Does having a hair transplant mean you don't need hair medications anymore? Learn more about using Finasteride after a hair transplant.
If you are a man who has decided on hair transplant surgery, or you are just now considering all of your options for hair loss, it is important to think about the long-term maintenance of the procedure.
For some men with hair loss, they opt for hair transplant surgery. Either because their hair loss is a little too extensive for medications alone, the front hair follicles have gone dormant, or they just don’t want to bother with long-term medications and want more immediate results.
However, it is important to note that for many patients, in order to help maintain the results of your hair transplant surgery, you may need to use medications as well.
Below, we will outline what medications are normally recommended post-transplant surgery and why it may be necessary to employ medications to maintain your surgical hair gains.
Also Read: What Is Hair Cloning? What To Expect for Future Hair Loss Treatments
Not only is it ok to use Finasteride (and other medications like Minoxidil) after your hair transplant surgery, most doctors recommend it upfront, or may even start you on it before the procedure.
There is no interaction between Finasteride or Minoxidil and the procedure. Although, be sure to consult with your hair transplant doctor so that they are aware of all products you are using. Your doctor may help you find an appropriate regimen and start date for you.
Read Related: Why a Topical Finasteride Gel Is So Awesome!
Initially, the idea of having to still use hair loss medications after you undergo the expense and hassle of having a hair transplant may sound counterintuitive -- didn’t you have this procedure so you don’t have to worry about hair loss anymore?
Not exactly.
The outcomes and goals of these two ways to help with hair loss are pretty distinct, and, as it turns out, combining a maintenance hair loss medications regimen post-transplant can help you hold on to the look of your hair after the procedure.
In one study, men who were undergoing hair transplant surgery were asked to take 1mg of oral finasteride or a placebo tablet once daily starting 4 weeks before the procedure and lasting until 48 weeks after the transplant.
At the 48 week mark, participants were reviewed to measure hair counts, global photographic assessment, and hair increases in the superior/frontal scalp. Of the finasteride group, 94% had visible increases in the superior/frontal scalp hair, as compared to only 67% in the placebo group.
Learn More: Finasteride and Minoxidil: Should You Use Both Together for Hair Loss?
The goal of hair transplantation is to take some DHT-resistant hair from the back of the scalp, and transplant it into the most commonly balding areas -- normally the crown and frontal hairline.
DHT, or dihydrotestosterone, is a hormone in your body that is responsible for shrinking and eventually the loss of hair follicles in male pattern hair loss, especially the DHT-sensitive hairs. But, the hair on the sides and back of your head tends to be more resistant to the effects of this hormone than the top and front of your head.
When this “DHT-resistant” hair is transferred during hair transplant surgery, the follicles tend to maintain their DHT-resistant state and do a pretty good job of staying put.
But, just because the transplanted hairs are doing pretty well at resisting the progressive effects of DHT, it is likely that you still have some amount of native (DHT-sensitive) hairs surrounding the transplant area.
By helping your body to ramp up growth with the use of Minoxidil, or to keep DHT levels lower with Finasteride, your surrounding non-transplanted hairs are better equipped to keep up with your transplanted area.
Think of this as maintenance of your hair transplant. Without the use of medications to keep more native hair losses at bay, it is possible to end up with an island of DHT-resistant transplanted hair surrounded by thinning or bald areas.
As with most medications, there are pros and cons to treatment. With medications like Finasteride, the reduction of DHT may lead to side effects like low mood or sexual issues in a small percentage of men.
Most men do not experience side effects with treatment, but if this happens to you, you can stop the medication and the issues almost always resolve.
At Strut Health, we provide hair loss treatments online, no matter if you are trying to stave off a hair transplant or maintaining one.
We offer innovative formulations like topical and oral Finasteride and Dutasteride, as well as a formulas for women’s hair loss including Minoxidil and Spironolactone. Our formulations are customizable and can often include multiple hair loss ingredients including Minoxidil and Tretinoin to increase penetration.
You can have a free online questionnaire and image-based consultation with our U.S. licensed doctors today to see if our hair loss medications are a good option for you.
If you are a good candidate for treatment, your medication can be shipped to your front door with our free shipping. If you have any questions or need adjustments during your treatment, our staff and doctors are available for free unlimited follow-ups.
.png)
.png){kind=icon}
.png){kind=icon}
