Hello everyone. I think it's great that there are these resources out there. I was hoping you guys could help me with a few questions I have. Hopefully your eyes won't glaze over...bear with me...
First off, to set up the situation, I'm 27, and have always had a high hairline. My dad is probably a NW4/5, but my mom's dad still has a pretty good head of hair in his 90s (!) I had bad acne in high school AND college, and after doing the retin-a thing, I actually went on 3 (yes, three) courses of Accutane (one of them first year of college, one a bit later, and one when I was around 23). The first two were 40 mgs a piece, the last one was like 120 mg or something. My derm and I were determined to get rid of it once and for all, and for the most part, it worked! Little did I know it might have gotten rid of something else as well.
Since about 24 or so, I've noticed my hairline up from receding somewhat. Nothing horrible at first, but rememeber I'm starting with a high hairline. I've been getting my hair cut a bit longer each time I went into barber (something I now dread). I've been on Propecia since around Feb/March of last year, and haven't noticed anything except more thinning up front. (I am going in to get another haircut next week so I can post pics then).
So finally, here are my questions:
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<LI> I know (now) that Accutane can cause hair loss, or accelerate MPB. Now that I have been off it for around 4 years, could the hair loss I'm having now still be a result of the Accutane? Most of the stuff I read makes it seem like you experience it during the use (which maybe I did, but I didn't notice back then), but how far can it continue after?
<LI> Following up to that question, will Propecia do anything for loss caused by Accutane? Or accelerated by it?
<LI> When I first got a perscription to Propecia 1.25 mg a day, I went online and ordered it from some pharmacy in the UK which gave me Proscar tablets, which I chopped into 1/4ths. The 3rd time I ordered from them, they raised the price (bastards!) and gave me something from an Isreali pharmacy that looked similar called Procure. I got a little freaked out, and when I went to my derm to get another prescription, I went to my local Costco, where they gave me a bottle of "5 MG Fin". The pills are much smaller and circular, but I have been cutting them into 1/4th also. So my questions are: are these all the same? should I try to get the proscar again? I've been noticing shedding (and we are nearing 11-12 month mark) and major thinning of the hairline in the past few months.
<LI> Finally (phew), I have gone in for a couple HT consultations. Both places said around 1500 grafts. But now that I am having thinning up front, that freaks me out even more. I really don't want plugs up front and thinning behind, or just shaving down and having a strip scar (both places recommended strip). As I said, I'm 27...how young is too young?
Thanks for any help you guys can provide.