As many of my readers and listeners already know, I credit Merck and Co., the makers of Propecia, for literally changing the course of my life. Having the ability to stop the progression of my hair loss provided me with the motivation to write my first book, The Bald Truth: The First Complete Guide To Preventing and Treating Hair loss.

Throughout the last decade, I have had the profound privilege to be in a position to educate and to motivate hair loss sufferers from around the world, and the one piece of advice that I give to every man suffering with male pattern hair loss is to speak to their doctors about Propecia.

Through my radio program, I have spoken to countless men who seem to be in a great deal of distress about the prospect of going bald, yet they continue to voice their concerns about the ongoing cost of Propecia. In my opinion, Propecia is a relatively low monthly expense when considering how this treatment can literally improve the quality of a person’s life. For less than the cost of a night out, a guy can enjoy the benefits of maintaining his appearance, his self confidence, and in many cases his self esteem. In my mind it’s a no-brainer. Never the less, Merck and Co. has created a new program to help motivated men begin treatment with Propecia while saving a significant amount of money.

The  Propecia—Persistence Program supports your commitment to treating your hair loss with significant discounts on the price of Propecia . I think it makes sense to take advantage of this program, especially if you’ve allowed the cost of Propecia to prevent you from effectively treating your hair loss.

Eligible patients save in 1 of 2 ways: (1) up to $60 off your first 90-day purchase and up to $200 off the fourth 90-day purchase OR (2) up to $260 immediately by purchasing a year’s supply in advance.

Besides making it easier for patients to afford Propecia, Merck and Co. is offering a 12 month money back guarantee.

The guarantee is simple. Use Propecia for 12 months and if you don’t at least maintain the hair you had when you began treatment, Merck and Co. will give you a full refund of your purchase price, less any rebates you received.

This program is for new male patients, age 18 or older with male pattern hair loss who continue to use Propecia for 12 months.

I’m writing about this because I believe that anyone concerned about their hair loss who chooses not to begin treatment with Propecia based on cost is doing themselves a huge disservice.

Check out the following sites to take advantage of these discounts and rebates, and to get yourselves on the road to effectively treating your hair loss.

www.propeciaoffer.com
www.propeciaprogram.com

Money Back Gurantee:
https://www.propecia.com/finasteride/propecia/consumer/about-propecia/12-month-promise.jsp

Post from: Hair Loss Show: The Bald Truth

Since the program was so well received, we decided to archive the entire broadcast. If you’re a hair loss sufferer who thinks that your receding hairline has extinguished your love life, think again!

This is an extremely empowering show and Neil was a truly inspirational guest!

Enjoy!

Segment One:

Segment Two:

Login To Bald Truth Talk To Hear Full Segment >>

Segment Three:

Login To Bald Truth Talk To Hear Full Segment >>

Post from: Hair Loss Show: The Bald Truth

This week on The Bald Truth, Spencer and Dave will be joined by New York Times best-selling author Neil Strauss, a man who not only chose to take charge of his own world, but decided to share his experiences with the rest of us AFC’s (Average Frustrated Chumps).

Neil is best known as the author of the wildly successful book The Game, Penetrating The Secret society of  Pickup Artists, and is also the coauthor of three New York Times bestsellers: Jenna Jameson’s How to Make Love Like a Porn Star, Motley Crue’s The Dirt, and Marilyn Manson’s The Long Hard Road Out of Hell. He is also the coauthor of Dave Navarro’s Don’t Try This At Home, a Los Angeles Times bestseller.

For those of you who think it’s impossible to live and “love” after hair loss, this show is for you.

You won’t want to miss this one!

Post from: Hair Loss Show: The Bald Truth

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Dear Needless,

What you are describing is exactly what most young hair loss sufferers go through, and I always say, you are not alone!

Experiencing  hair loss at this stage of your life can be extremely difficult, however, I believe that dealing with this issue early on only makes you better equipped to deal with everything else that life is going to throw at you. I know that this was the case for me.

By the time I was your age I realized that life simply was not fair, and that we have two choices when faced with adversity. The first choice is to just lay down and allow hair loss to take over your life, and the second choice is to play the hell out of the cards you’ve been dealt. I choose door number two.

Don’t get me wrong, I suffered for many years because of my hair loss. I still get down at times when I have a really bad hair day, or take a good look in the mirror at what I really look like when I don’t hide my hair loss with creative combing etc.

We’re all in agreement that hair loss sucks! I liken it to being a “cancer of the spirit,” but I am hear to tell you that there is life after hair loss and that you will find a way to get through it.

It is now possible to stop or slow the progression of your hair loss using FDA approved medication, so It’s important to see a doctor to discuss your options. No matter what you decide to do, you should use this time in your life to work on your career and to move forward emotionally. Do not let hair loss paralyze or rob you of your life, like it has done to so many people before.

