How will I kow if propecia is working?

[alruss]

Hi all, Just discovered the forum, and have to say its been a wealth of information for those worried about hair loss.

I started on Propecia recently. ( I got some generic Pakistani finasteride. off ebay in November, [it looks legit] but subsequently felt it would be advisable to stump up for the official stuff just to be sure; I started this about 2 months ago, perhaps a little less.)

My question is:

I have heard that propecia doesn’t do much for the temples, and the very front of your original hairline - at least the vertices. I dont really have any hair loss on top of my head, nor the middle of my front, but only the two aforementioned areas. (though my crown might have been thinning before and subsequently might have thickened up - though its hard to say for sure now). I went to see a Dr in the UK - Dr Rogers (if anyone here knows his reputation Id be happy to hear about it), who advised me not to have hair transplant yet, as I am fairly young, (early 20's) and don’t have significant hair loss YET (though to me it seems substantial enough for me to be trawling the internet and coughing up sizeable amounts of $£$ every month). He said, and I understand quite sensibly, that it would be advisable to discover whether or not I can stop my current hair loss first.

If the above is true - how will I be able to tell whether Propecia is working for me?

Please correct any of my factually inaccurate assumptions.

Many thanks in advance

 

[dead]

how will I be able to tell whether Propecia is working for me?

If your hair stops thinning/recession the Propecia may be working.

If you hair continues to thin/recede the Propecai may not be working.


Save money, buy 5mg Proscar pills and chop them into 1mg finasteride doses (Propecia is 1mg of finasteride)

 

[alruss]

Thanks for the proscar tip. Ill certainly look into it - how do the prices compare?

The thing is though - that I was told that propecia can "work" for you, while concurrently not stopping a receding hair line, at least until it has receded a certain amount, and that it rarely works on temples. I have no thining of my hair - just receding like a melting glacier. - Is that just rubbish?

Also - if you were to keep your propecia in open air (ie not in an air tight container or foil packet) - will it "go off" in any way?

 

[dead]

Thanks for the proscar tip. Ill certainly look into it - how do the prices compare?

Favourably

check out http://www.qhi.co.uk

Proscar = 5mg finasteride made by Merck

Propecia = 1mg finasteride made by Merck

The thing is though - that I was told that propecia can "work" for you, while concurrently not stopping a receding hair line, at least until it has receded a certain amount, and that it rarely works on temples. I have no thining of my hair - just receding like a melting glacier. - Is that just rubbish?

If the temple recession is caused by dihydrotestosterone miniaturizing the follicles (which I believe it is) then Propecia would certainly influence this process. If there is a 'new' and novel cause of hairloss exclusively for the temples then I know a lot of people who would be interested in this doctors theory.

Also - if you were to keep your propecia in open air (ie not in an air tight container or foil packet) - will it "go off" in any way?

This question often comes up, often from people who have chopped their Proscar into 4 or 5 bits exposing the pill.

I think it unlikely that the air will have any effect on a broken pill and the chances that an unbroken Propecia pill will be effected are remote. Whilst light and air are unlikely to cause ant problems I would keep your medication away from excessive heat and/or moisture.

 

[alruss]

Many thanks. - I think that link is broken though ... at least it wont let me through!

So you would say that propecia should work just as well on the temples/verticies as the crown/rest of the head?

I suppose that's good news to an extent, though also - I havent yet seen mcuh of a result (though the thining at the front MAY have slowed), so it may mean that propecia doesnt work for me?

 

[dead]

Many thanks. - I think that link is broken though ... at least it wont let me through!

maybe try cutting and pasting it.

So you would say that propecia should work just as well on the temples/verticies as the crown/rest of the head?

It will do little, if anything, with regard to regrowth but it should at least slow down (or if you are lucky, halt) your thinning/receding. Many people on this forum report results (of varying degrees) in the temple region from finasteride use (Propecia/Proscar)

I suppose that's good news to an extent, though also - I havent yet seen much of a result (though the thining at the front MAY have slowed), so it may mean that propecia doesnt work for me?

At 2 months you cannot make any judgement on the efficacy of finasteride, the growth-rest-fall cycle of a follicle can be very long, you need to give finasteride a year or so to see if it is working for you.

Bear in mind you didn't recede or lose your hair in 2 months, it is the same mechanism (the hair growth cycle) that you will grow you new hair through.

 

[alruss]

So VERY few see regrowth and few see a complete halt? I thought it was 82% or so that saw no more hair loss?

So chances are I will still lose hair?

the 2 month point is I suppose a good one - though I have been using the generic one for about 4 months before. Who knows if it worked at all.

Many thanks again for your advice. Much appreciated.

 

[dead]

So chances are I will still lose hair?

maybe (?) maybe not (??)

The best approach to combat male pattern baldness is a multimodal one, don't expect too much from a single pill addressing a single issue (dihydrotetosterone).

Good Luck

 

[arya]

I started on Propecia recently. ( I got some generic Pakistani finasteride. off ebay in November, [it looks legit] but subsequently felt it would be advisable to stump up for the official stuff just to be sure; I started this about 2 months ago, perhaps a little less.)

Pakistani medication has very bad reputation even in Pakistan. So watch out what u are doing dude

 

[alruss]

I started on Propecia recently. ( I got some generic Pakistani finasteride. off ebay in November, [it looks legit] but subsequently felt it would be advisable to stump up for the official stuff just to be sure; I started this about 2 months ago, perhaps a little less.)

Pakistani medication has very bad reputation even in Pakistan. So watch out what u are doing dude

Thanks! I gather that now and have switched off of it... thank God. Going the legit and expensive route from here on in!

 

[dead]

......Going the legit and expensive route from here on in!

Proscar (legit Merck brand) works out at around £30 for just under 5 months supply.

Around 22p a day.

 

[alruss]

......Going the legit and expensive route from here on in!

Proscar (legit Merck brand) works out at around £30 for just under 5 months supply.

Around 22p a day.

HUH??? WOW!

I seem to recall my doctor offering me propecia at 300 for 6 months, and 200 for 6 months of proscar... Im astounded you can get it for 30!

 

[dead]

HUH??? WOW!

I seem to recall my doctor offering me propecia at 300 for 6 months, and 200 for 6 months of proscar... Im astounded you can get it for 30!

This price difference is pretty standard, I have seen examples of people being offered a years supply of finasteride for £1200 (UK squids).

Shop around there are many legit sites that will ship you 28 Proscar pills (when chopped into 5 x 1mg parts gives you 140 doses) for around €45 (£30)

I have used http://www.qhi.co.uk

Direct Product link: http://www.qhi.co.uk/list.asp?c=Specialised

With QHI you have to sign a disclaimer form so you can legally have the stuff shipped to you, saves you having to get a prescription and it can all be done by fax/mail.

There are many others, I have not looked recently but I think you can get Proscar even cheaper than QHIs prices.