hair transplant timing and propecia

[sapcote]

hi everybody, I have previously posted some pics on this site and asked for comments/advice on getting a transplant. I thought i'd post a new thread on the chances of getting some new replies. I've recently started taking propecia again (within the last 10 days), so far so good, (i was on it for a few months about 8 or 9 years ago but came off due to occasional testicular pain). will also give nizoral shampoo and the laser comb a go, as suggested by a poster.

Posters on this site have suggested that I wait at least 6 months - 1 year on propecia before getting a transplant, in order to stabilize the hair and to make sure that no more hair falls out.....most of my hair on the top of the head has gone pretty much, and the donor region isn't supposed to be affected by DHT, so would a year of being on propecia make any difference to the donor region?? if i had a transplant in a year, and if by that time propecia had grown back a little bit of my hair in the crown area and thickened it up generally, couldn't that potentially confuse matters as the doc would be less sure about where to transplant the donor hairs? as it stands now, the doc would know what he's dealing with!

A few other posters have said i might not be a suitable candidate for a transplant(although most said I am), as I might be susceptible to future hair loss, if this is so, wouldn't that just mean that I would be likely to lose the existing hair that was already on my head, and not the transplanted hairs? , and thus necessitating further transplants...

My original plan was to get a transplant around feb-april of next year, and a few posters have said this should be ok as by that time I would have been on propecia for a few months. However I have read that after 3-4 months people often experience a propecia shed, and that having a transplant during the shedding phase is not a good idea......any thoughts on this? I read that shedding is a sign that the drug is working. Does this also mean that if a person doesn't experiece a shed then the drug is not working? can a person shed without noticing it?

Sorry for my rambling haha.......due to my work situation I need to decide if i'm going to go ahead and get the hair transplant (which would be strip around 4000 grafts) around feb-april of next year or else wait until around dec-jan-feb of the following year). I know there's a lot of different variables to consider, but is there any consensus as to whether having a transplant after being on propecia for a little over one year would be a much better idea than having a transplant after being on propecia for approx 4 months? or would any difference be negligible?

and don't get my started on whether i have to come off the drug due to side effects, i've heard lots of mixed information about that!! is it absolutely a bad idea to get a transplant if I have to come off peopecia due to side effects? (reading about potentially long-lasting side effects, eg impotence, doesn't make me at all happy about being back on propecia).

thanks so much for any comments, this site has been a big help

 

[Bigmac]

Looking at your pictures you have as you say lost most of the frontal third/half of your hair.Like i said on your other post i would start Propecia and look to book my HT in February if you are confident that this is the route you want to go down.

If you explain to the doc that you may have to stop the meds at some point he can plan and manage your donor accordingly.

So if i were in your shoes i would go for it as long as you have researched enough and are fully confident in your doctor of choice.

Keep us informed of what you do.

Bm.

 

[jessica0125]

Well there are so many new techniques that have come up for hair transplant.

I understand your need and the complications that you have in your mind.

But hair transplant nowadays is not that difficult to do and it is quiet safe.

Reply me back for more details and also it would be beneficial for you to know about hair transplant cost and its various things in details.

 

[Bigmac]

Sorry Jessica but hair transplants aren`t simple, it takes great skill to achieve natural results.

 

[Prohairclinic]

Maybe this page is of interest to you : http://www.hairlossexperiences.com/view_topic.php?id=2401&forum_id=4&jump_to=22500#p22500

 

[sl]

Using meds is not just about retaining the hair in the recipient, they can play an important role in stabilising the area around the donor and recipient areas, the sides and back/crown. For example a doc will try to guage the potential of loss around the sides, how far your hair may drop down, if they feel the "zone" has the potential to drop they will want to shave into the area and place over the native hair to ensure if the sides do drop you are not left with an island of hair that is not connected to the sides. So, meds can help to potentially preserve and improve the quality of hair in these areas, meaning your grafts will give more coverage over the recipient and you needing less grafts to treat your hair loss.

 

[jessica0125]

I know hair transplants are not simple but nowadays there are so many techniques that its not that complicated either. I hope you agree with me but yeah I totally understand your point of view though.