Here’s something to keep in mind: As men our stock goes up as we get older and more established. Before you know it, you will be getting those 20 year-olds even when your in your 30’s, and no one will think twice.

Hair loss is NOT a death sentence even though it might feel that way right now. Dealing with hair loss will be a process, but you will find a way to empower yourself and to enrich your life if you want it bad enough.

I think you should check out our new hair loss community to share your story. It’s a great place to find support from others in your exact situation. http://www.baldtruthtalk.com

Be strong!

Spencer Kobren
Host of The Bald Truth Radio Show
Founder, American Hair Loss Association
Founder and Director of Consumer/Patient Affairs, International Alliance of Hair Restoration Surgeons (IAHRS.ORG)

Post from: Hair Loss Show: The Bald Truth

Well, if you’re researching surgical hair restoration you should!

Just like any other industry selling a product or service, the hair loss and hair transplant field is a fiercely competitive business. It is an industry that is almost completely unregulated. Any doctor who has a valid medical license can claim that they are an expert hair transplant surgeon and market themselves to the unsuspecting public as a “leader” in the field. Anyone can launch a hair loss website and control the flow of information as they see fit.

For decades, unethical hair loss marketers and hair transplant mills have been buying the public’s opinion through advertising on late night television. Now a much less expensive, yet more sophisticated marketing vehicle has been created…the online message forum.

Message forums were originally created to foster the free exchange of information among forum users without the confusion of marketing hype. Perspective hair transplant patients and hair loss consumers were encouraged to ask questions and engage in discussion about anything and everything concerning hair restoration. The concept appeared to be empowering, however there always existed one problem: Where and from whom was this information coming from?

Fast forward to today: Introducing a New Breed of Online Discussion Forum

What was once thought to be a safe place to learn about hair loss and hair transplantation has become a breeding ground for gorilla marketers posing as actual patients and hair loss sufferers. The most egregious offences come in the form of agenda driven posts created by forum administrators and their multiple pseudonyms intentionally misleading their trusting readers.

The sad truth is that this once wonderful resource of information for people trying to help themselves, and to learn more about hair loss and hair restoration has become corrupted.

For years, we have been asked by both the hair loss community and the handful of ethical members of the hair loss industry, to create an official resource that would be untouched by the corruption that permeates many of the existing entrepreneurial message forums. A place where vulnerable hair loss sufferers can ask questions and learn from truly concerned professionals and veteran hair loss consumers who have no political or financial agendas.

I am pleased to announce the launch of a new breed of hair loss message forum. Welcome to Baldtruthtalk.com!

Baldtruthtalk.com is a joint effort of The American Hair Loss Association, the nation’s foremost 501 (c) 3, non-profit hair loss organization, The International Alliance of Hair Restoration Surgeons, and The Bald Truth.

None of the above mentioned organizations or myself will be receiving any extra “sponsorship fees” or donations from experts or recommended hair transplant surgeons who participate on this forum. There will be no advertisements of any kind accepted on Baldtruthtalk.com. There will be no financial incentive given to physicians to post images or to link to this forum. There is no financial incentive behind the creation of this resource. It is being created for one reason, and one reason only, because there is a need for it!

To preserve the integrity of the message forum for hair loss consumers we have currently made this forum “private” and registration is required to obtain access. To join the discussion, click here.

I hope you use it well, and enjoy your experience. See you there.

Spencer Kobren
Host of The Bald Truth Radio Show
Founder, American Hair Loss Association
Founder and Director of Consumer/Patient Affairs, International Alliance of Hair Restoration Surgeons (IAHRS.ORG)

Post from: Hair Loss Show: The Bald Truth

Caveat emptor, Let the buyer beware

Post from: Hair Loss Show: The Bald Truth

Zach Lund Received a One Year Ban in 2006

Pro athletes can rejoice in knowing that they no longer have to choose between their careers and maintaining their potential multimillion dollar image.

News that Propecia will be taken off the World Anti-Doping Agency’s “banned” list has been received with cheers from the world’s follically-challenged athletes, but is it too little too late for those who have already suffered career shattering blows from the anti-doping agency?

Some athletes say that it is.

New Zealand tennis pro Mark Nelson’s career has all but grinded to a halt after being banned for two years just because he wanted to save his hair. His world ranking has dropped dramatically, making it very difficult to recoup from his forced hiatus from the sport.

Other professional athletes who have tested positive for Propecia in recent years include NHL goalie Jose Theodore, Brazilian soccer legend Romário, Italian golfer Alessandro Pissilli, Zach Lund the U.S. skeleton racer, and German wheelchair basketball player Ahmet Coskun  who was banned  from the Paralympics after testing positive for the drug.

Several of the athletes who were banned say that not only were they publicly accused of “cheating” by the media, but they were mocked for jeopardizing their careers for the sake of “vanity.”

