40 million vs. 1 million

[answer_q]

I find it awkward that there are 40 million people in the U.S who are bald.....and a few million balding. Yet only 1 million are Propecia users, okay say people use Proscar, best case scenario another million.
So 2 million use Propecia, and over 40 million who are in the balding or bald stage..........this drug either must not be that effective or they had some bitter side effects.

I did use Propecia for a 2 months, had the flakiest, itchiest scalp in my life. I definitely had problems down there as well,,,,,,and all of this by taking 0.5 mg dosage every other day. So stopped and the flaky scalp is 85% better with far less itch.

 

[strikernr]

re

hey bro, i understand that some people probably don't respond to the drug that effectively as others (and I really don’t know what the ratio is) and their sides deteriorates as they continue their dosage. But i have a feeling that these sides are only temporary. I've been taking generic finasteride for last 5 days now. I haven't experience anything bizarre so far but needless to say i won't see any sides. I probably will but i am very certain they will go away after a while. I've lost a lot of hair in last 3-4 months and I’m thinning at much faster rate than normal i would say. So, finasteride is my last hope and I’ve no other choice. I am not too worried about sexual side effects because i am certain they will be just temporary.

I'm assuming that people who are not using propecia either don't know about the drug or just don't care about their hair loss. I bet majority of these 40 million bald men are probably 40+.

 

[answer_q]

Hey bud,

I don't think I had much difference the first week except some pain which went away, but after a few weeks I noticed something unusual in the sexual dept., maybe it works differently for some people. I also felt I lost more hair on the temples area, not sure if it was speeding the process of the hair already coming out.

My scalp felt itchy and flaky after a month, and it was very irritating.

Give it a shot and see if any of the side effects are temporary, and the best way to do that is to not think about hair...so you know for sure if there are any side effects.

I'm sure alot of hair loss sufferers in the U.S go to their doctors inquiring about Propecia, or doctors prescribing Propecia.........but in the end realize the drug isn't for them. I'm sure Merck should have had atleast 10 million Propecia users in the U.S if this drug was effective without the sides. The numbers just don't make sense to me.

Anyway try the drug, see how it goes.

 

[Britannia]

I find it awkward that there are 40 million people in the U.S who are bald.....and a few million balding. Yet only 1 million are Propecia users, okay say people use Proscar, best case scenario another million.
So 2 million use Propecia, and over 40 million who are in the balding or bald stage..........this drug either must not be that effective or they had some bitter side effects.

Thats some weird logic. The majority of people who are balding will choose not to bother with treatment at all. Those who do tend to choose Propecia (or other varieties of 1mg Finasteride). Then theres other factors such as expense that come into play. Remember the side effects for Propecia run at less than 2%, and this was reported by the FDA.
Under your logic I could say that out of the 30 million car drivers in the UK, only 50,000 drive a Ford Focus. Therefore the Ford Focus must be a dangerous and poorly built vehicle, why else would only 50,000 out of 30 million choose one?

 

[answer_q]

Cars and hair are two completely different things. With cars you have options, with hair loss you don't. Those other 29, 950, 000 people buy other cars.

This drug has some serious body issues, your health...and 2%, I don't believe that, it's hard to believe after all I've read. FDA also has had it's flaws, so it's not perfect.

The numbers just don't add up, maybe it's just me but it should've been the magic pill by now for hair loss sufferers after been on the market for so long. After all it's still a prescription drug, so like any drugs side effects should be expected.

 

[hairwegoagain]

Strikernr hit the nail on the head. While no one relishes hairloss, it affects people differently. Most guys just accept it as part of their identity and move on. Certainly the majority don't obsess about it like some on this board.

Cars and hair are two completely different things. With cars you have options, with hair loss you don't. Those other 29, 950, 000 people buy other cars.

This drug has some serious body issues, your health...and 2%, I don't believe that, it's hard to believe after all I've read. FDA also has had it's flaws, so it's not perfect.

The numbers just don't add up, maybe it's just me but it should've been the magic pill by now for hair loss sufferers after been on the market for so long. After all it's still a prescription drug, so like any drugs side effects should be expected.

 

[Dinzy]

You are forgetting the important fact that propecia requires a prescription in the US. The ones that seriously look into it find other ways, but the fact that you need a precription is an instant deterrent for many. If the stuff was OTC I am sure the stats would be higher.

Also there are no claims when it comes to regrowth so Propecia really won't help a large chunk of those 40 million because they are fully bald.

 

[-cj-]

You are one closed-minded person. Sorry that it didn't work out for you, but don't be mad at it.

 

[answer_q]

You are one closed-minded person. Sorry that it didn't work out for you, but don't be mad at it.

I don't think I'm a closed minded guy, because I gave the drug a shot. I'm just telling you my experience and wondering why the numbers don't add up.

 

[Britannia]

With cars you have options, with hair loss you don't.

