Senior Member pkipling Posted November 1, 2022 Senior Member Share Posted November 1, 2022 The question of whether or not to take finasteride (Propecia) before a procedure gets brought up quite a bit, so here's a video of Dr. G explaining the benefits of doing so. TLDW: The main benefits of taking finasteride before a procedure is to help minimize the risk of shock loss. Shock loss occurs in 10-15% of patients, and studies have shown that taking finasteride 30 days before the procedure can cut that risk in half. And while taking finasteride is almost always recommended, it's not a necessity - and even if shock loss does occur without the finasteride, it typically resolves itself within a few months anyway. The general consensus around here seems to be to take it before a procedure - even if you don't want to stay on it long term. However, for those of you that are adamant about not taking medication, it's not going to be a big detriment. 1 I am a patient advocate for Dr. Parsa Mohebi in Los Angeles, CA. My views/opinions are my own and don't necessarily reflect the opinions of Dr. Mohebi and his staff. Check out my hair loss website for photos FUE surgery by Dr. Mohebi on 7/31/14 2,001 grafts - Ones: 607; Twos: 925; Threes: 413; Fours: 56 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrators Melvin- Admin Posted November 1, 2022 Administrators Share Posted November 1, 2022 Great video 🙏 I’m a paid admin for Hair Transplant Network. I do not receive any compensation from any clinic. My comments are not medical advice. Check out my final hair transplant and topical dutasteride journey: View my thread Topical dutasteride journey Melvin- Managing Publisher and Forum Moderator for the Hair Transplant Network, the Coalition Hair Loss Learning Center, and the Hair Loss Q&A Blog. Follow our Social Media: Facebook, Instagram, Linkedin, and YouTube. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member Xanadu Posted November 1, 2022 Regular Member Share Posted November 1, 2022 10 hours ago, pkipling said: The question of whether or not to take finasteride (Propecia) before a procedure gets brought up quite a bit, so here's a video of Dr. G explaining the benefits of doing so. TLDW: The main benefits of taking finasteride before a procedure is to help minimize the risk of shock loss. Shock loss occurs in 10-15% of patients, and studies have shown that taking finasteride 30 days before the procedure can cut that risk in half. And while taking finasteride is almost always recommended, it's not a necessity - and even if shock loss does occur without the finasteride, it typically resolves itself within a few months anyway. The general consensus around here seems to be to take it before a procedure - even if you don't want to stay on it long term. However, for those of you that are adamant about not taking medication, it's not going to be a big detriment. "It's not going to be a big detriment" - Really? How are you going to hold on to your pre-existing hair (especially outside the 'safe' zones) then? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member pkipling Posted November 9, 2022 Author Senior Member Share Posted November 9, 2022 On 11/1/2022 at 5:34 AM, Xanadu said: "It's not going to be a big detriment" - Really? How are you going to hold on to your pre-existing hair (especially outside the 'safe' zones) then? Are you referring to taking finasteride in general? If so, that's a different scenario, as this is speaking about the benefits of of taking it leading up to a procedure with strictly as a way to minimize shock loss. In that case, what he's explaining is that based on research, shock loss itself is relatively rare (10-15%, but taking finasteride in advance has been shown to cut that percentage in half. So if you're only looking to take finasteride temporarily as a precautionary measure to prevent shock loss, the medication would definitely help - but since the risk for shock loss is already low, it's not going to be a huge deal if someone decides not to take it. It seems like you're speaking about the benefits of taking finasteride long term, which is a different conversation than what this video is about... And though there are definitely benefits to doing so and it's almost always encouraged, there are valid reasons people don't take it (myself included), and it's not always a definite death sentence for your hair as many people would like to believe. I am a patient advocate for Dr. Parsa Mohebi in Los Angeles, CA. My views/opinions are my own and don't necessarily reflect the opinions of Dr. Mohebi and his staff. Check out my hair loss website for photos FUE surgery by Dr. Mohebi on 7/31/14 2,001 grafts - Ones: 607; Twos: 925; Threes: 413; Fours: 56 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member