What is the longest time Propecia side effects can appear? I been on Propecia for almost 4 years and within the past several months I got ED when I have sex I can’t even get an erection to penetrate but when I masturbate to porn I can maintain a strong erection! After enough research I’m almost positive I got porn-induced ED! So now I’m in the process of recovery but since I’m on Propecia, I wonder now if possibly that after such a long time side effects could appear!

Propecia has halted my hair loss and I don’t wanna stop it. I’m 25yo it’s too early for me to be bald!

Side effects from any drug can appear at any time, but this is relatively rare. Most side effects would appear in the first few weeks — not after 4 years. If you think Propecia is causing your erectile dysfunction (ED), talk with your prescribing doctor and consider stopping the medication or cutting the dosage. If you think porn is causing your ED, stop watching porn or talk with your psychologist. I really have no way to know what is causing your erection troubles.

Here are some ED statistics that might be interesting to you (source: MMHC) –

• One in 10 men in the world have erectile dysfunction.
• 30 million men in the United States have erectile dysfunction.
• 50% of men with diabetes have erectile dysfunction, frequently within 10 years of diagnosis.
• The likelihood of erectile dysfunction increases with age: 39% at age 40, 65% over the age of 65.
• Smokers have a higher likelihood of erectile dysfunction. Men who smoke more than 1 pack per day have a 50% higher chance of impotency than nonsmokers the same age.

Hi Doc,

thanks for your awesome website.

I stumbled across this article - Take this vitamin to halt hair loss

and this website - Tocotrienol.org

What can you comment about this? Would love to hear your comments. Thank you!

There are always new products that come out claiming to be hair loss cures. This is one of them. I cannot say if Tocotrienol works or not, but here are some things to keep in mind when doing your own research. Read the report carefully. Find out how many subjects were in the study group. Is it 10,000 or is it only 10? There is a difference, right? In this case, the study was 38 people. Ask if there was a financial or marketing incentive. Find out if the report was published in a well-respected journal (and realize that even if it is in a published journal, it does not necessarily mean it is good study).

Tocotrienol is an herbal vitamin E treatment, and I really have no significant comment to give other that “buyer beware”.

Snippet from the non-hair-loss-related article:

Human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) have become a popular potential therapy for numerous autoimmune and neurological disorders. But while these bone marrow-derived stem cells have been studied in great detail in the dish, scientists know little about how they modulate the immune system and promote tissue repair in living organisms.

Now, one research team has uncovered a molecular mechanism by which hMSCs promote recovery in a mouse model of multiple sclerosis (MS).

According to research, published online Sunday (May 20) in Nature Neuroscience, a growth factor produced by hMSCs fights MS in two ways: blocking a destructive autoimmune response and repairing neuronal damage. The finding could help advance ongoing clinical trials testing hMSCs as a therapy for MS.

Read the rest at The Scientist — Could Stem Cells Cure MS?

Multiple sclerosis is an autoimmune disease that affects the brain and central nervous system, with millions of sufferers all over the world. I know this post isn’t hair-related, but regular visitors to this site know that I like to post interesting general health news/opinion.

Hey guys. Histogen published an article about it’s HSC in the Journal of Drugs and Dermatology several months ago, of which I’m sure you are aware. Are there any thoughts about this article? or about the Journal?

Link: Hair regrowth following a Wnt- and follistatin containing treatment

Sounds interesting. It was published in the Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, which is a peer-reviewed publication that has been around for a little over a decade.

As for the study — this looks like it might’ve been a pilot study, and consists of only 26 participants. Clinical application and mainstream treatment remain to be seen.

I am a 21 year old male who has recently (6 weeks ago) started using Rogaine foam. I had noticed the hair at my temples thinning but the hair elsewhere on my head I was happy with- it has been the same thickness (I THINK) since I was 16.

I have a couple quick questions which I would be extremely grateful that you answered to put my mind at ease!

Firstly, will 5% minoxidil foam help this type of balding? I have only been applying the foam to my temple area. Secondly, since starting the treatment, my hair has been shedding more ALL OVER. This has lasted the whole 6 weeks (getting slightly better now). I have noticed this is said to be a good sign but should the shedding last this long and is it normal for the minoxidil to affect the hair I haven’t applied it too? Finally, the texture of my hair has changed all over since beginning treatment, feeling more dry and lifeless. Is this normal or should I be worried?

