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Starting fin too close to a transplant?


tacale

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Hi all,

I have a couple of  questions about fin and min, I think a little different to the usual ones. 

I am having a transplant in 5 weeks, NW5 and realize I should also start on some treatments to tackle the problem from both angles. 

I am considering, min, fin and potentially a laser thing. 

With the minoxidil the doctor said to pause min just before and a for a few weeks after the surgery. So might as well wait till after to start. 

With the finasteride I have a preference for topical fin though the first question would also apply to oral.

My first question is,  is there a risk of starting fin so close to a surgery.

I’m thinking specifically about the shedding that takes place in the first months of fin. If I start so close to surgery that I'm in the shedding faze at the time of operation, can that affect my donor hair? Or alternatively can that mess up my look in the front so it looks even worse on the day, offsetting the analysis, grafts going in the wrong places?

And then with topical fin, would the advise to pause for the surgery  - especially when the wounds are fresh, also apply? 

 

Secondly I would like to ask about the theory behind products combing minoxidil and finasteride into one topical solution.  How to tackle the future problem that one of the two stops working.

If  I understand correctly, minoxidil might not work as long term as fin (it could lose its effect after a few years). So taking both in one, I might not notice when it stops having an effect, and potentially continue taking something that isn't working any longer?

Would it be a good strategy to use a topical min/fin solution only for two years and then switch to just topical fin? 

And then touching on that, is there a transition period  between different fin products.  Would my body respond to topical fin as a different chemical than the topical min/fin combo and therefore lose some of the gains - a renewed 3 month shedding faze before it restarts working? Or even transitioning from topical to or from oral fin, would the body treat that as a different product, again gain loss, renewed shedding etc before it starts working? 

Thanks for any thoughts. 

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30 minutes ago, tacale said:

My first question is,  is there a risk of starting fin so close to a surgery.

No. Don't bother with topical finasteride or topical minoxidol until a month post op. Even then consult with your surgeon. Ideally it's worth starting finasteride a year before surgery to stabilize your hair loss so you know what you are dealing with but it's never too late in my opinion to be on finasteride. All the best!

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minoxidil and finasteride works through different mechanism . 

so if you intend to use both , why do you plan to switch from topical  minoxidil/fin mix to only topical fin .  ? you shall continue using minoxidil . 

there's finasteride gel sold i heard .. people may use the mix of finasteride/fin for convivence of applying  

1 mixed solution ..  

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11 hours ago, H.K said:

minoxidil and finasteride works through different mechanism . 

so if you intend to use both , why do you plan to switch from topical  minoxidil/fin mix to only topical fin .  ? you shall continue using minoxidil . 

there's finasteride gel sold i heard .. people may use the mix of finasteride/fin for convivence of applying  

1 mixed solution ..  

I would plan to switch from topical min/fin under the assumption that the min would start to wear off at some point. At least I have heard minoxidil loses effectiveness.

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i don't use minoxidil , but as far as i know , it may lose effectiveness in term of growing  more hair , but if you stop using it , you will lose the gains you got from using minox.

 

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19 minutes ago, H.K said:

i don't use minoxidil , but as far as i know , it may lose effectiveness in term of growing  more hair , but if you stop using it , you will lose the gains you got from using minox.

 

It will lose effectiveness in case you dont use Finasteride, if you combine these two you have a lifetime to lock those hairs for good. People may start Finasteride and wait for a year to see the results. If they are not happy then add Minoxidil to it.

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This, truly, is not complicated.  Or, is it?

Testosterone is what drives guys.  There is a breakdown into DHT which we know is an irritant to the follicle.  A DHT blocker, such as Finasteride, can help with hair retention.  The problem is "expectation." If I do something, I expect something in return.  When patients see no visual change, they become frustrated and stop all together - not understanding the medication is not intended for you to grow anything.  It is for you to retain.  Thus, if a year later you look the same, the med did what it was intended to do.

All modalities, (Finasteride, Rogaine, PRP and Laser) work in different ways and are thus synergistic.  Fin and Min are considered the best meds out there for retention, particularly in the crown.  

When to start?.......probably when you first realize you are losing native hair.  The sooner you get on it, the sooner you start protecting what you have.

Sometimes, particularly in women, a doctor may ask the patient to get on Rogaine for a time period prior to the procedure as it may help with post op shedding.  Other times, a doctor may ask a patient to stop the use of it a week prior to the procedure since it can cause more bleeding during the procedure.  Could the alcohol content in the med also cause irritation? Perhaps. 

Many believe Rogaine can lose its effectiveness, particularly after 7 years.  The suggestion, however, is to continue the use of the med to avoid losing what you would have lot had you not been on the medication.  This is true, however, of all modalities.  We, unfortunately, do not have a hair crystal ball that will tell us what we would have lost.  So, get on the meds and stay on them for as long as your hair is important to you. And follow your doctor's recommendation.  

Patient Consultant for Dr. Arocha at Arocha Hair Restoration. 

I am not a medical professional and my comments should not be taken as medical advice. All opinions and views shared are my own. 

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