I just had a36-year-old man visit me in my office. He has been on finasteride for 10 years and tells me that this drug has increased his sex drive very heavily ever since he started it.

First you must ask yourself if it is hair that you want. If the answer is yes, then you must get an objective assessment with good numbers on (1) your donor density and (2) your hair mass index. These two factors will determine if you have enough hair to cover your entire head. Keeping in mind that if it is remotely reasonable, then you might be able to combine Scalp Micropigmentation (SMP) with a hair transplant to get a full head of real hair (see here: https://newhair.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Combining_Follicular_Unit_Extraction_and_Scalp.98621.pdf ). But if you decide to have SMP, you could do it first ( https://scalpmicropigmentation.com/), see how you like it. If that turns out that you rather have a hair transplant and if the analysis of your donor area points to a good possibility of having a hair transplant as I discussed above, you can then go the transplanted route. Having SMP does not preclude a hair transplant.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26626191

Glycyrrhizin (or glycyrrhizic acid or glycyrrhizinic acid) is the chief sweet-tasting constituent of Glycyrrhiza glabra (liquorice) root. Structurally, it is a saponin used as an emulsifier and gel-forming agent in foodstuffs and cosmetics (from Wikipedia)

The article doesn’t seem to say how it was used to reduce unwanted hair (not ready for prime time I suspect) as shown in these two photos

I’m 28 and have been on fin for just over 2 years. My hairloss was very slow and minor so it’s kept it completely stable. I do however feel my hair whorl is more prominent than it should be though and have been looking into micropigmentation as apparently it’s very good for something incredibly minor like this where a transplant would be ridiculous.

Has anybody had it done when they still have a ton of hair? I know it can look very un natural when it’s done all over on a bald head but I still thankfully have a ton of hair and only want it in a very small area. My concern is if it lasts for 6-7 years I could go grey in that time (only 4-5 grey hairs at the moment) and then the dark shading might shine through my grey hair and look weird. I’ve also heard micropigmentation turns blue or green over time? Lastly, if I ever did need to shave my head (god forbid) in X amount of years it would look super weird then if I had a very small patch of micropigmentation on the back of my head. I heard it can be lasered off quite easily but I presume you wouldn’t want to do that if you still have healthy hair follicles as that could kill them off?

The tattoo inks should be a shade of gray so that they stand up over time to the graying of your hair. That is the way we do it and it has been effective with many happy patients. See our website here: https://scalpmicropigmentation.com/ A special type of laser can remove it, or you can increase its use as your balding progresses. We have had many patient who followed up with hair transplants sometime after they got it.

I’m in need of some help, especially since resources on female hair loss are SO limited and my attempts to reach out are usually ignored. I understand the male’s system of hair recovery, but what about for females? I know rogaine doesn’t promise to work towards the front of the head, and some other medications are for males only. What options do I have? I really need some help. I look at my sister and see that in her 30’s and 40’s she’s now lost a lot of her hairline. HELP! Thanks

You need to see a specialist for hair loss and hair thinning. Do you have this in your family history (mother, sister, aunt, grandmother) as this is very important to know. With your sister having a hair loss problem, then this can be a familial inherited pattern. A doctor like me is critical to analyzing it. Don’t rush to get a hair transplant, please. There are things we can do for you now!

A non-surgical options that many women are taking up can be seen here: https://scalpmicropigmentation.com/gallery/smp-for-women/

I keep seeing posts about how much Saw Palmetto to take to equal Fin. This makes me think people think Saw Palmetto is safe v fin. It’s the same mechanism, it isn’t dose dependent. Once you start altering DHT you start affecting the RECEPTORS. The receptors can shut down and that’s what people think causes the problems with both drugs. Your DHT goes back to normal. Test back to normal. But the receptors are basically off. You could do that with .0000001mg of fin or one pill of Saw Palmetto. What anyone chooses to do is up to them, but they should know that Saw Palmetto can definitely cause the exact same issues as Fin. Also, the problems mostly arise AFTER you stop. And the medicine (SP and Fin) works by literally making you less masculine, which is why trans people come in here looking like 16 year old Justin Bieber’s with all the hair gains. None of this is opinion. All the side effects listed are not side effects, they are direct effects

The placebo effect of both of these medications are the same but I doubt that there is enough DHT blocker in Saw Palmetto to product any significant sexual side effects

I would like to continue the medication but this feeling of “brain fog” is very unpleasant. I was wondering if anyone who has been taking finasteride/propecia has experienced this so called “brain fog” in the first couple of weeks of treatment and they went away with continued use after your body has “adjusted” to the new hormone levels. Thanks in advance!

You might give it a few weeks and then if it continues, just consider that you might not be a candidate for finasteride. If you have just a localized area, topical finasteride might work for you.