Is a hair transplant worth it without taking Finestride.

[Cee]

Hi everyone, so glad ti have discovered this forum. Over the past four years, I've been contemplating undergoing a hair transplant. My primary concern revolves around its effectiveness without the use of finasteride. I do not want to take finestride. Is it worthwhile? I'm 37 and believe that my hair loss has largely stabilised. Your insights on this matter would be greatly appreciated, as it's the only factor preventing me from taking the plunge.

[mr_peanutbutter]

looks you will end up norwood 6/7 and will lose the hairs on top eventually with relatively high sides but a crown that dips deep

 

so you should pick a surgeon which is specialised on high norwoods such as pittella or eugenix

[Gatsby]

I think that if you are considering a hair transplant then you should at least try finasteride. You want to retain as much native and transplanted hair as possible. Even as a Norwood 7 you would still want to protect you hair as the transplanted hair is not 100% DHT proof.

[ScottishGuy21]

18 minutes ago, mr_peanutbutter said:

looks you will end up norwood 6/7 and will lose the hairs on top eventually with relatively high sides but a crown that dips deep

 

so you should pick a surgeon which is specialised on high norwoods such as pittella or eugenix

Agree with this

it will be an expensive road so be mindful of that. It’s also a risky process where expectations should be managed. As above it’s important to go with a Dr who is well versed in higher Norwood cases

You’ll need to protect every hair you have left in order for the procedure/procedures to be successful long term.Donor hair isn’t bullet proof, even from the sweet spot. Hair naturally thins with age so any help to preserve it you can do is important. Given you are only 37 in my view it’s important to jump on some sort of DHT blocker.
 

But like anything on forums this is just advice based on our own experiences and knowledge. It’s always better to consult with a Dr for final assessment. 

[FutureHT1208]

How about topical finasteride that’s what I’ve been using as not really side effects like oral 

[Gatsby]

I also tried topical finasteride however like oral finasteride I developed side effects. I was taking 0.25% topical everyday. I'm thinking of trying it again at a lower dose. However I would still recommend finasteride for anyone losing hair (with/without surgery). I just know so many people who take the drug and never experience anything negative at all except for stopping their hair loss and even gaining a little. I'm lucky that 5mg of oral minoxidil works well for me with zero side effects.

[Cee]

Thank you all for your feedback, it's much appreciated. 

Personally, I'm usually quite hesitant to take any medication. While I would consider using Minoxidil or any other treatment that could help, I'm unwilling to risk interfering with my hormones. I understand that most people who take finasteride don't experience any side effects, but for me, it's a choice between staying as I am or opting for a hair transplant without taking finasteride.

Would you recommend skipping the hair transplant altogether if finasteride is completely ruled out?

Thanks once again for your time, this forum has been invaluable since I had no idea who to talk to about this stuff. Thank you!!

[mr_peanutbutter]

18 minutes ago, Cee said:

Thank you all for your feedback, it's much appreciated. 

Personally, I'm usually quite hesitant to take any medication. While I would consider using Minoxidil or any other treatment that could help, I'm unwilling to risk interfering with my hormones. I understand that most people who take finasteride don't experience any side effects, but for me, it's a choice between staying as I am or opting for a hair transplant without taking finasteride.

Would you recommend skipping the hair transplant altogether if finasteride is completely ruled out?

Thanks once again for your time, this forum has been invaluable since I had no idea who to talk to about this stuff. Thank you!!

i think pittella would be a good adress for you, he doesnt prescribe finasteride for example

[Bucky O Hair]

A hair transplant is a risk whether or not you are on Finasteride or not.  People lose their hair with our without the use of Finasteride.  It tends to lose its effectiveness over time and it seems to be a mixed bag of how well people respond to it.  There are some people here who were long term users but have rolled off of it over time.  It's not a guarantee, though it helps eliminate some risk (assuming you respond well to it).

What's more important is to not cheap out on a doctor who will leave you with scars (if you eventually have to clip your hair down to a short level).  You seem to have a good donor with high sides, so the area can be covered.  
The drawback for you is that it will be expensive, but I would reach out to any of the top docs in Dr. Zarev, Dr. Ahmad or Dr. Pitella for consultations.    
You'll want to use up the least amount of your donors and max out on how well they are used in your recipient areas, so it's important that you go to a good doc.
 

[BackFromTheBrink]

8 hours ago, Cee said:

Thank you all for your feedback, it's much appreciated. 

Personally, I'm usually quite hesitant to take any medication. While I would consider using Minoxidil or any other treatment that could help, I'm unwilling to risk interfering with my hormones. I understand that most people who take finasteride don't experience any side effects, but for me, it's a choice between staying as I am or opting for a hair transplant without taking finasteride.

Would you recommend skipping the hair transplant altogether if finasteride is completely ruled out?

Thanks once again for your time, this forum has been invaluable since I had no idea who to talk to about this stuff. Thank you!!

There's the option of topical finasteride or dutasteride. However, some will invariably go systemic, it's less likely to interfere significantly. 