WADA’s chief of medical research, Olivier Rabin, said that when finasteride was added to the banned list in 2005 “science did not allow laboratories to reliably circumvent the masking properties of finasteride and other alpha reductase inhibitors” on anabolic steroids.

He added, “The masking effect of alpha reductase inhibitors remains. However following recent advances in anti-doping science, anti-doping laboratories have now been able to render it ineffective through close consideration of steroid profiles.”

As a result of these findings  the WADA agreed that this class of substances can now be removed from the list starting on January 1, 2009.

We at The Bald Truth see this as a victory for our balding brethren, and hope that the reputation and careers of those that were unjustly banned can be salvaged.

Spencer Kobren
Host of The Bald Truth Radio Show
Founder, American Hair Loss Association
Founder and Director of Consumer/Patient Affairs, International Alliance of Hair Restoration Surgeons (IAHRS.ORG)

Post from: Hair Loss Show: The Bald Truth

In an FDA warning letter issued to David Michaels, Managing Director of Lexington International, LLC on May 22, 2008, FDA inspectors cite that the HairMax LaserComb® Premium and SE models, that are currently being sold to the public, differ from the cleared HairMax LaserComb in dose rate, method of delivery, and/or treatment parameters. According to the FDA these changes could significantly affect the safety or effectiveness of these devices and therefore, pursuant to 21, CFR 807.81 (a)(3)(i), new 510(k) submissions are required in order to legally market these devices.

Interestingly enough HairMax LaserComb makers warn consumers about purchasing fraudulent, or less than effective laser devices on their own marketing website.

Here’s what it states on the HairMax website:

As a consumer, we suggest that you educate yourself thoroughly before making a purchase or utilizing a laser device.  Make no mistake: Using lasers for any reason is a very serious medical undertaking which, if not administered under proper safety guidelines, can be risky. At best, you may be buying a laser device and spending time using it, only to receive minimal if any results.

Again, at Lexington we care about your safety and your right to be educated as a consumer.
And remember: CAVEAT EMPTOR; BUYER BEWARE.

Included on their website is an FDA warning Letter issued to a competitor just two months before U.S. Regulators issued a warning to Lexington International, LLC.

The American Hair Loss Association does not currently recommend the HairMax LaserComb for the prevention and treatment of hair loss.

Caveat Emptor Indeed.

Spencer Kobren
Host of The Bald Truth Radio Show
Founder, American Hair Loss Association
Founder and Director of Consumer/Patient Affairs, International Alliance of Hair Restoration Surgeons (IAHRS.ORG)

**Please also be aware that this letter was issued on May 22, 2008, and at this time we do not know if Lexington International, LLC has since acquired the appropriate FDA clearance to market and sell the HairMax LaserComb® Premium and SE models.

To Read FDA Warning Letter Visit:
http://www.fda.gov/foi/warning_letters/s6948c.htm

Listen To an Interview With David Michaels:
David Michaels Defends The Efficacy of The HairMax Lasercomb

Post from: Hair Loss Show: The Bald Truth

Months ago when you interviewed David Michaels, one of the inventors of the HairMax Lasercomb, he said that he was going to give you a copy of the study that Lexington presented to the FDA in order for the Lasercomb to gain market clearance, did you ever see the study, and if so what were your thoughts or any experts thoughts on it? - Chris

————————
Dear Chris,

I never did receive that study. The truth is I still haven’t seen any substantial evidence that the HairMax Lasercomb can effectively treat hair loss to any appreciable degree. I’m still waiting.

Regards,

Spencer Kobren

Host of The Bald Truth Radio Show
Founder, American Hair Loss Association
Founder and Director of Consumer/Patient Affairs, International Alliance of Hair Restoration Surgeons (IAHRS.ORG)

Post from: Hair Loss Show: The Bald Truth

Two articles published in Nature Genetics may help to better explain the genetic predisposition to male pattern hair loss, and to one day give scientists the ability to grow DHT resistant hair follicles for use in hair restoration.

The first article was published by researchers at McGill University, King’s College London and GlaxoSmithKline Inc. These researchers identified two genetic variants in men that together produce an increased incidence of male pattern hair loss that is seven times greater than those without these variants.

The second article was by researchers led by Viljar Jaks of Sweden’s Karolinska Institute, who conducted experiments that examined the hair follicles of mice who had experienced rapid hair growth. What they found was that these mice carried a protein called Lgr5, on the surface of active stem cells in the hair cells of these mice. Cells bearing the Lgr5 marker were surprisingly capable of maintaining hair follicles for as long as 14 months. The researchers were able isolate these cells and then were able to turn just a few into a functioning hair follicle.

What does this mean for us? Well, probably not much today, but these findings may very well be used to develop more effective treatments for many forms of hair loss, including common male and female pattern hair loss.

Stay tuned!

For more information visit:
http://health.yahoo.com/news/healthday/newgeneticlinkstobaldnessdiscovered.html

Post from: Hair Loss Show: The Bald Truth