recent hair loss

Question
QUESTION: I have recently started losing my hair is the above the temples in the front of my head. I am 26 years old. From all I have read propecia and rogaine do not work in this area. Will propecia work in stopping of slowing my hair recession in this area. I am not necessarily looking for hair regrowth but want to stop any further recession. Also would it help to use the rogaine foam.



ANSWER: Propecia does work to stop the balding process all over the head, front and back. The studies were done only on the back because it was easier to do but the FDA required the company to repeat the tests and measure the effect on the front in order to claim it works. I strongly suggest you give it a try for a year and see if it doesn't stop your loss. I have seen young men such as yourself actually grow back much of the hair they lost in the previous three years.



---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------



QUESTION: SHOULD i EXPECT SOME SHEDDING BEFORE i SEE RESULTS. i HAVE READ THAT THIS DES OCCUR WHEN YOU FIRST START USING PROPECIA. ALSO SHOULD I USE THIS IN COMBO WITH ROGAINE FOAM.



ANSWER: Shedding is not usually seen after starting Propecia. It may be seen rarely but that may be for many other reasons. The end result is that Propecia will stop the hairs from aging in over 85% of men and slows it down in all men. Using Roagaine will make the hair look thicker than just using Proepecia but I ask my patients to use just Propecia for the first six months at least so they can see the benefits of it by itself first before adding another treatment such as Rogaine.



---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------



QUESTION: Thanks for your help. I have read many negitive thing regarding propecia side effects in forums. Is this just fear mongering or should I be worried.


Answer
I think it is fear mongering. Considering I have been taking it for 17 years without complaint and I have my 23 year old son taking it for the past two years it would seem that doctors who are most familiar with the way the medicine works are less likely to be afraid of it. Finasteride blocks the 5 alpha reductase enzyme in the prostate gland just like what is seen in several families as an enzyme deficiency. Those boys with that deficiency never go bald and never get prostate cancer. I think you will see this medication being used as the prophylactic therapy to prevent prostate cancer and all young men will be started on it at age 20. The studies so far seem to point to that at the most likely course for finasteride 1mg daily.