Successful HT without meds. ...

[perth87]

Hey I'm long time follower of this forum, and it has helped me a great deal in my research for a HT. I would like to ask how many people on here have had successful HT without being on Meds e.g Propecia etc...I am strongly considering having a HT the only thing stopping me is the worry that I would be wasting my time getting a HT without meds. I understand mpb can still continue after a transplant, I am more so worried about permanent shock loss without being on meds beforehand. Anyone being in similar situation and went through with the HT. ..

[london81]

I think a HT is a gamble to a certain extent anyway even on meds as we can never truly know how MPB will progress. I think it is a bigger gamble without meds and I think meds and a HT should go together ideally. However, depending on age and degree/pattern of loss and how stable the loss is I do think that a HT without meds is possible depending on the individual persons situation and expectations. I think an older person with a higher Norwood would be a better candidate for a HT without meds.

[Rootz]

If your hairloss progresses slowly, a HT without meds can work... but as mentioned above that's extremely difficult to predict. You might want to see some credible HT docs and have them analyze your miniaturization, maybe once now and then again in 6-12 months. Never assume your hair is stable just because it hasn't appeared to change much in a while... I've seen guys who were NW1 become NW3 in the matter of a few years. I bet they were thinking, "Man what happened? I didn't think this could happen!"

[perth87]

Thank you for the replies, my hair loss has been a slow burner and it's only in my temple area. My main concern is about losing a lot of healthy hair now due to permanent shockloss which I have read can happen. Is that a big possibility?

[glocktop]

I think about this daily. What will a HT on my head look like if my balding significantly increases? (I'm on meds).

I saw the answer the other day.

Unnatural.

A guy in his 30s with a high density wedge of a hairline, a large gap all around, and then a NW6 behind and below it. It wasn't exactly bad looking, but it was unnatural. Thats what a HT without meds will look like given enough time.

[Dr. William Lindsey]

I'd guess that about 1/3 of our patients are on propecia, maybe 1 in 20 use rogaine.

 

Here's how I speak to patients on the topic.

 

First off, if nobody in the family loses much hair...and the prospective patient has lots of hair...why start? IF they think they are starting to thin, a year trial of propecia is a fairly safe option and less expensive than it used to be.

 

Next if its a 50 year old guy with thinning in the crown....well why not try it? Plus most 50 year old guys have a little prostate hypertrophy and several of my urologist friends liberally prescribe proscar (propecia times 5) for their patients 45 and older....

 

And if you are young and have lost lots of hair....well you may be beyond meds....although I see about 1 guy a year who grows "chia pet" like hair from a bald scalp with propecia....for those guys its a miracle. Unfortunately its only one a year at my office and who can predict who that will be?

 

The real question is for younger guys who are starting to thin with some family history of hair loss....I'm guessing that is the crux of this thread. At our office we discuss the 3% of side effects, which ought to go away with stopping the meds...but I know there are a couple of class actions suggesting side effects may be permanent...., and the possibility that the patient will not see anything from taking the meds and then not know if the meds are doing anything or not...are they holding onto the hair one still has in which case stopping would rapidly catch them up to where they'd have been if they hadn't started--or if they stop would they still look the same? That is a tough issue for many guys to overcome.

 

As a doctor who owns no stock in the med companies and who admits that he had side effects from the meds....I do not ever push folks to start.

 

Consider these issues and discuss them with your doctor and then make the best decision for you.

 

Dr. Lindsey McLean VA

[perth87]

Thank you for your replies. Dr .Lindsey would I have to be on meds well before the HT to stop permanent shock loss from the HT. Or is this impossible to tell in individual patients?

[perth87]

Thank you for your replies. Dr .Lindsey would I have to be on meds well before the HT to stop permanent shock loss from the HT. Or is this impossible to tell in individual patients?