My story and questions. (pics)

[Tracy C]

It looks good, but I'm not sure.

There is a reason a prescription is required to get Finasteride. You need to see a doctor and talk about it with the doctor to determine if Propecia or generic Finasteride is right for you.

To make sure the meds you are taking are the real thing, get them from your local pharmacy.

[NotBelievingIt]

with the doctor to determine if Propecia or generic Finasteride is right for you.

Huh?

Propecia is nothing but finasteride in a 1mg dose plus some other (inactive) stuff to make it into a pill form with color and stable at room temperature.

I don't need to tell you that, so you may want to clarify what you meant.

[Tracy C]

Huh?

...you may want to clarify what you meant.

Some people are not aware that Propecia is Finasteride. I know it, you know it - but not everyone knows it.

[NotBelievingIt]

This forum needs a FAQ sticky. A thread that remains at the top and is basically locked except to certain contributers and admins. It would contain links to other threads or other websites that answer the questions or provide a specific resource. Not necessarily to take traffic away from here, but to prevent confusion and question repetition.

To seemingly make a distinction between Propecia and Proscar, Fincar, Finpecia, Regane, Rogaine etc etc. when all it comes down to a specific ingredient and the brand name is what people see can confuse some who are likely not in the mood to be confused.

Over time often a lot of questions get repeated and people don't use search, or they don't use quite the right terms for the search so telling people to use search isn't beneficial. But if there is a 'NEW USERS READ THIS FAQ FIRST!' thread at the top, I think that could solve and answer quite a lot of peoples questions. I regularly visit a Health and Fitness forum and it has a hugely successful and thorough Read First FAQ that deals with weight lifting, diet etc.

[chrisis]

I agree, NotBelievingIt. I see the same questions cropping up again and again, and I'm pretty new here! An FAQ would help and the number 1 rule should be DYOR first! (Do Your Own Research). It's unfair to expect other people to answer questions time and time again when they're easily found if a little time is invested.

Research your question and then ask! This should be really encouraged!

[Tracy C]

I see the same questions cropping up again and again, and I'm pretty new here!

You see the same thing over in The Women's Hair Loss Project forum. You get used to it. Some folks just want or need one-on-one dialog.

[Winston]

I agree with Tracy C. I don't think it’s that people are too lazy to research, I think they just want a little hand holding and personal attention. I think this type of interaction is what this forum is all about, and sets it apart from the other hair loss forums. Not everything is so cut and dry, sometimes people just want to communicate with others dealing with the same issue. I don’t mind seeing the same type of questions being asked as long as people are being helped.

[chrisis]

True, we all need a little support, that's fine. However I do believe laziness should be discouraged, because unless people take the time to research and think for themselves, they may not understand the topic properly and they also risk becoming too reliant on other peoples' advice - which may or may not be good advice. Few of us are qualified enough to be taken on "trust".

I think the FAQ would be a good opportunity to outline some basics and could offer a starting point to do a little homework (e.g. links to sources of info).