subject: Propecia vs Hair Transplant [print this page] Propecia vs Hair Transplant Propecia vs Hair Transplant
As a hair loss consultant and Surgical Technician for Dr. Mark Baxa in Charlotte, NC, I have seen that the most common option most of our patients choose is Propecia (Finasteride) and/or hair transplantation. At Dr. Baxa's office, we educate our patients and provide as much information as possible for them to understand what they are dealing with when it comes to hair loss. Our patients are offered medical and non-medical options of treatment that best fits their needs. The treatments we offer are Low Level Laser Therapy, cosmetic concealers, such as Toppik, vitamins and supplements specifically for hair loss, but our most common treatments are Propecia and hair restoration, also known as surgical hair transplantation.
Treatments vary, but all have the same goal to treat hair loss. The main treatments that show the best results and permanent solutions are Propecia and Hair Transplantation. Many of our patients ask if they are better off doing one over the other. The answer for this question can vary, depending on the patient's situation. But for the best, optimal and permanent results, Propecia and Hair Transplantation taken together are the most successful solution for hair loss.
Over the years, I have noticed that some of our former HTS (Hair Transplant Surgery) patients complained about some hair loss 4 years after their procedure. These patients were not on Propecia at any given time. Meanwhile, our former HTS patients who were taking Propecia or Finasteride consistently before and after their procedure never reported any further hair loss. In fact, they had actually seen more hair growth over the years post-op, not including the transplanted hair. The answer is simple. Transplanted hair is a permanent procedure and it is unaffected by DHT (dihydrotestosterone). But the hairs around the transplanted area, the hairs that were there "first", prior to the hair transplantation, are still vulnerable to DHT and this hormone can cause this hair to shrink, or miniaturize, and fall out. This process makes the HTS patients who were not taking Finasteride or Propecia, to see some hair loss or thinning around the grafted or transplanted area. Again, the transplanted hairs are not the ones that are falling out or thinning. It is the existing hair that is prone to DHT, which causes this hair loss.
Dr. Mark Baxa, Hair Transplant Surgeon in Charlotte, NC, recommends Propecia or Finasteride for the majority of his patients as well as his HTS patients, as this helps to minimize further hair loss and maintains the original and existing hairs, thus giving the patient a much fuller coverage. Finasteride also reverses the vellous hair to a thicker terminal hair. Hair Transplant surgery is an option for both men and women. Propecia is only FDA approved for men.
