Q: I have early thinning on the top of my scalp and I was told to use Propecia, but I heard that is was only for men. What do you think?

A: Women can’t take Propecia during the child-bearing years because, if ingested, it can cause birth defects in male offspring.

In post-menopausal women, where we see the greatest frequency of hair loss, it doesn’t seem to be effective.

In pre-menopausal women who do not plan to become pregnant or who already have children, we are still cautious about using the medication, since there effectiveness has not been proven and it’s long-term safety in this population has not been tested.

Q: How does a hair transplant prevent hair loss? A: It doesn’t. Surgical hair restoration does just what it says. It restores hair to an area where the hair has been lost (by borrowing it from an area of greater density that is less important cosmetically, such as the back of the scalp). To prevent, [...]

Q: I know that I am going to be bald because my father is bald and I am losing my hair just like him. What actually causes this kind of hair loss? A: Although there are many different causes, the overwhelming number of people that have hair loss have what is referred to as “patterned [...]

Q: If Rogaine is used only once a day will it still be effective? A: Once a day topical use of Rogaine (topical minoxidil 2% and 5%) is probably almost as effective as using it twice a day. The reason is, although minoxidil has a relatively short half-life of several hours when given orally, when [...]

Q: I heard that Proscar, the 5mg version of finasteride, is now generic. Is that correct and is Propecia going generic as well? A: Yes, Finasteride 5mg (Proscar) is now available in a generic formulation. It is my understanding that Finasteride 1mg (Propecia) will not be available generically until the year 2012.