Month: January 2023

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When Is a Good Time to Switch to Avodart?

Amazing website. I have been on finasteride for the past 12 yrs or so. It has held on to my hair quite well but I have noticed my temple areas and front part of my hairline thinning out recently. The crown is still slightly thick.

I want to know when is a good time to switch to avodart since I have noticed the front part of my scalp thinning out. Should I switch ASAP? I know its not approved for MPB and the risk could be slightly higher etc etc but I know a few of the people who comment on here have switched and are having excellent success even in the temple and hairline which is not very common.

Avodart must be prescribed off label (unless you have prostate issues), so it’s up to your doctor if he is willing to prescribe it to you.

The decision to switch from finasteride to dutasteride (Avodart) is one that you must reach with your prescribing doctor. Some people report better response with Avodart, but you must realize that the risks may be greater for sexual side effects and the possibility of sterility. Unfortunately, the information on this is not clinically available in younger men for treating hair loss, so it is a gamble.


2013-07-05 10:54:51When Is a Good Time to Switch to Avodart?

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When Is a Good Time for a Hair Transplant?

I was just wondering when you can get a hair transplant. I’m 20 years old, male. My hair is falling and I’ve already started the propecia. I know that the propecia isn’t going to get me to where I am before so I just want to get a transplant. I don’t want to stick with where I’m at. There are no bald spots….just the scalp is visible all over when my hair is wet. My question is this…..can I get a hair transplant already or do i have to have a bald spot? Thanks a whole bunch.

You should be on Propecia (finasteride 1mg) for at least a year. You need to get your hair mapped out for miniaturization and follow the benefits or lack of benefits of the drug. Either you will:

  1. Get better with less miniaturization after a year
  2. Slow or stop the hair loss
  3. Get worse

Based upon the response to the miniaturization mapping, you need to develop a Master Plan with your doctor which will define the various paths open to you, including the timing of things you can do. Some men of your age will slow, stop, or reverse the hair loss on Propecia, while others may continue to bald at their own accelerated rate indicative of strong genetic and hormonal influences. There is no magic about hair transplants and if you are going to get really bald, then great care in how transplants are used is critical to being sure that you will always look normal, never trading short term benefits for your long term appearance. The Master Plan will lay out the transplant option and put it into perspective with projections on your hair loss which might be easy for a doctor with a great deal of experience in doing such predictions. 20 year old men are often less objective and less able to stand back and look at the long term hair loss process when they have short term needs (girls, self confidence), but some doctors see the money in it and may be willing to take your money to allow you to focus on short term agenda issues. That is in no man’s best interest. If you are unfortunate and have a very rapid hair loss process going on that is not benefited from Propecia, hair transplants could be the worst thing you could do right now. Please remember the following philosophy: A Good Decision Today is a Good Decision Tomorrow. Get a caring doctor who works with you on that Master Plan I discussed. I have done a few hair transplants in very young men (early 20s) but I am careful that I know what is happening to them and I learn a great deal about them as fellow human being before embarking on such a path.


2006-11-27 16:34:30When Is a Good Time for a Hair Transplant?

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When I Use Hair Gel, I Can See My Scalp!

Hey there, I’m 28 years old. When i put gel in my hair I can see my scalp. It looks completely normal when its dry. Am I balding? I never noticed this before

If you use hair gel or any hair styling products, it will be separating out sections of hair to expose the scalp. It’s the same concept as when your hair is wet. If you think you are balding, see a doctor. In simple terms, styling your hair a certain way can make your hair look full OR thin. Various lighting can also make your hair appear thinner.

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When I Don’t Wash My Hair for Days, Hair Only Comes Out When I Rub My Head

I have noticed when i don’t wash my hair for a couple days, the sebum and oil and all that builds up on my scalp. When this happens i don’t see any hair falling out, but when I rub my head, tons and tons of hair falls out but i still have thick hair when its longer.

Is this because the oils and everything on my scalp are holding in the loose hairs that should be falling out and when i rub my scalp that is when it comes out? It is making me think I am losing way more hair then the normal amount!

Hair loss has nothing to do with washing your hair. You are likely correct in your guess, that it is the oils or possibly any hair styling product you’re using that is keeping the loose hairs that would’ve normally fallen out throughout the day. Once you rub your head, those hairs become dislodged from the surrounding hairs and fall out.


2013-04-22 09:53:22When I Don’t Wash My Hair for Days, Hair Only Comes Out When I Rub My Head

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When I Cut My Hair Short, It Looks Thinner

(male) Hi, i was wondering something and had a question. When i cut my hair real short and stand under direct light you can see my scalp, but if i am in just regular light like out in the car i can not see it. The strange thing is when i let it grow out i cant see through it at all. I dont understand whats goin on. People say my hair looks thin at the top but the lady that does my hair says i have good fine thin curly hair. Could you please give me some insight? thanks.

