topical finasteride?

[swingline747]

anyone use this instead of the pill? Is it effective or snake oil?
Im going back to the surgeon I picked for a second hair transplant consult from him and he actually prescribes this and I Was going to try it but wussed out because I had a horrible experience with finasteride but now after watching so much hair fall out IM getting seriously desperate and am almost willing once again to attempt sacrificing my junk to get my hair back.
Ive googled a bit but really would trust some opinions from people who have probably used it here.

 

[ganonford]

It works... that is, with the right vehicle... but there's a little problem. Due to it's small molecular weight, it goes systemic anyway, causing the same kind of side effects... so you might as well just take the pill. (I think there's a patent around about topical fiansteride with chitosan as a carrier or something like that, anyway, even though that was absorbed in to the bloodstream in the same way as oral fiansteride, it did supress more DHT on the folicles than oral finasteride).

 

[saintsfan92344]

But are the sides as severe? I had minor sides from the oral within a week and in a month it was scary so obviously I dont do well on it. maybe we can achieve the same effect with less sides