Diagnosed With DUPA, But Another Doctor Sees No Balding

Hi Dr. Rassman,

I am a 26 y/o male who has been diagnosed with DUPA by one doctor. I went to get a second opinion from another doctor who said I have no balding at all. I have been on propecia for a year and went as far to say that I should stop treatment. I am so confused, frustrated and depressed b/c I don’t know what is going on. I shed so much hair….some is miniturized, some is not. If I gently tug on my hair, I say that 5 times out of 10 a hair will fall out. Do patients with DUPA always end up looking like a Norwood VII? Is there a certain age where DUPA will show its full effects if you destined to be a Norwood VII? Please help Dr. Rassman, I dont know what else to do. Thanks.

You are getting terrible advice from someone. If any of these doctors did not measure your miniaturization, then I would not trust them. If you have DUPA the diagnosis is not rocket science. With DUPA (diffuse unpatterned alopecia), you will have significantly more than 20% miniaturization in the donor area. If you tug on your hair and more than 10% of the hair comes out, then you have a more complex problem. If you are in California, consider visiting me; if you are on the east coast, I’d recommend Dr. Bernstein in New York.

The progressive course of DUPA is not clearly defined by age, but it is often permanent unless it can be positively influenced by Propecia (finasteride). A small percentage of men with DUPA may have benefit from Propecia.