May 2 2005, 2:16 pm PT | Posted in: Drugs + Photos
Dr. Rassman, I saw one of your comments on Propecia on the balding blog. You are welcome to use my pictures to show your bloggers what the drug can do. As you remember, I am 39 years old and I got these results in just 8 months on the drug. Contrary to what some say about the sex drive, the drug did nothing to suppress it. Sometimes I wish it did. I saw a couple of other doctors before I started Propecia and one had a salesman who tried to sell me 1500 grafts. He said Propecia would not work. Glad I did not have the surgery and listened to you guys.
Thanks for coming forward on this very important issue. The young man can get an outstanding response from Propecia, especially the ones under 30. You are an exception to the rule and a lucky one at that. Although sometimes I feel like a Merck salesman, because I suggest this medication for many of my patients, it is because of people like you that I have become an enthusiast for Propecia. Although the corners did not return, the fullness you wanted was achieved and you are happy. That is what this is all about. You were wise to seek out other opinions and I applaud you for such persistence. There is no “A” given in school for such decisions, and in the real world, the hairy guy you look at in the mirror every day is better than that “A” on a report card.
The below photo on the left is before Propecia use (scanned from a Polaroid, so please forgive the quality); below photo on the right was taken about 21 months after continued Propecia use. He’s had no hair transplant surgery. Click the photos below to enlarge.
Update: For those that are crying foul about the line drawn meaning it was a transplant, please see comment #10 below.
Paid advertisements (not an endorsement):
what is the best way to grow or maintain some growth in the frontal area?
those are some incredible results. are they from propecia alone? no hair transplants, minox, or anything else?
There is NO way he went from a NW 4A to a NW 1-2 like that on just propecia/proscar alone. NOTHING on the planet can make a person who is almost totally bald to almost a full head of hair WITHOUT a hair transplant. I think this is bogus!!! I was a NW3 when I went on a combination of proscar, minoxidil, folligen and nizoral shampoo for two years or so. There was very little difference. Maybe it made my hair slightly thicker, but other than that…nothing. And I’ve scoured the internet for hundreds of legitimate before and after pictures of people in my predicament. Same results….
In regards to the photo above. It is completely possible.
I actually have phots and it is…just short of completely amazing. When I was 22 or so, started to thin, I hadn’t completely lost my hair but it was going very very fast.
I took propecia for a 3 years or so… and stopped of course, but I have pictures of when I was 28-29 (now 31 thinning not bad, but its getting there) where I had like I did when I was 18. My hair now is thinning again as I mentioned above and once more…started taking propecia, its been only 1 1/2 months…hair stopped falling out and I can see the hair base getting thickening. I know what will happen too. 6 mos…1 year from now, all my hair will be back.
I feel for those who do not have the same results, I truly do. I myself am in that 4% class of men, that when I do take propecia…. 6 months…1 year and Im back to 100% normal.
Its incredible.
Please excuse all the grammar mistakes that were made in my post (listed above). Super busy at work and was going back and forth while writing my comments.
Hope you get the point though. Just an added note. I used nothing but propecia and a positive attitude. Another thing, I started with propecia the minute I noticed my hair thinning (Father and Grandfather are bald). The men in my family all had all but lost their hair by the time they were 30, or it was really looking thin.
Because I took it earlier in my life, and I had healthy hair follicles to a certain degree, it stopped the DHT from killing my hairs off, bought me some time also, but the key is to always take it. My hair came back so thick, that I thought hey…. “Don’t need to take it anymore”… Dont make that mistake… I had put this hair thinning session off…I am coming back fast, but, I hope I can get it back to what it was again 2-3 years ago…I am pretty sure I will though. You have to catch it while you have your hair, not after it is gone.
Best of luck,
Brian
Thanks for the comments Brian. Always great to have these personal stories to boost the spirit of those who are losing their hair.
Why does the picture show the outline of a frontal hair transplant region? This is very suspect.
I have to be honest, this looks like a faulse hope. I don’t believe it either. That is a cure for baldness. There is as of yet nothing 100% effective at maintaining or fully recovering a full head of hair. To have recovered so drastically would surely have required a combinatin of treatments both prescriptive and surgical (digital). And why the hair trasplant line?
