Is Propecia an effective treatment for DPA (Diffuse Pattern Alopecia)

[dpm1129]

I just started the big three about a week and a half ago after a derm's recommendation, and I wanted to make sure that treatment regimen has a positive chance of success for my type of hair loss.

For clarification: my hair loss is DPA, not DUPA. The donor areas (sides and back) show no miniaturization.

[35YrsAfter]

I just started the big three about a week and a half ago after a derm's recommendation, and I wanted to make sure that treatment regimen has a positive chance of success for my type of hair loss.

For clarification: my hair loss is DPA, not DUPA. The donor areas (sides and back) show no miniaturization.

The frustrating thing about hair loss treatments like Rogaine, Propecia and Avodart, is their minimal effectiveness for most men. Propecia and Avodart at best will will help a young man maintain what he has. For how long though? Yesterday I had a young man in for a consult who said Avodart made him feel asexual. He discontinued its use and told me it took longer than he expected to get back to where he was.

35YrsAfter also posts as CITNews and works at Dr. Cole's office
Cole Hair Transplant
1045 Powers Place
Alpharetta, Georgia 30009
Phone 678-566-1011
Please feel free to call or email me with any questions.

[KO1]

The frustrating thing about hair loss treatments like Rogaine, Propecia and Avodart, is their minimal effectiveness for most men. Propecia and Avodart at best will will help a young man maintain what he has. For how long though?

This information is objectively wrong. Current medications like Propecia and Avodart are extremely effective and will maintain hair for many many years, if not forever, especially when one is in early stages of hair loss. In such cases, maintenance is a dramatic success. To suggest that they have "minimal effectiveness" is misleading and foolish.

[35YrsAfter]

This information is objectively wrong. Current medications like Propecia and Avodart are extremely effective and will maintain hair for many many years, if not forever, especially when one is in early stages of hair loss. In such cases, maintenance is a dramatic success. To suggest that they have "minimal effectiveness" is misleading and foolish.

I certainly don't want to discourage you from trying Propecia or Avodart. Dr. Cole recently attended a workshop where hair restoration physicians presented the results from a variety of studies. One study provided stats on the effectiveness of Propecia. The study indicated minimal effectiveness. I use Rogaine and it's minimally effective for me. I still use it. I also meet every patient who comes to our office for hair restoration surgery. I try to ask every patient whether or not they use Rogaine, Propecia or Avodart. These three get mixed reviews. Some men tell me Avodart makes them feel as if they were castrated.

I did recently see an impressive result where a patient was using Avodart since 2003. Beginning in 2011, he had his first PRP treatment and saw some improvement in his hair shaft diameter. He saw the greatest improvement after his treatment in 2012. This is encouraging news to me.

35YrsAfter works at Dr. Cole's office

[25 going on 65]

I just started the big three about a week and a half ago after a derm's recommendation, and I wanted to make sure that treatment regimen has a positive chance of success for my type of hair loss.

For clarification: my hair loss is DPA, not DUPA. The donor areas (sides and back) show no miniaturization.

Yes it works for diffuse loss.

[KO1]

One study provided stats on the effectiveness of Propecia. The study indicated minimal effectiveness. I use Rogaine and it's minimally effective for me. I still use it. I also meet every patient who comes to our office for hair restoration surgery. I try to ask every patient whether or not they use Rogaine, Propecia or Avodart. These three get mixed reviews. Some men tell me Avodart makes them feel as if they were castrated.

Would you mind providing the stats? I have seen many many studies of finasteride, and they all indicate very strong efficacy of the treatment. The second part of your story is just anecdotes.

The goal of this medication is maintenance, not regrowth, and should not be judged by it.

[35YrsAfter]

Yes it works for diffuse loss.

What we are debating here is our personal definition of terms like "minimal", "strong efficacy" and "works". Working for a hair restoration doctor and seeing men on Propecia for many years still losing hair to me isn't indicative of a treatment I would say has "strong efficacy". I say Propecia has minimal effectiveness because we have many patients who have been using Propecia for years continuing to lose hair, and opting for hair transplant surgeries to correct their progressive hair loss. If Propecia were truly that effective, hair cloning and doubling would not be such a hot topic in the hair loss forums. Many young men in this forum have tried nearly everything and continue to lose hair. It's truly depressing for many and we are all waiting for a better hair loss solution than the ones currently available.

35YrsAfter works at Dr. Cole's office

[KO1]

What we are debating here is our personal definition of terms like "minimal", "strong efficacy" and "works". Working for a hair restoration doctor and seeing men on Propecia for many years still losing hair to me isn't indicative of a treatment I would say has "strong efficacy". I say Propecia has minimal effectiveness because we have many patients who have been using Propecia for years continuing to lose hair, and opting for hair transplant surgeries to correct their progressive hair loss. If Propecia were truly that effective, hair cloning and doubling would not be such a hot topic in the hair loss forums. Many young men in this forum have tried nearly everything and continue to lose hair. It's truly depressing for many and we are all waiting for a better hair loss solution than the ones currently available.

It is not relevant that you work for an HT doctor or that you see men on propecia that "continue to lose hair". The data is very clear on this, the overwhelming majority of men who take this drug keep their hair or are a little bit below baseline even up to ten years. A small number continue to lose hair, but their loss is greatly slowed.

There is no question that we need better treatments, but it is inaccurate to suggest that these treatments are not particularly effective. While we need more treatments, the ones we have are a great help to many, and to dismiss them is pretty harmful for men who are considering their use.

[25 going on 65]

What we are debating here is our personal definition of terms like "minimal", "strong efficacy" and "works". Working for a hair restoration doctor and seeing men on Propecia for many years still losing hair to me isn't indicative of a treatment I would say has "strong efficacy". I say Propecia has minimal effectiveness because we have many patients who have been using Propecia for years continuing to lose hair, and opting for hair transplant surgeries to correct their progressive hair loss. If Propecia were truly that effective, hair cloning and doubling would not be such a hot topic in the hair loss forums. Many young men in this forum have tried nearly everything and continue to lose hair. It's truly depressing for many and we are all waiting for a better hair loss solution than the ones currently available.

35YrsAfter works at Dr. Cole's office

I pretty much agree with this post. I consider fin an effective drug for maintenance, but I guess for guys with aggressive MPB it is not necessarily enough to stop losing it (particularly in the temples/hairline for guys who are NW1-2....that is where I usually hear about fin failing to stop loss)

But in other cases I think it is a situation where the patient waited too long to get on meds. I rly wish I started fin at least 1-2 years before I did. In fact if I could go back in time I would start before the first signs of loss!