Xanadu Posted November 10, 2022 Regular Member Share Posted November 10, 2022 6 hours ago, pkipling said: Are you referring to taking finasteride in general? If so, that's a different scenario, as this is speaking about the benefits of of taking it leading up to a procedure with strictly as a way to minimize shock loss. In that case, what he's explaining is that based on research, shock loss itself is relatively rare (10-15%, but taking finasteride in advance has been shown to cut that percentage in half. So if you're only looking to take finasteride temporarily as a precautionary measure to prevent shock loss, the medication would definitely help - but since the risk for shock loss is already low, it's not going to be a huge deal if someone decides not to take it. It seems like you're speaking about the benefits of taking finasteride long term, which is a different conversation than what this video is about... And though there are definitely benefits to doing so and it's almost always encouraged, there are valid reasons people don't take it (myself included), and it's not always a definite death sentence for your hair as many people would like to believe. The e can be reads ns yes, but I still wonder my question 'how are you going to hold onto your hair long term with out?" Or you just accept it will go and eventually shave it all? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member pkipling Posted November 11, 2022 Author Senior Member Share Posted November 11, 2022 On 11/9/2022 at 6:01 PM, Xanadu said: The e can be reads ns yes, but I still wonder my question 'how are you going to hold onto your hair long term with out?" Or you just accept it will go and eventually shave it all? Sorry if I'm not completely following what you're saying here... But it's not a binary situation that "taking finasteride = stopping hair loss" and "not taking finasteride = inevitable hair loss". For some men, getting on finasteride early and staying on it is crucial in regards to slowing down their hair loss. For others, it's not as big of a concern. It varies on a case by case basis, and not taking finasteride in no way means that you're going to lose all your hair long term and you'll have to accept the inevitable fate of having to shave your head. My apologies if I'm mishearing what you're saying, but whether or not someone should take finasteride, how universally effective it is across the board, etc. is a more nuanced conversation than what it appears you're saying. I am a patient advocate for Dr. Parsa Mohebi in Los Angeles, CA. My views/opinions are my own and don't necessarily reflect the opinions of Dr. Mohebi and his staff. Check out my hair loss website for photos FUE surgery by Dr. Mohebi on 7/31/14 2,001 grafts - Ones: 607; Twos: 925; Threes: 413; Fours: 56 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member Xanadu Posted November 11, 2022 Regular Member Share Posted November 11, 2022 (edited) 59 minutes ago, pkipling said: Sorry if I'm not completely following what you're saying here... But it's not a binary situation that "taking finasteride = stopping hair loss" and "not taking finasteride = inevitable hair loss". For some men, getting on finasteride early and staying on it is crucial in regards to slowing down their hair loss. For others, it's not as big of a concern. It varies on a case by case basis, and not taking finasteride in no way means that you're going to lose all your hair long term and you'll have to accept the inevitable fate of having to shave your head. My apologies if I'm mishearing what you're saying, but whether or not someone should take finasteride, how universally effective it is across the board, etc. is a more nuanced conversation than what it appears you're saying. Depends where you are destined by your genes, but if you are destined to be NW6 or 7 then yes it is a binary situation, all else equal. You are right that even finasteride is not always effective, but the odds are *very* bad to keep your hair if you genetically disposed to, and not using finasteride. So, of course things can always be qualified by circumstances, propensities etc, but if we take those into account then even saying "the sun will rise tomorrow" is not okay because "it is not as simple as that". And taking all kinds of reservations and outlining all kinds of eventualities whenever we say anything will make communication difficult and incredibly cumbersome to get any point across. In sum, for all intents and purposes, if someone is genetically destined to be high Norwood then yes, if they are not taking finasteride that is most likely exactly where they will end up. Edited November 11, 2022 by Xanadu Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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