If not, I'd also add Hattingen Hair as a lower cost surgery to consider (for FUE or a combo).

[Cee]

Thank you all.

We are planning on starting a family soon, I just don't want to take any chances. 

I'm currently considering Eugenix, following your recommendations, as well as Elithair in Dubai, and I have consultations scheduled in the next few days. 

Your support is giving me the courage to follow through this time!

[mr_peanutbutter]

3 hours ago, Cee said:

Thank you all.

We are planning on starting a family soon, I just don't want to take any chances. 

I'm currently considering Eugenix, following your recommendations, as well as Elithair in Dubai, and I have consultations scheduled in the next few days. 

Your support is giving me the courage to follow through this time!

never heard of elite hair. be careful - with no meds and advanced hairloss you have no room for error. choosing surgeons for price is an extra bad idea then

[Dr. Wipawan Vathananai]

Hello Cee,

As a hair transplant and dermatologist, I understand your concern about preferring not to take oral finasteride after a hair transplant, and it's quite common among patients. Typically, I simply provide information about the advantages and disadvantages of not taking finasteride and allow patients to make their own decisions since it's their bodies. From my experience, lots of patients still have their hair even without oral finasteride after a hair transplant. Usually the transplanted hair stays, the non-transplanted ones are the ones that fall out. In your case, it would be better to keep the hairline conservative to preserve donor hair for future hair loss if your hair loss suddenly becomes active again.

I've noticed that you have a significant amount of miniaturized hair on the crown. My preferred medication in such cases would be oral minoxidil at a dosage of 2.5 mg per day, taken consistently. This can be complemented with or without activated PRP injections, administered once a month for 3-4 months initially, followed by injections every 3 months thereafter. I offer PRP injections as an optional treatment because they can become expensive in the long term. While PRP is beneficial for maintenance, it's not typically effective for reversing hair miniaturization. Additionally, you might also consider topical finasteride.

Furthermore, there are various products and supplements worth researching, and I have no conflicts of interest in recommending them. Some brands that have caught my attention include:

- CRLab Havogen-5 patch along with their Anti-hair loss products (green line)
- ISDIN Lambdapil
- Iraltone (from Cantabria Lab), both AGA and AGA Plus formulations

I always recommend the patients to do some blood tests in order to check correctable causes that might lead to hair loss, for example, vitamin D deficiency, iron deficiency, thyroid disorder, anemia, etc.

Lastly, it's crucial to consider the desired hairstyle post-transplantation, as this significantly influences approach to patient management.

I hope this help

Best,

Dr. Wunny

Hair transplant surgeon & Dermatologist

BHI Clinic, Bangkok, Thailand (https://www.bhiclinic.com/en/)

[Bucky O Hair]

11 hours ago, Cee said:

Thank you all.

We are planning on starting a family soon, I just don't want to take any chances. 

I'm currently considering Eugenix, following your recommendations, as well as Elithair in Dubai, and I have consultations scheduled in the next few days. 

Your support is giving me the courage to follow through this time!

Good idea.  A friend of mine had trouble trying to conceive with his wife for a long time.  He went off Finasteride and now she's pregnant.  It's also bad for a pregnant woman to be exposed to Finasteride, so he's laid off it.  It's best you do too when trying to conceive.  

Also, I agree with the above comment.  Cancel your Elithair consultation.

Also, I would do more research on Eugenix.  I believe there are multiple packages with different doctors, so you have to be sure to pick the best one to handle your case.  Many people on here (including the Mod and Senior Members) went to Eugenix and had good experiences, but there are a couple of posters who did not.  Try and figure out the reason why, and make a good decision.  I personally know nothing about Eugenix, but based on the reviews here I believe they are a good clinic, but things can still go south with technician-heavy clinics so be sure to pick the best package.  

 

[Cee]

On 4/5/2024 at 8:39 PM, Bucky O Hair said:

Good idea.  A friend of mine had trouble trying to conceive with his wife for a long time.  He went off Finasteride and now she's pregnant.  It's also bad for a pregnant woman to be exposed to Finasteride, so he's laid off it.  It's best you do too when trying to conceive.  

Also, I agree with the above comment.  Cancel your Elithair consultation.

Also, I would do more research on Eugenix.  I believe there are multiple packages with different doctors, so you have to be sure to pick the best one to handle your case.  Many people on here (including the Mod and Senior Members) went to Eugenix and had good experiences, but there are a couple of posters who did not.  Try and figure out the reason why, and make a good decision.  I personally know nothing about Eugenix, but based on the reviews here I believe they are a good clinic, but things can still go south with technician-heavy clinics so be sure to pick the best package.  

 

Thanks again, Bucky and everyone, for the generous feedback. I've booked a hair transplant with EUGENIX Delhi (Comprehensive Package). Hoping I've made the right decision 🙏.

It's nerve-wracking process as I’m sure it has been for all you guys but being part of this community and hearing your thoughts makes it much better. I'll keep you posted on my procedure and how everything goes. Thank you!

Edited April 8 by Cee