Author: Dr. William Rassman

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Propecia vs Generic Finasteride? – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

Is there any reason to take Propecia versus the generic version. I have been on the generic for a 7 months and the balding has gotten worse (I am 23). Also, do you have recommendations for where to get generic Propecia?

There is no generic Propecia available legally in the US. I realize other countries may manufacture finasteride in 1mg strength, but Propecia is still under patent protection in much of the western world.

There is a generic finasteride available in 5mg strength — any pharmacy should have it, provided that your doctor prescribes you 5mg finasteride. Some patients cut the 5mg tablet into 1/4ths to save money. There may be problems in cutting down the pill into smaller pieces and the partial tablets will have the problem of hydrating with humidity so do not cut more than one at a time (every 4 days) and keep it in a sealed container. Be sure that the company that makes it is legit and you are getting what you are buying!

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Side Effects from Propecia in Under a Week? – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

I’ve only taken propecia for 6 days but I’ve noticed some side effects is it possible it could have had such effects so quickly? I’m experiencing erectile difficulties and less facial hair. Age 17.

I could believe that sexual dysfunction might occur as quickly as 1 weeks. Some of the men who are very sensitive to Propecia and get ED or libido problems have reported that the side effect comes on quickly. The loss of acial hair is a new one for me in that short a time frame. If I could get the beard effect without the ED effect, I would love the product even more than I do now.

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Hair Loss InformationHair Transplant Results Just Days After Surgery (with Photos) – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

I wanted to show some very early after from two patients that came in today. Both patients have given me permission to post their photos, and I appreciate them allowing me to do so. From time to time I post photos of patients just days or weeks after surgery, and I hope these types of posts help to answer one of the more popular questions I receive almost daily — “What will my head look like right after surgery?! I need to get back to work and I don’t want anyone to know!”

Patient 1 — 1 day after surgery:
This young man had around 1500 grafts placed in the crown and around 600 grafts in the front just 1 day ago. His skin is white and hair is blonde. There is almost no swelling and no sign of the surgery other than a faint pink hue which should go away for him in a day or two.

Here are two photos of his hairline. Click the photos to enlarge.

 

Patient 2 — 10 days after surgery:

This patient had frontal work to drop the corners of his hairline. Just 10 days out after 1040 grafts and you can barely see anything. Note that I had to hold his hair back on the left corner just to show the transplanted area. His hair naturally falls over that area, and as such, it provided him a perfect cover during the first day or two when his skin was pink in the transplanted area.

Click the photos to enlarge.

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22 Years Old and Balding – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

Hello, I have looked all over the web for credible physicians, and New Hair is definitely the best I’ve found! I have heard horror stories and I want to make sure if I’m making an investment that the job is done right!

Now here’s my question. I am quite interested in what you might have to offer. I’m a bit younger, 22 and thinning rapidly all over my scalp (front and back). I’m on Propecia but the thinning still has not stopped. I expect that by next year, a large chunk of my hair will be gone. Unfortunately, I live in the mid-west. I’m a student and only have so much financial stability. I was wondering if there is anyway to estimate how much hair you could transplant, how much donor hair I may have, etc.. without seeing me in person. Unfortunately, I can’t afford constant flights to LA in addition to the cost of a transplant, so this would be quite helpful. I don’t have much of a desire to just cover part of my scalp (I figure I might as well just shave my head at that point) and want to know if it’s worth a shot. Also, I’m curious about your availability. How far in advance would I need to book an appointment for a transplant?

Thank you for your time and help. I hope to hear from you soon!

First, I want to thank you for your kind words about NHI.

Generally, I do not do hair restoration surgery on 22 year old men, because the final hair loss pattern is not usually evident. I always want to set up a Master Plan to determine where you are going and to ascertain your donor supply. Propecia (finasteride) works well to slow the process, which may be inevitable to whatever your final pattern will be. I do miniaturization studies to try to determine what that pattern may be and knowing about your family history will also help. Before you get into making an appointment for a hair transplant, let’s start off with photos. I would need to see (at the least) pictures of your head from various angles — enough of them to see the full extent of your thinning. Please reference this blog post when sending the pictures.

