Am just starting to consider therapy and need lots of input

[GhostInTheShell]

Hello all,

For years, I have had dark thick hair which has gone throw a variety of styles (beatles hairdo, long, fau-hawk, etc.). During my last haircut, my hair stylist said he noticed thinning on the top. My hairline and crown are fine, but the top is thinner. He gave me a shorter cut than usual, and I have now noticed it as well (to me, it looks especially dreadful in the bathroom mirror under the light). Everyone tells me that they don't see much of a difference, but I can tell. My hair stylist recommended propecia to me. Now here are the questions....

1.) Who do I contact to get a prescription? Just my general phyisican?

2.) Some of the posts I have read on here scare me a bit. People sometimes seem to be worse off when they take these meds. I read the FAQ that some extra shedding may occur due to regeneration etc.. Have all of You experienced the same?

I am 27 years old. While my hair loss is not a huge problem right now, I do not want it to become one, so I am wanting to become proactive now.
If anyone else has any pieces of advice, please share!
Thanks.

 

[GhostInTheShell]

Forgot to add...

One more thing.....so far my thinning is on the top of my head....not the crown or hairline (both of those are great) but the scalp. I think I've read that therapies are better on the crown, is this true? Will treatment be worth it in my situation??

 

[elguapo]

A lot of newcomers might get the idea that propecia causes shedding for the majority of those who use it. But I don't think that's the case. I never had a shed, not with propecia or minoxidil 5%.

You should use it. You sound like a good candidate. Your physician should prescribe it for you if you ask, and acknowledge that you understand the side effects experienced by 2% of those who use it.

Good luck.

 

[The Gardener]

Your hairloss situation sounds like you are someone who would be an excellent candidate for Propecia. You have the right kind of thinning pattern for a Propecia solution, and you are at a good age to use it... you already have a full playing field of grass downstairs, so to speak, and a beautifully developed set of balls.. so you would not have the same kind of concerns about sides that an 18-20 year old would have.

The thing about Propecia is that it takes some time to start kicking in because it is taken internally and its effects have to reach a critical mass with the DHT reduction before the locks see benefit. Word of mouth I read here is to not make judgements on its performance until months 7-12.

You need a prescription to get it in the US, which would require a trip to the doctor. People here on this board have info on economical ways to acquire it, you might want to do some searching. Find your source and identify a good 7 month supply, and lock yourself in for some potential DHT-fighting fun!

 

[daedalus]

Ghost, I'm also 27 and have been losing my hair for about two years. I had dark, thick hair before that. My top is thinning out, but I just keep my hair very short so it's less noticeable.

As far as propecia, give it some serious thought before you commit yourself to that. It's a powerful hormone altering drug, and it seems that too many people just jump on it like it's candy. Just think about your personal risk/reward ratio. It may or may not help your hair, but it will definitely alter your hormones and affect your body.

I tried propecia for a while, but stopped because my body just did not agree with it.

My point is think about it for yourself before you decide to take propecia. Don't just listen to the advice of others. Personally, the chance of potentially saving some hair is not worth making a lifetime committment to a prescription drug.

 

[GhostInTheShell]

I agree, and that is why I am hesitant....

I am wondering what changes my body will go through. So far the only thing I have heard is loss of sexual desire in 2% of males. Are there any other risks I should be worried about???

 

[Rawbbie]

I think that a lot of people using Propecia use the "shed" story as a comfort mechanism for themselves, to sort of convince themselves that the medication is causing their massive hairloss when infact, it is probably the male pattern baldness and not much else. And of course, on the other hand, Propecia could be causing the shed, too, I just think it's less likely to happen that way- I have never had a shed either. No side effects, in fact, and I think a lot of users here will tell you their side effects are minimal. A lot of side effects could also be psychological, in the sense that they are now searching for side effects, something they wouldn't do before the medication. They'll closely examine every inch of their body and find things they never saw- then write it off as a Propecia side effect, when infact their bodies were always like this, or they are just plain getting older and aging!!

I think the 2% side-effect rate is true- that a very, very low amount of users will experience any sort of side effect. I think you'd be safer to just get on the meds now while it's still early.


Look at it this way:


You don't want you hair falling out later on- so you know that should you have accelerated male pattern baldness down the line, that you are going to get on the medication. This much you've decided. So don't wait till then. Get on it now and you'll probably keep what you have and regrow some, too.


Congrats for being one of the guys who doesn't wait till it's too late.

 

[Guest]

People who want to see side effects will, people who don't think about side effects have about a 98 percent chance that they won't see them.
Only thing you can do is hop on the finasteride fun fest for better follicular functioning and see what happens