Month: January 2023

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I’ve Been Taking Propecia for 3 Weeks — When Will I See Improvement?

My hair has been thin since I was 16 (now 26). But it was very gradual and with almost no progression. Recently I went through a period of extreme stress/depression due to relationship problems. This lasted for approximately 4-5 months. A few months back I noticed that my hair seemed to be thinning so I have started propecia. I was told I was not yet thin enough to have any cosmetic surgery. While I still have some stress (not nearly as much) I am noticing that the hair is seemingly shedding at an even more accelerated rate. I have been on the drug for about 3 weeks. When could I see some type of improvement? What should I expect as far as improvement? Also could supplements like creatine be playing a factor in all of this?

Stress induced hair loss could be temporary or it could precipitate your genetic hair loss (in other words, you might’ve lost hair anyway due to genetics somewhere down the line and the stress just sped it up). I’d give it 6-9 months (or longer) before you start seeing some benefits. Those benefits could be regrowth or they could just be halting the hair loss. Your doctor should’ve explained this to you when he/she prescribed it.


2009-05-12 16:31:57I’ve Been Taking Propecia for 3 Weeks — When Will I See Improvement?

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I’ve Been Taking Finasteride for Years, So What Should My Next Step Be?

Cheers doctor. I live in the UK and there is not much information regarding hair loss as there is in America. I have been steadily going bald for the past 14 years and have been on proscar for some time. My doctor was reluctant to put me on proscar but finally gave in, bless him. Anyways, fast forward to now, I am 32 years old and have been seeing an increase in my hair loss in my temple area, hairline, and behind it. It is not that noticeable yet because nobody has really commented on the loss but I know in certain lighting it is very apparent and when I style my hair in different ways it is apparent.

What are the stages I should be taking at this point?
A. Continue with the medication or not take it anymore because I am losing hair regardless
B. Wait for my hair loss to continue until I have a more prominent bald spot and then go for a procedure
C. Go for a procedure now and try and stay on top of my balding
D. Get those micro dot tattoos on my thinning area
E. Do nothing and hope for the best

I always wondered about people who stay on top of their balding but the problem is when they start losing the hair behind their implants or their donor hair runs out, that is what is sort of preventing me from doing anything. Your comments and feedback would really be appreciated. Cheers.

There is no substitute for a good doctor to help you in this process. If you are really losing hair, then stopping Proscar (finasteride) could be a disaster that would lead to “catch-up” hair loss. I assume the Proscar you’re taking is cut into 4 or 5 pieces, and not the full table, which would be too much medication for treating hair loss.

You don’t need to necessarily wait for more prominent balding before you plan for surgery, but as hair loss is progressive, your pattern would need to be determined so that any surgery accounts for potential future balding. Having Scalp MicroPigmentation (SMP) is also a possibility, depending on the hairstyle you plan on having. I can’t really answer your questions without pictures at a minimum.

So really, your next step should be to sit down with a good doctor (you are fortunate to have both Drs. Bessam and Nilofer Farjo in the UK) and build a Master Plan with them.

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I’ve Been Taking Finasteride and Minoxidil for 9 Years and My Hair Continues to Thin

I’m a 31 year old male who has been losing his hair for approximately 9 years. My hair has suffered diffused thinning throughout the entire top – in a Norwood 6 to Norwood 7 pattern, however my hairline remains intact, albeit with very fine hair.

I’ve been consistently on finasteride and minoxidil through a majority of the past 9 years. However, year by year, month by month, my hair continues to thin.

My question is as follows: For the time being my hair remains very thin, but with an extremely close cropped haircut, I don’t look THAT bald because of the fact that I still have coverage (as thin as it may be). In your opinion, will continued treatment with rogaine and propecia help me maintain this thin hair or is my continual thinning a sign that these drugs are not helping me?

A response is appreciated. Please don’t tell me to have my hair mapped. Been there, done that. I’m losing it.