Are you taking the piss? This forum was created to discuss the many options available for treating hairloss. Propecia is probably the best, but by no means the ONLY treatment for hairloss. minoxidil? Nizoral? Copper Peptides? Never heard of these? This site alone actually sells various different hairloss treatments. Coming on a forum like this and saying there are no options when it comes to treating hairloss is a paradox.
Oh and stop the lame conspiracy theories regarding Propecia. It has a proven 83% success rate and with only 2% experiencing sides. And any sides that are experienced are temporary. Im sorry Propecia didnt work for you but instead of simply scare mongering why not try researching one of those alternative treatments you believe dont exist.

 

[answer_q]

I'm sticking to what I say, Minoxidil and all other treatments don't do much, have read lots and lots of stories from this site and alot of other sites.

Propecia's effectiveness can be questioned, maybe you want to be postive which is fine and if it works for you, that's great. There is no need in covering anything up, at first I thought that you were a salesman for Propecia.

All I'm saying is the 83% effectiveness, why aren't people excited about that ?, why even discuss if this drug works. My family doctor told me not to try it because it doesn't do much. I didn't want to believe the guy, so I go to another doctor, this doctor tells me to try it and he believes it's useless trying with a grin. He gave me a prescription anyway. I still wanted to be postive, so I went to a dermatologist, the derm. told me to try Minoxidil......but minoxidil never worked for me ( too irritating on the scalp). After all of this I still tried Propecia amd mind you all these doctors had thinning hair.

The 2% is so hard to believe.

 

[joseph49853]

I'm sticking to what I say, Minoxidil and all other treatments don't do much, have read lots and lots of stories from this site and alot of other sites.

Propecia's effectiveness can be questioned, maybe you want to be postive which is fine and if it works for you, that's great. There is no need in covering anything up, at first I thought that you were a salesman for Propecia.

All I'm saying is the 83% effectiveness, why aren't people excited about that ?, why even discuss if this drug works. My family doctor told me not to try it because it doesn't do much. I didn't want to believe the guy, so I go to another doctor, this doctor tells me to try it and he believes it's useless trying with a grin. He gave me a prescription anyway. I still wanted to be postive, so I went to a dermatologist, the derm. told me to try Minoxidil......but minoxidil never worked for me ( too irritating on the scalp). After all of this I still tried Propecia amd mind you all these doctors had thinning hair.

The 2% is so hard to believe.

minoxidil and finasteride both worked for me; although, finasteride worked gradually, while minoxidil worked virtually overnight. The sides for minoxidil weren't severe, and went almost completely away after a few months. Finasteride's side effects were a lot more troublesome until after reducing my dosage.

Unfortunately, in hairloss, there is no magic bullet. But I can definitely tell you that finasteride, and/or minoxidil, is the closest we have to that magic bullet to date. I can only speak for myself, but I possess far more hair now, than in my early twenties.

 

[Britannia]

I'm sticking to what I say, Minoxidil and all other treatments don't do much, have read lots and lots of stories from this site and alot of other sites.

I dont believe you. There are simply hundreds of stories on this site about people who have had success with treatments other than Propecia. The website owner (HairLossTalk.com) himself is such an example!

Propecia's effectiveness can be questioned,.

It was questioned. Thats why they did something known as CLINICAL TRIALS to answer any questions about its effectiveness. And the result was an 83% success rate.

at first I thought that you were a salesman for Propecia.

I live in the UK so legally the only way I could be a Propecia salesman would be if I were a state registered Pharmacist, and even then I would be forbidden from using the brand name "Propecia".

The 2% is so hard to believe.

Why? Remember only the smallest fraction of people who use Propecia actually post on this forum. And people who use forums tend to do so because they have issues with the drug.

 

[lithebod]

If you view hairloss as a disease you will try to cure it - in my opinion most men just see it as the ageing effect - yes it sucks but they deal with it anyway - a classic example is my brother - we are very close in age and his hairloss has progressed further then mine - I told him about propecia and still he hasnt bothered to try it - why? Well the question is why should he?

Just because I find going bald a problem doesnt mean that he does - yes he isnt overjoyed at losing his hair but he doesnt care that much that he needs to do something about it - so for every 1 guy like me and the rest on this board that hate male pattern baldness with a passion there are probrably 10 guys who just deal with it. Then you factor in the older guys who are totally bald and propecia wont do anything for them or those who can't afford it or those who dont even know about it and you have your 40 million to 1 million ratio - out of interest where does this 1 million figure originate from? - is it on the propecia site as I couldnt find it.

 

[answer_q]

Yes I think I agree with you on that one, for every 1 man trying to cure his hair loss problem, you'd find 10 who don't care. By no means am I saying the 1 million Propecia users is a good statistic. I'm sure alot of people have tried it...and failed to see any results/or encountered side effects and didn't want to go on.

