Q: I am a 22 yr. old male and have been on Propecia for exactly 4 months. When I started taking the medication, I was in the beginning stages of hair thinning/loss in the front and crown areas, with no change in my hair line. During the time I have taken Propecia, my hair loss has increased drastically. Is it that I just have to bite the bullet and am one of the few unlucky individuals that do not respond to Propecia? Could it be that I am taking the medication incorrectly? Wrong time of day? With or without food? Or, do I just need to give it more time? Is there still a chance I could at least regain the hair I’ve lost over these past 4 months?

A: You are probably experiencing an accelerated phase of hair loss that is possibly made worse by the finasteride. The shedding from finasteride is common during the first few months of treatment and is temporary. The full effects of Propecia are not seen for 6 to 12 months.

I would continue to take the medication for at least a year before you judge if it is working. It does not matter the time of day or relationship to food.

Q: First off thank you for providing this Blog, it is extremely informative and gives people the opportunity to ask questions of one of the most knowledgeable hair transplant surgeons in the world. You are considered the consummate researcher in the field of hair loss, so I ask this question of you. It appears that [...]

Q: Is Loniten good for treating hair loss? A: Loniten (oral minoxidil) is not useful for treating hair loss. The reason is that it stimulates hair growth all over the body (hypertrichosis) and has a number of serious side effects. Even when used to treat blood pressure, for which it is FDA approved, it is [...]

Q: My friend just came back from Paris and said that his cousin was taking Avolve for hair loss. Can you tell me what that is and is it available in the U.S.? A: Avolve is the European trade name for dutasteride 0.5mg made by GlaxoSmithKline for prostate enlargement. In the U.S. dutasteride 0.5mg, under [...]

Q: I have some early thinning in my crown and the doctor said I am too early for a hair transplant. I don’t want to take Propecia, but using Rogaine twice a day is a big nuisance. Can I use Rogaine once a day? A: The tissue half-life of minoxidil is 22 hours. This means [...]