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[chrisis]

Folly, thanks for the update. I wouldn't be so sure it's all in your head and stress-related. I've been off propecia since the end of January and I'm still feeling the side effects. I'm not stressed and I've never experienced this before in my life before I started taking that drug. I'm just hoping in time it goes away. I planned to get back on finasteride at a lower dose once the side effects were totally gone, but the longer it takes the less I'm inclined to ever touch it again.

It's justified that people get angry on this topic because sexual health is so important and I'm a strong believer that advocates of the drug should think before dismissing people like us so casually!

[spreadlocks]

Thanks a lot mate. Yeah, i think this is mostly native hair.

I really hope things work out for you with the finestride and everything else.

One question man? Just out of curiosity. Have you ever lifted weights? I just assume that with high testosterone levels you would probably be able to get really strong and muscular naturally.

[Folly]

Hey spreadlocks, not sure about the resize thingy mate. Spex will know.

Doesn't look like you had too much (if any) shock loss. I forgot you pretty much had a full head of hair pre-op. I'm assuming that's all your native hair in the pic and your transplanted hairs have shed. If that's the case, your results are going to look crazy good dude !! Keep us posted bro

[Folly]

Hi again Folly, please let us know the results of your blood test! I will be interested for sure.

Hey Chrisis, got my blood results back. My testosterone came back the same as it always does, which was on the high side but within the limit. As i mentioned, what i was interested in was the estrogen levels, because I've read that propecia can increase these levels in men. This is not good, as high estrogen can cause loss of libido, poor boners and MITS (man tits). I had my estrogen level measured 4 times last year and it always came back high. The range is 40 - 160 pmol/L and mine was on average 170 pmol/L (around 45 pg/L). I was told by the endocrinologist that this level wasn't high enough to cause MITS, which i was really shitting myself about. I was worried propecia would increase my estrogen level, but incredibly it has lowered it !! My latest estrogen level was 126 pmol/L, which is within the range. However, I'm still suffering from low libido and poor erections. I've lowered my propecia dose to 0.5 mg/daily. My libido is totally non existent at the moment which is really worrying, but it was reasonably good last week. I'm 99% sure it's all stress related and not propecia. Just going through a bad patch in life tbh. Going to see a urologist next week to see if he can confirm it's all in my head.

[spreadlocks]

Does anyone know why the pics auto resize when I upload them to this site? These pics are all big and really clear by automatically uploaded small.

[spreadlocks]

2 Month Update Pics

Without much light


With flash light

[chrisis]

I know propecia doesn't regrow hair in the hairline, but does it stop/slow down loss in that area ? I know it's effective on the top of the head and the 'anterior mid scalp'. Does 'anterior mid scalp' cover the front section of the hairline ? So that just leaves the temples where propecia is not effective ?

Hi again Folly, please let us know the results of your blood test! I will be interested for sure.

As far as I understand, the trials that have been conducted by Merck only looked at hair loss in the crown area. They can't advertise on their labels that it's effective for frontal/hairline loss, but anecdotal evidence suggests that many men do have success there. Sorry it's impossible to be more clear, but it seems to depend a lot on the individual. As long as you're happy about taking the drug from the perspective of your sexual health, the only way you can know if it will work is if you try it. There are few other options unfortunately

[Folly]

Cheers for the advice Chrisis. It's probably a bad time to start propecia when you're already having a loss in libido and just getting over erection problems, but my MPB really kicked off last year, so i was forced into it. Still unsure if the loss in libido/no morning erections is due to propecia, or just stress. Going to speak to my dermatologist in a few weeks and see what he says about reducing the dosage, like you mentioned.

Just had some testosterone/estrogen blood tests done last week, so i'm still awaiting the results. I've always had a slightly elevated estrogen level, which is known to cause poor erections/loss in libido in men. It will be interesting to see if propecia has increased my estorgen levels (apparently it can), which may have caused my drop in libido these past couple of months. Will let you guys know if anyone is interested.

I know propecia doesn't regrow hair in the hairline, but does it stop/slow down loss in that area ? I know it's effective on the top of the head and the 'anterior mid scalp'. Does 'anterior mid scalp' cover the front section of the hairline ? So that just leaves the temples where propecia is not effective ?

[chrisis]

You could drop your dose to 0.25 or 0.5mg. We're talking about a marginal difference in effectiveness and might help with any sides.

[Folly]

I've been on 1mg daily for almost 3 months now. Still have the same sort of erections as before, but feeling a loss in libido and not had morning erections in a while either. Although i didn't have morning erections for a while before propecia too, probably due to stress. I'll probably stay on propecia at 1mg/day for another 3 months. I really want to see if it starts to fill in the thinning i have in my crown (see attached picture).

If there's no signs of regrowth and i still have a drop in libido, i'll start taking it every other day. Since it's not affecting my erections, i'm not panicking tbh. Anyway, there's a good chance my libido will come back to normal if i stay on the drug.

