Hair Transplant Without Finasteride?

[HTPossible]

I was hoping to get people's thoughts on getting a hair transplant without using finasteride/propecia. As I understand it, the chances of side effects from finasteride are rare, and the permanent side effects are even more rare. However, even if that chance is small, I consider it pretty damn frightening. Especially after watching a few videos on YouTube (which I tried to link to, but the forum's system isn't letting me) from a doctor who is adamantly opposed to prescribing it, as well as several former users of finasteride who said that they have suffered permanent sexual dysfunction as a result of taking it. They make it sound like taking finasteride is a game of Russian Roulette with one's sexual health.

Let me be clear, it's not that I'm against *any* type of maintenance efforts or products, it's just that I have a specific concern regarding stuff that messes with the body's hormone/endocrine system. So I'm not opposed to minoxidil/rogaine, nizoral shampoo, biotin, vitamins, or even other DHT-suppressing products that are applied directly to the scalp...but DHT-suppressing products that must pass through my entire body, yes, do scare me. More so than balding, really.

So, does anybody have experience with doing a hair transplant without finasteride? What's the general consensus on this? For that matter, does anybody have experience with using some alternative to finasteride?

 

[TowerT]

I feel exactly the same as HTpossible. I asocial have the money saved for a hair transplant and will go with one of the doctors in Belgium I guess, basically because they seem the most ligitimate (although it's restoring a receding hairline so I don't know which one is best) but anyway.
I will not be taking finasteroid for the same reasons as HTpossible. I know it's a small percentage bla bla but it's not for me and I have my mind made up. I don't want the tread turning into a discussion on that.

Really the only thing holding me back from getting the hair transplant is to speak to someone who did it without finasteroid and hear their story and results. And basically find out is it possible without finasteride. I obviously know results would be better with it, maintaining ect. But as earlier stated, it's not for me. Anyone that took this route I would really love to hear from you too

 

[hudsonhawke]

I've been holding back on a transplant for this discussion too. My temples are starting to really thin out (especially the right) so ideally a filler hair tp would be ideal, though I don't want to be forced to take propecia/finasteride as a result. I have pretty thicj hair all over and from what I have read apparently there is a chance the rest of your hair could thin as a result and may or may not thicken up after.

From what I have been told is that after a hair transplant you may experience shock loss to the other hairs and the propecia/finasteride is supposed to help grow that loss back. Also although the doner hair will not fall out, there is a chance your hair loss will continue and the surrounding hairs will thin out, so the idea of taking the meds is to prevent that. Though I am still not convinced meds are 100% needed. Depends how aggressive your hairloss is.

Hopefully someone who knows what they are talking about can chime in

 

[shookwun]

So scared of such a mild drug.


Finasteride will not only benefit you for a transplant but it will thicken existing hair.

The side effects of going bald opposed to trying finasteride and most likely responding well is an easy decision. A marginal percent change you have sides that are easily reversed.

 

[HTPossible]

Well, I tried to post links and was not able to in the last post. So, let's try this again...

-A doctor's feeling on finasteride.
-Another doctor's feelings on finasteride.
-A patient's experience taking finasteride.

It certainly doesn't sound like this is a "mild" drug. It doesn't sound like everyone suffered side effects, and it doesn't sound like all those who did suffered from them permanently afterwords, but clearly, there are people out there who would describe finasteride as anything but a mild drug. So I really would like to hear about finasteride alternatives (if there are any), and the experiences of people who had a hair transplant without finasteride.

 

[Roberto_72]

I had two transplants but I was on finasteride.
When I suspended finasteride, I understood it was an error pretty soon because the hair transplant is made taking your existing hair into consideration. When your existing hair falls out (because without finasteride it will fall eventually) then your looks will change again and you will start thinking "what did I even transplant for?"

However, most doctors today do not even suggest hair transplants if you are not disposed to using finasteride, so it's not even up for discussion...

I know it sucks.

