So like the title says i need some advice on exactly what i should do given my situation. Im 20 years old and am thinning and losing hair. Its been more and more visible as the days pass. When i use gel and such it still looks like i have a full head of hair but when i shower or am under bright lights its very noticeable that i am indeed balding. Went to the derm and lady told me to start pro and/or rogaine. Ive been saving up for a hair transplant and basically i want to know the best strategy to tackle this horrific predicament. Any reply would be great thanks.

Sorry you are in this situation but HT is not the route for you to go down. Not yet.

Get on the meds first. Finasteride is your best hope for saving what you have. Even still it may not fight off the bad genes. Genetics are a bitch but do not panic you have time on your side. The longer you wait, the more techniques will improve and maybe a cure???

I had plenty of hair at age 20, at 35 I was quite balding, at 48 NW 5-6. You just do not know where you are headed and you need to be careful as to how you plan your HTs in the future if you decide in a few years it is your best solution.

Good luck and be patient,

jd09,

maybe you could post some pics so we have a more accurate depiction of the extent of your actual loss. I mention this because many times young guys post on here freaking out about their hair loss, but when people see their pictures it really is not all that bad.

Along the same lines, keep your chin up. Hair loss in unpredictable but at one and the same time many, MANY people on this forum had significant loss in their early twenties (and some even prior) and were later able to have a ht and have great hair.

When I was about 16/17 I buzzed my head down and noticed that my hair line was not 'straight' but begining more of a 'v' type shape. At the time I really thought nothing of it and didn't think anything of balding or any sort. The v shape progressed and by the time I was about 19-21 my hair line was a sharper 'v' shape but strong behind.
Well, I will be 29 in March and I just noticed a bout 4 years ago that the hair on top of my head was thinning as well. My point being that just because you notice SOME loss early does not mean that you are going to be bald or even close any time soon.

There are some guys on here who have ht's at a relatively young age and by world class docs. Than..Awry for example is 22 and had a ht by Dr. Feller who is one of the best...so possibly give us more info (,aybe pics) and keep you chin up.
also, check out: Bobman and Jotronic web blogs on here for examples of guys who had EXTENSIVE loss at a very young age and turned out great...

I went to the Dermatologist specific for hair loss and they told me i was balding. My father started balding in his 20's, I can clearly see in the mirror under the right light that the top of my head is A LOT thinner than the sides. So once again what should i do? Pro? And hopefully someone young who got a HT could respond here.

I'm not discrediting your claim that you might be balding. Im only attempting to give you some reassurance (based on my personal experience) that it does not mean that you are going to end up a Paul Shaffer (David Letterman, anyone?) in a few years.

YES. You should give propecia and rogaine a shot.
YES. there are others who have had ht relatively young. As I mentioned, thanatwarpasis (retarded newcastle spelling?) awry is 22 and had a ht by dr. feller only 3 and a half weeks ago.
and---
YES Jessica Alba is still the hottest lil baby doll in the world...
(phew.....)
by the way, how bald is your old man?

jd09
i started thinning at around the same time. im now 24 and it has not gotten better. my best advice, as i am on that same road, if its just started, dont hide it. just let your hair do what it wants. get on propecia and possibly try the rogaine, and try not to think about it. put your energy in things that make you happy. not something that is depressing. dont let it get the best of you. i feel like i have, and have put so many nights thinking about it, and although i still think about it allot, it makes me feel better when i just pretend it isnt happening. probably not what you want to hear, but at our age an HT is a huge risk. good luck though.. your not alone.

others have done it younger by reputable docs...

I'd reiterate that you should do what ya can to post a bunch of different pics of your "mop", so we can give you a better breakdown on things....I also think that there is a shot -- not sayin this is actually so -- that your hairloss might not be *that* bad...that is, it is noticeable to you, but to most people, in most situations, it isn't visible enough to harm your appearance.

Either way, do what you can to educate yourself, and come up with a solid battleplan for your present and future; after that, just follow it, and try to not think about hairloss. There are good options out there, even at a young age, for some people, so don't get too depressed.

I started to thin in my hairline at about 21. I got on Propecia and over the past couple years my hair loss has stopped and now I'm 26 and the hair I lost in my hairline isn't that noticeable, but I got an HT for myself 2 months ago.

I most definitely think you should wait a few years and see if Propecia will stabilize your loss. In the meantime, use thickening shampoos, try Toppik or Dermatch, try different hairstyles and lengths and see what you can swing. Also, do some research on here in other sections of the forum and find some tips that work for you. Other than that, try not to think about it and enjoy your youth. Worrying causes stress, which aides genetics in hairloss.

