Post Hair Loss Questions and Get Answers

I am very bald. The crown of my head almost completely bald as is the top of my head. The crazy thing is that I am only 20 years old!

I have looked online and read a few things and have yet to find someone who has had issues with balding that are as worse than or even equal to mine. I was maybe in my second year of highschool when I noticed it. I told people that I thought I was starting to experience hair loss and everyone told me I was crazy. By the time I graduated these same people were telling me that there are solutions to hair loss. Two years later people told me to shave it all the way off. I was good looking in highschool, played on the basketball team, had many girlfriends, great confidence and I felt like I was on top of the world. Since I noticed myself balding all of these things slowly went out the window, my confidence, the cute girls, and my over all happiness.

Does saw palmetto really reduce hair loss? If not, then what is the best treatment for stopping hair loss?

Saw palmetto is conjectured to block DHT (dihydrotestosterone) and thus has been used as a natural supplement to treat an enlarged prostate (BPH). And though some believe saw palmetto can successfully stop hair loss as effectively as Propecia (finasteride), I have yet to see any clinical evidence to prove this. Not too long ago, we decided to do some research on saw palmetto and sited our findings on the Hair Loss Learning Center. To learn more about saw palmetto and whether or not it can be a successful treatment for baldness, visit “Saw Palmetto for Hair Loss”.

To date, Propecia (finasteride) and Rogaine (minoxidil) are the most effective treatments for thinning hair and baldness.

Best wishes in restoring your hair,

Bill Seemiller – aka Falceros
Associate Publisher/Editor

Technorati Tags: saw palmetto, hair loss, DHT, dihydrotestosterone, enlarged prostate, BPH, baldness, Propecia, finasteride, Rogaine, minoxidil, thinning hair

We get hundreds of hair loss related questions sent to us on a weekly basis and we do our best to answer them all in a timely fashion. Below, we’ve highlighted some important and controversial hair restoration topics for your review and posted the answers in our news and blogs.

Feel free to ask your own questions and get answers on our hair restoration forum or privately by emailing help@hairtransplantnetwork.com.

The Reality of Today’s Hair Loss Treatments

Can Rogaine Speed up Transplanted Hair Growth? (answered by Coalition member Dr. Robert True)

Knowing You’re Getting the Hair Transplant You Paid For

Do Lesser Known Surgeons Produce Quality Hair Transplant Results?

What are your Thoughts on Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP)?

Bill Seemiller – aka Falceros
Associate Publisher/Editor

Technorati Tags: hair loss, hair restoration, Dr. Robert True

To date, Propecia (finasteride) and Rogaine (minoxidil) are the only FDA approved non-surgical hair loss solutions proven to stop hair loss and regrow hair. While Propecia’s website advises balding men to take 1mg daily for optimal benefit, some hair restoration physicians suggest taking half the dosage and sometimes even every other day.

Coalition member Dr. Cooley has discussed this topic in the past and doesn’t necessarily recommend a particular dosage to his patients – rather he teaches hair loss sufferers on the facts of the medication so they can make educated decisions on the dosage to take. See “Taking Propecia Every Other Day” for Dr. Cooley’s views on taking Propecia.

On this discussion thread, members share their experiences and discuss whether Propecia provides maximum benefit taken daily or at other dosages and frequencies. You are encouraged to join in the discussion and offer your experience.

Bill Seemiller – aka Falceros
Associate Publisher/Editor

Technorati Tags: Propecia, finasteride, Rogaine, minoxidil, FDA approved, hair loss solutions, stop hair loss, regrow hair, balding, hair restoration, Dr. Cooley, hair loss

Differentiating what really works to treat hair loss from the hype isn’t easy. Thankfully, leading hair restoration physicians and veteran hair transplant patients regularly offer their experiences on what works to treat baldness.

Below you will find answers to 5 of t his week’s top topic hair loss related questions provided by balding men and women and physician experts. You can also ask your own questions and get answers on our hair restoration forum or privately by using our contact form. 

Should I Stay on Propecia If I Experience Side Effects? (Dr. Steven Gabel)

Can a Hair Transplant be Spotted? (Dr. Timothy Carman)

Tips on Discovering the Cause of Your Hair Loss

Can Men have a Female Hair Loss Pattern?

Buying Legitimate Generic Hair Loss Medication Online?

Bill Seemiller – aka Falceros
Associate Publisher/Editor

Technorati Tags: hair loss, hair restoration, hair transplant, treat baldness, balding

Though some simply accept baldness as a part of life, hair loss can often be the cause of depression and high levels of anxiety for thousands of men and women worldwide. In fact, some are so ashamed of their baldness; they’ll withdraw from formal social situations where hats and other head coverings are considered inappropriate attire.

Vulnerable men and women should heed caution watching slick late night infomercials that would have you believe their product is the miracle hair regrowth cure. And though no cure exists to stop the progression of female or male pattern baldness or regrow hair, several viable treatment options are available today worth considering.

Non-surgical hair loss treatments such as Propecia (finasteride) and Rogaine (minoxidil) can be quite good at slowing down or stopping the progression of male pattern baldness. Since both treatments work differently, they are said to have a symbiotic and synergistic effect in treating alopecia. Commitment to these medications however, is the key to success.

