First, a question regarding the mechanism of Propecia…would a frequent blood donor or a person who requires regular phlebotomy (such as for hemochromatosis) have any worries about reducing the effectiveness of Propecia? Given the slow-working nature of the drug, I wonder if blood loss would equate to a detrimental reduction of the drug in the system.

Also, a quick thought for the Propecia haters out there…if you’re an open person and willing to discuss your hair loss, talk to your follically challenged friends- I was amazed at the number of friends I have who have been using Propecia for years. You’re never going to know if you don’t ask- it’s not typically something a person advertises. Also, while I acknowledge the real side effects that are possible, I tend to believe that a lot of the horror stories are a psychosomatic effect from the anxiety of facing possible ED and other scary (but rare, and reversible) side effects. After the testimonials of friends, as well as all of the great information you so generously supply, I will be giving it a try, so long as the blood donation is not an issue.

If you have hemochromatisis, your doctor should have a say in any drug you take. There would be no impact from the frequent bleeding you need, but I would rather that you get an opinion from your doctor. Also, as far as I’m aware, those that take finasteride (Propecia) are not eligible for donating blood.

Thanks for your other comments, as advice from friends is often more effective and more informational than when I say those things.

Hi there. I have been taking Finpecia for about 7 months and recently I have been considering donating bone marrow. Since starting to take finasteride I have had to stop donating blood and I was wondering if you knew if this would stop me from being able to donate marrow? I cannot find information on it anywhere.

Thanks

I am almost certain that those individuals on finasteride should not donate bone marrow, just like in the blood transfusion area.

Please explore your reasons with your doctor as their may be extenuating circumstances. If you do a bone marrow donation if you stopped the Propecia for a few weeks prior, the blood stream will have no significant blood level of the drug in it. The half life for Propecia is 4-6 hours.

My father is NW6 and I have been losing hair since around age 21 and now at 26 it has picked up. I have been using propecia and rogaine for 4 years with good results but it seems the effectiveness has decreased in the past year.

My father has tons of body hair and I have practically none-so I was wondering if the gene responsible for body hair and for hair loss were linked—possibly leaving me with a different fate then him?

Also, at the 4 year mark the effectiveness of my medications is decreasing or my hair loss is catching up. I have read that increasing propecia dose will not help- would switching to dutasteride be a good option in your opinion?

Thank you for your informative site.

It feels like I write about this every other day in different ways. If you have genetic hair loss, there is nothing that will completely stop it. So while it might seem like the medication is losing effectiveness, its more likely that the activity of your hair loss is increasing. Like a tug of war, where the genes are starting to win.

Increasing the dose of medication is a big question mark, but it’s possible that changing from finasteride to dutasteride may help. These are decisions your doctor will have to make with you. Some people report a better response to dutasteride when finasteride is not effective, but dutasteride (also known as Avodart) isn’t approved for treating hair loss, so your doctor will need to be willing to prescribe it off-label. Ideal dutasteride dosage isn’t known for treating hair loss (it’s a prostate medication).

Note: This post comes from one of our favorite readers (he has requested to remain anonymous), who has also contributed posts in the past about FDA issues:

The FDA’s oversight of drugs that have not been evaluated for safety and efficacy in their prescribed formulations and are thought to pose (potential) hazards has been summarized in previous blogs. On May 25, 2011, the FDA recalled drugs from a manufacturer (Regrowth, LLC) selling products online. This action was taken due to their status as “unapproved drugs (that) may present potential health hazards” (see

FDA.gov

).

While the recall is for the manufacturer and not users of the drug(s), and it appears that no serious adverse effects have been listed, users should also be aware of the FDA’s action and the caution that other unproven products are sold online with unstudied risk/benefit profiles. The failure to recall these other products and stop their sale is less likely an acceptance of their appropriateness and more likely a reflection of the FDA as a underresourced regulatory agency that has to devote their time to many priorities. Although any given person may benefit from such products, the actual degree of benefit and short-and long-term risks, is unknown (i.e. ‘Buyer Beware’). It is also noteworthy that the drugs sold by Regrowth, LLC -as with many online ventures -were being distributed on a massive scale (to individuals in over 70 countries or regions).

Below is taken from the FDA website and verbatim language of this public notification:

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Minoxidil with Progesterone – Can this work topically and is it safe?

I ask because it was recommended to me by one of the leading companies behind hair transplants in the UK. I can’t find any information on this elsewhere!

I can’t find any information either! Progesterone is not an approved treatment for androgenic alopecia by the FDA. I do know that progesterone is used in female hormone replacement therapy, but I don’t know what benefit it may have for treating male hair loss.

I’m 19 years old and I am already losing the hair of my temple region. Am I too young to take medicine to regrow hair? And, I have also read that most of the medicines don’t work as well in the temple region. So, would it be worth it to even try?

I assume that you are talking about the hair on the sides of your head — temple peaks — not the corners of the hairline (which many people mistakenly called the “temples”).

Medications such a Propecia and Rogaine do not usually work nor are they recommended for treating hair loss in the temple region. I cannot say if it is “worth” it for you to try. Talk to your doctor, get a diagnosis, and find out what you are really trying to treat so you and your doctor can come up with a Master Plan.