You will continue to lose your hair if you have been thinning for all these years despite your daily doses of Propecia (finasteride) and Rogaine (minoxidil), but it is safe to assume that these medications will continue to support the hair you have left. I suspect it is helping slow the balding/thinning process down. If you still have a hairline and are just thinning behind it (with fine hair in general) it does not sound like you have a problem now and are more worried about later on. If you can delay any surgical decision, it may be in your best interest to do so, but without a direct examination of you, I can not ascertain what you need.

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I’ve Been Taking 2.5mg Finasteride Daily for 3 Years

Dear Dr. Rassman,

I started using Proscar (5 Mg. divided into 2, 1 part daily) about 3 years ago. 6 months ago I added the use of Minoxidil just once daily (every morning), opposed to the recommended 2x daily, since it is only to aid the Proscar. Am I doing the right thing?

Best

The recommended dose of finasteride is 1mg for treating hair loss, sold under the brand name Propecia. Taking 5mg or 3mg or 2mg will not grow more hair, but will produce more negative side effects. Changing doses from 5mg or 2.5mg to 1mg will not likely affect hair growth. Merck’s research has shown that 1mg is as good as a higher dose, so if you are taking a higher dose and then bring it down to the normal 1mg does, there should be no negative effect.


2007-11-28 12:33:02I’ve Been Taking 2.5mg Finasteride Daily for 3 Years

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I’ve Been Rejected By Hair Transplant Doctors and I’m Desperate!

I am a 19 year old male, with a naturally high hairline. You can also call it receding if you like, it goes beyond that curve. It’s been like that since I was born. My hairline from centre of my brow is 5cm, top of my brow is 4.5cm. I do not suffer from genetic hairloss, nor does either my family bloodline. When I say genetic, I say this, because when I took minocycline, an antibiotic to help with acne, it made my skin very weak, dry, and fragile, thus some hair fell out because of this. I went off the medication, and I stopped dropping hair. Problem is, I’ve lost the hair I had while on medication, and hasn’t grown since. But I can live with that. It’s only a minor thinning area. No biggie.

I am the only one cursed with this dreadful big forehead in my family. My dad’s forehead is a bit bigger than normal, but mine surpasses his. I have to cope with this everyday of my life, and I finally decided to take up the courage, fight my embarassment and ask doctors around my area. When I finally gained the courage to pick up the phone, I was deeply disappointed as I was excluded, turned down, and rejected hair transplant.

I have contacted numerous hairloss centres and they rejected me for a hair transplant operation to lower my hairline. I feel truly disappointed at this point in time. They only offer treatments for people have lost/losing hair. She only recommended me rogaine, which is unnecessary in my case. I still have a clear vision of a lower hairline of about 2cm-2.5cm.

I am not doing this because I want to look pretty, I want to have a lower hairline, because I no longer can cope with the comments I receive from people. It really affects my daily life. I was made aware of my forehead from my sister, which I never was aware about, and ever since, I have been getting more comments. When I meet people, they would look up at my hair line, not at my face when talking. It makes me so uncomfortable, and the rest of the day I feel so bad and cannot stop looking in the mirror, thinking “I will never get help, even the doctors rejected me”. How many times must I be rejected because of my hairline? Friends, family, now doctors?

I guess in the end, my question is: Can I get hair transplants to lower my hairline from elsewhere? Are there any other possible ways to lower my hairline by 2cm to 2.5cm?

Hair loss is indeed a dreadful situation for those who are afflicted with the unfortunate fate of the hair loss gene. Add to that a congenital high hairline and it can certainly impact a person’s view of themselves. While I sympathize with the negative social implications of a high / receding hairline in your teenage years, hair transplant surgery is permanent. It is not a short, quick fix. In other words, at your age it is almost impossible to predict how much balding you will have and a quick fix may just accelerate your hair loss. You need to start by getting your hair mapped for miniaturization and have a Master Plan of how to tackle your hair loss problem. You may be a candidate for medications such a Propecia. Propecia will not lower your hairline, though. Your “clear vision” of a 2cm to 2.5cm lowering of your hairline may be attainable, but the timing may not be right due to the risk of further hair loss.

Finally, you can probably have a hair transplant elsewhere by doctors who will gladly accept your money. But, that would be in the doctor’s interest, not yours. Whatever you do, even if you find someone to do the surgery, please get another opinion and just don’t get on the first bus that comes along.

