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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).

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When Does Finasteride Regrowth Peak?

Finasteride peaks at about 18 months and then plateaus or hair loss may pick up at a slower rate. This depends upon your age and your genetic hair loss pattern. See an expert physician who specializes in hair loss and get a good Master Plan for your future, as hair loss is progressive in ALL men.


2019-12-05 13:09:29When Does Finasteride Regrowth Peak?

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When do I decide on a transplant?

After using topical minoxidil for about 6 months, I switched to 1mg finasteride daily due to palpitation problems. It has been more than 1 year in total. The shedding has decreased a lot (thank God) but there is no new hair growth from the shedding areas. Bald areas are covered with feather-like hair but there is no progress. I am 44 years old and now I am seriously considering hair transplantation. Do you think it can be improved with medication or should I turn to transplantation?

If you have developed a Personalized Master Plan with your doctor and you are over 25 without effective medical treatment and more progressive balding, then maybe it is time to have a discussion with a good hair transplant doctor who cares for his patients above making a ‘transplant sale.’

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When Did You Know Propecia Was Coming to Market?

Hi Dr.,

You’ve mentioned in previous posts that you don’t know of any new hair loss treatment drugs coming out in the next few years. How far in advance did you know about Propecia coming to market before it was available to the public?

Thank you

I assumed Propecia would be coming to market after it was approved by the US FDA for clinical use in December, 1997. It made it to pharmacy shelves the following month. There had been rumblings of finasteride being a hair loss treatment for many years before this (it was FDA approved as a prostate medication in June, 1992), but I had no way of knowing its approval status as a hair loss treatment until the rest of the world did after the announcement was made. There are drugs with hair growth as side effects that aren’t marketed as such, but I don’t know which of those will end up approved to treat hair loss, if any.


2010-03-05 11:24:01When Did You Know Propecia Was Coming to Market?

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When Can I Stop Sleeping On My Stomach After Having FUE Into My Strip Scar?

I had fue into strip scar, 300 grafts were implanted to the scar. I slept 17 nights on my stomach post-op. I’m aware of the graft anchoring study from 06, but it was on a virgin scalp. My question is that was that 17 nights post-op enough for the grafts to secure in the scar? My doc said one week is enough and then I can start to sleep normally. The grafts were all singles and doubles. I’m white male, 26yrs.

I agree with your doctor. A week should’ve been fine. Once the eschars are gone, the grafts are stable.


2012-07-17 10:16:27When Can I Stop Sleeping On My Stomach After Having FUE Into My Strip Scar?

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When can I start seeing effects from fiansteride?

Finasteride usually start quickly by reducing shedding and then stopping or slowing the hair loss in a few months. Reversal, if it is to occur, will happen between 4-18 months. Some men don’t ever see new growth and have to accept slowing the loss of stopping the hair loss. A few men will find increased shedding when they start taking finasteride. This is a sign that it is working so i tell these men not to worry, just be patient.

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When are the hairs in the head truly dead?

We generally think that people who have developed advanced balding and the skin has become ‘atrophic’ which means very thin with no fat (almost tissue paper thin) for many years, that the hairs that were originally there are no longer alive. We believe that the stem cells that produced hairs have died off in these people. But if you are under 35, you may not be in this category. The presence of miniaturization is very hopeful with the right medication and possibly new medications on the horizon


2020-08-08 09:54:32When are the hairs in the head truly dead?

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When All Else Fails, What Can a Young Man With Hair Loss Do Besides Give Up?

Hey, I just want to take a second to thank Dr. Rassman for all of the time that he puts into this blog in helping young men as myself in looking for solutions to hair loss. I just want to explain something for a second.

First of all im 20 years old, have been losing my hair for some time. For all the time I put looking for answers to stop my receding pattern, people like me seem to be just wasting their time. I have been on finasteride for two years, and from the looks of my head, it seems as if I have no more options. I come to this blog out of desperation to hopefully find a “miracle cure” that will hopefully one day regrow the little fibers of youth that have slowly destroyed any bit of self confidence I once had. Im afraid that I have put countless hours a week researching baldness and still can find no answer in how to stop this.

How do people like me… when all fails…deal with this situation?…because it seems to me like the answer that makes the most sense is to just give up. It is most certainly wrong that young men, barely out of high school, will not face judgement and humiliation from this. In my case, I am embarrased to say that this little problem has turned into one big life crisis. A couple of years ago I was a pretty good looking kid. Now I cant jump into a pool without my scalp showing for everyone to point fun at. Two years ago I was happy…now im just depressed

If I’m going on a little rant here im sorry, but im just desperate I’m afraid. In reality, is there any hope for the guys like us, who seem to see thier youth crumbling, and confidence fading?

You’re not alone in feeling this way. Unfortunately, we don’t have all the answers and there is no cure for hair loss. It’s possible that a hair transplant could be in your future… but you need to find a caring doctor who can work with you on a Master Plan addressing hair loss possibilities.