Is It Worth Having a Hair Transplant If You Don’t Take Propecia ?

This is an excellent question. Firstly, there have been reports of sexual side effects with Propecia, but the vast majority of people taking Propecia report no adverse side effects and the benefits of taking Propecia, especially in younger patients, are significant. In my practice, I have all patients read and sign a detailed Propecia consent form that discusses in depth the benefits of Propecia as well as all the possible side effects and any associated risks. I let the patients know if they start to feel any of the adverse side effects to discontinue the medication. In addition, to patients who are thinning in the crown region, which it sounds like you are, I also recommend Rogaine 5% foam twice a day.

Studies have shown that patients who use Rogaine and Propecia together experience a synergy between the 2 medications which show more positive results than either medication taken independent of the other. I routinely perform a video microscopy on the scalp with my patients and if I see a large amount of miniaturization of follicles I may also recommend low light laser therapy. I have become a fan of the new LaserCap which, with it’s ease of use, provides excellent compliance among patients. I have seen great results with it low light laser therapy in patients who have a large amount of miniaturization.

In order for me to determine if you are a candidate for Hair Transplant surgery I would need to see you in consultation or look at your photos, but if you are a 3V it sounds like you likely could be a candidate. I always tell my patients that you will definitely have between 2-4 procedures in your lifetime to keep up with continuing hair loss. The number of procedures is affected by the rate of your future hair loss, which Propecia, Rogaine, and Laser Therapy can markedly slow down.

Finally, in response to your question about is it worth having a Hair Transplant if you don’t take Propecia, I would say yes. Mostly what Propecia is going to do is maintain the hair that you currently have and in some cases cause the miniaturized hair to become healthy again. If you stop Propecia, these effects will reverse. A hair transplant procedure will regrow hair that will be there permanently. This is the only solution that will have the most dramatic effect on your hair, and will not be dependent on you taking any medications. I hope this answers your questions.