Is anyone who has had a transplant NOT using meds?

[Albion71]

I wondered if anyone who has had a hair transplant is now NOT using meds - finasteride, minoxidil, etc?

 

These meds are generally recommended as the best way to preserve existing hair. Personally, I've come off finasteride because of the side effects, and I'm now trying minoxidil, though without great expectations.

 

Ideally I would prefer not to use any meds, and use surgery to deal with future hairloss. However, this is complicated by the fact that I'm likely to end up around a NW6, based on family hair loss history.

 

Is anyone else in a similar boat? Have you planned your hair transplants on the basis that you won't be able to cover all balding areas, eg. the crown, so settle for a thinner covering in those areas?

 

This is the situation I am in, interested in how others may have addressed it.

[RCWest]

Albion, from your blog photos you still appear to have a good bit of native hair. As you say with your family history that you are likely to end up a NW6, I believe it to be very wise to keep using meds.

 

Propecia can also keep your donor hair from thinning, if your family history is like that also.

[hair1978]

I'm not using meds. As a NW 3/4, meds won't do anything for the hairline and frontal region. I'll most likely end up to NW 5, and might do another procedure in the future.

[Albion71]

Thanks for the feedback guys.

 

RCWest - I came off finasteride because of the effect on my libido, which has since come back, so pretty certain the two are linked.

 

As a result, I won't be trying finasteride again, so will almost certainly end up around NW6.

 

Therefore, I will be planning future HTs on the basis that some areas will have to be left with a thin covering - due to insufficient donor hair for a full covering - I wondered if anyone else had worked out a similar plan with their surgeon.

[Dutch]

Hello, with regards to the propecia side effects, my best friend experienced this, he tried half a tablet daily then half a tablet 2 days on and then 1 day off. That didn't work either. Now he's on half a tablet every other day and he has adjusted. So you could consider that in the future or a quarter daily to begin with. Just a thought.

As for the mino not working in the frontal third or hairline, it does on some. I've seen growth on the same friend and it's very obvious growth.

You need to have a plan with a doctor on what to do with the precious grafts you do have. I'm a Norwood 5A. What I done was overall coverage over the whole area with a mega session, with obviously more grafts in the front half. I'll then go back to thicken the final third. Then I'll have FUE if I have nothing left as I only have 2-3k grafts through strip for operation 2. That's my plan. Hope it works out for you.

Edited March 11, 2012 by Dutch

[RodG]

Hi,

 

I tried Finpecia for a month and I have experienced a loss of libido and I'm coming off the medication. I keep reading that side effects only occur in a low percentage of cases but I see many complaints about this issue.

 

Regards

 

Rod

[Albion71]

Hi Dutch - I may try the approach of half a tablet of finasteride every other day, but only as a last resort. Ultimately, having a libido is more important than having hair.

 

Your plan sounds a sensible one, good luck.

 

One long-term concern I have is over what happens when all donor supply is exhausted but native hair continues to fall out around the temples, sides, and back. That could look odd.

[Albion71]

Hi Dutch - I may try the approach of half a tablet of finasteride every other day, but only as a last resort. Ultimately, having a libido is more important than having hair.

 

Your plan sounds a sensible one, good luck.

 

One long-term concern I have is over what happens when all donor supply is exhausted but native hair continues to fall out around the temples, sides, and back. That could look odd.

[Dutch]

Hello. No problem at all.

Thanks.

I have that fear & I'm sure most of us have that fear of the line dropping. Ask a surgeon of what they think can happen. No one has a crystal ball but Dr Hasson told me mine can drop 1 cm.

If you're sensible & not use everything, you'll have something left in the tank. Then there's FUE. Then I have hope of replicel becoming a reality. That's all we can hope for. In the mean time, it's paramount you consider meds even if you take a quarter tablet to see if you can adjust.

[Albion71]

Thanks Dutch. As it happens, I'm meeting Drs Hasson and Wong on Saturday for a consultation to assess my donor supply and what my future plans might be.

 

I hope something like replicel comes good in time to make a difference for me, though I hold out more hope with the rapid progress being made in transplanting of beard and body hair by surgeons like Bisanga - I have plenty of donor supply there!

 

Rod G - re finasteride and libido, if it's any consolation, I came off finasteride after 13 years last autumn, and my libido has come back pretty strong - to about 80% of what it was before I reckon. Though I'm now over 40 which may explain the other 20%.