Regular Member notsure Posted December 10, 2003 Regular Member Share Posted December 10, 2003 I need to find a great doctor in So. CA, someone who works with young people, not aggressive, but wants the best for his/her patients. I am 20 years old, with hair loss going on 2 years, and picking up rapidly. Family history: father a N7 as was maternal grandfather. I know this is my destiny and I want to stop it if I can. Thanks - do not want to go to someone that is not good or experienced. Self placed PR concerns me, anyone can say what they want about themselves. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member notsure Posted December 10, 2003 Author Regular Member Share Posted December 10, 2003 I need to find a great doctor in So. CA, someone who works with young people, not aggressive, but wants the best for his/her patients. I am 20 years old, with hair loss going on 2 years, and picking up rapidly. Family history: father a N7 as was maternal grandfather. I know this is my destiny and I want to stop it if I can. Thanks - do not want to go to someone that is not good or experienced. Self placed PR concerns me, anyone can say what they want about themselves. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member arfy Posted December 10, 2003 Senior Member Share Posted December 10, 2003 The first thing you need to do is try to stop your hair loss from progressing. Think about getting on Propecia, which according to Merck will help over 80% of the guys who use it. Even if you get a transplant, you will still need to try to stop the progression, so that is your first priority... stop the progression. See, there is not enough donor hair to just let everything fall out, and then expect to replace it with transplants. The more hair you can retain, the better off you will be. A hair transplant pretty much never looks as good as having your original hair. If you go see a hair transplant doctor for a visist, go with the purpose of asking about Propecia. You are too young and not bald enough to get a transplant yet. If you can stop your hair loss, you will hopefully never be bald enough to need a hair transplant. Anybody who is willing to do a hair transplant on you at your age, before you have even tried Propecia, with your early stage of hair loss, is probably a quack. You might want to see Paul McAndrews, he fits the description you gave (established, not aggressive, concerned about young people, not a big self-promoter). He teaches at USC (I think) and seems like a good guy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member FoxLox Posted December 10, 2003 Regular Member Share Posted December 10, 2003 Notsure- I just responded to another one of your posts recommending propecia as well. As far as the transplant goes, I couldn't agree more with Arfy. Arfy- You're the man. Foxlox Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member arfy Posted December 10, 2003 Senior Member Share Posted December 10, 2003 Well, you have a cooler nickname... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member MeHairBeGrowin Posted December 11, 2003 Regular Member Share Posted December 11, 2003 I just gotta add my 2 cents again, if you did not read my first post. Bosley's #1 Butcher Mill is in S. Calif. Do not under any circumstance go there. They will start cutting into your scalp at 18, if they can talk you into it. It will be the biggest mistake in your life by far to let them touch your scalp. Also avoid Dr. Paul Straub, I personally was butchered by him at age 25. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member notsure Posted December 11, 2003 Author Regular Member Share Posted December 11, 2003 Appreciate the replys - keep them coming. Realize need for propecia - held off because I was told it would not help frontal hair areas - Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member notsure Posted December 11, 2003 Author Regular Member Share Posted December 11, 2003 Thanks - agree haste is not the best solution. Does anyone know anything about Dutasteride?? Supposed to be better than propecia? What about growth stimulants - understand rogain is not for people with sensitive skin...any recommendations there? Appreciate all your suggestions and help. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member arfy Posted December 11, 2003 Senior Member Share Posted December 11, 2003 Propecia may not regrow hair in the front, but it should help you KEEP the hair you still have... in the front, back, everywhere. Nothing out there really works all that great at regrowing hair. It's a lot easier to keep the hair you still have. Also, it seems that the more recent your hair loss is, the better you will respond. Since you are only 20, you should have a good chance of seeing some results, maybe even a little bit of regrowth if you are lucky. Avodart is stronger than Propecia and it is new on the market. It stays in your system longer. It doesn't have Propecia's track record yet. Unless there is some reason to take Avodart (for example if Propecia didn't work for you, or you are allergic to Propecia) I don't see any reason to take Avodart. A year from now Avodart will have more of a track record and we will know more. But in the meantime just get started with Propecia. Avodart isn't even available for hair loss yet, you have to talk a doctor into prescribing it. It's also more expensive than Propecia. Don't make it any more complicated than you need to, just get started on Propecia, that is my suggestion. Same thing goes for Minoxidil... start with the simplest regimine first. A year from now, if you want to add Minoxidil because you aren't satisfied with your results, then think about adding it. A guy in your position will probably appreciate startng the simplest and most convenient routine possible. Don't add a lot of other stuff unless it is really necessary. I forget what kevis is but I am pretty sure it's junk... because most treatments are junk. Nothing else is as effective as Propecia. It may not be perfect but Propecia is the best available treatment at this time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member arfy Posted December 11, 2003 Senior Member Share Posted December 11, 2003 Well, I looked at the Kevis site and I'm not too impressed, but if you think it is worth the money based on your experience, then keep using it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member notsure Posted December 12, 2003 Author Regular Member Share Posted December 12, 2003 Can someone recommend a reliable place online to get the propecia? Are there different strengths? Why would I not want to do the propecia and the minoxidol at the same time? Thanks again for input - Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member arfy Posted December 12, 2003 Senior Member Share Posted December 12, 2003 I personally would recommend getting a legit prescription from your doctor, and getting your Propecia from a local pharmacy. There is a big market for counterfeit drugs and there is no way to tell the bogus stuff without having it analyzed. I'm not trying to scare you but there is a market for bootlegs, and it really doesn't get talked about at all here. I don't know if it is a real risk or not but it is something to consider. I think guys look to online drugs maybe too often. Any reason you wouldn't get a prescription? I personally take Proscar that I get online, but I am twice your age and twice as bald as you are. I have no illusions of regrowing any hair, I am just trying to hang on to the little I have left. If I was a young guy just starting out, I would give serious thought to doing everything by the book, and using drugs that were guaranteed. I don't know, maybe some of these sites DO guarantee their drugs, I do not shop around and look at a lot of different sources. The only reason to order off the net is to get generic versions, in my opinion. Only do that if money is a limiting factor. It can be good to do this under a doctor's supervision, especially in the beginning, just so you can have someone to talk to, besides the other guys on the internet. There's no reason you can't use Minoxidil too, but it's a topical and is a little less convenient. The ideal scenario is you use something simple and it works, end of story. Using multiple treatments can get expensive, it can get inconvenient, and you don't know what works or doesn't work so you have to keep using everything. Using Minoxidil combined with Propecia is supposed to be even more effective than using either alone. But if you can start simple and stay simple that is better. Add Minoxidil if you think you really need serious help. The downside is that you are not supposed to stop using Minoxidil on and off, it makes a bit of a mess of your hair, it can be irritating to your scalp, and is another expense. Also, you might want to add new things gradually, there is a chance that these medications can trigger a shed phase. On the positive side, shedding means that something is working, on the negative side you are losing hair and that is scary. If you still have most of your hair, I would just start with Propecia. Give it a year, take some before and after pics and compare. I think you should do some in-depth research into all these things and also consult a dermatologist or your family doctor. Don't take my word on this stuff... you have to do your own research, learn what the complications and risks can be, and then make your own informed decision. The last thing i want is be responsible for your hair... What about talking to Dr. McAndrews? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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