Is it worth it?

[Guest]

I'm 25 and what hair I have left is very thin. I started using Propecia about 2 years ago and it seemed to be doing the job of slowing down or stopping fall-out, however I switched to Rogaine after about 8 months for cost considerations. After about 4 months of Rogaine I decided I didn't like using it for a couple of reasons. I stopped taking anything for about a month until I could get on proscar. During that month I lost A LOT of hair, more than I had lost in the previous year. I have now been on Proscar for about 3 months and I'm hoping to get some results soon. From what I've read I get the sense that once the hair gets to a certain point its hopeless. Am I just wasting my money trying to save what I have left? And if I'm 27 and completely bald, is a transplant an option? I really wish I had just stuck with the Propecia from the start.

[Guest]

I'm 25 and what hair I have left is very thin. I started using Propecia about 2 years ago and it seemed to be doing the job of slowing down or stopping fall-out, however I switched to Rogaine after about 8 months for cost considerations. After about 4 months of Rogaine I decided I didn't like using it for a couple of reasons. I stopped taking anything for about a month until I could get on proscar. During that month I lost A LOT of hair, more than I had lost in the previous year. I have now been on Proscar for about 3 months and I'm hoping to get some results soon. From what I've read I get the sense that once the hair gets to a certain point its hopeless. Am I just wasting my money trying to save what I have left? And if I'm 27 and completely bald, is a transplant an option? I really wish I had just stuck with the Propecia from the start.

[JEBSTER]

Perk up Buddy this is the 21st century and if God has given you some healthy donor hair in the back and sides of your head ...you can FU megasession your way to happiness. It really is a great time to be thinning compared to 10 years ago! Just study Pat's website and others like it that offer you the chance to investigate for yourself...and you can be on the road to hairful bliss!! Seriously,learn to use this website ..and get into meaningful discussions with folks that aren't too bitter or are atleast open to talk honestly about their past hairloss and your on your way. My name is Jebster and I know that if not for the 2700 or so grafts on my head I would be pretty bald for a 45 year old. Get busy and make yourself knowledgeable about the techinques being discussed and don't be afraid to boldly ask questions and dig deep! Take care, Jebster

[arfy]

You need as much of your "original" hair as possible, even if you do decide to get a transplant. There is a limited amount of "donor" hair, and not enough to do a whole head. Even after a transplant, you will be smart to use Propecia/Proscar and Minoxidil.

 

If Minoxidil has worked for you, I would consider using it again, and using it consistently. If it messes up your hair, maybe you can just use it once a day, before bed... It's better than nothing, although twice a day would be better. At least you still have some hair to "mess up"...

 

Propecia and Minoxidil work better in combination, supposedly, so I would use both if i were you. Also consider adding Lysine to your regimen, it may add a little to the drugs' effectiveness. Check out this study: http://www.thebaldtruth.com/products/lysine.htm

 

You've seen that you can slow or stop your hairloss with the available drugs. That's great news- you're a "responder". The drugs work for a lot of guys, but not everybody, so consider yourself lucky, and commit yourself to a long term treatment. Hopefully something better will come along shortly, but until then, make the best of what you've got. It may be inconvenient and costly to use Propecia and Minoxidil, but it's a lot better than the alternative.

 

As far as transplants go, they are a last resort. I believe Dr. Parsley made an excellent post about their use, where he said something like... If you had tooth decay, you wouldn't just let your teeth rot, and then later go to your dentist and have him replace everything. You'd use toothpaste to preven tooth decay. So think of Propecia and Minoxidil as "toothpaste" that prevents "hair decay". Don't just let your hair "rot".

[Pat - Community Publisher]

Jebster and Arfy,

 

Thanks for the thoughtful posts. I agree with both of you.

 

I do think the first step, with or with out hair transplants, is to try to use available drugs like Propecia and 5% Rogaine (or generic equivalents using 5% minoxidil) to halt hair your hair loss.

 

If you want to save money on Propecia - buy Proscar, which contains the same active ingredient as Propecia - finesteride. Proscar contains a 5 mg dose of finesteride so you MUST cut it into quarters using a knife or pill cutter to create an approximately 1 mg dose of finesteride like in the Propecia pill. This will at least cut your monthly bill in half if not more. The only real difference is you have to take 5 minutes to cut up the pills and you won't get to pay for Merk pharmacy's advertising.

