SERIOUS

I understand. But while you're waiting for these people that "have" gone through this after using rogaine to come up... why don't you be proactive and get tested for "every-single-possible-causes"? What fascinates me to the highest degree, is that you were able to convince yourself that minoxidil is the "one and only" possible cause for your problem "without even going for a single test." That's totally unscientific and it won't help you in the end. Get tested by a specialist for every single possible causes is what everybody told you to do, including your doctor. How many more months are you going to wait? Maybe you have an underlying problem that's just going to get worse, or even get to the point of no return, because you waited to do the only wise thing to do. Vascular disease Diabete Hormone imbalances Neurologic conditions Venous leak Arteriosclerosis Diabetes mellitus High blood pressure High cholesterol Smoking Drugs Testosterone deficiency Cancer Just a small list of "little" things that may cause such a problem... Good luck

Oups... I just saw another angle to your question. I thought you were wondering how difficult it can be technically to deal with gray / white hairs for technicians under the microscope (which can be a challenge for some)... but realized you might worry more about the "cosmetic" side. Something you can be sure is that the surgeon will not consider the color of your hair to determine where and how to extract a strip. It's not part of the equation. Technicians won't favor any follicles either... since the goal is to have all of them implanted. In my experience the whole thing should blend well... and if the gray / white really bothers you the only solution is to dye. One positive aspect of dyeing the hair is that it will add fullness to the final result... something you might realize will help a lot to achieve the illusion of density you'll always look for with a transplant. You might also see a general "darkening" of the hair where implanted... a strange phenomenon, but very common with hair transplants. It seems that hair pigmentation sometimes gets a second life when planted in a brand new "soil" After all... at 37, the grey in your hair will just continue to increase, so you might just want to start dyeing a bit sooner than you expected... and as a bonus, get that fullness that will help the overall result. Good luck

No history of hair loss in your immediate family cannot guarantee that you don't have MPB since MPB can skip generations. I would investigate a bit more if I were you and see if older generations in your family suffered from hair loss. I don't think you will lose much hair by stopping propecia after a month... at least nothing like a major shed. No topical DHT inhibitors have been proven to be efficient as a treatment against MPB (as of yet). It's still considered experimental. If you go back on minoxidil, it's important to know that losing more hair at the beginning should be a sign that the treatment is working. But like any MPB treatments, it should be taken for life to maintain it's effect. Good luck

It just depends on the clinic. Some doctors will prefer to quickly dye the donor area after inspection before the surgery, some others will leave it that way because their technicians are trained to deal with it. Either way, this is very common and you don't have to worry about it at all. Your HT surgeon will do the rest. Good luck

That's a classic. Happens a lot, particularly at the beginning. In my case, skipping a day when I felt the problem coming back helped resolve the problem. On certain occasions, I had to stop taking finasteride for a few days to flush it out of my system, and start taking it with a smaller dosage a few times a week, gradually increasing the dosage to the recommended one. The key is to listen to your body and act quickly when you feel it coming back. In my case it disappeared completely, but I still have one episode a year in average, and still do the "stop then gradual dosage" technique to get rid of it. Always worked for me. One thing I noticed, the problem seemed to reoccur every time I would stop taking fish oil / omega 3 supplements. According to some studies, omega 3's may have some hormonal benefits, and in my case they seem to stabilize the problem. You might want to try taking omega 3's supplements (total 1000mg EPA daily). You might also want to try taking propecia every other day, which is what I did for the first 3-4 years with good results. Been on it for 8 years now, and have no problems. Also, I wouldn't worry about loss of energy and libido... and would stop reading so called horror stories on the net. Truth is that for a majority of people finasteride will be tolerated very well and work wonders. These side effects occur mostly at the beginning, and subsides usually after your body gets used to that new substance. Best of luck

Dr. Alan Bauman. He "seems" very good and has been on CNN Guys like this could obviously just be smooth talkers In this case, "smooth talker" is an euphemism. I've done a bit more research Please keep going... Good luck

By the way, in the meantime you might want to try some herbal supplements designed for ED... you can do a quick research and find some interesting reviews about some of these daily supplements that can have a powerful effect on blood flow. I know some of them work really well, having heard about it from a close friend. Checking for underlying causes such as diabetes, hormonal or cardiovascular diseases would be wise as well.

