[AGA Treatment Experience] The Option of Online Consultation. A Real-World Explanation Based on My Treatment Experience.
This is Suzuki from the Men's Times editorial department.
Hello. Honestly, it's hard to talk to people about thinning hair, and the word "treatment" can be intimidating, right? "Going to a clinic is a high hurdle," "Is a personal import site faster?"... I felt the same way.
Since the COVID-19 pandemic, we have been hearing more about "online consultations." Because of the convenience of not having to visit a clinic in person, they have continued to attract attention even after the pandemic.
Honestly, regardless of whether it was for AGA treatment or not, I initially thought that “you should start treatment only after having a face-to-face consultation with a doctor.” I thought that at the time.
As I proceeded with my own AGA treatment, one of the options was "online consultation."
In my personal opinion, I feel that being able to proceed with AGA treatment using online consultations was extremely beneficial as it saved the time and effort of going to a clinic.
In this article, based on my own AGA treatment and what I learned from interviewing specialists, I will explain in detail the information you likely want to know about online consultations for AGA treatment.
The Evolution of My AGA Treatment
Over-the-counter hair growth products (RiUP X5 Plus Neo)
Personal import (Propecia oral medication)
Online consultation (Finasteride 1mg oral medication + Minoxidil 5mg oral medication)
Hair transplant surgery (FUE method with shaving, 1,500 grafts)
As you can see from this evolution, I have never undergone AGA treatment with oral medication by visiting a clinic or dermatologist. (I only visited a clinic for the hair transplant surgery.) I have prioritized low treatment costs and the ease of obtaining medication, so I have used personal imports and online consultations for my AGA treatment.
※Please note that my perspective may be biased toward recommending treatment via online consultation.※
However, this article does not 100% recommend treatment via online consultation. I believe that both "online consultation" and "in-person consultation" have their own advantages and disadvantages.
I hope this will help you decide which treatment method to choose based on what you prioritize.
Explaining Everything from the Pros and Cons of AGA Online Consultations
Differences from In-Person Consultations and Personal Import Sites
Online consultation is a system where you receive a medical examination from a doctor via the internet and have medication prescribed if necessary. In the case of AGA treatment, at clinics that offer online consultations, a doctor will conduct a medical interview or a visual examination using photos provided by the patient to assess their condition before prescribing treatment medication for them.
◎ Differences from Personal Import Agency Sites
A personal import agency site is a service where the site handles the purchase, shipping, customs clearance, and delivery on behalf of the user, instead of the user purchasing directly from an overseas pharmacy or e-commerce site.
An online consultation at a clinic is a medical practice conducted by a Japanese medical institution, and it is clearly distinguished from personal imports in that it is performed under the supervision of a doctor.
Personal import agency sites carry many health-related risks.
In my personal opinion, while personal import agency sites used to be cheaper for medication, the treatment costs at online consultation clinics have been decreasing over the last few years, so I believe there is almost no benefit to using personal import agency sites.
◎ Differences from In-Person Consultations
The difference between online consultation and in-person consultation lies in the fact that it is difficult for a doctor to directly observe the condition of the scalp in detail or check hair strand by strand using a microscope.
・In-person consultation offers more detailed care
For an accurate AGA diagnosis and assessment of treatment effectiveness, objective evaluation through microscope checks and photography is required in addition to a doctor's visual examination. Since online consultations are based on photos taken by the patient themselves, there is a possibility that you may not get as detailed information as you would in an in-person consultation.
・Online consultation is easier to start and continue
The convenience of the consultation is overwhelmingly in favor of online consultation.
In the case of in-person consultations, it is common to be too busy on weekdays to make it to the clinic hours, or for nearby dermatology clinics to be closed on weekends. Also, there are times when you run out of medication during treatment but cannot receive more, causing the treatment effect to be interrupted.
However, with online consultation, you can have the consultation from home in 15 minutes, so you can do it during your spare time on weekdays. Also, since the medication arrives at your home on the same day or the next day, you can save the trouble of going to a pharmacy to get it filled.
