Propecia, Miniaturization Exam, Body Hair

Hi doctor, I’ve been reading your site for some time now and it has opened my eyes to a lot of things, the #1 being this drug called propecia you keep talking about.

My question is, i am 26, and my hairline has been slowly receding, getting thinner at the front. Should i still try this drug ‘propecia’ (even though i read that it is not as effective in the front), and if so, do I just go to my family dr. and ask for a perscription?

MY second question is, you talk about ‘minimization’ can my family dr do this? or do I have to go to hair specialist?

And my third and final question is this; I have started going to the gym regularly for the last 6 months, since then I’ve noticed my body hair is a lot thicker, my arm hairs longer, and I’m even getting hair in new places- random hairs on my shoulders….is this hair growth due to higher testastarone leves? and if so, would my hair on my head grow back due to this new activity?

Thanks in advance for your help.

Any doctor can prescribe Propecia. This drug, I am certain, can slow down hair loss in the frontal areas. The focus on the crown benefits by the manufacturer relates to the studies that were done during the clinical trials. I have had many patients tell me that the hair loss in the front has decreased with Propecia use. Any doctor can do the miniaturization analysis, but there seems to be more ignorance by the doctors about miniaturization that the readers of this blog do not have a problem understanding. Your doctor can do this assessment with his otoscope (the device he uses to examine your inner ear).

I suspect that you may be driving your testosterone or you may be advancing in your normal body hair development. You are about the right age for this.