I Can Still Pull Out Hair After Taking Propecia for 6 Months

Hey Doctor,

I’d like to start off by thanking you for such a wonderful blog you have set up. I am 18 years old and have been on propecia for about 6 months or so and I am still able to pluck hairs from the top of my head. This worries me. Does this mean I am not responding to propecia well or further time is needed for propecia to to take effect? Do new hairs grown or maintained by propecia remain weakly intact to the scalp? As of now, I have not noticed any significant changes to my thinning hair except the hair in the crown appears just a little bit thicket (I believe I have a diffuse thinning pattern on top of my head), then again I do not have the proper equipment to verify it’s working.

Is there a place in Vancouver, BC that you know of that can help me develop a “Master Plan” and contains a densometer to confirm any results?

Thanks

Propecia isn’t going to cement every hair into your scalp, and by that I mean if you pull on your hair, you will still see some come out. That is normal. I don’t know if you are responding to Propecia, but if you do have regrowth I’d expect they wouldn’t be weak after some time. Pulling or plucking your hair isn’t going to help with your hair loss situation. If you keep on pulling it, you can develop traction alopecia which will clearly add to your problem.

Your prescribing doctor should be able to help you figure out if you’re seeing any benefits from Propecia. If you really want to know if you are gaining or losing the hair loss battle, read up on a device called Haircheck. If you grow your hair out to 1.5 inches in length, a doctor with this device can measure the bulk of the hair in the crown, compare it to the donor area, and then repeat it in a year to see the impact of the drug. I’ve advocated the microscopic miniaturization mapping for years, and this tool takes it one step further by providing actual numbers.

I don’t have any personal recommendations in BC for you. Check the physician search at ISHRS.org to see if there’s a doctor in your area. Call the doctor and find out if they offer Haircheck or at the very least, video microscopic miniaturization mapping.