Not much luck

[Jay33]

Hi all,

 

I am finding it hard to find anyone who has experienced a hair transplant without the use of propecia. I am just trying to get an idea of the different approach and longterm results when further loss is going to take place.

 

I have read bits and peices from surgeons saying that this is a viable option but just haven't seen many results.

If any one out there has any good or bad experiences to share that would be great. Thanks

[Thehairupthere]

You can proceed with a procedure without propecia but it is recommended that you begin on a medication regiment either rogaine or propecia to help stop further hair loss, this is especially true with younger patients. If you do not plan on taking any medication to help stop the loss than the surgeon would have to give you (based on the amount of hair loss he or she is expecting for you) a very conservative hair line so you can have enough donor supply to replenish the current thinning areas and the future areas when you will eventually lose more hair. With this approach you have the possibility of "chasing your tail" as in chasing the thinning hair behind the current hair loss, which may look awkward. So you have to be conservative.

[Jay33]

Thanks for your reply. I have been using regaine for about 5 years and I think it has slowed the loss down but definetely not stopped it. Can you recommend anything else apart from propecia that could help.

[Thehairupthere]

Propecia really does work very well, so if you are worried about the side effects just know that they are quite rare, only about 1%-2% of all users get them. Other than that, you can use nizoral shampoo, as well as some herbal supplements such as biotin and saw palmetto, but propecia really does work better than them. Continue rogaine regularly.

[Dv]

I was one of those 1-2% who experience side effects. I finally went back on propecia after my HT in October, but this time I took it at half dosage. So far, no side effects and it (along with rogaine) has helped my crown get much thicker (which was untouched during the HT.)

[Tonycc]

i think you will find here that a lot of people have been using medication for years (like yourself) before considering HT.

 

Like others said, Propecia would be the next step for you. It definitely has long-term results as well (which is what you are looking for)

 

Make sure you keep us updated on what happens.

[Taken4Granted]

Propecia really does work very well, so if you are worried about the side effects just know that they are quite rare, only about 1%-2% of all users get them. .

 

Please note that I speak from my heart and have no intention of "making waves," if you will. And please excuse my flippant tone; I infuse my writing with flair.

 

With no offense and all due respect and comity, I must assert that 1-2% is entirely false. Do I have proof? No.

 

Propecia is an invaluable resource for fighting AGA. I'd be bald without it. But I can't read that 1-2% and not say something. People deserve to be better informed than that, in my humble opinion.

 

And as far as my opinion is concerned, this is what I think - that a large minority of men will experience some degree of some of the following side effects when they take the drug. A not-inconsiderable minority will find these symptoms unbearable at 1mg/day.

 

-decreased libido (boobs? what are those?)

-tenderness and swelling of the breasts (excuse me miss, what size am I?)

-decreased/watery semen

-increased scalp hair (if you're a good responder)

-soft erections/erectile dysfunction (that's a euphemism)

-et friggin cetera (I suffer from et cetera myself)

 

If you are considering taking finasteride, be aware that the "1-2%" stat is the same, LAME line pharm companies have been using since the inception of the FDA to fool consumers and the gov't into thinking their side effects are rare and not to be taken seriously.

 

Last, look up "Post-Finasteride Syndrome." I don't personally believe it's a disorder in its own right, but I do know it iterates the experiences of thousands of unlucky men worldwide. Maybe they constitute 1%. Who knows.

 

I think the best way to say it is that, probably, the number of men taking Propecia who don't experience sides to some degree are a minority or unimpressive majority.

 

ps. I hope this post combined with others deriding my POV will instill a sense of cautious optimisim in potential Propecia consumers, instead of blithe oblivion.

 

Taken

Edited January 7, 2011 by Taken4Granted
grammar

[Dv]

Men do experience side effects; it happens with any drug. I was one of those men.

 

Cut your dosage in half and try that. I've done that for the last 5 months and haven't had ANY problems this time. Libido is the same, no tender nipples, no funky semen, no weak erections. I still had my crown thicken up and a little bit of thickening in my front area. It's probably not as much as I would achieve at full dosage, but it's an excellent trade-off.

[okay2land]

I've been under the knife 3 times and have never been on meds. I might give it a try pretty soon though.

[hairthere]

I'm also a 3-timer who stopped taking meds. I stopped before surgery number two as my wife and I were trying to have a baby. I never experienced sides but just decided not to go back on after she got pregnant. I may resume finasteride after my next ht.

[Thehairupthere]

Propecia is one of the best products on the market today in stopping hair loss and unfortunately, some people do experience the side effects, but they are very rare. Taken4Granted apparantly has experienced those side effects and that is a shame because the medication really works well, but there are other options such as Rogaine that will give you a great result as well, but not as good in my opinion. I personally use Propecia daily and have for 8 years without any side effects. Again do the proper research and you will see that it is a very safe medication and one that is regularly prescribed by surgeons on this site and some even use it themselves. 1-2% of all patients is an accurate estimate for the amount of people that may experience the side effects, just because you may have experienced those side effects does not prove that those numbers are deflated or incorrect.

[hairthere]

thehairupthere, actually, taken4granted never said he experienced side effects. Rather, he claims the drug has helped him. So I'm not really sure what he's basing his assumptions on.

 

Every drug does have side effects and it is the consumer's responsibility to educate themselves about them. Whether it's 1-2% or 3-4% is somewhat irrelevant. People know the very harmful effects of smoking tobacco and that doesn't stop them.

[kathie47]

Propecia really does work very well, so if you are worried about the side effects just know that they are quite rare, only about 1%-2% of all users get them. Other than that, you can use nizoral shampoo, as well as some herbal supplements such as biotin and saw palmetto, but propecia really does work better than them. Continue rogaine regularly.

 

I've heard you can only use Nizoral 2X a week. Why do you recommend it over Nioxin? Thanks!

[Thehairupthere]

Both are fine to use, i don't prefer one over the other, just forgot to mention it.