Propecia does work for a good percentage of those that medicate with it, however it works best as a preventative measure rather than a cure.
how many pills are necesary? thanks a lot
Sorry for the late response. I missed your concerned comments.
You folks can believe what you want, but the line was drawn in for the patient to see where hair MIGHT be transplanted to if he were to undergo the hair transplant procedure. I do not rush patients into surgery. I prescribed Propecia and he diligently took the pill daily for nearly 2 years (and continues to do so). Surgery was not needed afterall, and I’m very happy for him. I’d much rather a patient take a pill than have to undergo surgery.
To repeat — there was no surgery in the after photo. This was 100% accomplished from Propecia.
Hi, I’m a 22 year old and have been taking propecia for about 4 months now, and also with a thinning hair treatment called anagen which is a lotion you use daily for 24 days, then every other day for 48 days, and also includes a shampoo (they contain Saw Palmetto, Capigen and Glycosaminoglycans and other components). So far I haven’t noticed any increase in hair and am still losing hair daily, and the crown area is now very thin that the skin can be clearly seen. I will not be continuing with the anagen treatment as I don’t think it has made a difference and in fact when applying the lotion I get a number of hairs on my hands.
My question is: how long will it be before the propecia makes a difference, and I stop losing hair? I understand it can take a while, but typically how long?
I have been taking Propecia now for about 4-5 months now and have had amazing results already. I started seeing that I was loosing my hair around the age of 17 and did nothing about it until recently at the age of 19. I dont know if it is working so well because i am still very young but i cannot wait for the next 6 months to see how well it really works. I went to Dr.Pistone in Philadelphia (A hair trasnplant surgeon) and he said because of my age and the amount of hair i still have on my head that propecia was the way to go for now. I now see hairs (and alot of them) growing in places that were once so thin that when pictures of me were taken from outside you could see the sun glare off of it. No one wants that. Will comment back again and let everyone know how and if hairs have completely regrown.
I have been taking proscar quarter tablet for ten years,iam now 38 years old,prior to starting proscar i had 1200 grafts in the frontal and top of my scalp which was at age 26.my father was completly bold at my age,now at 38 years old i still have a full head of hair, proscar has stopped or at least slowed down my loss,if any loss has occured it has been at the frontal scalp.a few heavy grafts have come through,getting 600 grafts to soften the front. Moral to this story is proscar or propecia will stop or at least slow hair loss, so catch it early, find a great hair doctor,dont expect a mop top from hair transplants and you will be home. But keep taking proscar if your concerned about losing more hair,this is the secret and the truth.
Nick, where do you get your Proscar from? Do you take a 1/4 pill every day. Thought most people cut it in fifths. Thanks, xmissile@excite.com
some men take 1/4 of the Proscar (or generic) tablet because it is easier to cut the pill into 4 pieces than 5.
I am 16 and suffer from MPB. My hair is so bad that my scalp has been visable for about 2 years now and do not think I will have any hair left my 18.
I would like to ask if propecia works all over the head. I went to a dermatologist and trichologist and they told me I can start taking propecia now.
Also rogaine foam, has anyone had decent results with that?
wow! amazing here..
Im 22 and thinking about getting on finasteride. I still have hair to the point of having my head covered, however the rate at which I am losing it is fast. Will I have better results because of my age and (still present) hair?
That does look a bit dodgy.
i have been taking finax from dr reddys for 8 months or so , im not sure if i was just paranoid at the start when i noticed it thinning , but ican say 100% that it hasnt gotten any worse while on it , i can say it does look alot thicker on top and people have noticed its gotten better as they could obviosuly see the thinning before. i have been taking 1 tablet a day didnt cost a whole lot so worth a try , i will never give it up, my brother is thinning alot hes 3 years ahead of me so i can compare to him in 3 years
I am 19 years old and have been on Propecia for 2 weeks. I feel like my hair has improved but most likely wishful thinking is what I base my perception on. I started noticing my hairline receeding roughly 1/2 years ago and immdediatly began using Thymuskin. Which is a liquid substance you rub the scalp and hope for the best. I had seen slight results from it, though I didn’t apply it as often as recommended and I am still using it.