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Lowering African Female Hairline – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

Hi Dr. Rassman,

I’m a 24 year old female with African origin. I would like to lower my hairline through transplant. Would there be a problem for someone like myself with afro hair to get a hair transplant done? How much would it cost?

Women with African hair should not be a problem for hairline lowering procedures, providing there is no tendency to scarring. Costs of hair transplants will be about $6,000 (rough estimate) with possibly two procedures to accomplish the goals provided that the hair supply is adequate. The hairline lowering procedure costs can be found here and if any scar should show up, then transplants may be needed to address any widened scar.

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Prostatitis and Propecia – Balding Blog

My clinic in the UK has recommended the duel treatment of Propecia and Minoxidil for my MPB. I’m 40 with a receding hairline and a small bald spot on the crown. The slight complication appears to be that I had an acute prostatitis 2 years ago and the symptoms has not gone away completely. My question therefore: is it appropriate for me to take Propecia with symptoms of prostatitis?

You should be asking this question to your doctor who prescribed you the Propecia. Prostatitis is a general term that describes an inflammation of your prostate gland. You need to see a doctor for this problem and you should not be having symptoms for 2 years. Propecia, which is a brand name for finasteride in a 1mg tablet, may have an effect on your prostate, as the medication finasteride is also used to treat prostate conditions. This does NOT necessarily mean it will be good or bad for your prostate. You need to get your prostate checked. At such a young age you should not be having prostatitis unless you are doing something to irritate it or have an underlying prostate condition. There are many causes of prostatitis.




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Hair Transplant Costs – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

Can you give me an estimate of costs for a hair transplant with 2000-3000 grafts? Would this procedure be closer to $3,000 or $10,000. Just trying to get some idea of price.

2000 grafts on our Standby program would cost $10,000 and if you come from out of town, there is hotel and airfare reimbursement available. See our Fees and Financing page to learn more.

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I’m Worse Off Now AFTER My Hair Transplant – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

Dr. Rassman,

I had a my first procedure done over 1 year ago (1900 grafts) by a reputable surgeon but am extremely disappointed with my results. I have noticeably less hair now than prior to surgery. My doctor said the procedure went fine, but I have lost more native hair than transplanted hair received which is the source of my visible concern. My question – how do I know if this is correct. How can I know that the 1900 grafts survived or if there was in fact a problem with my procedure I am not aware of. I am 49 and have been on Propecia for several years. Have you ever heard of this situation? I feel like I’m in the middle of a nightmare – I have paid a small fortune to fast track my hair loss. I don’t know where to go from here. Please help!

I hear and see situations similar to yours nearly everyday. If you were a young man (under 25) and not on Propecia, I would predict the hair loss as almost a certainty. Hair transplant surgery should take into account a Master Plan to plan for future losses.

You should not have lost native hair at your age (49), as men of this age have hair that rarely reacts with shock loss, particularly as you are on Propecia. Although this is a risk that patients must be made fully aware of before having the surgery, there are too many uncertainties here for me to draw conclusions without examining you myself and see what happened to the transplants you had. Hopefully, you have good before pictures taken for an expert to draw conclusions. You need to have a second opinion.

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Very Thin Hair on Sides and Back — Is Body Hair Transplantation a Possibility? – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

my body is very hairy (face, chest, back, etc). will taking any of these medications increase body hair? Since I hardly have any donor hair on my head, is body hair transplant a possibility? Where can I get good information on this subject?

Thanks for your assistance.

Best regards

I have written about body hair transplants extensively in this blog (search for body hair transplants). Be very careful with body hair transplants; the failure rate is very high.

I would be concerned that if your hair is see-through on the sides and back of your head (I assume that is what you mean by having little donor hair), that you may have Diffuse Unpatterned Alopecia (DUPA).

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