I’m 32 yo woman trying to conceive. What options are open to me in stopping hair loss and stimulating regrowth? My dermatologist tells me its hereditary and I’m out of luck until birth. Any suggestions?
The only medical option is Rogaine. If it is hereditary or genetic, there is not much you can do. Any medication is dangerous for a new fetus and it is not something I would recommend until you deliver your baby (a long waiting period, I know).
Every now and then we see patients who are willing to start or continue finasteride (Propecia) for treatment of his hair loss, but are concerned with the possible adverse effects on the baby. Below I put the exact paragraph as stated in the medication brochure based on the research that has been done:
Semen levels have been measure in 35 men taking finasteride 1 mg/day for 6 weeks. In 60% (21 of 35) of the samples, finasteride levels were undetectable (<0.2 ng/mL). The mean finasteride level was 0.26 ng/mL and the highest level measured was 1.52 ng/mL. Using the highest semen level measured and assuming 100% absorption from a 5-mL ejaculate per day, human exposure through vaginal absorption would be up to 7.6 ng per day, which is 750 times lower than the exposure from the no-effect dose for developmental abnormalities in Rhesus monkeys and 650-fold less than the dose of finasteride (5mg) that had no effect on circulating DHT levels in men.
In conclusion, it is highly probable that Propecia will not cross into the woman’s vagina in any significant quantity.
hi dr. rassman,
im having a procedure done of 2500 grafts and was told that coumadin and digoxin can cause hair loss. im on both medications right now for a-fib but may not be on them permanently. im 38 and in very good health otherwise. could you tell me if this is accurate to your knowledge as a leader in hair transplantation?
Coumadin and digoxin may cause hair loss. You need a good miniaturization study to see the quality of your donor hair and see if the medication has affected your donor hair quality, as you may have a small risk of further hair loss after the hair transplant. You should never discontinue any medication on your own, especially coumadin and digoxin, as prescribed by your doctor. Please express these concerns to your doctor so he/she can better address your concerns.
Dear Doctor,
just to share something and also post an enquiry. January this year, after seeking advice from a dermatologist, I decided to take the plunge and switch from propecia to avodart. It has got to be the worst mistake I ever committed. since the time I stopped propecia, hair shedding started about close to a month after switching. In a matter of 5 months, my hairloss progressed drmatically and I have now a very noticeable receded hairline. I should have stayed on propecia, although it didnt regrow a lot of hair I have expected, but It did regrow decent amount and most importantly, maintained what I had. Looking back, I could only blame myself for all reports that supported Dutasteride were either small scale, or short-term. I have since switched back to propecia a week ago after seeking a 2nd medical opinion.My question would be that, is my shedded hair all lost and not returning? Notice I am not like the typical propercia user who quit due to side effects, I switched to a more powerful anti-dht and am not switching back propecia. Bearing in thought that all the while I had decreased DHT in my body, and during that 5 months, decrease up to 90%.
Thanks!
Thank you for sharing your experience with Propecia (finasteride) and Avodart (dutasteride).
To answer your question in perspective, there is no magic pill or drug to cure or reverse hair loss. If you are genetically predisposed to hair loss, Propecia will only postpone it as long as possible. For some men this may be many years. For other unlucky men this may be a few months or a few years. This does not matter how much DHT you block. Most men who do this also get a drop in their sex drive as Avodart has a higher sex drive suppression than Propecia.
Wondering if I could get some advice. I had a physical this last week and asked my doctor about my hair. I am 32 and I feel I’ve started to lose some hair. He examined me and said there is “slight” thinning on top from age, but that it is not even noticeable. He said there is no beginning of a “spot”. So, he said for now he would not prescribe anything for it and that we’d simply monitor it. I like my doctor a lot and respect him, but he is not a dermatologist, and I am wondering what my course of action should be. Even if the thinning is slight, I don’t want to thin more. Should I simply monitor it, per his advice?
You are obviously concerned about hair loss and your doctor does not share your concerns. You should start by having a miniaturization study (the most definitive way to monitor your hair loss). You may be a candidate for medication treatment such as Propecia (finasteride 1mg). I cannot speak for your doctor, but hair loss is not at the top of the list of medical problems for general doctors who have only 5 minutes to see a patient.