The reason that I’m using both products is that thymuskin is ideal for applying to the hairline but is annoying and time consuming to apply everywhere(unless your have very short hair). Also Propecia doesn’t seem to restore the hairline all that greatly.
Those results were enough to reverse any sexual side effects I was having on propecia. Far out!
The picture on the left has a skin marker outlined before hair transplant surgery. Transplant surgeons use this as a guide for restoring hairline. This result is fake.
There is nothing fake about this. I marked his head in the before photo so he could see where a hairline might be transplanted, then put him on Propecia. We do this in the initial consultation. The after results are without any surgery.
I started taking Finasteride 1mg daily exactly a year ago. I’m 21 years old now and I have noticed a very nice improvement on my hair. I used to look at my hair after a shower and noticed how thin it was and how I could see a lot of my scalp. I look in the mirror now and I actually feel a lot better about it because I can see that the hairs that I had actually got thicker.
I also noticed that at the very front of my hairline my hair was really thin, like a golden light blond, now those same hairs are thicker and are my natural light brown color.
I also noticed that using the same Camera I was using before I could notice scalp above my eye brows on my head, now when I take pictures I don’t see it anymore.
It’s only been one year and I’ve noticed awesome results. It doesn’t work on the temples very well… My hairline around my temples has grown hair but its kinda fine and not as thick as normal hair, but any hair is good right?
Honestly I can’t wait to see my results in 2, 3, 4 and 5 years. I read that there was a 5 year study on the drug and it continued to show good results! So the key thing is to start when you’re young and still have your hair, when you first notice Thinning and not a complete bald spot.
No side effects whatsoever while on this drug, my libido is still as strong as ever and nothing crazy like penis shrinking like some people have mentioned on forums… lol don’t believe that stuff.
My recommendation is starting ASAP, of course its best to go through a doctor and get it prescribed, but I just bought the drug from a Canadian site and I’m loving the results.
Don’t be afraid! The side effects are NOT permanent, if anything goes wrong discontinuing the drug will fix it. Its FDA approved for a reason guys
If you are a little bit of thinkink about your sex life,stay well away from propecia,you can see lots of bad side effects !!
I started taking Propecia when I was 28 years old and still having some hair. The results were truly amazing!!! Unfortunately I was one of those men who got unwanted side effects. I lose my libido almost completely and it was a problem for me just keeping an erection!!! Side effects dissapeared after 6 months I stop taking the pills!!! They say that just 2 percent of men have those unwanted effects!!! However, Propecia works over getting your hair back!!! Good luck!!!
I am 27.5 years old, and have the typical male baldness pattern which started when I was about 18 or 19. My hair has now receded significantly almost to about the center of the top of my head and all the hair on the top is thinner than the sides and back of my head. I started generic propecia 2.5 months ago, 1 mg daily and rarely forgetting my daily pill, and have not yet noticed any difference. It’s possible the balding has slowed or maybe even stopped at this point but I can’t tell yet. I have decided to start filming and documenting my head on a regular basis starting now and every few months after that. I will post updates on this page when possible, and the next update will contain a link to the video.
I’m 39 and have been balding for the last 10 years. Most of my hair loss is in the front, not so bad on the crown. I’ve used Rogaine on/off for the last 10 years, and while it seems to help a little, no major results. Question: Given my hair loss pattern (in the front) and my age, what are the chances Propecia will work??? I certainly don’t want to spend 24 months worth of money on a drug if the probability is low. Thanks!
Does this work on 37 year olds with balding from the front of the head to the middle of the top?
Why does he have a line drawn across his head??? seems to me like this is a before and after picture of a HAIR TRANSPLANT…….very suspicous.
Bret,
I explain it in comment #10. I’ll update the post to point that out.
