Post Hair Loss Questions and Get Answers

I have been on Propecia a little over 3 months and I am experiencing a troubling side effect. Fortunately, it isn’t one that seems harmful or irreversible. I am fairly sure that it is temporary, but I wanted to make sure. What I am experiencing is a decreased ejaculate.

Merck’s controlled clinical trials for Propecia on healthy men of 12 month duration resulted in a median decrease in ejaculate volume of 0.3 mL (-11%)was noted after 48 weeks of treatment. Two other studies by Merck showed that finasteride at five times the dosage (5 mg daily) produced significant median decreases of ejaculate of approximately 0.5 mL (-25%). So if anyone out there is utilizing Proscar (5 mg) daily and thinking the higher dosage has benefit for treating MPB, they may want to rethink their plan of attack.

Remember these statistics were the median so some of us may notice more advanced levels of side effects, some less. I used to “quarter” the Proscar pill and ingest one quarter tablet daily with just as good results as when I took Propecia.

See how you can save money on your Propecia by using Proscar.

I haven’t had any guidelines concerning when it is safe to resume sexual activity after a hair transplant. Is the delay similar to the guidelines made for strenuous exercise post op?

A general rule-of-thumb is to refrain from activity that “leaves you breathless” for 5-7 days before the hair restoration surgery. That includes high level of sexual activity and/or cardiovascular activity. This refrain will help to keep your blood from getting too thin.

As far as after the hair transplant goes, sexual activity and/or heavy cardiovascular activity can potentially “pop” some grafts out from the undue pressure created in the scalp. It can also affect the sutures and subsequent stretching in the donor zone. The next issue which any patient may want to consider is the private one nobody wants to discuss, post-op masturbation. It’s a no-no because again of the possibility of grafts popping out. My recommendation would be 7-10 days abstention. After that, the grafts are set into place and you can resume carful normal activity.

You can tell if you popped a graft by a stream or steady trickle of blood that will ooze out of the recipient site. The stream will typically run down the scalp from the effects of gravity. Also one may find a few grafts on their pillow case the next morning or two after surgery. It is not uncommon to lose one or two grafts after a procedure so you shouldn’t be too concerned if that happens. Use your best judgement and follow your physician’s post-op recommendations to the letter.

Recently, Dr. Ron Shapiro created an extremely informative post on the Hair Restoration Research Forums that addressed and educated forum members on one of the newest innovative techniques in modern hair transplant surgery; the trichophytic closure .

I was recently asked if I perform the “Trichophytic Closure”. The answer is yes. I have been using it routinely since it was presented for the very first time at the annual European Conference in Brussels last summer (6/05).

I‘ve noticed that the level of knowledge and degree of interest about the specifics is fairly high on this forum. So some of you may find it interesting to know more about the history, details, uses and benefits of this technique. If this type of information is useful and appears desired I will continue to do it about other subjects as time goes on. It may be helpful to open up the album I created with photo and diagrams and refer to it as you read:

Photo For Trichophytic Incison Information

TRICHOPHYTIC DONOR CLOSURE

At that annual European Society of Hair Restoration Conference (ESHRS) that took place on 6/05, two physicians (Dr Paul Rose from the USA and Dr Patrick Frechet from France) presented, for the first time, two slightly different variations of this technique. They also referenced and gave credit to a third physician (Dr Mario Marzola from Australia) as having developed a third variation of the technique at around the same time. Dr. Marzola was not present at the European Conference however Dr Marzola did present his variation of the technique at the Annual International Society of Hair Restoration Meeting (ISHRS) it in Australia only a few months later (8/05). These three physicians are each given credit for introducing the technique of the trichophytic closure to the field of hair transplant surgery.

Any hair loss sufferer that uses concealers has used or at least heard of Toppik Hair Building Fibers. While Toppik can be a great solution to effectively concealing slight to moderate hair loss, using it conventionally has its drawbacks. Applying the fibers accurately takes practice and a steady hand since they more or less float out of the top of the can’s dispenser. I have found myself applying far too much on areas where I didn’t need it and hardly any at all on the area where I needed it most. Cleanup of the fibers is also an issue, as they will find a way to cover the bathroom sink, floor, walls…virtually any inconvenient surface to clean. After just two days of application, a bathroom can appear positively filthy.

The makers of Toppik have come through in addressing these problems with flying colors with the advent of the Toppik Spray Maximizer.

The Spray Maximizer screws directly on the regular size (10.3 g) and large size (25 g) bottles. It releases a small, concentrated puff of fibers with each squeeze, making accurate application a snap. And since the fibers are going where you want them to go - the thin areas - they are much less likely to end up in every hard-to-reach crevice in your bathroom.

I am a 50 year old male with a receding hairline, not sure where on the scale I am, but I would like to have the hair line thickened and brought down a bit. I can live with my condition quite fine, but only if the costs are not too high, I would seriously consider having a hair transplant.

There seem to be so many clinics and doctors out there and their pricing structure seems to hide the real costs involved. Some make statements like $3.00 per graft, does this mean a follicular unit, or is it a bunch of hairs in the same group? If that is the case, then the so called $3.00 per graft could mean thousands of dollars for just a small procedure.

The question - what does a hair transplant cost - is probably one of the most asked questions about [tag]hair transplants[/tags] and does not really have a simple answer. A hair transplant is very “patient dependant” and there are many variables that will determine the final cost. One of which is your scale of baldness, measured with the Hamilton/Norwood Scale.