Why I Chose Online Consultation
There is a reason why I chose online consultation. The biggest advantage is "low treatment costs". Also, since there is no need to visit a clinic, it is easy to receive consultations because of the "savings in travel time" and "privacy protection".
Reason 1: Low Treatment Costs
A feature of clinics that focus on online consultations is that, above all, initial and follow-up consultation fees are free, and treatment costs are very low. Because clinics that focus on online consultations can keep costs such as rent and staff labor expenses down, consultation fees and medication costs are often set lower than in-person consultations.
Men's Times investigates the treatment costs of over 2,000 clinics nationwide that offer AGA treatment. When comparing the treatment costs of three clinics that focus on online consultations (DMM Online Clinic, Re-Curi, Clinic For) with beauty clinics, dermatology clinics, and hospitals that provide in-person AGA treatment...
AGA treatment needs to be continued. If you stop treatment halfway, the treatment effect will return to zero, and the thinning of hair will progress. Keeping monthly treatment costs down leads to the ease of continuing treatment. I believed it was important to find a clinic with low treatment costs among plans that offer the same medication effectiveness.
Reason 2: Reduction in Time Required for Consultation and Medication Prescription
One of the reasons I dislike going to the hospital for medical consultations, not just for AGA treatment, is that the time required from the examination to receiving the prescription takes longer than I expect.
・In the case of in-person treatment
Travel time to the clinic/dermatologist (40 minutes) *Round-trip travel time
Waiting time at the clinic/filling out the medical questionnaire (10 minutes)
Consultation time (15 minutes) *Assuming the same consultation content as online.
Waiting time for payment (10 minutes)
Waiting time for prescription at the pharmacy (10 minutes)
With in-person treatment, if things go well, you might just barely finish within 90 minutes, but if things don't go well, you have to be prepared for two hours or more.
・In the case of online consultation
Filling out the medical questionnaire (5 minutes)
Consultation time (10-15 minutes)
The time required is only 20 minutes for the consultation.
Naturally, there is no travel time, the consultation starts at the scheduled time, and there is no waiting time. Since the medication is mailed and arrives the next day, there is no waiting time at the pharmacy either.
My personality is impatient and I am not good at waiting. It might just suit my nature, but I feel that having no waiting time is extremely stress-free. For those who prioritize time, there is no other option but online consultation.
Reason 3: Privacy is protected
Because you can have a consultation from home, the fact that you can discuss hair loss without worrying about the eyes of others is also one of the reasons.
In the case of a local dermatologist or clinic, there is a possibility that you might run into an acquaintance. With online consultation, you can receive the consultation at home, and even have the medication mailed to you.
Even when receiving the medication, the clinic's name is not listed on the shipping information, so care is taken so that it is not immediately obvious that the package contains AGA treatment medication.
Also, since it is possible to specify delivery to a convenience store or via Nekopos in addition to your home, online consultation can be said to be a merit for those who want to prioritize privacy.
Points to note for online consultation
While it is convenient, there are also points to be aware of regarding online consultation.
- Difficulty in performing detailed examinations
The most important point, as explained earlier, is that detailed in-person examinations are difficult to perform. The causes of hair thinning are not limited to AGA; there are various possibilities such as telogen effluvium, alopecia areata, stress, and hormonal imbalances, making a detailed scalp examination by a specialist essential for an accurate diagnosis. The extent to which an accurate diagnosis can be made via online consultation depends on the clinic's system.
- Monitoring system for side effects
There is a risk of side effects with AGA medication. In the case of online consultation, the monitoring system for side effects may not be as thorough as in-person consultation, so it is necessary to deepen your understanding of side effect symptoms so that you can recognize when they occur.
For oral medications such as finasteride and dutasteride, decreased libido and erectile dysfunction (ED) have been reported. For topical minoxidil, scalp itching and redness are considered common. Additionally, it is known that oral minoxidil (oral minoxidil) is prone to causing side effects such as palpitations and edema.
- Limitations on treatment options
Treatments available through online consultation are basically limited to oral and topical medications in most cases. Depending on the degree of progression or the specific area, such as the hairline or crown, oral medication may not be very effective, and other treatment methods such as injection therapy or hair transplantation may be more suitable. These treatments cannot be received through online consultation alone.
