Propecia and Shock Loss

Thanks for your wonderfully informative blog. My question concerns shock loss. In your experience, does Propecia guard against shock loss even in transplanted regions in which the native hair is miniaturized? I was recently evaluated as a possible Norwood 6 though I’m currently 34 with only some thinning at the front and at the vertex. I’ve responded well to Propecia the last 2 years and was only interested in strengthening the frontal hairline but the doctor who examined me urged against it and didn’t mention Propecia’s benefit against shock loss. Please clarify if you can. Would the surrounding miniaturized follicles be at risk even on Propecia, especially in the front?

The miniaturized follicles would be at risk, but Propecia would definitely minimize that risk. Propecia has been shown to decrease the incidence/degree of shock loss and protect the existing native hair and for that reason I generally recommend it. Incidentally, transplanted hair is already naturally resistant to shock loss and very few patients find that shock loss is a problem in an area that has nothing but transplants.