen that does have a bit of "unnatural" look are the patients that have pretty much no hair at all near or at the hair line area. Haven't seen your pics yet, but if you have some natural hair left in the hairline, most of the highly rated surgeons here can do a good job of blending in your transplanted hair with your natural ones, to go by fairly undetectable even under bright lighting environments. Combined with your hair color, skin contrast, and the way you style your hair, you can do a lot to make it even more "undetectable". I'm not as fortunate in that regard that I have black hair, light skin and straight hair, which makes thinning areas more apparent. You can always take a look at the pictures that our surgeons show in their gallery to see if they pass your "natural" test. I'm still about 3 weeks away from my scheduled surgery and will definitly be posting my progress for pictures.

I'm optimistic that propecia will at least do it's job until something else is available. I'm hoping that will happen within 5 years or so. Anyway, I'm a NW2 or 2A and still have quite a bit of hair throughout my hairline, but the thinning is more noticeable. I can still style it, but my hairline doesn't cooperate as well as it used to because the lack of density. My fear is years later I'll lose more hair in front after the HT, and look like a fool. Like you, I too have straight/dark, so it's more noiceable. I had it longer, but decided to cut it short again because it looks thicker. Thanks for all the reassurance and hope to see your results soon.

Originally posted by scooping around:

FL Boy...

I'm 27 and have also been loosing my hair since my early 20s. I've been visiting this site for nearly a year by now, and have been on propecia for about the same amount of time. I'm lucky that I see none of the side effects that some people go through. If you are not sure about getting the HT, I'd learn as much about the procedure as possible here, or even talk to a few surgeons just to see what they have to say about your hair loss. I've had a consult with Dr. Keene and am scheduled for a transplant of 1500-2000 grafts during mid June. The surgeons that are recommended on this site can get a good idea of how your hair loss might progress and see if a transplant is really a good option for you. I'm personally not too worried about the 4-6 months of waiting time for the transplanted hair. I planned on taking about 1.5 month off work to concentrate on resting and keeping myself away from as much stress as possible. I'm also doing work in the hairline area, and was told that the redness and scabs should be gone in about 2 weeks (faster for the younger guys). Look at it this way, if you've been dealing with thinning hair for at least 4 years now, would waiting for 4-6 months(for the transplanted hair to sprout) be that big of a deal? After being a member on this site for quite some time, you learn that there's plenty of people thinking about and actually going through with the surgery at our age, and some as early as their late-teens. Just make sure you know all the details to make a good decision. Best of luck to you and let me know if you have any more questions, as we're in the same boat.

Thanks for the reply bro. I have been doing some research for the past year about HT's and even visited MHR here in Orlando to see what they had to say. The guy I consulted with told me to definitely get on propecia and that I should wait a year to see what happens. I've only been on it 3 months, so I haven't had much time to see its effects. As far as being worried about the sprouting time for the hair, that's not a concern. I think my main concern is how it will look and if it'll be detectable because I don't want it to look fake. Also, I'm worried about propecia not working either. If I had absolute assurance about maintiang my hair and the HT looking authentic, I'd do it in a second. Let me know how your HT goes.

Originally posted by calvinmd:

Money investments with hair loss:

 

I think a lot depends on your specific condition. Your age, your marital/relationship status, your overall attractiveness and how much the hair situation affects it, etc.

 

And most importantly, how much MPB are you headed for. If you're only destined for mild MPB, then dumping big money into medications & HTs could mean that the outside world never has to see you lose any hair at all. That could be huge in your life. Espeically with possible future advancements in the field, taking drastic early action could mean that you never have to endure publicly-visible hair loss in your life.

 

But if you're genetically headed for NW6-7 status in the first half of your life, then even the biggest medication regiments are probably only going to buy you some time. You'll probably show significant MPB within a few years anyway.

 

Same with hair transplants.

Let's say you're 30 years old with a given amount of money to spend for two Norwood levels of improvement:

There's a huge difference between a NW#4 getting transplanted back to a NW#2, versus a NW#7 getting transplanted back to a NW#5. The NW#4-2 guy looks entirely free of the MPB problem after two levels' worth of HTs, whereas a NW#7-5 is still basically a "bald guy" in the eyes of young women even after all that investment.

 

 

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Not knowing whether or not my hairloss will stabilize with propecia is a big concern for me because I am only in my mid 20's. But, I think as long as I stay on the regimen most of my hair should hold up. At least this is what doctors have told me. I know the HT is a toss up because my hair may never worsen, or there's a slight chance propecia may not work for me in the long run and I'll lose it, which would mean more HT's.

To your point about my specific condition. Right now I'm a single guy, but that's my decision. I've always been told I'm very attractive and maybe this is why I'm freaking out so much. I think I'm scared my hairloss will ruin my looks and thus any chance of remaining attractive. Obviously it's not all about looks, but it definitely helps the situation. I don't mean to come off sounding pompus, but I just wanted to answer your question honestly.

Originally posted by TheHairLossCure:

When a person expresses that their hair loss is disabling to them in some way, I think that is a good time to at least consider hair restoration. With that said, I do not think a patient should good forward with a procedure if they are feeling uncomfortable about surgery. Through research on this board you should get a better sense about what options are best for you.

 

You also mentioned a concern about surgery cost. Keep in mind, if you can find the right medical therapy to stabilize or improve your hair loss, meds are usually far more cost effective that surgery. Of course, there are contexts where in HTs are totally necessary, but meds are good to check out.

