Propecia Estimates and Other Related Questions
I know you’ve treated many men with thinning hair. For men in their early thirties like me, what can you estimate are:
1) The success rate for stopping hairloss with Propecia alone
2) Cosmetic regrowth with Propecia alone
3) Reports of sexual side effects or discontinued use from Propecia alone?How many patients do you have taking Propecia for more than 5 years?
I tried 1/4 Proscar daily but had awful side effects, and I believe Merck’s side effect percentages are low. My hair loss is in the “early” phase and only really noticeable to me when I obsess, but I’d really like to not have a noticeable bald spot any time soon!
You take Propecia, right? How long? What else do you do for your hair?
Thanks!
I have been taking Propecia (and no other medication to treat my hair loss) for over 5 years.
The success rates of Propecia depend on what you consider success. You will still continue to lose hair if you are genetically prone to losing all your hair but it may slow to a crawl. Propecia can reverse hair loss, stop hair loss, or slow it down. A small percentage of men (I really cannot give you a number, but it is probably greater than 10%) have good growth and some reversal on the top/crown area. A larger percentage of men (about 90%) have slowing of hair loss. Many of my patients have been taking Propecia for over 5 years without side effects. I routinely look at my patients’ hair under a microscope for a miniaturization study to document the progression.
You are asking a question that is tailored specifically to you and this is impossible because everybody has different results. Try to understand the “big picture”. Propecia is not a magic pill that cures hair loss. NOTHING does! Propecia is the best medication we currently have to treat male pattern baldness, though. You need to sit down with a physician and talk about all the risks and benefits and come up with a Master Plan for doing something (or nothing) about your hair loss. I know you are looking for specific suggestions by me, but you are not my patient and I can not examine you over the Internet.
Hair loss is no fun. I have had alopecia for years and here is a bit of information for those who also have this conditon. When you have alopecia areata the affected hair follicles are mistakenly attacked by a person’s own white blood cells or immune system, which results in the arrest of the hair growth stage. When you have Alopecia, it usually starts with one or numerous round small bald patches on the scalp and can actually progress to a total loss of hair on your head, or a complete loss of body hair.Alopecia areata can occur in almost anyone, male or female, and all races. Beginning in childhood, this annoying hair disease can be psychologically devastating. Thankfully, alopecia is not life-threatening, but can certainly alter your lifestyle with its sudden onset, and the frequency of reoccurring episodes can be immensely annoying.