Hair transplant without finasteride

[MyMoniker]

Guys, the experiences of those on this forum have been invaluable and have helped me choose what I think is the right clinic for me. I scheduled a HT with Eugenix, but they were a little unnerved when I mentioned that I cannot tolerate finasteride.

I wish I could use it, I get a little jealous of others who can use it without severe side effects. I suppose my physiological makeup is such that I get the most severe side effects you could get from the drug - brain fog, sexual dysfunction, joint weakness and so on. I weigh the pros and cons, and I just can’t put myself through that again, especially since it took 6 months for the ill effects to subside.

That said, I’ll be another high Norwood case (NW6) hoping that Eugenix can work their magic on me. I think with my circumstance, I’ll continue to lose a portion of my crown and the mid-scalp part of my hairline. 
 

For those who can’t tolerate finasteride, or who refuse to take it, and still got a HT, what were your results like post procedure? Did it turn out to be a waste of time? I’m sure that committing to this path means more HTs will be needed in the future. Is it even worth it without being able to use fin? I’d like to hear from folks who’ve been there and done that. Thanks!

[MyMoniker]

I see there are a lot of similar topics, my apologies for writing what is seemingly a duplicate thread. I want to know specifically about results from other users who didn’t use finasteride post transplant. I don’t need to know whether it’ll “work” for me or not, since the evidence is pretty clear that it works for the majority who use it. Just wanted to clarify.

[Mike10]

Given the reaction of the clinic, I would have called the whole thing off. Reacting unnerved, I got mad when I read stuff like that. You are the client. They are suppose to help, advise and guide you ethically.

[Ryan Daniel]

People will not like what I say but,

Hair transplants without Finasteride is like going to the gym and eating nothing 

[SoSoz]

Look at Melvin, the mod on this forum, he didnt take finasteride and have great hair. You just need to make sure you have enough donor for future procedures. Also I dont see a point in taking fin while being nw6/7. 

Edited October 30, 2022 by SoSoz

[MyMoniker]

1 hour ago, Mike10 said:

Given the reaction of the clinic, I would have called the whole thing off. Reacting unnerved, I got mad when I read stuff like that. You are the client. They are suppose to help, advise and guide you ethically.

Perhaps that wasn’t the best word choice. The Eugenix rep was concerned but respected my decision. He said that I would need to sign some kind of waiver if I wanted to get a HT without using finasteride. 
 

I just scrolled through and read the last 50 pages or so of threads on this particular forum and I’ve seen this question asked quite a few times. I think I already know the answer, but I’m just trying to make myself feel better about my HT decision. Going for the exclusive package at Eugenix, after airfare and taxes, the cost of this procedure is going to be over $10k. 
 

My hair loss was aggressive, started at 28 and I’ve lost so much now at age 32. The back of my crown above the donor is noticeably thinner as well, indicating future hair loss in that area. I’ve been obsessing about doing this for months, maybe I should just accept that I’ve lost the genetic lottery and put that money to better use. Sorry for being a buzzkill.

 

 

[Curious25]

2 hours ago, Ryan Daniel said:

People will not like what I say but,

Hair transplants without Finasteride is like going to the gym and eating nothing 

I think a better analogy would be saying it’s like going to the gym whilst continuing to eat a bad a diet. 
 

You can’t out train a bad diet - similarly you can’t combat progressive balding without addressing the root cause. 
 

OP - if your genetic make up destines you to continue losing hair, then you are likely to experience further loss on top, which may or may not affect the results sustained from your HT, depending on what you deem to be satisfactory. 
 

Aggressive hair loss can also creep into traditional donor ‘safe zone’ areas, and miniaturise hair follicles found here, so again, if your genetic make up destines you for this, then your transplanted hairs may also thin or eventually be lost. 
 

There is no definitive answer unfortunately - just presumptions based on what we know and have already seen to occur. 

[MyMoniker]

38 minutes ago, Curious25 said:

I think a better analogy would be saying it’s like going to the gym whilst continuing to eat a bad a diet. 
 

You can’t out train a bad diet - similarly you can’t combat progressive balding without addressing the root cause. 
 

OP - if your genetic make up destines you to continue losing hair, then you are likely to experience further loss on top, which may or may not affect the results sustained from your HT, depending on what you deem to be satisfactory. 
 

Aggressive hair loss can also creep into traditional donor ‘safe zone’ areas, and miniaturise hair follicles found here, so again, if your genetic make up destines you for this, then your transplanted hairs may also thin or eventually be lost. 
 

There is no definitive answer unfortunately - just presumptions based on what we know and have already seen to occur. 

I agree with everything said above, and that more nuanced analogy is much more precise too. I did the “just shave it” thing all the way back at the beginning of 2021. I wish I could say I’m comfortable with that choice, but clearly I’m not since I’m here on this site talking to all of you. I decided to shave it after getting the catastrophic sides from finasteride. When I first used it, I had no pre-conceived notions of harm from the drug, but after a “crash” I realized that the fear-mongering by some was actually based in fact.

There’s really not much else that can be done at that point. You either try again with fin or dut, take your minoxidil and try to eke out as much growth as possible or do all the above and go for the transplant. Hair for transplants is finite and the costs high, and the cost of failure even higher. I’m just battling with myself now wondering if it’s even worth it at all. 
 

On the tressless subreddit you won’t ever get a discussion like this. I’m thankful there’s a place we can at least discuss the possibility of a good outcome with a HT without using fin.. even if the results after a few years are likely to be less than optimal. 