All I have seen about minoxidil and ED was either just anecdotal (random cases on the net, with no real diagnosis or follow up), or popular lies spread on the net by companies selling snake oil as an alternative to minoxidil. Topical minoxidil has been around since the 70's, its safety profile and side effects are extremely well documented since it's an "old" medication... and it's not known to produce erectile dysfunction (ED) or a libido drop "at a regular dose". It's actually been used to "treat" erectile dysfunction. But who knows... the human body is a complex machine and you might have won the lottery and be one of a million. First I would do the only wise thing to do, which is what your doctor said, and ask the urologist (who probably have seen "hundreds" of cases of ED before you) about minoxidil to reassure you. After blood tests and other physical exams are done to rule out "mechanical" problems (which are rare at your age), I would consult a psychologist and/or a sexologist specialized in such problems (very very common and easy subject for them). You might be surprised at how FAST they could help you get rid of your ED (after they ruled out "mechanical" causes). I would also do some serious research about "the psychology of impotence" and "Performance Anxiety" (instead of digging the net for nebulous undiagnosed minoxidil ED cases). You mentioned you felt sad and depressed at the moment... after much research you will start to understand the endless cycle of the "trigger/anxiety/vulnerability/physical symptoms/depression" process in aggravating ED problems. I know that's not what you want to hear, and I know you're probably stubborn and focus on "that one easy target" as a cause for your problem (I won't start an endless debate about this), but I do believe that the link between your "persistent" ED problem, and your "past" use of topical minoxidil (7 months ago), is just coincidental. Even if you are one of a million, and the minox was a "trigger" for your problem... another process has most probably taken place as a source for your "present" erectile dysfunction problem. It takes a bit of work, but you will come out of that situation wiser and better. Best of luck

At the eve of a change, the most conservatives always fear for their comfort and for what they have, and become chronic pessimists, often out of insecurity and fear. But that's not how we made revolutions, that's not how we "improved" humanity. I gladly welcome this new revolution in healthcare, and "completely trust" this surprising ability human beings always had through its short history, which is to adapt to new realities, improve it when possible, and move on. That's called evolution... As for the impact on the Hair Transplant industry, nothing much will change... trust me.

I did try to experiment with saw palmetto years ago (for hair loss), and it was a mistake; my hair loss didn't stop nor improved at all. My conclusion was that I should have started finasteride much before, and not waste time and precious hair wondering if I could find a "natural" substitute to finasteride. Among other fields, I had the chance to study nutrition and biochemistry, and I'm certainly not against more "natural" (whatever that means in reality) approaches for health in general. But Saw Palmetto cannot and will never be as effective as finasteride to treat hair loss for simple reasons: 1- It is not a "specific" treatment, and does not target as precisely as finasteride. Finasteride is precisely a 5ar inhibitor. 2- The saw palmetto formulations are "not" controlled; which means that there's absolutely no way you can be sure of the percentage of active ingredients in each bottle and the variations of active ingredients from bottles to bottles (whatever is written on the bottle). Therefore, you can never be certain of its efficacy, if any... 3- There's never been a convincing or relevant double blind study about its application to treat hair loss. In other words, if you want to continue losing hair, I don't see any problems with saw palmetto. If you would rather use saw palmetto to help with an enlarged prostate problem, then I would say: go for it. I hope that at least I can make you save some precious time, some precious hair, and maybe some precious money in the process. Best of luck

It doesn't work like that. You can spend days researching about what I just told you, and you will come to the exact information I just gave you. And how are you going to assess that? How are you going to differentiate the two mechanisms and their independent action / results in the end? That's positive thinking, but there is a science behind this. The positive results you will see that is left after stopping minoxidil are going to be from the action of the 5ar inhibitor (finasteride) "alone"... not the maintenance of the growth stimulant (minoxidil) "past" action through finasteride. And the shedding that will follow your minoxidil withdrawal might cost you a plumber. ---------------------- -Is the action of finasteride more important than the action of minoxidil for the Male Pattern form of Baldness? Yes. -But is the interaction between finasteride and minoxidil considered optimal as a treatment for MPB? Yes. Let's imagine that finasteride will produce a cake, and the minoxidil will produce icing for the cake... Once you stop minoxidil, the icing will disapear, but the cake will still be there... If someone hesitates to start minoxidil because of the fact it should be used for a life time to maintain its action, then I would suggest to wait, or to stop in the first weeks before it's too late. Good strategy. Though if I were you, I would wait after 2 years... Good luck

Unfortunately not. Unfortunately yes. Hence the need to continue minoxidil. Phil, Anything you will gain "using minoxidil" will be lost after discontinuation. Give it 4-5 months. You never really understand how well minoxidil works for you... until you stop it. Fortunately yes. Best of luck