 

Generally these non surgical options will work best on those that are younger or just starting to thin. Those that have had their baldness run its course for a period of years (i.e. hard core cue balls) may only get minimal benefit from these drugs (i.e. bringing back the long time dead follicles is a tall order for any drug).

 

And yes, for many, like me whose hair loss was pronounced - the only way to currently get your hair back, especially in the front is with hair transplantation.

 

I still take proscar, but mostly just as insurance against my hair loss progressing further in my crown area. Proscar/propecia for me never restored any hair to my bald area in front, even after almost 4 years of use.

 

Good luck in your fight against hair loss. As Jebster points out we now have much better options for combating hair loss than we did just ten years ago.

 

Pat

 

Thanks for reading this post. But it's your posts that make this discussion group real and vital. Please jump into the discussion. Just pick a topic and click the reply button.

[perry]

Pat/Arfy,

I noticed veteran members of the site such as yourselves consistently recommend Propecia, Proscar, Finasteride etc. to halt the progression of baldness without simultaneously pointing out its numerous defects/side effects including:

 

1) largely unreported sexual side effects

2) the fact that Propecia sometimes aggravates shedding making the problem worse

3) the moment you go off these drugs you begin to lose your hair again, swiftly

4) the high cost of these drugs that are not usually covered by insurance

5) these drugs rarely work in the frontal region where being bald has the greatest impact.

 

By taking these drugs every day, you are altering your body chemistry in a major way. While I'm sure taking Propecia won't kill you it can definitely have effects on your mood, personality etc. (i.e. depression). I believe veteran members as well as the doctors on this site should take greater care before advising any person considering HT to "immediately get on Propecia". It very well may be the best drug we currently have to stop MPB but its far from perfect.

 

Perry

 

PS Sorry if this post should be on another thread but I did see reference to Propecia by Pat here so I thought I'd bring it up.

[NW]

Perry,

 

Anyone taking Propecia that blames Arfy/Pat for not publishing possible side effects should have a phsycological evaluation.

 

If you have side effects, (hello00)...stop the drug ??

 

NW

[arfy]

Propecia is very good at prevention.

 

It is not so good at reversing hair loss, though.

 

If guys would get on Propecia early enough, they could prevent themselves from ever needing cosmetic surgery in the first place.

 

Anybody who thinks hair transplants are risk free, needs to educate themselves more about hair transplants. There are potential issues with shock loss and the possibility of problems with donor scars, but the biggest risk is that you will not have a great-looking result. Even the best doctors do not hit a home run, every single time at bat! Since hair transplants are not reversable, that is something to consider. Getting a hair transplant is a huge decision, bigger than buying a house or getting married. You can't divorce a hair transplant, it is yours for life, for better or worse. If it isn't everything you hoped it would be, for whatever reason, you are in a real serious bind. Not everybody gets knock-out results, even when they did everything right.

 

Dr. Parsely made an excellent analogy, when he compared hair loss to tooth decay, and comparing Propecia to toothpaste. You wouldn't just let all your teeth rot away, and then hire a dentist to replace your teeth. That wouldn't be smart. No, you use toothpaste on a daily basis, as preventative measure against tooth decay. Propecia is a preventative medicine that prevents "hair decay". Don't just let you hair "rot", keep it from falling out by using Propecia.

[TopJimmy]

After having my 6th procedure since the late 80's and having the original hairline like a teenager and no loss on the temple area and having dark

black hair, Do I have enough donor hair to cover my hairloss ? Probably not. Being over 1 month post-op now, we will know next year.

 

Since my hairline is so far forward, I have not put 1 graft or FU in the crown area which is is slowing weakening, Yes I am taking Proscar, just started though.

 

NO (all new HT patients thinking about it) you CAN NOT cover the head completely with HT's with a forward hairline like mine. With FU Technology, you might be able to cover all area's, but not at densities required.

 

Correct me if I am wrong !!

 

Hopefully next year will have pics !!

 

Thanks