I am 20 years old and 21 this June. I feel that I am aging faster than most of the guys around me, especially because of my hair. I started to notice thinning when I was 18 and I’ve been really mentally preoccupied with my male pattern baldness for the past two years. I feel that I am losing my hair from smoking and drinking too much, and that when I graduate college, and don’t party all the time, my hair loss will slow down…. but I know that it is just genetic because my dad is bald, and his dad, etc….
I am at the point where I am about to make an appointment with a real doctor to get prescribed Propecia, but my sex life is really important to me. I have a girlfriend and she says she would rather me go bald than not be able to have sex…. but what if I can keep my hair and not suffer any side effects? that would be the idea solution!
I’ve read all of the statistics, and I think it might be worth the risk…. I really want to keep my hair!
How can I be sure that I won’t get erectile dysfunction by taking Propecia? Is Propecia covered by medical insurance? How much does it cost? Do I have to take it the rest of my life?
wow….. I take photos of my hair all the time…. I have a receding hair line and noticeable thinning on my crown, and I’ve begun to notice it in men all around me. I always look for it…
Hey. I just wanted to say congratulations. I know a lot of people are sceptical about your hair re-gain, but I’m not. I have been taking Propecia only for 9 months and I have noticed a massive difference. I am going to wait until I have been using it for a year and then post some pictures.
My advice is give Porpecia a try. I was 29 when I started taking it and I am so glad that I did. I haven’t suffered ANY of the sexual side effects that are talked about.
I’ve been thinning really badly since I was a junior in highschool. I just finished my freshmen year in collge and have thick back and sides (for the most part) but my crown is completely bald. I turned 19 in May 2010. On 5/1/10 I started the rogaine foam and on 5/15/10 I took my first Propecia tablet.
It is now one month later, and I feel like I’m seeing so-so results. It looks like its heading in the right direction, but it could be wishful thinking.
6 months from May it will be November. I’m hoping to have thicker hair by Thanksgiving. That is my hope. By May 2011 I hope to have the majority of my hair back. I’m reaaaallly reaalllly hoping it will all come back, or at least the majority of it since I want to get in the film industry.
(I also take Biotin vitamins by the way.)
I’m just really hoping for thicker fuller hair by May 2011!
As for the side effects, I haven’t noticed any. No chest pains or anything. Dick is still the same size, no shrinking. Still the same old horny teenage guy I was last year. Still get erections so no worry there. I continue to work out so I’m hoping it won’t cause weight gain, but I can’t speak on that, however.
As for cost, I pay $90/month for brand Propecia 1mg at WALMART.
Good luck men, and I hope we all get great results.
90/month? I also go to walmart but only get charged 68.
I just wanted to say that I don’t see anything suspicious about those results. I was getting pretty thin up top about 3 years ago. I started taking Propecia and kept up with it for about 2 years. Then I got married and decided that it was to expensive to continue. Well every website is right about stopping it. Once you stop ALL the results are gone after about 6-12 months. I found a picture of myself last week form about 2 years ago and was AMAZED at how much hair grew back from taking the propecia. Now I have the “solar panel” appearing on the top of my head now. I just went to the Dr on Friday and got another prescription for it and started taking it again. The sutff really works , at least it did for me. So do not criticize this guy , applaud him for being a smashing success! If you think he is lying then try it for yourself. I have never seen a website anywhere that claims it will work for everyone and re grow all the hair that was lost. So it works great for some and not at all for others , welcome to reality. If that doesnt work then keep trying until you find something that does. You only become a failure when you stop seeking answers.
Guys why don’t you just embrace your new look and keep your head closely shaved? This is a very popular look which started in Italy and they know what looks good! I do and now I don’t even think about hair - imagine that?! : )
These comments are incredibly encouraging. Ive been really worried about my hair for the last six months as it started to recede slightly. I’m only sixteen!!! this should not be happening!!! haha but it is. Luckily I have big bushy hair that can cover up the slight recession. I’ve been on propecia for nearly two months and I’m looking forward to the next six months and the results they may hold!! hopefully all will go as planned and promised by propecia. And for anyone who reads this, I hope you don’t worry as much, and instead put your trust in the Lord our God, Jesus Christ. And thank him for making this incredible drug available to us all.