My lack of self-confidence definitely supersedes the comfortless feeling I have about the procedure. I think I can get past the intial stages of embarrassment or awkwardness with reassurance from members of this site or from a great doctor. I couldn't imagine waking up everyday not being confined by the restraints of hair loss. Even though my loss isn't drastic it's still a daily burden. Some people can deal with hair loss, but I can't right now. Honestly, I've done my own research for years about which meds or naturals work best and even considered laser therapy, but none of those will be able to fix my hairline, which is the only place my hair is thinning/receding. It seems like a HT is my only option, so maybe spending $5,000 to rebuild my hair and self-confidence is worth it. Even if my hairloss stabilized with propecia, I'd still be uncomfortable. It's crazy, but true.

Originally posted by Mrjb:

Hi

 

I started losing my hair at 24 but Propecia wasnt available until I was 28 or so.. It did stop my hairloss and regrew some hair for me.. I have not experienced side effects and have been on it for 7 years or so

 

Have you lost any more over time or do you still have your 28 year old hair at 35? Also, what NW are/were you?

 

Good luck

Originally posted by calvinmd:

-- Maintaining your current hair from age 24 until death with propecia is probably not realistic. Many users seem to report a "falling off" of its effectiveness after several years.

 

There's debate about whether the drug is actually losing its effectiveness over time, or whether it's just evidence that it never truly STOPS hair loss but rather just drastically SLOWS the loss. But either way, finasteride is probably not going to be a decades-long solution to freezing your hair's condition exactly where it is right now.

 

Can it hold you where you are for years? Yes. Can it give you decades of less hair loss than nature had intended for you? Yes. But decades of NO MORE LOSS AT ALL? Probably not.

 

 

 

-- There's also the safety issue with finasteride. Some (many? most?) people have side effects with it, as I'm sure you know.

But what concerns me most about Finasteride (at least in regards to HT planning) is this:

 

Sometimes people are still feeling those side effects starting and/or worsening several years after they start using the stuff. So even if you tolerate the stuff acceptably for the first few months, or even a couple of years . . . I'm not sure if there's EVER a point when you can really be assured that you will be "safe" on it for decades to come. I honestly think you must ALWAYS assume you could possibly have to quit the stuff eventually, even after a several-year track record of tolerating it okay.

 

I've heard about it losing its effectiveness over time, but I've also heard about people maintaing their hair for 10 years plus. To be honest I'd be more content with this if it was happening 10-15 years from now instead of my mid 20's because I'm sure I'll be married and established by then. It's tough when you're so young and still have your entire life ahead of you. Safety concerns are another issue, but so far no side effects and even if they're minor it's worth it to keep my hair. Also, I'm assuming within the next 10 years there will be another form of treatment that's more promising, so maybe finasteride can save me until then.

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Thanks for the replies guys.

Bill, One of the first things I did when I got here was read your post about being too young and I definitely agree with it. One of my biggest concerns is getting something done, propecia not working, and then having the rest of my hair fall out. I just really hope that propecia works for me. If anything, I want to at least maintain what I have. I tried minox about 2 years ago, but I didn't stick with it because the mess wasn't worth it. I'm thinking about trying that new rogaine foam because it seems easier to apply. If not, then maybe I'll try regular minox again. I'd be elated if it at least thickened up my hair line.

Tom, I'll try to get some pics posted soon, but in all honesty it makes me completely uneasy to even look at my hair in the mirror, much less a detailed photo. But, it's something I must do if I want to combat this. About my father, he is 54 and still has hair, but it's pretty thin on top. On the maternal side all of my uncles are about NW5's, and that's about what my grandfather was as well. So, it doesn't look good to say the least. I'm definitely ok with spending the money for a transplant if it'll look the way I desire. Anyone know of any good surgeons in Central/South Florida area? I wish I was content with this and my appearance didn't matter so much to me because it'd be so much easier...Or about 15 years older.

First off I'm 26 and have slowly been losing my hair in the front for about 4 years, and now it's fianlly caught up with me. I tried natual topicals for a while with no luck, so a few months ago I started finpecia to at least maintain my existing hair count. Not too sure why I waited so long to act, but unfortunately I did and now it's more noticeable than ever. I'm probably a NW2 or 2A and I'd really like to get my temples and hair line restored to at least what my hair looked like 4 years ago. It was still slightly receded, but it was much fuller. I know the only way I can get that hair back is by having a transplant, but just the idea makes me uncomfortable. I guess I'm worried about being embarrassed, especially because I'm a lot younger than most recipients. My hairloss consumes me and I know I'd feel so much more confident and at ease if I had it done, but I can't get over the initial hump. Also, the cost is a major factor as well. It would just be another monthly bill I'd have to pay for. I'd really appreciate any advice or recommendations about my situation. I guess I'm just looking for a little reassurance. Also, I'm so damn tired of wearing a hat everywhere I go...

Thanks

First off I'm 26 and have slowly been losing my hair in the front for about 4 years, and now it's fianlly caught up with me. I tried natual topicals for a while with no luck, so a few months ago I started finpecia to at least maintain my existing hair count. Not too sure why I waited so long to act, but unfortunately I did and now it's more noticeable than ever. I'm probably a NW2 or 2A and I'd really like to get my temples and hair line restored to at least what my hair looked like 4 years ago. It was still slightly receded, but it was much fuller. I know the only way I can get that hair back is by having a transplant, but just the idea makes me uncomfortable. I guess I'm worried about being embarrassed, especially because I'm a lot younger than most recipients. My hairloss consumes me and I know I'd feel so much more confident and at ease if I had it done, but I can't get over the initial hump. Also, the cost is a major factor as well. It would just be another monthly bill I'd have to pay for. I'd really appreciate any advice or recommendations about my situation. I guess I'm just looking for a little reassurance. Also, I'm so damn tired of wearing a hat everywhere I go...

Thanks