 

[kj6723]

Balding=100% chance of life altering side effects

Finasteride=small chance of most likely reversible side effects

For me the choice to try it is really that simple

 

[worrywart]

So I got a 3400 FUT on january 26th. I specifically told Dr. Keene I would not take finasteride due to the sides that I had experienced. She wasn't happy about it because of all the scalp and hair benefits, but she assured me the grafts would still grow. A month after the operation, my scalp started itching like crazy, so I freaked out and got her to write me a script for finasteride. I took it for about a month and a half and it helped the irritation and redness on my scalp, but after suffering from limp dick yet again, I threw it away. I am approaching six months and although it's still thin, it looks sooo much better. I'm starting to get compliments. I wish I could take finasteride, but at the same time, it's reassuring to know that I don't need it to maintain what I got transplanted. The drug helps a lot, but my opinion is that the more beneficial it is to you, the more potential for sides. Either way, it's the worst feeling in the world when you have a piece of *** in front of you and you can't get it up. trust me. If you look at my before pics that I posted on my last post, you can see I've come along way. I say try the drug, it's worth a shot, but you don't need it to have a transplant. Just make sure you get a real good doctor.


http://tinypic.com/r/9swhsh/9

http://tinypic.com/r/2zf5xqu/9

 

[buckthorn]

So scared of such a mild drug.


Finasteride will not only benefit you for a transplant but it will thicken existing hair.

The side effects of going bald opposed to trying finasteride and most likely responding well is an easy decision. A marginal percent change you have sides that are easily reversed.

hair transplant without stabilization is a potential death sentence. Trust me, it happened to me. That being said, finasteride is a mild drug only if you react to it mildly. Here are legitimate, concrete, conclusive side effects I had from finasteride -

1) horrible insomnia
2) semen that turned to pure water
3) erections all night every single night. sounds fun, right? it's f*cking torture
4) rapid, rapid mood fluctuations - never had a temper before this crap
5) increased heart rate - on finasteride - resting heart rate of 90... off of finasteride (now) - resting heart rate 55. tell me that's not f*cked up.
6) weight gain - exact same diet, exact same cardio regimen - gained 20lbs in 8 months.
7) here's the cute little kicker - RAPID F*CKING PROGRESSION OF male pattern baldness

oh.. and not to mention, the apparently permanent feeling of termites chewing your scalp apart in the middle of the night. YAY F*CKING FINASTERIDE!!
So, you say this until it happens to you. I am sure there were a million other sides that I simply did not notice.

 

[HTPossible]

hair transplant without stabilization is a potential death sentence. Trust me, it happened to me. That being said, finasteride is a mild drug only if you react to it mildly. Here are legitimate, concrete, conclusive side effects I had from finasteride -

1) horrible insomnia
2) semen that turned to pure water
3) erections all night every single night. sounds fun, right? it's f*cking torture
4) rapid, rapid mood fluctuations - never had a temper before this crap
5) increased heart rate - on finasteride - resting heart rate of 90... off of finasteride (now) - resting heart rate 55. tell me that's not f*cked up.
6) weight gain - exact same diet, exact same cardio regimen - gained 20lbs in 8 months.
7) here's the cute little kicker - RAPID F*CKING PROGRESSION OF male pattern baldness

oh.. and not to mention, the apparently permanent feeling of termites chewing your scalp apart in the middle of the night. YAY F*CKING FINASTERIDE!!
So, you say this until it happens to you. I am sure there were a million other sides that I simply did not notice.

Out of curiosity, buckthorn, did these side effects stop once you got off finasteride?

 

[buckthorn]

Out of curiosity, buckthorn, did these side effects stop once you got off finasteride?

hey brother,
for the most part, yes. I have been sleeping better and the night time erections are at a minimal. My semen is still watery, but oh well, I've always wanted to adopt kids. i am losing hair like never before. I assume that's because finasteride created a feedback within my body that is either still trying to regulate back to normal, or may never equilibrate. Perhaps the reduction in DHT created a need for more receptors and now that the DHT is back to it's usual level, it's binding to the newly formed receptors and wreaking havoc? idk...

 

[shookwun]

Yes and the millions of others who have virtually no sides.