The mind is a powerfull thing. I was quite stressed out last year with my hair loss, my HT and some other sh#t, and for the first time in my life started having erection problems and a drop in libido (at age 28). I was convinced i had some hormonal/blood problem, but after some investigating, my endrochronologist told me it was all in my head. He was right. My erections went back to normal after a while, but i do my best not to get stressed out nowadays.

[chrisis]

Folly, what dose are you on? Have you tried reducing it?

I don't think it's in your head. Too many of us mentioning it.

[Folly]

Glad to hear you've done well with Propecia. I feel like i've had a significant drop in libido since propecia, but like you i've also gone through patches in the past where i'm not horny, purely due to anxiety/stress. I think it's all in my head. Regardless, i'd rather keep my hair and be less horny, if it is in fact the propecia.

Good luck with the growth.

[spreadlocks]

Man. I am so sorry to hear about the FUE but glad to hear your shedding has stopped with the propecia.

I started propecia about 3 years ago and honestly do not think I have lost any hair whatsoever since being on it. I have pics of how I looked then and it was the same as when I went in for my HT. No hair loss at all for about 3 years. It's why I have never bothered with Minoxidil or Nizoral. Because the finestride has been amazing for me. I also did not have any initial shed with propecia.

Also I have not had any sides at all from it. No loss of libido or issue with erections. In fact, at almost 33 years old I am probably hornier than I have ever been. Haha. I still wake up with morning wood virtually every day.
There has been twice though when I have had a drop in Libido and immediately I thought "Is it the finestride" but it has merely been times of stress or worry and everything has went back to normal within a couple of weeks. Once was when I was going to lose my job and the other was the week before my surgery when I was nervous. I am pretty sure it is normal not to feel particularly horney during times like that anyway and in hindsight it wasn't anything to do with the finestride.

Of course though, some people do have issues with it so keep an eye.

[Folly]

Hey dude,

Do you know at what timescale shock loss usually occurs? Is it within the first month or later? Fingers crossed, I have managed to skip and severe shock loss.

I believe it usually happens within 2-3 weeks, but may also occur within a couple of months post-op.

I understand that you had a less than stellar result from your FUE though man so you need to be considering everything. How has that been by the way? Any progress at all?

Nah, still no growth. I've accepted that FUE surgery i had last year has been a complete failure. It was just strange how my grafts re-grew (after the initial shed) and then fell out again. Dr. Cole is helping me work out why this happened in another thread, which is kool because he's like the FUE jesus.

Only positive is i've stopped shedding for the past 2.5 months. I've been on propecia for 2.5 months too and not had an initial shed. Hopefully if i make it to 3 months, i don't think i'll have an initial shed. Fingers crossed propecia will help me maintain what i have for a few years.

I remeber you saying you were on propecia too. Has it stoped you losing hair ? Did it stop/slow down your receeding hairline ? Any sides? I thought i've been having a reduced libido lately, but i think it's all in my head.

Cheers.

[spreadlocks]

Cheers man. You are bang on. There is that tiny glimmer of hope that you will avoid the sleep period and just grow through. Haha. Nah. I prepared myself for the shed and to be honest now, it ain’t bothering me that much. Even if I get to where I was pre HT by like 3 months then that gives me enough breathing space to give the new grafts time to grow and mature.
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Really not sure on Shock loss man. It’s hard to say as I was wearing my hair long. If the hair that is in my recipient area now is all native hair then I probably haven’t had much, if any shock loss as it is probs similar to how it was before. If however, some of those hairs are still new grafts that will shed over the coming month, then that will leave my recipient area less dense and will probably mean I had some shock loss. It will be hard to say for another month or so. Actually, on closer inspection there probably is some further back in my recipient area. Not at the very front though yet. Do you know at what timescale shock loss usually occurs? Is it within the first month or later? Fingers crossed, I have managed to skip and severe shock loss.
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As for the donor, again, I am not so sure. I have fairly thick hair which is a few of centimetres long around the side so it’s hard to tell. It certainly doesn’t seem like there is any severe shockloss. I got my girlfriend to take the scar picture and she said that she was struggling to find it (Which is great news as it’s only 1 month out). I saw a guy on another forum who had strip with Feller 6 months ago. He had his hair shaved down to like a 1 guard and his scar was hardly visible. I’ll be ecstatic if mine ends up like that as I’ll be able to shave down to a 2 guard on the sides which is how I like to wear my hair.
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As for the speeding up the MPB thing, I have just tried to stop looking at anything negative online now. The first 2 weeks post op I would read disaster stories n stuff then start getting worried. Then I realised, the op is done, there is nothing I can do about it now and worrying ain’t gonna help hair grow. I have been trying to think about it as little as possible. I understand that you had a less than stellar result from your FUE though man so you need to be considering everything. How has that been by the way? Any progress at all?