Some post HT and minox questions

[brownstreakz]

Hello All...

 

I had been losing quite a bit of hair near the temples and experiencing thinning on the crown. I have never taken any medicines to control my hair loss. I was just using anti dandruff shampoos. I decided to go for an HT and now on the 17th day post my HT. Till now, things have progressed fine without any trouble

 

My doc has prescribed Finpecia and Minox from around the 20th day. From whatever I have read, I understand that the medication is to protect the existing hair and help some new hair grow. I have read lots of stories about the negative effects of minox and hair's dependence on it, once started. Now, my questions,

 

1. Can I choose not to take this medication at this point? Is the fresh/new growth of hair at the transplanted site anyway dependent on my taking this medication?

2. Will taking the medication help recovering from shock-loss at the transplanted/donor sites?

3. If taking this medication at this point is a necessity, can I safely stop taking it after about a couple of months without any harmful effects?

4. Should I always take the medication only in the prescribed combination of Finpecia and Minox? Can one take Minox alone too?

 

Thanks for your inputs...

[Thehairupthere]

You should use the medication as it will only help you retain what you have and possibly grow more hair in the future. You do need to continue using these medications for as long as you care about how your hair looks, so potentially it could be life long. This will not aggrevate the situation, you will simply lose the hair that the medication was helping once you stop, but the transplanted hairs should be permanent regardless of the medication. The medication is not always mandatory, but it really does help so you can stop it at any point without any issues, but you will be susceptible to losing more hair without it.You can take either of those medications alone if you wish, I believe that finpecia is better than minoxidil from the results that I have seen, so I would recommend using that one if you only want to use one medication. You should only take one tablet of finpecia daily (1 milligram) and use minoxidil 1-2 times a day at most.

[brownstreakz]

Thanks for your inputs Thehairupthere. I have a few more questions on the same set of topics,

 

1. Do I need to be taking any specific medicine to make sure I get back the hair that I might have lost due to possible shock loss (if at all its reversible). Does taking Finpecia help in this regard?

2. I have read the forums about a wide range of side effects of taking Finasteride. Are the side effects the same for both Propecia and any other generic version like Finpecia?

Do the negative side effects such as hypogonadism, gynecomastia and lower sex drive get reversed to normal once someone stops taking the medication?

3. What is the standard known effect of Finpecia on body/facial hair? I read conflicting claims about its effects on body/facial hair with some saying it helped increasing hair and some that it reduced body/facial hair. Does it affect body hair and facial hair the same way?

4. In what way does Finpecia affect muscle strength? Does it make it week or the increased testosterone help build more muscle?

 

Appreciate your help, thanks

[Thehairupthere]

Finasteride won't help much if at all with shock loss. If the hair that was shocked out was considered "healthy" before treatment than the odds of it coming back are pretty good, but if it was miniaturized hair and unhealthy then there is a good chance it won't return, but theoretically the transplants you received should more than compensate for the loss you experienced from shock loss. Shock loss usually takes at least 3 months to start returning, but it could take longer.

 

Finpecia and propecia are the same medication simply a different name, they are both finasteride, so as long as they have the same dosage then they will have the same effects. If you experience a soreness in your chest, and the other side effects you should stop the medication immediately and consult with your doctor but as long as you stop it as soon as you feel them, then you should not feel the side effects within 2-3 weeks.

 

Finasteride can have an effect on body hair, I do not believe it has any effect on facial hair. It can cause a decrease in body hair (not completely hairless, just less volume), while increasing hair on your head

 

Finasteride to my knowledge has no effect on muscle growth or muscle degradation.