Thank You!

Rogaine Foam is meant for use on the top, crown, or vertex area of the scalp. It is not likely to work on the front temples. I realize many people apply the foam to the front areas, but it will have minimal effect (if any).

Rogaine should not cause hair loss or shedding of hair all over the scalp, though it may cause some initial shedding in the first month, as I have heard some people mention this phenomenon. With continued use it should grow back.

I am not aware of changes in texture of hair being a common side effect, though I suppose the alcohol in the treatment could be the culprit.

Doc, I can fly. Is that a side effect of Propecia? Reading your blog makes me laugh, because it seems like everyone blames every single bad thing in their life on Propecia. Propecia has allowed me to keep a full head of hair and I have had zero side effects from it.

Thanks for sharing your experience. I think you’re right — I have definitely noticed a lot of blame pointed toward this medication. Not many men will write about the positive benefits of Propecia, as they use the medication without any problems and go on with their lives. It’s those that feel they’ve been wronged that become the most vocal.

The side effect risk from Propecia is in the range of 1 to 2% of the men who take it. Those 1 to 2% are the most vocal, along with possibly another 10% of men just need a cause to rally behind, like the building bandwagon against Propecia.

You may have touched upon this question before but I was looking for clarification. In an early post (I’m talking a few months ago) you mentioned how a norwood class 3 would rarely, if ever, progress to a norwood 6/7. By this, can a norwood 3 consider himself quite lucky in the sense that he’s probably not going to experience crown loss? What exactly did you mean by this?

Everybody is different. If you have stabilized your hair loss pattern at a Norwood class 3, then you will probably not progress to further balding.

You are born with certain traits ranging from eye color, skin color, dimples, to hair loss patterns. I would not say having one trait is better or luckier than the other. I believe about 8% of men are born with a Norwood 6/7 trait. Does that mean those men are unlucky? For example, Michael Jordan is likely a Norwood 6. Would you consider him unlucky?

I am 29 with a stable NW 2 after taking Propecia for a year now. I’ve always had a high forehead and have always wondered if it is possible to have a small hair transplant to create a slight V in the middle of my hairline like Keanu Reeves, Leonardo Dicaprio or Johnny Depp. I feel like if you took that part of their hairline away, their hair wouldn’t frame their face right and I feel like if I had that bit of hair there, it would frame my face better.

The slight V you’re talking about is a widow’s peak.

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, as the expression goes. If someone wants a different hairline, that is what we do. This is cosmetic surgery, after all. Meet with a hair transplant surgeon to go over your options.

Dr Rassman,

What are your thoughts on the following hair loss treatment? Is it another scam?

Activance

I don’t know if it’s a scam, but I guess it depends on what you’re using it for. This Activance product claims to treat hair health, but I don’t see anything here that would make it treat hair loss. Strengthening and thickening hair isn’t anything extraordinary, as many hair treatments can do this.

I didn’t know what rhodanide was, so I had to do a little Googling. Rhodanide is also known as thiocyanate, which isn’t a common hair loss treatment outside of guinea pigs. The US distributor of rhodanide says that there is some study (which one?) from 1997 that showed this ingredient regrew hair in 80% of participants in a trial. No real information is given other than that.

I’ll let you draw your own conclusions, but if you want to try the product and report back, please feel free.

Hi,
I’am 19 years old and suffering from a great amount of hair loss. I got extremely ill about 4-5 months ago and almost lost my life. After the hospital i lost a lot of hair but eventually went to normal a month or two after. A couple of months after, i started losing even more hair. When i wash my hair, lumps of it fall out. I have seen many doctors but they all say nothing can be done. I have been taking Nutricap for a little over a month now and I see no difference. Any suggestions? I feel like i’m going to be bald by 20!

Hair loss after a major illness can be normal. I can’t explain why your loss stopped and restarted. It may all grow back in about one year time frame. If you were going to eventually bald due to genetics, the illness may have kickstarted your genetic process early… but if the hair grows back, then you don’t have to worry about that being the case. You’ll just have to be patient, though.

Look on the bright side — you didn’t lose your life!