A hair transplant surgeon that has “artistic” skills will be able to achieve the look you are describing with a fairly small procedure, say 1,000 to 1,500 grafts comprising of between 1,600 to 2,500 individual hairs.

Because of stigma that surrounds male-pattern baldness, many guys that suffer from it are hesitant to inquire about its causes and possible hair loss treatments when they first see that they are losing hair. Usually, they prefer instead to brush their hair this way or that in attempt to cover the thin spots. This works for a while, but eventually he will get to a point that the hair loss just cannot be hidden any longer. But because many are embarrassed and thus not likely to share face-to-face experiences with one another about thinning hair, myths as to the cause of hair loss have perpetuated. Some of the myths that attempt to explain hair loss:

• Dirty scalp - It seems at first to be completely plausible. Dirt, oil, and dead skin have choked the hair follicles, effectively overcoming them enough so that they cannot push the hair through the garbage that has accumulated on top of them. This is a very persuasive myth that is perpetuated a lot by scam artists peddling scalp treatments they report will cleanse and aerate the scalp.

There are thousands of products available to treat hair loss and every single one of them claim to be the best. It can be a daunting task for anyone suffering from male-pattern baldness to research what will work best for them to keep the hair they have and regrow hair they have lost. With this list, I’m going to cut through the hype and lies to present the 5 proven methods that regrow hair.

1. Block DHT -

DHT (Dihydrotestosterone) is the root cause of male-pattern baldness. This potent derivative of testosterone binds to the receptor sites in hair follicles. Over time the DHT binding with these vulnerable receptors in the follicle slowly choke the follicle’s ability to produces healthy hairs.

To effectively combat hair loss you have to attack it at its source. There is currently only one DHT-inhibitor that is FDA-approved for the treatment of male-pattern baldness: Propecia. Avodart is another, more potent, DHT inhibitor that is available, however it is not approved for the treatment of MPB.

To find out which DHT inhibitor is right for you see the article, “Propecia vs. Avodart: Which Internal DHT Inhibitor Should You Choose?”

View charts that illustrate the efficacy of Propecia.

View charts that illustrate the efficacy of Avodart.

2. Stimulate Hair Growth -

The only other medication FDA-approved for the treatment of male-pattern baldness other than Propecia is minoxidil (Rogaine).

I became a fan of concealers when my crown area began thinning a few years ago. Though I have had two successful hair transplants that concentrated on the hairline and forelock (as detailed in my Hair Loss Weblog), I am hesitant to pursue another procedure that will put grafts into my crown for fear of shock loss, future thinning, and limited donor area. As many have learned the hard way, the crown can be a real “black hole” for hair transplant grafts.

I am currently on a medicinal regimen of Avodart and 5% minoxidil that shows promise in continuing to thicken up my crown and vertex area, but as you probably know from your own experience, it is slow-going. It is for that reason that I looked to concealers to mask the diffuse thinning.

In the past, I have used Toppik, Couvre‘, and DermMatch in the past, all with good success. Each has had their ups and downs but I have found that each can perform a sufficient job of concealing my hair loss with varying degrees of difficulty in application.

Nanogen fibers are closely related to that of Toppik. Both claim to be tiny fibers that electrostatically bond to the individual hairs, actually giving the appearance of not just a “painted scalp” but thicker, fuller hair.

After using Toppik for quite some time and hearing from others that Nanogen is a little better I decided to give it the ol’ “Pepsi Challenge.” Here are my thoughts:

This is Part 3 in a three-part series. Before reading on you will want to read Part 1 and Part 2.

How Minoxidil Works

There are conflicting reports on how minoxidil actually works.

It was originally thought to work as an artery vasodilator. When DHT attacks the hair follicle artery, the artery becomes weakened and shrinks, therefore limiting the amount of blood flow available to the hair and essentially starving it to death.

Minoxidil, an artery vasodilator, improves the blood flow channel in the artery, though it is important to note that the artery itself is still damaged. Minoxidil essentially dilates the artery allowing an increased blood flow to travel to the hair follicle. This dilation period is temporary, thus the need for the twice-a-day treatment.

However, a recent study performed by cosmetics manufacturer L’Oreal shows that it may work by activating PGHS 1 (prostaglandin endoperoxide synthase-1), which promotes hair growth. This makes sense, considering that there are other vasodilators available besides minoxidil, yet they do nothing to promote hair growth.

Dr. Lee at Minoxidil.com has a great deal of information concerning minoxidil, its uses, and benefits. The site sells concentrations of minoxidil not sold in stores – up to 15%. He is also launching a 12.5% solution later this month that does not have the traditional “greasy” feeling.

Other Concentrations and Delivery Methods

User Notice

No Medical Advice

The publishers and editors of this web site are former hair loss sufferers and not medical professionals. Medical questions should be directed to qualified medical professionals.

No information provided on this site constitutes a warranty of any kind; nor shall visitors to the site rely solely on any such information or advice.

No Warranties

This site is provided as an educational resource. It does not take the place of a medical consultation with a qualified hair restoration physician. The physicians suggested on this site are to the best of our knowledge quality hair restoration physicians.

However, visitors are expected to do their own due diligence and research in selecting a physician and or treatments. This site makes no warranties or guarantees, express or implied, as to the results provided by the physicians or treatments presented on this web site. We expressly disclaim any liability arising from treatment from any of the physicians and their clinics presented on this site.