Is AGA treatment via online consultation effective? Is it safe?
What about the effectiveness of receiving AGA treatment through online consultation?
The ingredients of the medication are the same. The effectiveness of the drug itself does not change between online and in-person consultations.
The active ingredients in AGA medications prescribed through online consultation are the same as those prescribed in in-person consultations. The foundation of AGA treatment is oral medication such as finasteride or dutasteride, which inhibits the production of DHT (dihydrotestosterone). These drugs are expected to suppress the progression of AGA and help with hair growth. Finasteride is expected to be highly effective, especially for Japanese people, with reports indicating an 84% effectiveness rate in certain groups. Additionally, a drug called minoxidil is expected to have effects such as normalizing the hair cycle and is sometimes used as a topical or oral medication for the purpose of promoting hair growth.
Although there are individual differences in the time it takes to feel the effects of AGA medication, for some it takes about 3 months, and generally it often takes about 6 months to a year.
In my case, I was able to feel the hair growth effects after 6 months of taking finasteride + minoxidil.
Flow of online AGA consultation
Starting AGA treatment through online consultation can be done in relatively simple steps. I have experience with online consultations at Re-Curi and DMM Online Clinic, and both followed the flow below.
1. Reservation
Most online consultation clinics require you to make a reservation through their website or a dedicated app.
2. Filling out the medical questionnaire. Clinics that focus on online consultations, such as Re-Curi and DMM Online Clinic, allow you to fill out a questionnaire in a Q&A format from your My Page
. You can start the consultation smoothly by answering questions about your medication history, health status, medical history, and by using a camera to provide images of the thinning areas. At this point, you can present your desired treatment plan. I did not decide on a desired plan in the questionnaire because I wanted to consult with a doctor again.
3. Consultation
You will connect with a doctor via video call or similar at the scheduled time. During the consultation, I once again explained the state of my hair loss, my treatment history to date, the results I was hoping for, and my budget for medication Based on the information from the medical questionnaire and these explanations, the doctor diagnosed whether my AGA was progressing and explained the treatment plan and the medication to be prescribed.
The treatment plan to be prescribed is decided during the consultation, and then the consultation ends.
4. Payment for Treatment Medication
The doctor hands over to an operator to confirm the final plan and proceed with the payment process.
Payment methods are almost always provided in ways that can be completed online, such as credit card payments or bank transfers. Depending on the clinic, cash on delivery or payment via PayPay, which allows you to earn points, may also be available.
5. Medication Delivery
The medication is delivered by mail to your home or a designated location. It arrived in packaging that considered privacy, with no mention of the clinic name or AGA treatment medication in the delivery information.
It is shipped on the same day and arrives at your home the next day (excluding remote islands such as Hokkaido and Okinawa). In my case, I was living in the Kansai region at the time, and I received the treatment medication the day after my online consultation.
It is also possible to receive it at locations other than your home, such as convenience stores, Yamato Transport offices, post offices, or Hako-Post (post office delivery lockers).
The duration of the online consultation was about 10 to 15 minutes for both, and at first, I was taken aback, thinking, "Is that all?" During the consultation with the doctor, you can decide on a treatment method (plan) that suits you while discussing your hair loss symptoms, expected results, and budget for medication.
If you prepare a memo in advance with points you want to ask the doctor or concerns you have, it will be easier to decide on a plan during the consultation.
Summary
Online consultation for AGA treatment is a convenient option that has advantages in terms of time, cost, and privacy. However, it is important to understand the differences between in-person consultations and personal imports, and to use it while keeping the points of caution in mind.
If you are interested in AGA treatment but feel that going to a clinic is a bit of a hurdle, it might be a good idea to start with an online consultation. Since everything from booking to consultation and receiving medication is handled online, I recommend it for those who are busy with work on weekdays, like me!
At Men's Times, we research clinics that offer online consultations (including those that also offer in-person treatment) regarding costs by treatment plan, services, and reviews. I hope this article will be helpful in finding an AGA treatment clinic that suits you!