U will always hear about the tint minority with sides. As they are quick to shoot the gun and shun. Everyone else is to busy reaping the benefits

 

[buckthorn]

Yes and the millions of others who have virtually no sides.


U will always hear about the tint minority with sides. As they are quick to shoot the gun and shun. Everyone else is to busy reaping the benefits

How can you so easily state it's a "minority" that are having sides? Sorry, I just cannot believe this. There is way too much grey area here to state something like that. This is just my opinion. I also think that everyone should try finasteride as a first line of defense. This is only because it's all we really have.

 

[GoldenMane]

hey brother,
for the most part, yes. I have been sleeping better and the night time erections are at a minimal. My semen is still watery, but oh well, I've always wanted to adopt kids. i am losing hair like never before. I assume that's because finasteride created a feedback within my body that is either still trying to regulate back to normal, or may never equilibrate. Perhaps the reduction in DHT created a need for more receptors and now that the DHT is back to it's usual level, it's binding to the newly formed receptors and wreaking havoc? idk...

I don't think finasteride causes AR upregulation, there's still plenty of testosterone floating around for your AR receptors to bind too. Overall androgens should be the same on finasteride or dutasteride, the only change will be a shift in type from DHT to Testosterone.

 

[follicle2001]

You absolutely do NOT need finasteride after hair transplant. Period. Done. If you do not want to risk the sides you do not need it. If you can tolerate it you are probably better off taking it given the potential benefits unless you were very advanced beforehand, in which case it will have only limited benefits.

The most commonly used medicine after hair transplant is minoxidil, followed by finasteride.

 

[Roberto_72]

You absolutely do NOT need finasteride after hair transplant. Period. Done. If you do not want to risk the sides you do not need it. If you can tolerate it you are probably better off taking it given the potential benefits unless you were very advanced beforehand, in which case it will have only limited benefits.

The most commonly used medicine after hair transplant is minoxidil, followed by finasteride.

Effects of finasteride (1 mg) on hair transplant.
Randomized controlled trial
Leavitt M, et al. Dermatol Surg. 2005.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/16188178/

BACKGROUND: The improved scalp coverage achieved by hair transplant for men with androgenetic alopecia can be diminished by continued miniaturization and loss of preexisting, nontransplanted hairs.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate whether finasteride 1 mg, administered daily from 4 weeks before until 48 weeks after hair transplant, improves scalp hair and growth of nontransplanted hair in areas surrounding the transplant and to evaluate the safety and tolerability of finasteride for men undergoing hair transplant.

METHODS: In this randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study, 79 men with androgenetic alopecia (20-45 years of age) were assigned to treatment with finasteride 1 mg (n = 40) or placebo (n = 39) once daily from 4 weeks before until 48 weeks after hair transplant. Efficacy was evaluated by review of global photographs by an expert dermatologist and by macrophotography for scalp hair counts.

RESULTS: Treatment with finasteride resulted in significant improvements from baseline, compared with placebo, in scalp hair based on global photographic assessment (p < .01) and hair counts (p < .01) at week 48. Visible increases in superior/frontal scalp hair post-transplant were recorded for 94% and 67% of patients in the finasteride and placebo groups, respectively. Finasteride treatment was generally well tolerated.

CONCLUSION: For men with androgenetic alopecia, therapy with finasteride 1 mg daily from 4 weeks before until 48 weeks after hair transplant improves scalp hair surrounding the hair transplant and increases hair density.

PMID
16188178 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

 

[darkknight12]

Hi Guys,

Hoping one of you may know the answer to this question, I have just had a H/T 4 days ago. I haven't taken finasteride for a long time (Too many sides unfortunately) however I have been on Ramatroban for a year and it has stopped my shedding/ no regrowth which is fine I guess. I have decided to temporarily use finasteride for this next month on very low dosage however the question I have is when would you recommend I use Ramatroban again in and around the transplanted areas? I have had 1500grafts put in around the hairline however I still have a fair bit of original hair around the area. Any advice would be hugely appreciated.