Hey, first off I’d like to say thanks for having such an informative website; now onto the subject of my baldness. I am almost 20 and my hairline has been receding for about 3 years. I go through phases where I’m content with balding, then someone will make a comment, and the next day I’ll be at CVS buying Rogaine. I’m currently about three weeks into my most recent Rogaine treatment. I’m worried because I’m still losing noticeably more hair (which is expected for the first two weeks), but as I said, I’m into the third week. I feel like I might be better off just quitting now if there’s a chance that this will just continue to accelerate my hair loss. So, my question is, is this normal? Should I continue with the treatment or throw the towel in?

On rare occasions, Rogaine accelerates the hair cycle and should not cause hair loss, but maybe some temporary shedding. Proper use of this medication is not a hit and miss thing — it is a consistent application process. Balding at your age, assuming that there is miniaturization present, is best treated with Propecia (finasteride 1mg). You need a Master Plan created by a good physician who can help you through the hair loss management issues.

I am taking between 5 and 15 Propecia a day and I believe my hair is growing back. I think that Propecia is a great drug and everyone who is balding should take as much of if as they can afford.

I am certain, based upon the studies of dose effectiveness, that if you took just one pill a day (1mg), it would work just as well. Also, I am fairly certain that doses that high would have a severe effect on your sex drive. I am curious if you’ve ever tried the proper dosing? Are you willing to give up sex by overdosing Propecia? Please see a doctor for direct one-on-one management of your drug therapy.

This reminds me of when I met a man in my clinic a few years ago who was 23 years old and was taking 4 pills of Proscar (equal to 20 pills of Propecia) every day. His goal was to suppress his overactive sex drive. It essentially killed his sex drive, so I would assume that he was successful in the drug’s unusual application. He reasoned that this was to allow him to focus on his career rather than let his unusually high libido detour him every time he got hired for a modeling shoot (he could earn over $10,000 per day). He figured with that size of earnings, he could put his sex drive on hold for a few years while he piled the money away. Of course, I’m not recommending this course of action at all, but it is just interesting to know that some people are willing to go to great lengths to achieve results they are looking for.

I have been taking Propecia since April 2007. Within one month of beginning the prescription, I began experiencing severe left shoulder pain without any prior traumatic event, injury or prior symptoms. I am still taking Propecia (prescribed dosage),and the pain continues. I am in physical therapy now for what they have diagnosed as “shoulder impingement”, but I wonder if I stopped Propecia if it would have any effect.

Have you heard of anyone else having this issue with acute joint pain while taking Propecia?

Thank you

No, I have not heard of this correlation (if it is a correlation) from any of my patients, though there have been a few reports from readers that I’ve received by email over the years of writing this blog. If you believe Propecia is causing the shoulder pain, you can try not taking Propecia for one week and see if your symptoms resolve. Stopping Propecia for one week should not have a negative impact on your hair loss treatment course. Keep in mind that there is also the power of a placebo effect when you start or stop a substance or an activity.

Dr. Rassman,

I recently started using Rogaine foam. I applied it at around 7pm and went to bed around 1 am. I wanted to be sure i didnt react negatively. I was fine until after i went to bed. Around 6 am i woke up with stinging and tearing up in both my eyes. I had to go to the bathroom and rinse out my eyes for about a minute. They were all red and puffy too. It seems like it might have been an allergic reaction, but is there also the possibility that some of the foam residue got onto my pillow and i rubbed my eyes into it during the night?(Because i applied a lot and all over my head). Also, after washing out my eyes i was fine. Have you heard of this before?

Minoxidil can be irritating and if you did get any into your eyes, what you are reporting is logical. If it should happen, be sure to wash out your eyes, under a shower with the water pouring into your eyes from hitting your forehead.

Hi from England.

It was mentioned on this blog that no reputable company would infringe on the patent Merck has for 1mg finasteride. However, this is irrelevant because if the drug is made abroad (e.g. by Cipla in India)the patent only applies to the process used to make the drug.

1mg Finasteride is 1mg Finasteride. Truth be told, Merck are ripping people off, and all for a brand name. I’m currently taking a reputable “generic” and my hair is improving after 5 months. Ah the wonders of the free global market.

Like I said, 1mg Finasteride is 1mg Finasteride.

I allowed the comments about Merck, because they reflect a view that may or may not be correct. Patents generally extend to the markets where the patented products are sold. I can not comment on the finasteride patent, for I don’t have an answer for you. As representatives from Merck do read this blog regularly, maybe someone from within the company would send me an email and I would either post it or reflect upon the content in it without posting the full communication.

I am not a lawyer and would have to review all of their documents in detail to render a layman’s opinion, something that will not add value to you or your question.