I know it’s recommended to stop dutasteride well in advance when trying to conceive, but I’m also planning to get a hair transplant. Would it make more sense to stop before or after the transplant? Has anyone been in a similar situation? What did your doctor recommend?
Hi everyone,
I'm 28 years old, and I started noticing hair loss about 3 years ago. It began with my temples and then progressed to my crown. I'm currently a Norwood V.
About 6 months ago, I went to a hair transplant specialist because I plan to get a transplant in the future. However, he told me that before doing the procedure, we first needed to stabilize my hair loss and see if we could regrow as much hair as possible.
He initially prescribed 0.5 mg finasteride three times a week and 2.5 mg oral minoxidil daily for 6 months.
Yesterday I had my follow-up appointment, and unfortunately, the results weren't as good as we had hoped. To be honest, I still feel like my hair is getting thinner. Because of that, my doctor switched me to 0.5 mg dutasteride three times a week and increased my oral minoxidil to 5 mg daily.
I've been reading a lot of posts on this subreddit. While I've seen some amazing success stories, I've also come across many negative comments about dutasteride, and it's honestly making me feel discouraged. I'm trying not to let it affect my mindset and I plan to stick with the treatment, but hearing my doctor say that my progress has been very slow really hit me.
For those of you who have been through something similar:
As for family history, my dad is bald, and my mom's brothers are also bald, so I know genetics aren't on my side.
I'd really appreciate hearing your experiences or even a few words of encouragement. I know everyone's journey is different, but right now it would help a lot to know that slow progress doesn't necessarily mean the treatment won't work.
Thanks in advance!