I know that's probably not what you want to hear, but beside getting tested by an endocrinologist (an important step in your specific case) and following up a couple times a year to make sure you don't have any abnormal hormonal fluctuation, and investigating old generations in your family to see if someone had MPB (MPB is genetic), there is only one thing left to do, and it's to monitor your hair loss situation (if any) over a long period of time (a year or two "at least") to see if there is any progressive hair loss. That period of time should also help with getting used to your new mature hairline and find new ways to style your hair accordingly. Having thick hair all over, and just temple recession, is an advantage on the long run for an adult I believe... think about Johnny Depp. Remember, you have seen a doctor that saw "thousands" of other cases before you... and he told you you don't have signs of Male Pattern Baldness. Like I said, these meds are serious and are a life time commitment. You don't want to see what a minoxidil (rogaine) hair shed looks like once you stop it. If your hope is to re-grow your "old" hair line, minoxidil won't help at that, nor any other medications. In other words, I wouldn't start minoxidil just for the hairline (without an official MPB diagnosis) and possibly risk more shedding after stopping eventually. My understanding of your specific hair problem is that you need to "wait" before making any life-altering silly moves (such as rushing to get an aggressive transplant upfront, or embarking on new medications that may worsen your situation) and make sure you start from a stable ground (hormonally) and that you have enough time to take a step back to assess your situation more clearly. Just take pictures of your hair a few times a year, compare them every year, and see if there is any real progressive hair loss (compared to NOW). Then maybe eventually, with the supervision of a doctor, you could start propecia again (the official brand, not generic) if you officially have MPB and you are committed to take it everyday for a life time without ever stopping, and an ethical hair transplant doctor could "boost" a little bit of that hairline, without giving you back a teenage hair line. And trust me, I know it's hard... but try to relax and take a step back Best of luck

You "might" have had what is called Reflex-Hyperandrogenicity, a rare side effect from finasteride and other hormone-modulating drugs. Course of action? If you want my advices, I would: 1- get tested by an endocrinologist to make sure you don't have any hormonal disorders at this point, and monitor your hormonal condition every 6 months (including DHT and testosterone levels). 2-refrain from taking any such drugs unless you are officially diagnosed with Male Pattern Baldness. Finasteride tablets are not candies, as you have seen, and like minoxidil, these drugs are a lifetime commitment. 3-not have a hair transplant anytime soon, and not do so until you are absolutely certain of your condition and your balding pattern, if you have any... I think Mr. Rassman was right, it looks like hairline maturing... probably precipitated by hyperandrogenicity. I know you said you don't have any hair loss cases in your immediate family, but just to be sure, I would also investigate the hair loss patterns of old generations in your family, since MPB can skip generations... Best of luck

Catastrophique, if you've been losing hair for only 3 years and you're already almost a norwood 5-6 at 27 years old (with some diffuse hair left at the hairline, and fuzzy peach hair left all over), it means you have a "very" aggressive hair loss pattern, and will maybe (probably) end up as a full norwood 6-7 in a few years (without medications). Who gave you that estimate? You will need that to begin with... You will likely need more than one strip surgery if you want acceptable coverage and an acceptable illusion of density (with your degree of hair loss). Unless you just want "some" hair, and you're satisfied with a Ceasar hair cut for instance (which is a perfectly reasonable goal for some people). Or unless you fall in the rare H&W cases of more than 7000 grafts in a single session. 4000-4500 grafts will not cover the entire scalp. If you're fine with having hair upfront, and a bare crown... then forget what I just said. If you want to address the crown, you will need maybe another 3000. If that's your wish, I would choose the H&W route rather than Bisanga. But I would make sure to have a consultation before, to confirm you have the donor, the laxity and the hair characteristics that are necessary for such an ambitious plan. I would also be very conservative with the hairline placement and future planning, considering you're not on a 5ar inhibitor. And I would start scalp exercises today! Please... Do not ever take for granted that your scar will "almost" be invisible, particularly with mega-sessions. Most subtle trichophytic scars are from first and small sessions only. If you choose the strip road, with the extent of your hair loss you need to consider the fact you will have to keep your hair longer (forever) to hide a scar, or to hide some shockloss around the scar that may not return. Remember, hair tranplants are unpredictable. In the hands of a great surgeon, you just have more chance to succeed, but still take a risk... I do not believe you will ever be able to cut your hair as short as you have now after strip surgeries (if that becomes your plan). Catastrophique, mon conseil serait de prendre ton temps et de rechercher encore plus longtemps pour etre certain que ton plan soit r?©aliste, et que tu puisses atteindre tes objectifs. La transplantation de cheveux n'atteint pas toujours des r?©sultats remarquables, et elle r?©serves parfois des surprises... Et si tu veux te garder la possibilit?© de garder tes cheveux tres courts, ca ne sera pas possible avec une cicatrice... crois moi. Mais c'est parfois un compromis qui en vaut la peine. Bonne chance Best of luck note: as a reminder of the extent of your hair loss, people might want to see the last pic you uploaded in your initial post.

