Balding Blog

The official number is 2-3% but the placebo number are almost 2%. In my practice I think that the numbers may be higher, 4-5% range. The reason that you see a lot of complaints on the internet is possibly because you are only hearing from those that have the negative sexual side effects. One of my own family members, got an increased sex drive, a complaint I do here on occasion but seem to never read about it on the internet. The testosterone levels often do go up when this drug is taken. For those that need/want to take this drug it is a matter of choice for many of them. To paraphrase William Shakespeare, “To take the Pill of not take the pill, that is the question?” Balding may be the only alternative.

A good surgeon can keep the recipient making instrument apart from the normal native hairs which he/she should be able to see when the recipient area sites are made.? Magnification and good lighting during the surgery allows the surgeon to see every existing hair without shaving the head. If you have it done with the robot with site making, the head must be shaved and then the robot watches out of the existing native hair, just as a surgeon would do.

Many readers here on Baldingblog are here to seek information for their hair loss issues. There are many who are “scared” or concerned with side effects from Propecia which can actually help with male pattern balding. The most noticeable side effect in question is the concern for erectile dysfunction or loss of libido as there are numerous Internet sites that propagate this issue.

While everyone has their right to express their opinions and I would like to assume what they are experiencing is “real” to them, I would like to caution the reader to keep in mind the big picture.

People take medication to treat something. But ALL medications have side effects! And if a medication has side effects that cause erectile dysfunction and decreased libido, then you need a doctor to manage it. Some medications that have many known side effects (which include erectile dysfunction) that are commonly used include: Paxil, Prozac (psychiatric medication), Lipitor (cholesterol medication), Metoprolol (blood pressure medication).

Many men who do not take any medication also experience sexual dysfunction as part of their aging process or as a result of some problem with penile blood flow from conditions such as vascular disease or diabetes. Sexual dysfunction may be more frequent than what we all may expect because nobody really wants to admit they have a sexual problem. After all it is a sensitive topic! Propecia (finasteride) has a sexual side effect risk of 2%.

Now if in the end one experience a real side effect from Propecia, you can always STOP taking the medication. But always discuss these issues with your doctor first! At least you tired! Because all side effects from Propecia is reversible.

This is an email I received from a doctor in Brazil: “Today I had a consultation. The patient told me he was buying tickets for Phantom of Opera in New York (around 1996). Someone behind him realized he had had an alopecia reduction and a bad hair transplant (that someone was you). You talked to him and suggested to go to your office in L.A. to have a better result. Two years later he was in your clinic and had the surgery done by you. You fixed it for him.

Other coincidence: newhair.com was opened in my computer when he came to my consultation room and so was the e-mail you sent me. I showed him all the coincidences!!! I took a Picture by his side and am including it for your pleasure. It is a honour to have you as a mentor, colleague and friend.”

I began aggressively working out 2 years ago when I graduated from school. I was at least working out 5+ days a week and gained around 15 pounds of muscle. With this came seborrhoeic dermatitis – dandruff on every hair follicle (took photos with a hair microscope camera) , DHT itch (especially during cardio), and obviously hair loss/thinning. I stopped working out because my scalp looked and felt inhabitable. I went to over 3 doctors prescribing different meds but in the end finasteride cleared it up. With the combination of Ketoconazole, my hair feels a lot better! I only started this regimen 2 months ago but I’m shedding 90% less. My hair is still very thin… soooo should I start working out again? Should I wait 6 months so the hair gets stronger? I’m leaning towards waiting 6 months but I would love to hear from users who are on Fin + hitting the gym reg

More likely that with age, genetic hair loss may be slowly appearing regardless of what you are doing with workouts. Do whatever you like, life is short!

I’m currently in a foreign country and I got robbed of my bag which contained all of my finasteride. I won’t have access to it for another 4 weeks. What should I do? I’ve been taking it for 12 months (1mg/day) with good results. How much hair will I lose? Should I go back to my own country to get more? Please help, thanks

After about three weeks, the finasteride tissue levels significantly reduce and the ‘catch-up hair loss’ may start. Get someone to mail you a few pills to get you over the hump.

And what are your patient’s experience with Finasteride regarding negative side effects?

For the young man who has a risk of shock loss after a hair transplant (a loss of native hair), finasteride can prevent this. Most men don’t have sexual side effect (risk for sexual side effects is under 4%)

Does this “tug of war” refer to the idea that your body responds to fin by increasing 5AR enzymes and therefore DHT in response to finasteride? Or does this refer to the idea that even if you inhibit 70% DHT with fin, or 90% with dut, it simply may not be enough to stop genetic balding?

The later. Also it assumes that you can stop the Apoptosis (programmed cell death) that hit hair follicles after they go through a specific number of hair cycles that are programmed in our genetics. Generally, finasteride prolongs the growth cycle and reverses the miniaturization of those hairs that are miniaturized. Given time, if the genes are strongly influencing the hair follicles, these drugs may fail over time.