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Hmm the article says it is believed to be "as effective as Minoxidil" - which really doesn't cure baldness, more like prevents its onset. So if you're already bald - tough luck.

So far I think the reality of it is: - to slow down baldness - drugs like minoxidil - to stop baldness - PRP sessions once every few years - to reverse it - hair transplants

I wonder if they would be able to not only get into "slow down" territory but to "stop" with a drug based on this sugar.

I was balding from 25 years onward and had made peace with it by just shaving my head. But recently I had an extended sabbatical and thought to myself - what the hell, let me try the "Elon Musk" way and just did some hair implants. It was rather painful, and took almost a month to fully recover, but it was soo worth it. Had forgotten how satisfying it was to have hair through your fingers plus walking out in the sun is much simpler now, no hats required.

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> Hmm the article says it is believed to be "as effective as Minoxidil" - which really doesn't cure baldness, more like prevents its onset. So if you're already bald - tough luck.

Minoxidil can reverse _some_ baldness. Apparently by stimulating blood vessels and waking the dormant hair follicles. Once you stop taking it, they revert back to the dormant state, and you lose the hair that you gained.

You're probably thinking about finasteride.

Dutasteride and finasteride can also reverse some baldness.

The side effect profile isn't great, unfortunately. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finasteride#Adverse_effects

There is a huge amount of FUD about finasteride online. The adverse effects most guys worry about with finasteride are the same sorts of issues that can caused by anxiety. Finasteride can actually increase free testosterone by 10-15%. Additionally, it's possible to capture most of the therapeutic benefit at a lower dosage than 1mg/day, further reducing the side effect potential.

Some of these are just the effects of having low DHT, which is in reality not a negative, as this is the point of finasteride.

For reducing hair loss, you theoretically only need to lower DHT levels in the scalp. But finasteride lowers it systemically (as well as inhibiting a bunch of other metabolic pathways systemically).

> Some of these are just the effects of having low DHT, which is in reality not a negative,

Sexual disfunction, depression, and gynecomastia are not desired effects for most people.

There is also a recent study [0] that found efficacy of essential rosmary oil to be as effective as minoxidil with less side effects when used topicaly as a shampoo additive.

[0]: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25842469/

How long will hair transplants last?

I've had them for seven years now and they seem OK. I also think they were super worth it, best purchase I made after my 3D printer. I look younger now than I did ten years ago, and it only cost $5k.

Where Turkey? What type Did you get, heard horror stories

Thessaloniki, Advanced Hair Clinics. I got FUE, everything was great.

I’ve been told by the doctor that if I do nothing, they should last for a couple of years and start balding up again.

If I do a few PRP sessions, and then continue with PRP every few years, should keep indefinitely - and honestly I’m pretty ok with that - kinda like going to the dentist ever so often to be proactive.

Thanks. This is the most believable info on this so far.

If you don’t mind me asking, how much was the implant. And how much was the PRP. Obviously, prices will vary, but all the existing info I find from googling is so far all over the place I struggle finding a realistic projection of my cost.

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