Switched from Dutasteride Back to Propecia — What’s My Next Step?

Dr Rassman,

I posted back in May about my grave misadventure with dutasteride (was on fin for 5 yrs, great results, switched to dut for 5 months, lost most of hairline) and have since been back on
propecia for a full 3 months now (since switching back from dut to fin in May). About 4-6 weeks since switching back to propecia, I went through one of the worst shed in my hair treatment and am visibly a Norwood 2/3 now. Right now, even though the shed has stopped completely, but because of the drastic shed, my hairline and overall hair condition is pretty thin. I would like to seek your advice if I should go for a hair transplant for the frontal/temple area or should I wait out for a full year before propecia starts working its max again? My concern would be that if i transplant into the area where hair is supposed to grow out, it would damage the natural follicle in that area.

Thanks once again for your valuable information.

First, you need to be examined to get a baseline for miniaturization. Then changes in the future will be understood better. Transplanting into areas where the hair is miniaturized may cause loss of the miniaturized hairs and telogen effluvium after a transplant (shock loss).

With your ‘crazy’ switching from dutasteride to finasteride and visa versa, I don’t understand the shedding. You need to meet with a competent doctor to help you sort out what is going in. Not to say I am not competent… I just haven’t seen you. This is not something I can understand just by reading your textual description.