Imagine looking out your window when you’re in an airplane on a sunny day and seeing some thin, short trees. You’d probably be able to see the ground in between them. Now imagine looking out that same window on a gloomy day and seeing thick, tall redwoods. You probably won’t be able to see the ground between the trees. Now apply that logic to the hair on your head.

If that doesn’t make sense, how about this: Fine hair has less hair bulk than coarser hair, so the longer the fine hair is, the more significant will be the bulk. People with fine hair have difficulty looking full-headed, because the bulk of the hair shaft is small.


2009-11-03 09:59:28When I Cut My Hair Short, It Looks Thinner

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When hair disappears, are these hairs dead?

How does one know if a follicle has gone dormant, and can produce a new hair or is dead?

There is no way to tell other than the timing of its disappearance. Recent hair loss often has some active stem cells trying to find the ‘missing link’ to grow out a hair follicle. After years, these stem cells are thought to be inactive or possibly dead, but nobody knows for sure because we can get them to wake up so we assume the worst. If there is anything there, a small miniaturized hair left, medications might reverse it. Some people feel that microneedling might induce the recently hair that disappeared to come back. This is a microwounding process that causes the release of many kinases that can cause hair regeneration. When adding minoxidil to the process, results are even better. I referenced a review of mixroneedling here: https://baldingblog.com/review-of-microneedling-extensive-thorough-from-reddit/


2020-01-06 09:53:15When hair disappears, are these hairs dead?

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When does the mature hairline become balding?

At what point do you know that it has receded beyond a mature hairline? And by asymmetrical, do you mean that the forelock can remain in the juvenile spot while the temples mature faster?

I’ve been told by a professional I am not balding but I still remain super anxious about it. Though I do have anxiety disorders which probably relate

You have to manage your anxiety. Yes, you clearly understand what is happening. If you think it is going beyond a mature hairline, you can see a doctor or even send me photos, but wait at least a year. Connect with me at info@newhair.com


2021-01-04 13:25:31When does the mature hairline become balding?

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When Does Stress Become a Factor in Hair Loss?

i am a 23 year old woman, who has always had VERY thick curly hair. I have noticed that my hair is much thinner and requires many more wraps of the hair tie to put it up in a pony tail. I am very upset and wondered if you had any clue what is going on. I do not have a receeding hair line or anything. how stressed out does a person have to be inorder to affect their hair? thanks

The internet is no place to get a good examination of your head, scalp, and hair. A good dermatologist should be a starting point. Some people get hair changes with age that is not necessarily diseased hair, and others get hair thinning and loss from medical problems (see Female Hair Loss on this site to see other posts that reference the many medical conditions that can cause hair loss). You need a good doctor to make an assessment of you and your problem. If you have genetic female hair loss, then hair loss can be a problem anytime you experience stress.


2008-08-14 14:38:32When Does Stress Become a Factor in Hair Loss?

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When Does Minoxidil Reach It’s Peak?

Minoxidil has made this bald spot bigger and made my natural healthy hairs thinner it’s been six months and the hairs in the bald spot that minox grew don’t look good and my healthy hairs have not thickened, should I stay on and give it longer or come off now ?

Minoxidil doesn’t reverse the hair loss you have, but it grows new hairs. Additionally, many of them are very small hairs and are not enough to build bulk. Observations show that it peaks its value at about a year with continuous use.


2019-10-29 14:20:04When Does Minoxidil Reach It’s Peak?

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When Does Finasteride Thicken Up Hair Shafts?

Does finasteride thicken up hair shafts DURING the growth phase, or (with good results of course) does it thicken up only when a new cycle begins?

I do not have a definite answer to your question, but I can venture a guess. As the usual hair cycle is over 2 years in most men and we see benefits from Propecia in 8-12 months, I would guess that as the hair shaft emerges from its source, the shaft thickens. Of course, as the hair growth above the skin grows at about 1/2 inch per month, I would expect that the thickening of the hair shaft starts quickly and increases over time.

All miniaturized hairs are not equal. Let’s say that the shafts that have lost 90% of their bulk will be slower to benefit (if they benefit at all) than those miniaturized hairs which have lost 20% of their bulk. The impact on new hair should be better if these new hairs are healthy ‘terminal’ hairs that have considerable life left in them. When I see patients for follow-up examinations and comparison studies, I see that there are less miniaturized hairs and more of thicker shaft hairs, and as we use the bulk analysis instrument on more patients, the answer to your questions will be much more clear.

I think you have a great question from a scientific perspective. I wish there was a time lapse photo of a hair shaft under the influence of Propecia (or even Rogaine).