I have noticed something lately, taking a bit of womens perspective on this.....they all say baldness is in now so don't understand the reason men fight it. I've told them it isn't that easy, at first it's an initial shock to us men, then we assume all these negative thoughts, then we believe these negative thinking to be true.

Yes the 1 million Propecia user statistic is off the american Propecia website, and the world propecia statistic is 2 million users around the world.

 

[answer_q]

minoxidil and finasteride both worked for me; although, finasteride worked gradually, while minoxidil worked virtually overnight. The sides for minoxidil weren't severe, and went almost completely away after a few months. Finasteride's side effects were a lot more troublesome until after reducing my dosage.

Unfortunately, in hairloss, there is no magic bullet. But I can definitely tell you that finasteride, and/or minoxidil, is the closest we have to that magic bullet to date. I can only speak for myself, but I possess far more hair now, than in my early twenties.

Have a question:
Using Finasteride for so long, how have your moods been ?, be honest....have you noticed being depressed compared to say 4 years ago ?, or a feeling inside of being sad. I experienced this during my cycle of taking Propecia, again this drug plays with our hormones, so feeling this is normal ( but can be dangerous for your lifestyle )

 

[Britannia]

Have a question:
Using Finasteride for so long, how have your moods been ?, be honest....have you noticed being depressed compared to say 4 years ago ?, or a feeling inside of being sad. I experienced this during my cycle of taking Propecia, again this drug plays with our hormones, so feeling this is normal ( but can be dangerous for your lifestyle )

Yes I get depressed. Especially when I read posts like this who have obviously been written by somebody too lazy to do any research.

 

[answer_q]

Yes I get depressed. Especially when I read posts like this who have obviously been written by somebody too lazy to do any research.

Sorry that you're so misinformed, but I have done alot of research by reading alot of information for a long time now, so please don't be ignorant and judge me.
By the way the previous question was directed to Joseph49853, he's used this drug for over 3 years.

 

[Anne-Marie]

lithebod and answerq ya'll are two absolutely good guys! I can't imagine anyone being obsessed about hair for all their lives! It's just HAIR! I mean come on people, you say "the world is vain and I have to deal with it" but YOU are the ones who are vain. Fix yourselves by not caring. Man it's just hair! As lithebod mentioned many view hair loss as a disease but it is NOT! it's more than a blessing I mean look how much CONFIDENCE my brother now has!

answer q I second that notion that propecia maybe linked with depression because of many things I myself have read and seen with my own eyes most particularly with the case of my brother who had been taking propecia. However, you don't have to look twice and see the tons of men on this forum who are OBSESSED with their hair! What you have on your head should be the least of all problems...WAKE UP ALL! Hair loss is not a disease, tis a blessing!

 

[joseph49853]

lithebod and answerq ya'll are two absolutely good guys! I can't imagine anyone being obsessed about hair for all their lives! It's just HAIR! I mean come on people, you say "the world is vain and I have to deal with it" but YOU are the ones who are vain. Fix yourselves by not caring. Man it's just hair! As lithebod mentioned many view hair loss as a disease but it is NOT! it's more than a blessing I mean look how much CONFIDENCE my brother now has!

answer q I second that notion that propecia maybe linked with depression because of many things I myself have read and seen with my own eyes most particularly with the case of my brother who had been taking propecia. However, you don't have to look twice and see the tons of men on this forum who are OBSESSED with their hair! What you have on your head should be the least of all problems...WAKE UP ALL! Hair loss is not a disease, tis a blessing!

lithebod and answerq ya'll are two absolutely good guys! I can't imagine anyone being obsessed about hair for all their lives! It's just HAIR! I mean come on people, you say "the world is vain and I have to deal with it" but YOU are the ones who are vain. Fix yourselves by not caring. Man it's just hair! As lithebod mentioned many view hair loss as a disease but it is NOT! it's more than a blessing I mean look how much CONFIDENCE my brother now has!

answer q I second that notion that propecia maybe linked with depression because of many things I myself have read and seen with my own eyes most particularly with the case of my brother who had been taking propecia. However, you don't have to look twice and see the tons of men on this forum who are OBSESSED with their hair! What you have on your head should be the least of all problems...WAKE UP ALL! Hair loss is not a disease, tis a blessing!

Good post. I think there are certainly one or two people here who take themselves, and their hairloss too seriously. And then, there are a few genuinely nice people who are plainly far too obsessed with their actual hairloss.... enough that you become concerned for them.

I only started to take finasteride, a few years late, simply after missing the feeling of running my hands through a fully thick head of hair. Although, I respect anyone who has started taking finasteride for reasons outside of themselves. We all have our own crosses to bear.

I just wish there were a magic pill to take that would restore one's lost confidence. Self-worth is so much more important than a patch of hair ever could be.

BTW, Answerq was referring to the medicine itself causing depression. I too suffered from a slight bout of depression the first year on finasteride. I believe it's the indirect effects of a change in body chemistry and composition caused directly by the drug.