Finasteride to PREVENT the shock loss? How does it work?

[Propecia1mg]

I have rethinked whether I should try to take Propecia something like 0,25mg ED/EOD for a while, just to minimize the risk of shock loss after the operation, or not. As you can see from the pics in my thread about the previous FUT operation, I got grafts from the crown area through the frontal area, where I have quite decent, natural hair. I would think that even if those hairs would be lost, it would be only temporary, but why not to take a small amount of Propecia for ~3 months or so just to minimize the risk of the shock loss? After 3months the risk of a sudden shock loss is over, right? Or would it be better to use Propecia longer?

But. Can anyone tell me HOW the finasteride possibly PREVENTS the shock loss? Or is the point that finasteride keeps those minituarized, weak hair follicles strong enough to be able to produce new hair, after the possible shock loss? In my understanding, finasteride only can prevent PERMANENT SHOCK LOSS of the already weak minituarized hairs, does that make sense?

 

[arfy]

Baldness occurs because the hair follicles shrink. In the beginning, the shrinkage is imperceptible. As it continues, the hairs get wispy and thin, and cover less scalp. Eventually the follicles shrink to the point that the hairs are so weak and thin, you can't even see them any more.

Propecia prevents the follicles from shrinking. If you are a 'responder' to Propecia, it can halt the progression of hairloss from continuing. Some guys are lucky and can even get some regrowth, but it's generally considered that the more recent your hair loss is, the better the chance of regrowth. It's much more common to keep your remaining hair, than it is to regrow hair that was already lost.

You already answered your own question - Propecia will strengthen your existing hairs. General scalp trauma from surgery will hopefully have less impact on follicles that are strong. The more "at risk" (thin and wispy) your hairs are, the more likely that shock loss will have a big negative impact.

Hair transplants do not prevent future hair loss. And there's not nearly enough donor supply to replace everything (your donor supply is estimated to be about the size of a credit card. Now imagine spreading that donor supply over an entire bald scalp). It's estimated that average donor supplies range between 6,000 to 10,000 grafts. But an entire bald head will require 12,000 to 15,000 grafts (not for a "full head of hair" but juts to "create the illusion of coverage"). It's in everybody's best interests to protect and maintain as much of your remaining hair as possible. You should have been on Propecia already - some guys are lucky to start early and never progress to the point that you already did (or if they do, they postpone it by many years). By getting a hair transplant before starting Propecia, you put the cart before the horse. If you're worried about side effects, try starting with a half dose (or every second or third day) and slowly building up over a few months. There is also topical Finasteride, if you do get side effects.

Also, please keep all your questions in one thread, unless they are a completely different topic!

 

[Propecia1mg]

Baldness occurs because the hair follicles shrink. In the beginning, the shrinkage is imperceptible. As it continues, the hairs get wispy and thin, and cover less scalp. Eventually the follicles shrink to the point that the hairs are so weak and thin, you can't even see them any more.

Propecia prevents the follicles from shrinking. If you are a 'responder' to Propecia, it can halt the progression of hairloss from continuing. Some guys are lucky and can even get some regrowth, but it's generally considered that the more recent your hair loss is, the better the chance of regrowth. It's much more common to keep your remaining hair, than it is to regrow hair that was already lost.

You already answered your own question - Propecia will strengthen your existing hairs. General scalp trauma from surgery will hopefully have less impact on follicles that are strong. The more "at risk" (thin and wispy) your hairs are, the more likely that shock loss will have a big negative impact.

Hair transplants do not prevent future hair loss. And there's not nearly enough donor supply to replace everything (your donor supply is estimated to be about the size of a credit card. Now imagine spreading that donor supply over an entire bald scalp). It's estimated that average donor supplies range between 6,000 to 10,000 grafts. But an entire bald head will require 12,000 to 15,000 grafts (not for a "full head of hair" but juts to "create the illusion of coverage"). It's in everybody's best interests to protect and maintain as much of your remaining hair as possible. You should have been on Propecia already - some guys are lucky to start early and never progress to the point that you already did (or if they do, they postpone it by many years). By getting a hair transplant before starting Propecia, you put the cart before the horse. If you're worried about side effects, try starting with a half dose (or every second or third day) and slowly building up over a few months. There is also topical Finasteride, if you do get side effects.

Also, please keep all your questions in one thread, unless they are a completely different topic!

Nobody answered this question that was also in my own thread.

Luckily I don´t have the drastic baldness coming that all of my hairs on the top of my head will go away, I´m just like my father who has thinner and thinner hair but still has some to cover part of the scalp. Most of his baldness is at the crown area, just like me. That`s why I probably choose the option that I try not to take finasteride, I rather go through another hair transplant`s IF needed. I MAY take Propecia occasionally like 2 times a week, for some time.

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"Patients are advised to begin their use of Propecia or Rogaine a few days before their hair transplant to get the medication in their system, working at its maximum therapeutic level. Some patients go as far as continuing the medication for six to eight months after their procedure simply to avoid post-surgical shock loss.

Depending on the miniaturization level for some patients, finasteride or minoxidil may not be necessary. Some patients prefer not to use the medications in general, or don’t want to use it for a lifetime. In those patients we recommend to use finasteride only for a few months after their hair restoration procedure. This will help them to minimize the risk of shock loss and they may stop it after they have fully recovered." http://www.regrowshair.com/general-hair-loss-topics/common-questions/preventing-shock-loss-after-hair-transplant-surgery/

I´m actually not a newcomer on finasteride, I´ve tried it and took a couple of pills in the days leading the operation (like suggested in the link above) and afterwards, but only occasionally. My balding has been really slow, only in the crown area. I´m 35 yrs old by the way. Because of that my hair is ok except in the crown area, I believe that my hair follicles are quite healthy even without finasteride, to grow new hair IF the shock loss happens. It wasn´t news for me that there´s limited amounts of grafts in my head. I´ve done my homework and lot´s of thinking before I decided to go to the hair transplant operation right at this point of my life.