Guest Posted November 13, 2003 Share Posted November 13, 2003 Just kinda wondering on everyone's thoughts. How many years am I safe for? Or is it even possible it will last for the rest of my life? Just kinda wondering what experts/ guys that know what they're talking about think? Cheers, danger Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted November 13, 2003 Share Posted November 13, 2003 Just kinda wondering on everyone's thoughts. How many years am I safe for? Or is it even possible it will last for the rest of my life? Just kinda wondering what experts/ guys that know what they're talking about think? Cheers, danger Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Pumpkinhole Posted November 14, 2003 Share Posted November 14, 2003 sometimes i hear doctors say they believe finasteride slowly stops losing its benefit after 5 years or so. i have no idea whether this is true, but it sounds reasonable, and many ht doctors who assert this have been observing clients on the drug since its inception. i would play it safe and try not to rely on finasteride to stop all future hairloss. there's just no evidence at this point that it can do that in the long term. i do think most men should take it though, regardless of their situation. the benefits of it in the short-term is well worth it, and it still has the possibility of being effective in the long-term for some individuals. i've been on proscar for about 8 months now. i haven't regrown any hair (that i can see anyway) but i plan to stay on it until something better comes along. i'm also not planning to factor its potential benefits in my long-term hair transplant goals. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member Dr. Michael Beehner Posted November 15, 2003 Senior Member Share Posted November 15, 2003 Dear Danger, Certainly the benefits of Propecia for each patient are slightly different. The five-year studies that were completed a year or so ago suggest that, for 80-90% of users, there is an INCREASE IN "HAIR MASS" for around 4-5 years, and then a slow downward "trickle" of loss of hair mass. Hair mass refers to two things: the shaft diameter of the hair and the length to which it will grow (unimpeded by the barber's scissors). Finasteride can result in very fine hairs, and even sometimes hairs that are not even apparent, becoming almost full-diameter hairs that grow long. The initial 4-5 year period of increase in hair mass coincides with the duration of the "anagen" cycle of hair growth, which is the length of one life-cycle for a typical man's hair - so it seems that the drug in some way allows all of the hairs that are coming into the anagen phase to "catch a wave" and ride with it for the duration of the anagen cycle. In projecting the curve out into future years (beyond the number of years that the study was actually done), it would seem logical to assume, based on our present knowledge, that you are going to be ahead of the game and hang onto more hair if you continue to keep taking Propecia. The rate of hair loss is much greater in those men who were on placebo and not taking the drug, even in the later years of the study. As a final point, there is a definite synergistic effect in using Rogaine 5% twice a day in addition to taking finasteride. Synergisic means that the two of them together give a positive result greater than just using finasteride alone. I hope that is somewhat helpful in answering your question. Mike Beehner, M.D. Dr. Mike Beehner is a highly esteemed member of the Coalition of Independent Hair Restoration Physicians Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member Dr. Michael Beehner Posted November 15, 2003 Senior Member Share Posted November 15, 2003 In looking over my notes I posted on Propecia, I wanted to say that the 80-90% hair mass increase is what I have seen in my practice in using it in hundreds of patients, and from my private conversations with other hair specialists who have used it in many patients. For the most part, in using these figures I am referring to seeing the patient back one and two years after starting the medication. I believe the actual study,which looked at the men 5 YEARS AFTER starting the drug, (which I don't have in front of me)showed that around 30-40% of the men had a visual appearance of having more hair, 40-50% showed no worsening of hair loss, and 10% or so were thinner. If one of my colleagues have the exact numbers, they are welcome to post them. Mike Beehner, M.D. Dr. Mike Beehner is a highly esteemed member of the Coalition of Independent Hair Restoration Physicians Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member uncjim Posted November 15, 2003 Senior Member Share Posted November 15, 2003 Dr. Beehner, Was patient age a considered variable in your study? If so, I'd be interested in knowing what you found. Thanks. Jim Uncjim's Journey "Temples 'n Crowns Forever" Uncjim's Hair Loss WebLog Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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