Please help..a little confused

[Chris911]

Hi Guys

 

First of all, a big thanks to Bill and Pat for running such a great informative forum. I have been researching on this forum for about a month and it has been great. So, i thought i needed a Hair transplant and have had 4 consultations with doctors recommended on this forum. All top notch surgeons.

 

One doctor recommended that i should be on Proscar for one year and come back for surgery after that. He says i might not need surgery at all. BTW, i have a bald patch on my crown and a little thinning on the front side. He says since i have some hairs in these areas, proscar might work. Hair restoration is only for those people who have no hair on their scalp. He also said, since i was a case of diffused thinning,i might not be totally happy with a surgery as i might have some shock loss that might negate the effect. I have been on Rogaine for about 5 years now.

 

The second doctor said i should try Finpecia for 3 months and then get the surgey done.

 

The other two doctors were ready to do the surgery and were a little reluctant to work on the crown area. But after some discussion, they said they were willing to do it but i should not expect a great result.

 

Ok....so the problem is i am now confused as to what to do..the first problem is to go for surgery or not at this time. the second issue is that these doctors have recommended Finpecia from India, Propecia and Proscar respectively..I dont know which one should i take.

 

I thought it would be a great idea to have 4-5 consultations but the more doctors i meet the more confused i get.....i want my hair back but i dont want to make a hasty decision either....I hope you guys can offer your advice...as i make this life long decision as to what to do...

[richie48]

hi chris

propecia, proscar and finpecia are all the same drug , the drug that does the job of blocking DHT ,that's the enzime that effects the folicals ,is called finasteride ,this is marketed under different names like ,finpecia ,proscar and propecia ,in tablets ranging in strenth from 1mgs to 5mgs and price ,you only need to take 1mg per day for the drug to block DHT .

 

Some people buy proscar in 5mg tablets and cut them into 4 or even 5 pieces ,this way it works out cheaper than propecia and finpecia .

 

I myself cut proscar into 4 pieces ,and used to take propecea but it was to costly ,it may be cheaper in the US as i live in the UK .

 

Below is a link to a similar question i answered last week .

 

http://www.hairrestorationnetwork.com/eve/showthread.php?t=144011

 

As for surgery , take your time ,get on meds ,RESEARCH RESEARCH RESEARCH ,then make a desision ,it's life changing so don't take it lightly .

 

Hope that helps

richie

[Janna]

Hi Chris911,

 

I can understand your confusion when consulting with various ht clinics. Each clinic is offering you their opinion on what they feel is the best way to treat your hairloss. It's matter of opinion and not exactly exact science on what's the best approach. It comes down to trust in the approach given by the physician you choose. Keep researching and you'll find the doctor that best fits you.

[richie48]

Also Chris

You sound like you have very similar loss to me ,use these links below to have a look if i have a similar situation .

 

I my opinion you can't go wrong with Dr Feller ,he is one of the best in the world .

 

Below are links to my threads

 

http://www.hairrestorationnetwork.com/eve/showthread.php?t=154859

 

http://www.hairrestorationnetwork.com/eve/showthread.php?t=152301

 

http://www.hairrestorationnetwork.com/eve/showthread.php?t=153057

 

i hope that helps

richie

[Bill - Seemiller]

Chris,

 

As Janna said, consulting with various hair transplant surgeons can sometimes be confusing. Many physicians hold to different views and philosophies as to the "best" approach to hair restoration.

 

In my opinion, I personally think it's best to try finasteride (which is the active ingredient in Propecia, Proscar, Finpecia, etc) and maybe even minoxodil (active ingredient in Rogaine, Regaine, etc) for at least 6 months to a year before hair transplantation especially for those who have only a small amount of hair loss or are diffuse thinners.

 

After seeing what medication does for you, make another determination as to whether or not hair transplantation is right for you.

 

If you'd like more specific advice, I recommending posting some pictures on our forum of your hair loss condition so members can get a better feel for your condition.

 

Here are a few links you might find helpful in your hair restoration research:

 

What should I consider when researching hair transplantation

 

Am I too young for a hair transplant

 

Why is my hair transplant doctor waiting to transplant hair in the crown?.

 

I hope this helps.

 

Bill

[hairscout]

Hi Chris,

 

The second doc recommended trying Finpecia for 3 months before any surgery, but you may not see any results for about 8 months so you may want to allow longer for your evaluation of the med. You may indeed discover that you don't need a HT after the evaluation but this is not guaranteed of course.

 

Rogaine and Finasteride meds can have a synergistic effect and can SOMETIMES give results as shown:

 

http://www.hairrestorationnetwork.com/eve/showthread.php?t=149286

 

Keep the faith,

hs

[Janna]

Thanks hairscout for posting the link on effects of Propecia and Rogaine. Don't you agree the patient pictured looks to have received a 3000 graft ht session? He's been able to put off getting a ht for two years now since he's been on the two meds. The two meds, if it works on a fortunate individual, can also allow a patient to schedule a smaller session.

[Chris911]

Thanks a lot for your feedback guys. We are really luckt to have a forum like that. I think i will try the meds first and then take it from there. So, does it really matter what drug i take. I have some friends in India so i can get Finpecia easily. so is finpecia good enough as compared to Proscar and Propecia. Also, how long should i give before deciding to go for the surgery or no.

[Janna]

If Finpecia is really finasteride, then it's the same as Proscar and Propecia. Proscar is 5mg of finasteride (take 1/4th pill daily) and Propecia is 1mg finasteride (take 1 pill daily). How long you should wait for surgery depends on how long you're willing to see the effects of Propecia and Rogaine.