Hello Doc,

Within the next days, I’ll map my own scalp for miniaturization for the first time. However, I have been taking finasteride for one year. (It kept most of my hairline but didnt regrow anything.) So without having done the test before, how accurate can the results be after such a long time?

Besides, currently only my left corner is receding (between NW 1 and 2) and the whole side is more see-through than other, where my hairline has already receded 3 years ago and then stopped at a Norwood 2. Is it common to see one side go up because of maturation, while 2 years later the other catches up by MPB? Or do hair characteristics (such as curliness or color) vary in diff areas, create the see through appearance, and will these hairs thus look differently under a microscope? Thanks again

A miniaturization study is an attempt to objectively quantify the degree of thinning and place a metric to different areas on the scalp so that you can compare one spot to another, as well as compare the measurements over a period of time. It is better than just looking in the mirror or running your fingers over your hair to judge the degree of thinning.

Ideally, one should get a baseline miniaturization measurement and even a photograph before starting on any hair loss treatment. If you have been on finasteride for about a year, I would at least get one objective measurement to record for comparison at another date.

If you are categorizing yourself as a Norwood 1 or 2 and the degree of thinning is on the front corner hairlines, I would point out that finasteride is taken mainly for men with thinning on the top / crown areas. Any hairline asymmetry will likely even out eventually. I generally like to get bulk measurements in people like you to establish a baseline from which future comparisons can be made.

I seem to repeat this theme over and over, but you need to follow up with the doctor who is prescribing you the medication and understand your treatment goal and Master Plan.

Snippet from the study abstract:

OBJECTIVE:
To investigate the relationships between pharmacologically induced deprivation of dihydrotestosterone, sexual arousal, libido and hand preference, by comparing the self-reported sexual response prior to and during reception of the anti-androgen finasteride in men undergoing treatment for male pattern baldness.

PATIENTS AND METHOD:
In total, 33 sexually healthy Romanian men participated in this study. Patients prospectively provided information regarding their sexual functioning (over 4 weeks), as measured by the International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF) prior to and after commencing treatment with 1 mg finasteride for male pattern baldness.

Read the full abstract — A pilot study on the sexual side effects of finasteride as related to hand preference for men undergoing treatment of male pattern baldness.

The results of this pilot study indicate that there may be a connection between sexual side effects due to a reduction in DHT and handedness.

Hi Doctor,

Some people started to use topical cetirizine to block PGD-2, they all say that they have re-growth from it and thickening up the vellus hairs and make them vellus in 3 months or so? it might be true?

I really do not know the answer. There is an association between cetirizine and prostaglandin D2 (PGD2), which is related to hair loss. There is no clear evidence that cetirizine, an antihistamine, can restore hair at this time. Just applying it to the skin makes no sense to me.

Hey Doc, I went to my dermatologist and asked if he could prescribe me proscar instead of propecia to save money (I was on propecia for a month), but wanted to change to proscar since it’s cheaper. He prescribed me the medicine. I went to CVS, and they gave me the medicine which only cost $10. Now the medicine was prescribed as 5mg Finasteride (generic for proscar). The manufacturer is Accord Healthcare; here’s a link to their website: accord-healthcare.com.

Now I wanted to know if I could trust this medication as I got it from CVS by a prescription? The reason why I am of suspect is due to personal reasons. You see I’m South Asian, and I know how fake things are sold at India just for money. I’ve been there a lot, so I know this from experience. But again I just wanted to know could I at least trust a reputable pharmacy like CVS where I got the medication from. And do these generics go through some kind of FDA approval before they are sold to Pharmacies in the US.

Thank You for reading, and could you let me know you opinion.

CVS is a very large pharmacy chain, and while I can’t say with 100% certainty that the medication you got is real, I’d think you’d have just as much assurance as anywhere else. I’d trust that prescription medications you get from CVS are fine, and I’d expect they would have quality assurance measures in place to prevent fakes from getting into their pipeline.

For info on the FDA’s generic approval process, check out Understanding Generic Drugs.

I am using a tablet called FINPECIA which is FINASTERIDE.

I just found out that my wife is pregnant, and now came across all the warnings that it is not safe for my unborn child.

Please give me more clarity on the matter, I am very worried for the baby.

Thank you !

For specific medical questions you should always consult with a doctor. I generally recommend to my patients who are trying to conceive and worrying about this issue, to stop taking Propecia for about one month as the medication has a short half life and is gone from your blood stream in a day and likely out of your body within a week.

There is no evidence that the drug finasteride is passed through the sperm into the uterus of a pregnant woman and then passed through to the baby. Thus, in general there is NO concern from research that states you need to stop taking Propecia. It does not cause any harm if you continue taking the medication before your partner conceived or even after your partner conceives. In fact after conception, it really should not matter at all.

The caution related to Propecia and conceiving is for the WOMAN. Men can continue taking Propecia without any issues to the woman or their unborn child.

Hey Dr., while taking propecia for hair loss. Does propecia stop muscle growth, slow muscle growth, or effect muscle growth in any way? cause some people say your muscle wille be slower and weaker some other say normal. I am getting confused with all the different responses on the net. One source says dht is essential for muscle development. I simply just want the truth. Please respond as quickly as possible. Thank You.

Propecia has nothing to do with stronger or weaker muscle growth. Dihydrotestosterone (DHT) is a metabolic byproduct of testosterone production, as testosterone is broken down by the liver into DHT. Testosterone plays a role for muscle development, therefore DHT may reflect it. The more testosterone your body produces, the more DHT will be produced– but this does not mean you will have more hair loss, per se. Theory does not always correlate to real world observations.