What If Propecia Doesn’t Work and I Continue to go Bald after Hair Transplant Surgery?

I’m considering hair restoration surgery. I have been taking Propecia for about 2 years now and I think it has helped at least slow down my hair loss. But, I have noticed a little bit of regression of my hair on the sides of my head. Does this mean that Propecia is not working for me? Also, if I choose to get a hair transplant, and hair is transplanted in an area (like the sides) to enhance my sides could I end up in a situation where I continue to experience further balding behind the transplanted hair,
perhaps creating a patchy look?

These are excellent questions. Taking Propecia (finasteride) is arguably the single best non-surgical hair loss treatment currently available. An excellent complement to finasteride is Rogaine (minoxidil) and I highly recommend using them in combination. However, while these treatments can help to slow the progression of hair loss and even regrow hair, it’s important to remember that there is no such thing as a hair loss cure. Your balding will probably continue to progress, albeit at a far slower pace.

Another important point is that neither of these drugs is particularly effective for treating frontal hair loss. I would guess that, although you have seen some continued recession, Propecia has at the very least preserved hair that would have otherwise been lost to the effects of DHT.

Every hair transplant patient runs the risk of future balding behind the transplanted hair. For this reason, it’s critical that you and your hair restoration surgeon map out a long-term plan. By medically stabilizing your hair loss and carefully planning your procedure with your physician, it’s perfectly reasonable to expect results that will look great for many years to come.

Eventually, you may need a second procedure to address any additional hair loss.

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David (TakingThePlunge)
Forum Co-Moderator and Editorial Assistant for the Hair Restoration Forum and Social Network, the Coalition Hair Loss Learning Center, and the Hair Loss Q&A Blog.

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