How Bad Will My Hair Loss Get If I Stop Propecia for 2 Weeks? – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

Dear Dr Rassman,

I’ve been on propecia for almost two years now and i think it’s been working really great. From your own experience, how bad the hairloss can occur if i stop the medication for two weeks? The reason being that i’ve been having hot flashes lately and my gp wanted to test and see if it’s the propecia that is causing all these symptoms. I’m a 27yo male. thanks

I suspect that a 2 week period will have a minimum impact, but as you are reporting great results from it, I really do not know. You must do what you must do, but just restart it as quickly as you can.

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Doctor Prescribed Lidex and Liprox Shampoo – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

Hello, I am 24 yrs old and I recently cut my dread locks after having them for 4 years. I noticed my hair balding in the crown are and my dermatologist prescribed Lidex and Liprox shampoo. My question is would this be effective in treating or reversing hair loss?

Lidex is a topical medication with the steroid ‘flucinonide’ as an active component. Its main indication is its use for inflammatory conditions of the skin. Loprox contains an antifungal agent. You may have had some sort of fungal infectious condition. It is impossible for me to know what your prognosis is without a full understanding of your situation, including a close examination of you and the results of the testing that your doctor did on you. Talk it over with your dermatologist and specifically ask about his diagnosis for the condition you have.

Doctor Told Me To Stop Propecia and Use Minoxidil Instead – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

Hi doctor Rassman,

My doctor prescribed to me minoxidil and told me to stop immediately propecia after 8 months of usage ( as a treatment for my genetic male pattern baldness) after sever sexual dysfunctions and a worry of future consequences. My question is, does minoxidil 5% alone treats the male pattern hair loss or it is a “must” to take a dht inhibitor for blocking DHT and prevent further thinning of the hair?

The issue here is the sexual side effect. Minoxidil does not have negative sexual side effects and therefore may be a reasonable alternative. Minoxidil may prolong hair cycling and therefore the life of some hairs. This is theory, of course, but there is some scientific basis for this conclusion. When you have to choose between a normal sexual life and balding, I personally would rather be bald. The choice is yours and minoxidil may actually help.

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Is Propecia a Restricted Drug for International Travel? – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

Do I need to be careful about bringing Propecia into any countries when I go on holidays? Is it a restricted drug anywhere in the world?

When you travel outside the US with prescription items, bring the bottle with the name of the drug, quantity, and the prescribing doctor. That is usually enough. Many people who travel use heart, blood pressure, and other such medications and these are allowed on the airplane and through customs.

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Propecia Stopped Working, So I Added Rogaine – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

I have been on Propecia for 2 1/2 years but about 6 months ago I noticed that the Propecia was no longer doing its job so I started on Rogaine as well and have been using that for 6 months along with the Propecia. The crown of my head has not gotten worse however the thinning area has spreaded throughout the scalp and I fear it is only getting worse. What do you recommend I do?

There is no cure for androgenic (male pattern) hair loss. Drugs such as Propecia slow it down and at best sometimes grows some hair. Just because you notice more hair falling out does not necessarily mean Propecia has stopped working. Instead it is not able to keep up with your ultimate fate. Adding Rogaine may be of benefit, but again there is no cure or 100% stop to the hair loss. Even surgery (hair transplant) cannot cure balding. At best, it redistributes the hair so that you can maintain a look for maximum cosmetic benefit.

If you are noticing a rapid rate of hair loss, you can consider seeing a doctor for a miniaturization study to document the rate of hair loss and review any medical or surgical option for a complete master plan.

Losing Concentration/Focus with Taking Propecia – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Dr. Rassman

Have you had a hair transplant procedure done on yourself? If so have you ever tried or are you currently using propecia? I have been on propecia for about 2 months now and I find that my concentration/focus is severely lacking. I am currently going to grad school so you can see why this is a big problem. Whats your thoughts on the matter?

Thank You

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I have had two hair transplants on my crown and I take Propecia daily. I have not had problems like you are describing. Are you stressed? Try stopping the Propecia for a week and see if the concentration problem resolves. I would doubt that it would have this side effect, but there are many men who talk themselves into problems from the use of Propecia, a placebo type of effect.

