Month: September 2007

Well I am 23 years old and last October I went on Propecia 1MG per day.

This past February I had a hair transplant and now six months later, I just got a prescription for Avodart.

I don’t know what all the hoopla was about getting a prescription for avodart. Any dermatologist who gives Propecia will give Avodart. She said “As long as you know it is offbrand and FDA has not approved it for hair loss, then I will prescribe it.” She also said how most acne medications are offbrand, such as Tetracycline and Minocycline. They are antibiotics meant for bacteria, not acne, but dermatologists prescribe it, just like they prescribe avodart for HAIR LOSS. You dont need to go lie to a doct to get Avodart, just tell them for hair loss and they will warn you but still give you the prescription.

You can also get anabolic steroids and marijuana from any doctor. Maybe even cocaine at your local street corner… if you look/try hard enough, you can find anything.

Using Avodart (dutasteride) for hair loss is off-label, which means it is not approved for the treatment for hair loss, but it should not be frivolously compared to using Tetracycline off-label for acne. Avodart is a medication for prostate disease and it lasts many weeks to months in your body long after you stop taking it. For young men to take such medication, there is no data establishing its safety and I have had reports from patients who are taking this medication that sexual side effects (decreased libido and erectile dysfunction) does occur. In patients who took Propecia (finasteride) and then switched to dutasteride, there are reports of more negative sexual side effects. Also keep in mind that using Avodart does not necessarily mean it will work better than Propecia since it works in similar ways of blocking DHT. In other words, blocking DHT is not the end all cure all for hair loss. You need to be well informed about your choices and implications of medication use.

In the end, I have no problem prescribing Avodart as long as my patients are well informed, but I tend to generally dissuade patients from using Avodart because I have not seen a dramatic difference between its uses compared to finasteride 1mg (Propecia) in most cases. There are some cases where the use may be better, but it is a gamble for both doctor and patient.

Dear Doctor,
I have always heard you can slow the rate of ones hair loss, (especially if the pattern is the infamous “horsehoe”), but you can’t stop it? This has come from a couple of Dermatologists, M.D.. They paint a bleak picture, why would they be so negative, if it weren’t true?

Thanks

Yes it is true. It can be bleak. Drugs such as Propecia (finasteride) and Rogaine (minoxidil) do not stop hair loss completely and forever. Sometimes the drugs can grow back some hair, but sooner or later the hair loss will continue (albeit at a slower rate).

Do you think these claims are true?

according to regrowhair.com:
“There is still a question as to whether hair that was already there, meaning hair that had not thinned previous to using minoxidil, becomes dependant on the drug. Many speculate that the surrounding hair can, indeed, become dependant on minoxidil, thus discontinuing its use can lead to harming that hair as well as any hair grown as a result of application.”

I’m thinking about minoxidil but don’t want to damage “good hair” in the process. Thanks for your time!

Minoxidil will not benefit (or impact) normal non-balding hair, so if you are treating an area where thinning is occurring, the normal hair around the balding area will not be affected by this drug. Minoxidil can postpone hair loss in the hair follicles that are miniaturized. Discontinuing minoxidil (Rogaine) may cause accelerated loss of those hairs which are miniaturized.