That's most probably the russians trying to interfere. Try to contact him through his private account on this site

He is Hasson and Wong's main consultant, as well as a hair transplant celebrity, and the web master of hairtransplantmentor, a member of this forum, and a member of ALL existing forums about hair loss, in all possible languages (he speaks 12 languages). I heard he's a good poker player, and cook good pastas. He also works for the CIA.

TheEmperor, I'm glad you found a solution to your dilemma, and wish you good luck for round 2. I know this sounds like a minimal factor, but you should try experimenting with thickening shampoos and other similar products in the future after your second procedure. I'm sure you will be surprised how much of a difference they can make. In my case, it's night and day. Simple shampoos such as l'oreal vive pro-men (thickening shampoo, with regenium, used everyday), or just for men hair dye, can boost your results to a surprising level. Not to mention a subtle touch of Toppik here and there, if you ever need it. And the use of minoxidil. But it takes a while to find "your" products, the ones that suits you, hence the importance to experiment for a while. Ron Shapiro talks about this very issue in his video introduction (on his HTN web page). All these subtle things added together can make a big difference. Best of luck * To hairlosscursed: Over the "trillions" of possible profile pictures available, is there a specific reason why you decided to choose the one I used here for a long time already? Don't you think we should not be "twins", and both have a personality of our own? Since you're a new member and probably didn't know me, I forgive you my friend... Though I would be delighted if you would choose another picture, to avoid any sort of confusion in our future online posting. in other words... JUST CHANGE IT. Thanks!

In this context, "faith" would be called a complete "irresponsible" act, and even a complete "illegal" act (in most developed countries).

That's when religions become a problem... Let your hairloss in the hands of your god if it makes you feel good... But what if your god actually wants you to be a "grown man", and take care of the problem yourself... because he's a bit busy working on something more important than follicles (or a human/mammal being depressed because of his hairloss)? Was it the devil that played with your genes to start with... and activated the bad one??? -------------- Would it be a lack of respect, to express the fact that I think this kind of imaginary reasoning is childish, or even more: unacceptable? While I respect your philosophy, I think that in this modern era we have the "chance" to live in, it's now our "ultimate responsibility" to put every single aspects of our beliefs into very close inspection, rather than just be a follower. As "innocent" this attitude can be when it comes to hairloss... as "dramatic" this same attitude can be in other situations. A friend of mine was stuck under a pile of debris (about 25 feet of junk over her delicate body) 5 years ago after being in the wrong place at the wrong moment: the Tsunami in Indonesia. After the set of waves and the water left gradually, her cry was heard by tourists and local people. The tourists started to panic and were literally almost killing themselves to put her out of this pile of debris to save her life... while the local people were telling them to stop to worry and let it go... as god would take care of her, and she would "reincarnate" soon anyway, after she dies. These local people were "not" bad people... they were just following their beliefs, and their religion. Thanks to this amazing era of knowledge, communication and progress we live in, we now start to put more objectivity and relativity into our human existence. And that 150 years after a big book about biology. About time... Best of luck

Looking great ws7 Just saw your donor pics and noticed that you let your hair grow in order to hide the donor zone. I'm used to see this with strip procedures... however, the donor zone for FUE being larger and more exposed, I was wondering how well you're able to hide the area with your long hair so far? Would you think that after 3-4 weeks you'd be at the point where the donor zone could be completely hidden under the long hair? Thanks, and best of luck with the results

In my case the combo finasteride / minoxidil helped everywhere on the head (in terms of regrowth, hair count maintenance, hair thickness and quality), even in the donor zone (back and sides hair thickened with propecia). My hair litterally turned stronger and "darker" in color since I use finasteride, and my eyelashes doubled in thickness since I started minoxidil ( an "undesirable systemic effect", but a proof that minoxidil is a crazy over-the-counter substance that works ). But the front and temples will always be more difficult to treat... the hair loss in this area is usually more stubborn / aggressive.

Steak, (I like that name lol) the chances you at least maintain hair count or considerably slow the hair loss process, as well as improve thickness and hair quality using the combo finasteride / minoxidil is statistically "very high", even at your age (36). Where are you on the norwood scale? Good luck

??? don't worry, everything sounds more than normal.

3-4 pimples should not cause any problems I believe, pre or post transplant... this will be considered normal... unless maybe these pimples are huge or the symptoms of an infection. And I never heard of acne-prone people having complications post transplant, but that would make an excellent question to ask to your HT doc in consultation, or any docs from this site for that matter... I'm curious, did you notice any hair loss from using Accutane??