Men and women with mild to moderate thinning hair have the greatest chance to keep it. Therefore, catching and treating hair loss early might prevent the need for more extreme treatments. Only surgical hair restoration is proven to grow hair in completely bald areas.

Some men and women also opt to use hair replacement systems also known as pieces or alopecia wigs. Some systems are actually quite natural and can portray the illusion of a full head of hair. But don’t be confused by fancy promotional catchphrases. “Non-surgical” hair replacement is still referring to a wig or a temporary head of hair.

This hair loss question was answered by Dr. Robert True of New York, NY who is a member of the Coalition of Independent Hair Restoration Physicians.  His professional answer is below.

Can I apply Rogaine (minoxidil) to my transplanted hair?  If so, when can I start?  Is it true that it will help expedite hair regrowth?

f you have been using Rogaine (minoxidil) before your hair transplant procedure, you should continue to use it. If you have not used Rogaine prior to your procedure, you should not start using it unless the doctor has specifically told you to.

Contrary to internet rumors, there is no scientific basis to the belief that applying Rogaine to the transplanted scalp will make the hairs grow in faster or better.

Rogaine can be very irritating to healing skin, so do not put it on the part of your scalp that has been transplanted until at least one week after treatment. If you have been applying it to a part of your scalp that was not transplanted you can continue to apply it without interruption following surgical hair restoration – just take care to not let it get on the healing transplanted scalp in the first week.

If you have been using Rogaine for 4 months or longer, abruptly stopping it for longer than a week can cause a cycle of increased hair shedding.

Dr. Robert True

—

Bill – aka Falceros
Associate Publisher/Editor

Hundreds of hair loss questions are answered on our discussion forum and received in our inbox on a weekly basis. Below, we’ve collected some of these hot topic questions of the week and posted responses by veteran hair transplant patients and leading hair restoration physicians.

You can also ask your own questions and get answers on our hair restoration forum or privately by using the contact form.

Is Finpecia (Generic Finasteride) as Effective as Propecia?

Can Doctors Predict Future Hair Loss?

Dealing with Hair Restoration Complications (Dr. James Vogel)

What is the Difference between Rogaine and Minoxidil?

How Many Grafts are Needed to Restore a Balding Crown?

Bill – aka Falceros
Associate Publisher/Editor

Technorati Tags: hair loss, hair transplant, hair restoration

I am using Rogaine for my hair loss but want to stop using it.  Can I stop using it and take Propecia instead? How long does it take before you can tell a difference? I am 47 years old.  How often should I take it?  Will my hair regrow with this medication?

Propecia (finasteride) and Rogaine (minoxidil) are both proven and FDA approved to treat baldness, but operate entirely different one from another.  Propecia works by inhibiting the production of dihydrotestosterone (DHT), the hormone responsible for genetic male pattern baldness.  Rogaine works by stimulating the hair follicle, potentially causing hair regrowth.  In combination one with another, you have the most effective non-surgical hair loss treatment regime available, even more so than either one separately.

If you choose to stop Rogaine, you may lose any hair regrowth you’ve acquired, even if you start taking Propecia.   In my opinion, if you don’t want to lose any hair growth you’ve obtained by using Rogaine, continue using it and simply add Propecia to your regime. 

Propecia comes in 1mg tablets of finasteride and should be taken daily.  Consult with your doctor to learn more about the benefits, limitations, and possible side effects of this drug.

Bill – aka Falceros
Associate Publisher/Editor

Technorati Tags: Rogaine, hair loss, Propecia, finasteride, minoxidil, treat baldness, dihydrotestosterone, DHT, male pattern baldness, hair regrowth, hair loss treatment, hair growth

Many balding men and women waste time using hair restoration products that promise hair regrowth but seldom deliver. Get past the hype and learn what really works to stop hair loss.

Recently, we asked several of the world’s leading hair restoration physicians to answer a number of frequently asked hair loss questions. Below, we share what the medical experts have to say about hair loss and today’s available treatments.

Is Propecia (Finasteride) Effective When Applied Topically (Dr. Tim Carman)? Read this Q&A blog and learn if finasteride can be an effective DHT blocker when applied topically.

Compare Today’s Non-surgical Hair Loss Treatments to Surgical Hair Restoration (Dr. Mike Meshkin): Learn about today’s non-surgical treatments and how they compare with today’s revolutionary hair transplant procedures.

How Do You Properly Care for Your Hair Transplant Right After Surgery (Dr. Paul Shapiro)? Immediately following hair replacement surgery, it’s important to apply tender care to newly transplanted grafts. Read this article to learn how to prevent damage and optimize hair regrowth.

What are the Risks Involved in Surgical Hair Restoration (Dr. Mike Beehner): Read this article to learn about some of the risks involved with hair transplant surgery.

Why Won’t My Doctor Prescribe Proscar for Hair Loss (Dr. Ricardo Mejia)? Proscar and Propecia both contain the same active ingredient finasteride. But some doctors won’t prescribe Proscar. Read this article to find out why.