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Thread: Hello Everyone.

  1. #1
    Member Laserhead's Avatar
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    Red face Hello Everyone.

    I began to notice that I was losing my hair just after my 27th birthday. I didn't think much of it at the time, but by the time my next birthday rolled around my friends were joking about me going bald. It was not a joke to me so I began to look for a solution.

    After reading some scary accounts of guys having side effects from Propecia I didn't want to chance it. I'm not a a fan of having to take a drug for the rest of my life either.

    One day I heard a radio commercial for an FDA approved laser treatment which sounded promising. I have been doing the treatments for over 9 months and don't think that it is helping at all. My hair looks worse than ever and my wife thinks I'm just wasting our money. I beginning to think I am too.

    After reading what was written about laser hair therapy in the women's area and listening to the radio show I think I might have been taken for a ride.

    I'm joining this board to hopefully get some help and to speak with other men who have been successful in saving their hair if that is really possible.

    Also, Can anyone tell me if Aventi Laser Hair Therapy in Brentwood is legit?
    Last edited by Laserhead; 11-06-2008 at 09:50 PM. Reason: Wanted to ask a question.

  2. #2
    Administrator SpencerKobren's Avatar
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    Hey Laserhead,

    The truth is, if you're not seeing any results by now, you probably are wasting your money and your time.

    Companies all over the country are promoting FDA approved low level laser light therapy for the treatment of hair loss for both men and women. The fact is, this therapy has never been FDA approved for the treatment of hair loss and their is only one device that has been FDA cleared, but apparently this cleared devise is no longer being sold.
    Please see this article on the The Bald Truth website titled "FDA Warns HairMax LaserComb Makers About Illegal Sales of Non-FDA Cleared Devices"
    http://www.thebaldtruth.com/news/fda...max-lasercomb/

    My advice it to see a doctor. Hair loss is a medical condition and needs to be treated medically. In my opinion Propecia should always be your first line of attack.

    I also want to make it clear that while I am skeptical concerning the efficacy of LLLT for the treatment of hair loss, there are several well respected physicians in the hair loss community that believe that it does offer some benefit to their patients.

    As far as Aventi Laser Hair Therapy in Brentwood, if they are advertising their product as FDA approved on the radio and if there is no physician on the premises, I would avoid this place.

    As I write this, I'm looking at an X5 and a HairMax Lasercomb that I have in my office as part of my "hair loss gadget" collection. Who knows, perhaps they'll be real collectables some day


    Hope this helps!
    Spencer Kobren
    Founder, American Hair Loss Association
    Host, The Bald Truth Radio Show

    I am not a physician. My opinions and knowledge concerning hair loss and its treatment are based on extensive research and reporting on the subject as a consumer advocate and hair loss educator. My views and comments on the subject should not be taken as medical advice. Always seek the advice of a medical professional when considering medical and surgical treatment.

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    hey laserhead, dont believe all the scary stories you hear about propecia. side effects are actually pretty rare. it's worth reconsidering in my opinion. i was worried about taking a drug everyday too. but if been on the drug for over seven years without any problems...and that drug has literally saved my life!

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    Member JustJoe's Avatar
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    Smile

    Quote Originally Posted by davesolazzo View Post
    hey laserhead, dont believe all the scary stories you hear about propecia. side effects are actually pretty rare. it's worth reconsidering in my opinion. i was worried about taking a drug everyday too. but if been on the drug for over seven years without any problems...and that drug has literally saved my life!

    I also agree. Been on it for 11-12 years.....no major problems.

  5. #5
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    Just shy of a year on Propecia for me ... luckily, not a single side affect that I have noticed. Just stronger hair.

    I think the possible side affects of Propecia have been totally and unnecessarily sensationalized by the media and other outlets that just need something to talk about.

  6. #6
    Member Laserhead's Avatar
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    Default Thank you!

    Quote Originally Posted by TeeJay73 View Post
    Just shy of a year on Propecia for me ... luckily, not a single side affect that I have noticed. Just stronger hair.

    I think the possible side affects of Propecia have been totally and unnecessarily sensationalized by the media and other outlets that just need something to talk about.
    Thank you for your answers everyone. I’m feeling a little down that I wasting so much of my money and that laser crap I called my doctor about his thoughts on prescribing me Propecia and he suggested that I have my PSA levels tested. Is this what all doctors require before prescribing Propecia?
    Thank you again to everyone.

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    my doctor didnt mention anything about me having a psa test. I just told him how f'ed up i was about my hair loss and he wrote a prescription for me...

  8. #8
    Administrator SpencerKobren's Avatar
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    Hey Laserhaed,

    While most doctors don’t believe that it’s necessary to have a baseline PSA level before prescribing Propeica, I can understand why your doctor suggested it.

    A prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test measures the amount of prostate-specific antigen in the blood. PSA is released into a man's blood by his prostate gland. Healthy men have low amounts of PSA in the blood. The amount of PSA in the blood normally increases as a man's prostate enlarges with age. It’s important to note that PSA may increase as a result of an injury, a digital rectal exam, sexual activity (ejaculation), inflammation of the prostate gland (prostatitis), or prostate cancer.

    Since PSA screenings can potentially detect early prostate cancer and finasteride (Propecia) is known to lower PSA levels, some physicians fear that the early detection of cancer in some men might not be apparent if the PSA levels are being altered.

    Again, The benefit of PSA screening is catching dangerous prostate cancers early, while they're still curable, so this is why it is important that you inform all of your health care providers that you are being treated for male patter hair loss with Propecia.

    Current guidelines don't recommend PSA screening for all men. Instead, the guidelines suggest doctors discuss PSA screening and annual digital rectal exams with men 50 and older, although screening may begin at younger ages for some men.

    If you do have a PSA screening most doctors suggest that if you've been on Propecia for more than a year, you should double the PSA score.

    In the opinions of many the doctors that I work with, as long as your doctors know that you are being treated with Propecia, it’s probably not necessary to have a PSA screening test before beginning treatment.

    Hope this helps!
    Spencer Kobren
    Founder, American Hair Loss Association
    Host, The Bald Truth Radio Show

    I am not a physician. My opinions and knowledge concerning hair loss and its treatment are based on extensive research and reporting on the subject as a consumer advocate and hair loss educator. My views and comments on the subject should not be taken as medical advice. Always seek the advice of a medical professional when considering medical and surgical treatment.

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