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I’ve Been Pulling My Hair for 6 Years — Will It Grow Back?

Hello. I’ve had trichotillomania for about 6 years now. I’ve pulled non-stop because it is REALLY hard to quit, but I haven’t pulled any hair out in a week now. I have a large bald spot on the top of my skull and there are several others scattered elsewhere. I am seventeen years-old. I can’t even go to the hair dresser’s to get my hair done because I’m so ashamed and I always worry someone might say something. I’ve adopted the name ‘bald spots’. I was wondering if my hair was going to grow back if I let it and if not, if there were any options available for me. Thank you.

If the hair loss has been there for around 6 years, I doubt that the hair will come back. First, you must get control of the pulling (not just for a week) and you may seek help from your doctor for medications that will help you through this. Once you have gone a year or more with no further hair plucking, then you might consider hair transplantation, assuming that your donor supply is adequate. But if you should start pulling again, then any transplanted hair can be lost by the exact same mechanism.

There’s a great reference site you should visit to read more — Trichotillomania Learning Center.


2009-05-05 15:57:21I’ve Been Pulling My Hair for 6 Years — Will It Grow Back?

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I’ve Been On Propecia For Over A Year And I Am Still Losing Hair.

Hi Doctor, I have been taking 1 mg of finasteride 13 months my hair has become very weak and fine, and still losing hair every time it grows it’s more fine and weak also hair loss at the back of head and facial hair also weak and fine, should i stop this medication? your help would be greatly appreciated thank you.

pill
First and foremost, I am not your doctor so I cannot advise you on your medical treatment. I can tell you that genetic male pattern balding (MPB) is a condition where there is no cure. Propecia is a medication that helps slow down the process. Everyone responds to medication differently. Follow up with your doctor for a recheck and come up with a Master Plan on your treatment goal.

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I’ve Been in Denial About My Diabetes and I Think It’s Causing My Hair Loss!

Hi Dr.
I’m a 20 year old male and a type 1 diabetic. I’ve been type 1 for 5 years since 15. Since diagnosis, I have never taken care of myself, at all! my blood sugars were terrible for 5 years (denial of diabetes) and my hair is receding also.

I was wondering if constant bad blood sugars would cause hair loss?

The most important thing here is to take care of yourself.

At 20 years old, it wouldn’t be surprising if your genes were just as responsible for your hair loss as your diabetes. In other words, you could very well have diabetes along with genetic hair loss. Diabetes is a systemic disease and it can impact all parts of your body if you leave it untreated. See a good hair doctor so that you can find out what is going to happen to your hair and what you are going to do about it.


2013-03-12 13:23:28I’ve Been in Denial About My Diabetes and I Think It’s Causing My Hair Loss!

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I’ve Been Bald for 15 Years, So Is Rogaine Still An Option to Try for Regrowth?

All of my male relatives on both sides are bald, and I have been bald since I was 30 (currently 45). Is rogaine still an option for a head that has been basically dormant for 15 years? I have very little growth at all on top and in the back and I don’t know if it is a mid life crisis but I would like to have natural hair again. My brothers use toupees, but I refuse to go that way.

Please let me know if it would worthwile to try it, or if there would be little likelihood for success. Thank you.

NW7I would want to see you to determine just how bald you are and to figure out if these medications could help; however, if you have a full Norwood class 7 pattern of balding, you most likely will not have much of a benefit from Rogaine (minoxidil). Even if there is hair regrowth, it will be scant growth and not enough to make a notifiable difference.

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I’ve Had 4500 FUE Grafts a Year Ago and There Is Very Little Growth Except at My Hairline. What Are My Option? (Photo)

With 4,500 grafts done, clearly there was a failure of growth in much of the grafts. That means that what you had done was not a good deal or your team with not the best team. Another FUE is most likely out of the question because it would create donor site balding, but a strip surgery might work. Your donor area needs to be measured so that a surgeon knows how much donor hair you have left. You need to find a good doctor in your area. If you are in California, I would be happy to give you an opinion.

failure from 4500 FUE grafts