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My DHT Levels are 5 Times Higher After Being on Propecia

Hi,

Before started propecia my dht levels were normal, now after 7 months i had great results but my dht levels are 5 times higher. have any of your patients reported this? or do you know anyone who happened this?

I think it could be a reaction of my body, everyone said to me to never take propecia again, but i’m really worried about my hair loss.

thanks!

It’s great to hear you had good clinical results from Propecia. This is just a blood test, but what I want to know is — what are your testosterone levels? Usually these go up initially and they drop down to normal levels within a few months.

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Can a Class 8 Person be Transplanted? (with Photos)

Many of you hopefully know (or at least have read) about the Norwood Classifications for male pattern baldness. I wrote the question in the title of this post, because there is no such thing as a Class 8 patient. Norwood Class 7 is the highest balding pattern defined, but I want to discuss a patient that has an extremely advanced Class 7, so to get my point across I’ve defined the Class 8 term here. He has white skin and black hair with a very, very fine hair character. I had great trepidations when he came to me three years ago to get a transplant, because he had no good quality hair and the worst color contrast possible. One thing running in his favor was a donor density 25% higher than normal. He’s had three procedures with me over the years. First one was 3908 grafts, then 3177 grafts, then 1525 grafts… for a total of 8610 grafts, and as the density dropped with each procedure, the yield also dropped. Of interest, his scar was minimal and the rest of the donor fringe area maintained its height to reflect the dropping density of the fringe hair with each successive hair transplant. He is tickled over the results and could not be happier. The fine hair is see-through, but he loves to comb it and keep it styled.

Click the photos below to enlarge.

Before:

 

After 8610 grafts:

 

A few weeks ago he came in and we tried an experiment. We applied concealers (Toppik) to try to manage the see-through hair. The results of this experiment can be seen in 3rd set of photos below. What we concluded was that the concealers made him appear too thick and if he dyed his hair a light brown and then used Toppik, his overall look might be better. His eyebrows are light brown, so that would fit.

After 8610 grafts (and Toppik):

 

This is a very important piece for BaldingBlog and the first time this patient has agreed to show his results on the Internet. In my opinion, this is one of the best “miracles” we have pulled off in this practice. It took courage for him (see his before picture) to trust me to make this happen and I was honored with his faith in me. With good doctor/patient communication, almost anything is possible. This man is soft spoken and often comes to our open house events to speak with patients and show off his results in person.

Here’s the side-by-side of his before and after (8610 grafts over 3 hair transplant procedures and Toppik), and you can see the results are just amazing!

 

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My Doctor Said I Only Need to Take Propecia Every Other Day

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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My Doctor Was Vague About Using Minoxidil and Propecia Together

Hello Dr. Rassman,

My question concerns the reintroduction of minoxidil into hair loss management. I have been assessed as a norwood 3/3a by my hair restoration doctor in NYC — I’m 24, I noticed thinning at 19, and began using minoxidil 5% immediately. I used it for 4 years, maintaining most of my hairline, although losing some density, and about a year ago started taking Propecia. Unfortunately, around the time I started using Propecia, I lost some resolve, and stopped using the minoxidil. I noticed a dramatic change in my hair, with rapid receding near the temples. The Propecia seemed to be thicking the vertex, but not doing much for the hairline. 6 weeks ago, I had a 1900 graft procedure done (1300 to the frontal area, 600 between frontal and vertex area) and now I’m wondering if I should reintroduce the minoxidil along with Propecia? I’ve been using Propecia alone for 1 year, and my hairloss seems to have stabilized (i see very little hair on the pillow or in the shower). Is it worth it? What are the up/down sides? My doctor gave me a very vague response — something along the lines of “Sure, why not, it’s up to you.” I’m curious what your thoughts are on this situation?

Thanks!

Relationship between you and your doctor should be a partnership and if you feel there is “vagueness” in his answer or you do not understand something you should approach him and ask your questions. When dealing with your doctor, be direct about not only the question of substance you are asking, but it you feel that he/she is evasive, say that and do not beat around the bush. Please remember you are the client and he/she is your hired agent and you can expect to hold your doctor to standards of communication so tell him/her that.

BaldingBlog is not meant to be a substitute for medical advice or second opinions. That being said, if topical minoxidil has worked for you in the past and you desire to start using it again I think it is your choice. I do not think it will negatively affect your hair transplants as long as it is after one week post surgery. It is my personal opinion that you should continue using Propecia. Minoxidil is not a substitute for Propecia, but it can be a good adjunct to it.

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My Friend Had Surgery and I Love the Results

Hi. I’m 30. My hair has been thinning. I recently met with Bosley after a friend of mine said he’d been there and was very happy with his results. His hair looks great. But I’m a little freaked out cos there is a lot of bad press on Bosley on the internet. I dont want to wind up in a position where it looks awful and I have to keep going back. I really don’t know what to do.

Thank you

It really comes down to the surgeon and technicians staffed. As with any clinic, look at the doctor’s work in person. Don’t just rely on photos that may only show what the doctor wants you to see. Ask to meet patients that were done by the surgeon you will be getting and see what they say about the experience and the results. I’ve created a checklist for selecting your doctor that should be helpful. In your case, you’ve got a friend with results you can see in person… and if you’re satisfied with your friend’s results, that should say much.

It also doesn’t hurt to get a second opinion. Since you’re on the east coast, Dr. Robert Bernstein is in Manhattan and is a fantastic surgeon. Or if you happen to be visiting the Los Angeles area, you could always see me.


2010-09-21 12:48:00My Friend Had Surgery and I Love the Results

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Can you be ‘Fat but Fit”

The answer is no. In an analysis of 500,000 people in Europe (ref:new Scientist August 19th issue), people who were fat, controlled their blood pressure, cholesterol, blood sugar and exercised, still had a 26% increase in the risk of heart disease and heart attacks. The message is clear, being overweight can kill you!

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My Hair Has Become Thinner Over the Years

I’m a 37 year old male who has a full head of hair, however my hair has always been very fine and frizzy/slightly curly. As a result, I shampoo it daily and I’ve always applied gel and then used a blow dryer daily to straighten it too.

In the last few years, my hair has gotten much more fine, and overall it is less thick than it used to be and much more prone to static, especially if i let it dry naturally and don’t use product/blow dry. It’s clearly changed in thickness during my mid thirties, however I don’t seem to be receding dramatically or anything like that. Does this the fact that my hair has gotten much more fine mean that I might be beginning to go bald and is it likely that this process will continue? Do I need to take steps now to prevent it getting more fine?

Thanks for the help!

Great site.

Some people will see a change in the hair shaft diameter towards finer as they get older. That could explain what you are telling me. You want to be sure, however, that the finer hair is uniform all over the head (including the sides and back). The lack of uniformity could suggest a problem, so we generally like to map out the hair throughout the entire scalp for miniaturization to determine if you have some condition that is causing it. If uniformity is seen, then using styling agents to thicken the hair shaft is the way to go.


2006-11-15 13:29:49My Hair Has Become Thinner Over the Years