Testing Hormones Before Starting Propecia – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Do you think its a good idea to get all your hormones tested before propecia so you have a baseline to compare against? Propecia can raise estrogen, testosterone, and aromatase levels because of the lower DHT which helps balance these right?

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There is no need to test your hormones before taking Propecia. While your theory may be valid, there would be no value in measuring high or low hormone levels. Why? Of course some values may be high or low, but what will you do if they are? Stop taking the medication? On the contrary, you are taking the medication to change some of these hormone levels! More specifically, the DHT hormone levels. So in the end, the hormone measurements only end up being a matter of curiosity which has been extensively studied by scientists before the drug was approved by the FDA.

Yasmin and Female Hair Loss – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

I wanted to ask you a question re Yasmin, which I have been taking for almost a year now.

I experienced heavy hair shedding postpartum which could be contributed to the delivery itself and to my then overactive thyroid. My thyroid has been stable and normal during the last 5 months. After stopping for 2 months, I started experiencing heavier hair shedding recently. Since my thyroid is fine, plus no other deficiencies were detected (iron, zinc, B12), could Yasmin be the culprit? Or are other hormonal issues I should be aware of? I didn’t take the first pill of this new cycle and the shedding seemed to slow immediately. Should I consider an alternative contraceptive and will I have regrowth?

Thank you for your time.

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We’ve answered a similar question on the contraceptive medication, Yasmin. As we’ve explained before, Yasmin is a combination of drospirenone and ethinyl estradiol. Loss of scalp hair is a reported side effect of this medication. The hair loss from most birth control pills is benign and self limited. Losing hair in this situation is thought to be through inducing hair follicles to go into the telogen phase. You should stop taking Yasmin and speak to your doctor regarding alternative birth control medications or methods.

Hair Loss InformationWhat is the Accelerated Hair Loss After Stopping Finasteride? – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

I am a 51 year old male with some recent thinning in the vertex area, but otherwise a I have a full head of hair. I don’t seem to shed many hairs. In fact, after combing my hair, I may see only 1 or 2 hairs in the sink and never any hairs on my pillow when I awake in the morning. I have recently procured a prescription for Proscar, but I’m hesitant to use it because of some of the side effects mentioned. In an earlier answer to someones post,you mentioned the fact that if one was to use Finastaride, then discontinue it’s use, that subsequent thinning would occur at an accelerated pace. Does this mean only the hair you may have grown as a result of proscar use, or your overall hair in general? I’m currently trying grape seed extract, multi vitamins and Sawpalmetto. I’m also considering just letting things take their natural course and joining the rest of bald headed America.

Thanks for your anticipated response

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In my opinion, grape seed extract, multi vitamins, and saw palmetto will not significantly affect your hair loss problem. Bald can be beautiful. There is nothing wrong with being bald.

With regards to finasteride (Propecia or Proscar), it may not cure hair loss, but it is the best medication available to slow down hair loss or even grow some hair back. If you stop taking this medication after many years, you may experience what I describe as “catch up” hair loss in which you lose all the hair that grew or stayed as a result of the drug. In short, your hair state will be at a point if you had never taken the drug in the first place.

My Doctor Said I Only Need to Take Propecia Every Other Day – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

Hi I have been using Propecia for just over 6 months with no visible benefits so far. I understand that it can take anwhere up to 18 months for you to see results.

The trichologist that I have been seeing and who prescibed the Propecia has told me that the half life is such that I only need to take it every other day. Which is what I’ve been doing for the last 6 months. Is this correct?

Thanks for your site its a great help.

Half life of Propecia is around 4 hours. The half life is the time it takes half of the drug to be out of your blood stream. Let’s do the math…

6am – take Propecia (assume 100% got into your blood stream…)
10am – 50% of Propecia is in your blood stream
2pm – 25% of Propecia is in your blood stream
6pm – 12.5% of Propecia is in your blood stream
10pm -6.25% of Propecia is in your blood stream
2am – 3.125% of Propecia is in your blood stream
6am – (a day later) only 1.5625% of Propecia is in your blood stream

Realistically, all the Propecia is out of your blood stream after 24 hrs. That is why you take Propecia once a day.

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