While I don’t disagree necessarily with the premise that doing nothing now, in hopes of treatment in the future, is a course of action that is done at an individual’s own peril — the balance of this response is quite gloomy and alarming. Of course, you are the professional, and we defer to your knowledge — but you truly believe that NO beter treament will be available to the public for decades? That hits many of us prety hard. I am a realist. However, is there no room for optimism? There is a market for this, and certainly a willingness, as evidenced by the research of the past 6 years, in finding better alernatives. Those are my thoughts. Thanks for the site — more so, when it provdies hope, as opposed to narrow courses of expensive, sometimes (not always) unflatering, options.
Hey, I was hoping for flying cars, public space travel, and a cure for cancer by now. I’d even settle for a cure for the common cold. I would like to think of myself as an optimist… you know, a glass-half-full kind of guy… but the cure for balding is not as easy as you may think. Being bald is like the color of your eyes, the way your ear lobes fold, or how tall you are. It is genetics! And as much as gene therapy is the new buzzword in science, it is a long ways off.
In the mean time, for those men who are bald, there are great alternatives. Hair transplant surgeries have evolved to a point where it is almost undetectable when done by the right surgeon and medical group. See my post on selecting the right surgeon. And when combined with medications such as Propecia, it definitely changes lives. So I am not sure what some of you are looking for, but hair transplants really are not unflattering nor expensive. While I agree at face value the cost of a hair transplant surgery may be in the thousands of dollars, remember that it works and it’s for life! It is often less expensive than a good quality wig, which has to be replaced or repaired ever couple of years. What other item can you purchase for a few thousand dollars to make you look younger and you get to keep for the rest of your life? As you say, you are a realist — it may not be the fountain of youth, but for the optimist, its the next best thing.
I’ve never told anyone to flat out “do not use that product” unless I knew it to be harmful to them. Most of these products are a waste of time and money, and when I’m asked about my opinions I’m going to provide them. There is no regulation on many of the products I’m asked about, and countless companies will take advantage of the balding public’s desire for hair growth. In fact, I’ve often told people that write in with positive experiences with a non-FDA approved hair treatment that I’m glad they’re getting good results and to continue using it as they see fit. However, as a medical doctor I’m not going to recommend possible garbage to thousands of people that visit my site daily. I will, however, recommend proven treatments that have been tested and shown to be safe.
I think you’re under the impression that alcohol cancels out the effects of finasteride, but that simply isn’t the case. There’s no adverse reaction to taking alcohol and taking finasteride on the same day. If you want to give in to your temptation of drinking alcohol on the weekend nights, it is not for me to judge or to advise you on. I wouldn’t down a bottle of booze with Propecia (or the generic Finax), but having both on the same day won’t make the finasteride ineffective.
I have no first hand experience with patients taking Loniten to really base an opinion on the amount of hair growth seen from it. I don’t even know the proper dose that would produce hair growth side effects, and I don’t believe that it is equal across all people, ages, and sexes.
I am not your doctor, so what I can tell you without examining you is fairly limited. Olux (clobetasol propionate) is a powerful synthetic corticosteroid and with chronic use, can contribute to balding (along with many other issues). It’s generally used as a psoriasis treatment, so I don’t know why you’d be using it to treat hair loss. When you use steroids, there can be an impact on other hormones like testosterone, and perhaps this is causing your elevated testosterone.