Hi Dr. Rassman…
Thanks for the input. i have some friends who work-out and take steroids or HGH and they believe if they use Propecia it will offset any negative effects of the HGH or steroids on their hairloss. Your thoughts sir… please respond
thanks
There might be some value to taking Propecia, but it won’t stop the hair loss and probably will see acceleration with the steroids anyway.
I had a visit last week from a Merck executive and while talking with him, I realized that I could ask some sensitive questions about why they hold the price for Propecia (1mg finasteride) much higher than Proscar (5mg finasteride). It is not uncommon for a Merck representative to visit various physicians’ offices, and because of my position in creating this website I had an executive pay a visit so he could meet me face to face. His focus as an executive of the manufacturer of Propecia is clearly focused on maximizing the value to the company (as it should, of course). These are their arguments for taking Propecia, rather than cutting Proscar into quarters:
I asked about the problem with women handling Proscar and cutting it in quarters for their husbands. I was given the example that if a woman who handled finasteride, then gave birth to a male child with a genitalia defect (e.g. hypospadias), Merck could be held accountable for the birth defect if they did not take a legal position on this subject beforehand. I probed them one more time about doing a study on touching the pill, cutting a 5mg pill into quarters and seeing what level of absorption of the drug would occur through the fingers. Essentially though, there is no reason for them to do this. The 1mg dose pill is already available on the market and all this would do is undermine the sales of Propecia.
With all this being said, Proscar and Propecia are still the same drug — finasteride. They are just in different dosages, obviously. If you want to ignore Merck’s perspective and stick to Proscar (or the generic Proscar) for treating your hair loss, and your doctor will prescribe it to you, that is your prerogative. I’m just showing both sides of the coin — the benefits of taking cut Proscar tablets (price) vs the benefits of sticking to the actual Propecia (as outlined above). I’m all for a drug if it is proven to work… and finasteride works.
At ~18 yrs old I underwent surgery due to a severe case of Epididymitis (left testicle). As a result of that condition and surgery (removed damage tissue), my left testicle decreased in size, to a point where only my right testicle remains functional. I’m 37 yrs old now and just recently started taking Propecia to treat mild hair loss. After only two days I felt a difference in my sex drive and decreased ability to achieve an erection. I immediately stopped using propecia but my symptoms continue after a week. Should I expect everything to go back to normal or could this be aggravated by my medical history?
Propecia is cleared from your blood stream after a day. Any Propecia side effect should have resolved, especially after a few weeks. One testicle should be as good as two testicles, as the output of testosterone from the one testicle goes up to compensate for the missing one. You may have an underlying medical problem or a psychological problem. Men are very suggestive when it comes to sex and if you feel like less of a man or are sensitive about it, that in itself could be responsible for your loss of libido or erectile dysfunction. Please see your doctor for further evaluation.
Dear Doctor:
Have you heard anything about the availability of Equol on the market? I understand equol binds to dht, essentialy deactivating it as it can not bind to the androgen receptor and cause hair loss. I have heard that there are “equol producers” that are able to create natural equol through a unique gut bacteria that converts soy into equol. I have heard that there are many that are not producers. Do you know if equol is being synthesized in the lab for use? Thanks very much!
Equol is a nonsteroidal estrogen that is made in human intestines from soy foods. Its DHT blocker function is documented, but in practice it has never been completely studied as a replacement for conventional DHT blockers such as finasteride. See Equol Is a Novel Anti-Androgen that Inhibits Prostate Growth and Hormone Feedback.
Dear Dr. Rassman, I have a question regarding the side effects of Propecia. Does a man who already has a lot of fat tissue in the breast area have a higher chance of experiencing an even larger breast size when he takes Propecia, than a man who doesn’t have a lot of fat in the breast area?
The short answer is no.
Are you overweight? That could be the cause of your breast tissue buildup. If you have that much fat in the breast areas it may be more difficult to detect gynecomastia, but people who develop gynecomastia usually have pain in the breasts. You should see a doctor before starting any medication and express to him/her your concern.
