Stopping Finasteride three months prior to a procedure?

[Bald Rick]

I  was reading through the FAQ's on Dr Bhatti's website, and one of the things I noticed was that he recommends not using finasteride three months prior to a procedure.

"

Should I take Finasteride before the procedure to thicken my hair and so you can get more grafts?

"Absolutely not!
Finasteride should never be taken before the surgery. It will sustain thinning hair and the quality of grafts taken will be indeterminate.
The hair maintained with Finasteride before the procedure will not grow well when you will stop Finasteride 6 months after the procedure.
It will then affect the quality of the result.
I advise patients to stop Finasteride 3 months before the procedure"

Is this good advice?

 

 

https://www.darlingbudsindia.com/faq

 

[Curious]

Finasteride helps to prevent shock loss.  Ask your doctor about that.

Edited January 22, 2019 by Curious

[Triple7]

I’ve never heard of stopping fin before a transplant  but I am not a doctor. However, I haven’t heard this recommended before by any other doctors.

[matt3480]

I've never heard this in my life.....no clue what he is talking about.

My only guess is he is talking about people who maybe want to start taking it a few weeks before surgery and then plan on stopping it after. That I would not recommend.

 

 

[pkipling]

I've never heard of this before either. In fact, I started taking Finasteride in preparation for my hair transplant. So unless some new studies have been done to support this, I suppose this is yet another thing we can add to the long list of discrepancies between various surgeons when it comes to giving advice.  

[OzzyBoy]

hi guys,

From my understanding, matt3480 is right on this one.

Dr Bhatti is specifically referring to those who start taking Finasteride before their HT (to avoid shock loss) and then intend on stop using it 6 months or so after their HT. If you start using Fin before your HT to avoid shock loss / strengthen your donor area, my understanding is that it is recommended to then stay on Fin long term.

[matt3480]

That would make sense then.....last thing you want to do is get that initial Fin shed right around when you get your HT (2-3 months after you start Fin).....and then stopping it 2-3 months after your HT and probably getting another shed from shedding. Your net gain from the HT might not be very good with 2 large sheds from the Fin and any weak hair being knocked out.

When I first started fin, it was about 3 months before my first HT.....I don't think I had much of a shed, but I've stayed on it in the 4 years since.

Edited January 25, 2019 by matt3480

[Baldrick101]

 

12 hours ago, OzzyBoy said:

hi guys,

From my understanding, matt3480 is right on this one.

Dr Bhatti is specifically referring to those who start taking Finasteride before their HT (to avoid shock loss) and then intend on stop using it 6 months or so after their HT. If you start using Fin before your HT to avoid shock loss / strengthen your donor area, my understanding is that it is recommended to then stay on Fin long term.

From what I understand, taking finasteride before a HT will have no bearing on the "strength" of your donor hair. By definition, your donor hair is DHT resistant so finasteride will have no effect on this area. It will however strengthen the hair in your recipient area. If you are having grafts implanted in between existing miniaturised or hair outside the safe zone, then finasteride will help prevent losing those hairs through shock loss and the overall trauma of the incisions and competition for blood from new grafts. In addition, for what its worth, I never got a shed anyway. I think the "dreaded fin shed" is often blown out of proportion.