No Propecia?

[Jay33]

Hi all,

 

I have been reading about various treatments and transplant techniques for a quite a long time on this forum and various other places but this is my first post.

I have come to the decision that I would like to consider a transplant but do not want to sign up for propecia.

I wondered if anyone could show or tell me their experiences of a transplant without prescribed meds.

I have been applying regaine for about 5 years and there has been further hair loss but I think a slowing down of it - It's impossible to be sure as I don't know where i would be if I hadn't started with minoxidil.

I know the longterm outcome of a h/t without propecia is going to be very different. I just want to know if it is a viable option or continue with minoxidil and go bald a little slower without a h/t.

 

Thanks for your help

[RCWest]

Sure you can do a transplant without Propecia. They did it for years that way. But they also chased shock loss along with their normal hair loss pattern. Propecia slows down or stops those two things. Without Propecia you're just going to chase hair loss with hair transplants until you reach the DHT resistant hair. Propecia will at least slow down if not stop hair loss. With grafts going for $4 and up a piece, you are actually saving money!

[largechris]

Obviously you need to talk this through with your surgeon of choice.

 

But I'm wondering if you would consider taking finasteride for a shorter period - say 6 to 12 months either side of your HT? I don't know for a fact, but I would have thought this would help the shock loss side of things although do nothing long term.

 

I would look at it as an extension of the many wonderful drugs (codeine, valium, ?tramasi etc) you are going to have to take during the procedure anyway...

 

I'm trying to give you some perspective on this but I suspect your mind is made up.

[mattj]

Firstly, I would encourage you to re-think your attitude to Propecia. I know you've probably read a lot of bad stories from people who have used the drug and had side effects, but the number of men using the drug and keeping their hair with little or no unwanted effects is much larger. I can include myself among that group.

 

The main issue with not taking Propecia and undergoing a hair transplant is, of course, the increased chance of further hairloss. Many hair transplant patients do choose to go ahead with their procedure without Propecia, and perhaps some of them will answer your question here, but understand that everyone is unique and their experiences will not match yours. There is little that they could tell you that would be relevant to your own case as their hair might be falling out at a much slower or faster pace than yours.

 

The most important thing for you to think about is how fast your own hair is falling. Consider your age and consult with various doctors to assess your needs (such as number of grafts required) and donor quality and make a decision mindful of the fact that you may continue to lose hair and require further procedures in the future.

[Jay33]

Thanks for your replies.

The decision to do something about hairloss to me is really a series calculated risks.

I am not a doctor but I feel comfortable using a topical solution like regaine. To me propecia is a more powerful (and therefore effective) drug but with that risks of side effects increase. I don't want to put the drug or it's users down. I have read quite a lot about propecia and the choice for or against has to in the end be a personal one. I know everything from vitamin c to table salt has potential for causing damage to us. With propecia, I have absolutely no doubt that it has worked wonders for many men but it does look as though it has caused problems for some too. For me the nature of those problems tips the scales for me.

I don't want to start a "is propecia good or bad" debate because there isn't one answer - it just won't be for me and having read interviews and replies from surgeons regarding positive results from hair transplants without propecia I was just wondering if anyone could post some photos or tell me about their experiences. Thanks

[mattj]

Hi Jay33,

I really don't know what you expect to see in photos of patients who have had transplants without Propecia. You won't be able to tell whether they are on Propecia or not. They would look exactly the same if they were taking the drug.

 

Sorry to persist with this but I'm just trying to show you that the information that you will be getting would not actually be as useful as you might think. Not to your own, individual case.

[gavinol]

I am 24 year old.I am facing problem of hair loss i heard about some tretment..would anyone guide me that which is the good hair tretment??and also What about treatments like Propecia or Rogaine?

 

 

nose huggies

 

 

[Jay33]

Hi mattj,

All I am trying to find out is if there are guys out there who want to share their experience of a hair transplant without the use of propecia, whether it be photos or just a bit of advice. I realise everyone will have a different experience but like everyone I am just trying to make an informed decision. Photos of a head just after any hair transplant probably don't tell us much about the final result but there are still plenty of photos on this forum.

I would think that the approach to a hair transplant without meds is slightly different - to account for further loss and I just wanted to hear from surgeons or patients who have experience of this and what those differences are and what they look like before, after during, whenever.

[Hal]

Hey Jay--

 

I can tell you that I am 47 years old and a Norwood 5A/ very early Norwood 6.

 

I am scheduled for a transplant with Dr. Ron Shapiro in a few months and I do not plan on taking Propecia. Now or Ever.

 

Personally, I think its a bad idea to play around with your body's chemistry. As been mentioned, many men take the drug with little or no side effects. However, others do have sides, and there are growing reports of people whose sides have not gone away even when stopping the medication.

 

I agree with the other posters that everyone's case is different and you have to make the call based on your own individual circumstances.

 

For example, although opposed to playing around with my body's hormones, I might take the chance if I was a 20 something guy who was just starting to lose his hair and go thin.

 

As it is, my balding pattern has been pretty stable for quite a long while. I suppose I could always lose more hair, but I'm pretty far along and mother nature can't do a whole lot more to my follicles.

 

So for me, it's not worth the risk.

 

One thing I don't understand is people who start meds right before or right after a transplant. Now supposedly Propecia is supposed to help grow out your transplant faster and help with any shock loss. I'm not sure I'm on board with that.

 

Additionally, I think right before or after a transplant is the WORST time to start meds. Talk about muddying the waters. You have surgery on your scalp. You're healing. You have an initial shed of newly transplanted grafts which is followed by re-growth after a few months. You also might have shock loss to contend with. Now you're going to throw meds in the mix that might cause a shed? How are you to tell what's what? Is it the meds, the surgery? is it poor growth, what?

 

And if you have sides, then what? too much stuff all at once thrown at the old bod. No thanks.

 

Not a good choice, IMHO.

 

Finally, I'm personally not convinced that Propecia is all that safe. Yeah, the drug company says its safe and side effects are very low. And they'll keep saying that until they change their story to something different. Wouldn't be the first time.

 

So that's where I'm at.

 

Hal

[Tao]

I'm kinda with Hal on this one. I know that Propecia is a wonder drug for many but I just don't like the idea of messing with my body's chemistry or hormones. Hormones are powerful things. I know DHT screws us when it comes to hair, but our body must need it for some things if it produces it. I'm not a biochemist or doctor but for me, I'd rather not take a drug if I don't have to. Of course, if I was in my 20s and losing my hair, I think I would have a much different mindset. I'm 43 and had my first HT at 41 with my baldness and pattern pretty much set (hell, I lost just about everything up top anyway so there was not much more damage to be done). I have had two HTs and am really happy with the results. Could I have thicker,stronger hair if I took propecia. Probably. But it ain't worth it for me.

 

This just comes down to a personal decision. Do your research, read the pros and cons, assess your situation and then make a choice that makes sense for you.