Dermatologist Opinion....

[uncertain]

So I went to the derma today, and basically after performing a hair-pull test and observing my scalp he proclaimed that I have no noticeable hair loss and/or thinning.

I mentioned the 50+ hairs shed daily and pretty much shot that down too. He recommended that I apply 2% minoxidil once a day (5% destroys my scalp) and stop worrying about it.

He also refused to prescribe me propecia.

He is very reputable and a nice guy, so I really don't know how to react to this whole thing. Anyone had similar experiences? Should I get a second opinion?

 

[Fallout Boy]

yes.. ALWAYS get a second opinion!! it cant hurt anyways

 

[Guest]

NO if you have most of your hair and no bald spots, i suggest DO NOT start using minoxidil. My derm told me the same thing, That he didnt notice anything major wrong but becuz i informed him of the rampant male pattern baldness in my familt, basically everyone of my uncles and Gpa is bald or almost there, i convinced him to let me start propecia (cuz only i could tell how much my hair had really thinned out, and probably the smae for you) after he suggested minoxidil. I used the minoxidil for 2 months and stopped becuz of irriatation and now eveywhere i didn't use it the finasteride is heling and everywhere i did is thin and far behind. This is only my personal account and opinion but i feel strongly about it.
Whatever you do good luck Man!

 

[Juan Carlos Mederra]

ohh pleeeasse. most derms no sh*t about hairloss. most people on these websites such HairLossTalk.com, hairsite, alopezie.de know a lot more then those folk.

and minoxidil 2% wont stop your hairloss. the 2% stuff is way too weak to do anything. there are alternatives though to finasteride if u dont wanna take that.
take a look at Folligen, Flutamide,Sprio etc
Also take a look at generic minoxidil or minoxidil with less alcohol, that stuff won't kill your scalp. And Foligen and Inflamil will help with the irritation.
I, personally, am not a big fan of Nizoral, that stuff really kills mine.

 

[fallicule]

...Funny, my derm said i wasnt balding either. I mentioned diffuse thinning and he didnt appear to know what it meant. Though he tugged my hair, and since nothing came out when he tugged it (lightly) he reasoned I was not balding, but just paranoid. He told me balding starts with the hairline moving back, or at the very back of your head. He was weary about giving me propecia but I got him to prescribe me it nevertheless, but it was more expensive from the pharmacy than on the internet so I just get it online and dont need a prescription.

 

[uncertain]

Yeah, I don't know about whoever mentioned that derm's dont know sh**, that is asinine.

Secondly, I don't have rampant male pattern baldness in my family, that is probably why he backed off a little. As for the 2%, it should serve as a decent maintanance tool. It may not regrow hair, but based upon what I have read there is no reason to believe it can't thicken up what is there.

The minute this board starts losing validity is when posters start claiming superior knowledge to doctors.

 

[Guest]

minoxidil 2% yes, should serve as a descent maintenence tool. But finasteride will work as a great maintenence if you are a responder. Just a thought.
O yea, and when i visited my dermatologist and mentioned to him that i was taking MSM and grape seed extract to him, his response was a dumbfounded "Whats that?", makes me wonder a bit. Its not that we think we know more than a derm, its just that we care more. A derm is like anydoctor, they don't really see people, they see business, (most of them and mine anyway).

 

[uncertain]

bartman, no question my friend but this is my thought.

If, right now, I do not have recognizable hairloss (which I am no judge of, as I keep going back and forth).....then should I not hold out on the finasteride until I have some recognizable signs of thinning? At worse, the dermatologist is someone who has seen tons of hair and can at least comparitively assess me as having a problem or not.

I am all about the finasteride, but don't want to get on it prematurely, it is after all a DAILY medicine that is fairly powerful.

Also FYI, that dude pulled the crap out of my hair during the test.

 

[juststarting]

bartman, no question my friend but this is my thought.

If, right now, I do not have recognizable hairloss (which I am no judge of, as I keep going back and forth).....then should I not hold out on the finasteride until I have some recognizable signs of thinning? At worse, the dermatologist is someone who has seen tons of hair and can at least comparitively assess me as having a problem or not.

I am all about the finasteride, but don't want to get on it prematurely, it is after all a DAILY medicine that is fairly powerful.

Also FYI, that dude pulled the crap out of my hair during the test.

Actually, from what I have read, finasteride works best at protecting what you have! Starting early is better to save what you have, don't wait until after you have already lost it in a big way

 

[uncertain]

juststarting, so everyone should start at age 18?

 

[fallicule]

Not everyone but if you're 18 and noticing hair thinning or loss, its best to get on propecia before it escalates. Propecia will help you keep what you already have -- not so much help with regrowth.

 

[Guest]

uncertain, please stop being cynical, "so everyone should just start at 18?"

Its this simple, if YOU know YOU ARE losing your hair and you want to try and help things slow down, or stop altogether, then you and EVERYOTHER 18 yr old who has recently started losing their hair, or 40 yr old who has recently started losing their hair, or 70 yr. old who has recently started losing their hair, has an 83% chance of stopping the progression or your loss with Finasteride
If your hairloss is going to effect your confidence (and judging by the fact that you are on this site, you are worried it will) then giving Finasteride a try is your best shot at this time to keep what you have. Good luck man and remeber were only here to help.

 

[juststarting]

juststarting, so everyone should start at age 18?

Remember. A norwood 1 sort of hairline is a mature, normal, and end of puberty male hair line for the most part and NOT a reason to worry. I was a norwood 1 for 12 years and I am only just now starting to worry about it moving from 1 (people are yelling at me that I am crazy, but I can SEE the minor changes...) to Norwood 2.

So basically, watch and see if that is the case. Also, review all male relatives and see what they have for hair.

If you confirm it really is going to advance past the Norwood 1 (which I say is normal male hairline) then start the finasteride.

 

[uncertain]

bartman, I agree with everything you are saying 10 million percent.

I just recently came to the conclusion that I cannot handle excessive hairloss. I am not sure if I am losing hair right now...and getting on finasteride is just a matter of when, not if.

I think I will first try the minoxidil as a maintanance tool and at FIRST sign of thinning from an independant source (dermatologist/whoever) I will jump on the finasteride faster than I would Carmen Electra.

 

[Guest]

Good luck and stay positive, thats the hardest part of this sh*t man!

 

[uncertain]

Thanks for the words just...I think as the first step towards a better, less panicky, attitude I will take a nice leave of absence from visiting this site.

This site is a guilty pleasure....lots to learn....however LOTS to scare you.

 

[Juan Carlos Mederra]

"The minute this board starts losing validity is when posters start claiming superior knowledge to doctors"

Hmm..not superior, but definitely know more about hairloss and which products work and which don't. Simply because people on these boards share info and experience.

Derms could care less about hairloss. They know finasteride and minoxidil.
Some r quite good. but most of them dont know a lot about hairloss. and a lot of people, I am sure of this, will have experienced this