 

 

[mafpe]

2 hours ago, SoSoz said:

Look at Melvin, the mod on this forum, he didnt take finasteride and have great hair. You just need to make sure you have enough donor for future procedures. Also I dont see a point in taking fin while being nw6/7. 

he did have a somewhat of finasteride equivalent iirc? xyon, unless i'm wrong.

 

for me it HT comes to the pricing/how affordable it is for YOU, how it ages, and are you fine with bald look, or if you are fine with losing the HT hair down the years.
if you life very comfortably financially, and this won't make a dent, i say why not as you're just buying hair for set amount of years (if it even falls). only reason not to is if they will develop hair loss cure (which is unlikely in our lifetime), or it would strain you financially. this is the premise with not taking the meds.

if you are able to take the meds tho, despite the possibility of still losing the HT hairs, they are minimalized.

[SoSoz]

1 hour ago, mafpe said:

he did have a somewhat of finasteride equivalent iirc? xyon, unless i'm wrong.

Nope, he said he is going to start xyon soon and recently started oral minox.

Edited October 30, 2022 by SoSoz

[sunsurfhair]

3 hours ago, MyMoniker said:

Perhaps that wasn’t the best word choice. The Eugenix rep was concerned but respected my decision. He said that I would need to sign some kind of waiver if I wanted to get a HT without using finasteride. 
 

I just scrolled through and read the last 50 pages or so of threads on this particular forum and I’ve seen this question asked quite a few times. I think I already know the answer, but I’m just trying to make myself feel better about my HT decision. Going for the exclusive package at Eugenix, after airfare and taxes, the cost of this procedure is going to be over $10k. 
 

My hair loss was aggressive, started at 28 and I’ve lost so much now at age 32. The back of my crown above the donor is noticeably thinner as well, indicating future hair loss in that area. I’ve been obsessing about doing this for months, maybe I should just accept that I’ve lost the genetic lottery and put that money to better use. Sorry for being a buzzkill.

 

 

They make you sign a waiver? That’s crazy! @Melvin- Moderator doesn’t take oral fin and he had a big procedure done at Eugenix. I’m so surprised to hear that. 

[Melvin- Admin]

It doesn’t surprise me given your age and aggressive hair loss. They told me the realities, the hair may thin, some of the shock loss hair may not grow back. It’s a reality. 

[Curious25]

2 hours ago, MyMoniker said:

I agree with everything said above, and that more nuanced analogy is much more precise too. I did the “just shave it” thing all the way back at the beginning of 2021. I wish I could say I’m comfortable with that choice, but clearly I’m not since I’m here on this site talking to all of you. I decided to shave it after getting the catastrophic sides from finasteride. When I first used it, I had no pre-conceived notions of harm from the drug, but after a “crash” I realized that the fear-mongering by some was actually based in fact.

There’s really not much else that can be done at that point. You either try again with fin or dut, take your minoxidil and try to eke out as much growth as possible or do all the above and go for the transplant. Hair for transplants is finite and the costs high, and the cost of failure even higher. I’m just battling with myself now wondering if it’s even worth it at all. 
 

On the tressless subreddit you won’t ever get a discussion like this. I’m thankful there’s a place we can at least discuss the possibility of a good outcome with a HT without using fin.. even if the results after a few years are likely to be less than optimal. 

 

 

You do have options . . I’ll list a few in order of logic - but combining a few of them together would be your best option in terms of your hair. 
 

- Try lower dose oral finasteride, on a less frequent dosing schedule 

- Try topical finasteride 

- Try dutasteride mesotherapy 

- Use minoxidil, topical or oral (this doesn’t address the DHT issue but can help keep hair in the anagen phase for longer)

- Micro needle (this doesn’t address the DHT issue but can stimulate hair growth)

- Add Nizoral Shampoo 

- Change surgery strategy and opt for a Homogenous hair transplant combined with SMP to pull of a framed face short crop cut style

- Wear a full or partial hair system 

- Embrace the shaven look

- Get a HT and hope for the best 

 
 

 

Your donor density may be strong as hell for all we know at this stage, and you may not be genetically predisposed to have this area of scalp hair be affected by DHT, so you could be a lucky one ? No one has talked about your BHT availability either, which could also potentially be a game changer?

It’s worth having a thorough assessment with a few docs anyway, and also take into consideration your family history’s hair loss. 

[BaldingEagle1]

Me personally, I’m gonna not take fin right after my surgery on Nov. but I will take it right after we have 2 kids or 2.5 years. Whichever comes first.
 

Planning on currently with wife. 

 

dr bansal said best not to take fin. So I’ll take her recommendation.

[lunch_owl]

Im one of those guys too who refuse to take drugs that mess with the hormones. I will eventually get a ht as well. If I lose the hairs in the future, I lose them. But I will not use fin ever.

[MisterBreakfast]

Listen I'm not going to tell you what to take.  But do yourself a favor and walk around an old folks home.  Look at the mens hair.  I teach peoople dance in their 60s+, and I don't know a single one who isn't norwood 4v or above.  Finasteride was not available in their days, so you can assume that this will be your future.

Also, go find yourself a person with a failed transplant, or a visible scar, or worse, FUE scars that are poking out above what's left of their hairs.  Really imagine what that would look like on yourself.  Don't imagine it as something that "might happen one day" to an "old you".  

Imagine you today, with that situation on your head. Imagine what you would do if you wanted to fix it, and you had no options.

If you can do that, then sure.  Even with all that in mind, you are in a very severe case, with a very bad skin to hair color differential (like me), and a very high norwood, which indicates aggressive balding genes.  Throwing away the only way to fight balding... doesn't seem like a wise choice.

 

Sure there are 1 or 2 people that have jumped out of a plane without a parachute and survived, but most of them do not.

Edited October 31, 2022 by MisterBreakfast