Hair Transplant Sales Pitch vs Patient Education?

It’s well documented that minoxidil may cause some initial shedding. I’ve also read this can occasionally occur with Propecia as well. My question is, will this be only an initial occurance or is it possible shedding may occur in cycles?

I’ve been using both Rogaine and Propecia for nearly eight months now. Occasionally I’ll notice greater spurts of hair loss. But in the end, I find it hard to detect any overall thinning.

I’d like to get my hair mapped out for miniaturization. But the most prominant hairloss physician in the Orlando area basically used my $60 office visit for a ten minute sales pitch for a hair transplant.

What you described is, unfortunately, a doctor who has hia/her own agenda in mind, not yours. Hair transplant physicians should bring their expertise to educate you, diagnose you and answer your questions. If, after the visit, you do not feel that you are better informed, then you have learned something important — do not go to that doctor. The sales pitch is disgraceful behavior and as you probably know, I speak strongly against doctors who just try to sell hair transplants rather than meet their patient’s needs.

With regard to your questions on shedding, I believe that once you are on either Propecia or minoxidil for 8 months, any shedding from these medications should not occur. Hair shedding, other than the normal hair cycling that everyone has which impacts about 10% of the hairs on your head at any one time, should not occur unless the hair loss process is progressing more rapidly into a new accelerated phase of hair loss.