Is Propecia (Finasteride) Effective for Asian Hair Loss Sufferers?

This below question was asked by a member of our Hair Loss Social Community and Discussion Forums and answered by recommended hair restoration surgeon Dr. Wen-Yi Wu:

Is Propecia (finasteride) effective for Asian patients?

When compared with Caucasians, finasteride is less effective in Asians. However, we still recommend finasteride to our patients suffering from androgenic alopecia. We tell our patients that the goal of taking the medicine is to slow down the balding process and to decrease the amount of hair loss.

We rarely tell our patients that there will be obvious new hair growth, as we found out that many patients stopped taking the medicine when told this. Only a small percentage of Asians noted regrowth. When no change is noted after one year, it means that the medicine is working.

Dr. Wen-Yi Wu

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David (TakingThePlunge)
Editorial Assistant and Forum Co-Moderator for the Hair Transplant Network, the Coalition Hair Loss Learning Center, and the Hair Loss Q & A Blog.
To share ideas with other hair loss sufferers visit the hair loss forum and social community.

Technorati Tags: Propecia, finasteride, androgenic alopecia, balding, hair loss, hair growth

David aka - TakingthePlunge

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David aka - TakingthePlunge says:

September 9, 2014 at 12:39 am

Jay,

Though estimates vary regarding the average number of hairs a healthy person loses daily, 100 to 150 is well within the normal range.

Even if your shedding has increased during this time, I would not recommend quitting Propecia (finasteride) just yet. We recommend that hair loss sufferers continue taking finasteride for a minimum of 6 months and up to one year before assessing their results.

David
Jay says:

September 5, 2014 at 5:28 pm

I’ve been using generic finasteride for about three months now, I’m a week into my fourth. At this stage, the shedding phase should have stopped I presume but I’m still shedding a lot of hair daily (about 100-150). Does this mean that the medication isn’t working and that I should stop taking it?
Blake aka - FutureHTDoc says:

June 16, 2014 at 5:40 pm

Jane,

Many patients choose to combine preventive hair loss medications in order to achieve the greatest amount of stabilization and regrowth. For example, the combination of minoxidil (Rogaine), finasteride (Propecia), and Nizoral shampoo (ketoconazole) is a favorite among hair loss sufferers. However, only a personal health care provider who is familiar with your care can tell you whether or not combining medications is effective and safe. Because of this, I highly recommend seeking the counsel of a trusted physician.

Good luck!

Blake (Future_HT_Doc)
Forum Co-Moderator and Editorial Assistant
janeleonard says:

June 12, 2014 at 8:17 am

Will combining another medicine for hair regrowth along with finasteride seems to be effective or whether it dos cause any side effects?