Also, one thing not many people on here talk about is the factor that attitude plays with women. I know you're young and your hair issue probably makes you self conscious, but let me tell you one thing I know for a fact... women care more about how you make them "feel" than anything and you can achieve making them feel like you're the man regardless of how you look. Of course, you need to be well groomed and styled to the best of your genetic ability, but even bald guys can get some premium poon. It's all about the attitude. I know it's hard as shit to portray confidence when you're losing hair at a young age, but if you act self conscious you aren't getting what you want from women, hair or no hair. Just keep telling yourself you're the man and you'll start acting like the man, then the ladies notice and think, "Hey, that guy's got something special." Just don't let this affect your personality and maintain a fun and confident persona, whether you truly feel that way about yourself or not, and you'll still have a great time.

jd09,

Our community members have given you some excellent advice.

At such a young age and not too much hair loss to date, non surgical hair loss treatments such as Propecia (finasteride) and Rogaine (minoxidil) are the best starting points. Using these two hair loss drugs in combination with one another gives you the greatest chance of combatting future hair loss and you may even possibly regrow hair.

Hair transplantation is a viable option for those who are qualified but I caution you about proceeding that direction at this point.

See What Should I Know When Considering Hair Transplantation for some addtional information.

Best wishes,

Falc

Meds often deliver better results for guys in the early stages of thinning. You have lots of hair so if you can improve the hair diameter, even a little, it will really help. HT is a risk at this point so let's hope for a homerun with the meds (although maintainence is good too).

Hi JD09,

Lot's of good feedback here posted by the other members. Definitely get on propecia/finasteride and rogaine/minoxodil to help keep what you have. Everyone here knows what you're going through whether younger or older it's still the same feeling when you first experience hair loss. At 21 I first noticed my own hair loss (little recession at the temples) and it seemed quite devastating at the time. Unfortunately this was really pre internet (1991) days and I bared the burden of going it alone. I even went so far as to get a consult with Bosley and Thank God as unethical as they seem to be even those money grubbing bastard turned me down at the time because they felt my hair loss was not bad enough and that I was too young. If I look back at pictures of me at 21 now I think "What the Hell was I thinking" because I had a shitload of hair and I was probably the only one who REALLY noticed the loss. If you can post some good pictures of your Melon (ok to conceal your identity by photoshopping your face out) and the members here will really be able to give you some much much more informed advice. As you get a little older if your hair loss is progressive and you finally make an informed well planned decision to move forward with an HT then you should also feel some comfort in knowing that HT's should only improve and who knows what's around the corner as far as science and hair loss are concerned.

Now go out and enjoy your youth :-)

Thanks for the great advice guys. I'm not depressed and i definitely AM enjoying my youth fellas but I definitely have great concern at this point. Like i said normal days it look as though i have a full head of hair but the showering clearly shows the TOP as a lot thinner than the sides. It doesnt match. Advice has been great but i have another question- If i just use Pro everyday will that be ok? I dont want to start rogaine because i think ill get lazy and not use it.

quote:

If i just use Pro everyday will that be ok? I dont want to start rogaine because i think ill get lazy and not use it.

You're supposed to take Propecia every day; however, some guys take finasteride every other and feel that they are getting the same benefits. Who knows but I don't want to risk it. I have been on the drug for 2 1/2 years and maybe only missed one or two days, so it definitely can become second nature.

I feel the same way about rogaine: who wants to put up with that? If I ever start to thin in the crown I may consider it, as the foam is supposedly much easier to deal with. It may have a synergistic effect when used with Propecia, especially if your loss is limited to the vertex.

My hairline started to thin at about 20; the loss had stabilized but by the time I was 23 I started Propecia to be safe. I have not lost any hair for the past five years (almost 26), so things may slow down for you, especially if you get on the meds. I had the hairline restored at 24, but in retrospect I could have waited a few more years.

Even if it doesn't regrow the hair you have lost, Pro may allow you to maintain what you have for the next ten+ years. Sounds like the level of thinning you've experienced is cosmetically insignificant at this point, so it may buy you A LOT of time, relatively speaking.

wearecured,"premium poon"

yongsuccess- did pro have any adverse effects?

Classic line--Janna this is sensored so move on.

"yongsuccess- did pro have any adverse effects?"

No, I personally haven't experienced any side effects.

WHAT DO WOMEN WANT!?!?!?!?

I just thought it was important to include that since he's young and no one ever mentions it. I think it goes hand in hand with the things going through a balding person's mind, and I happen to be somewhat knowledgeable on the subject, so I thought I'd try and help out. I posted the same sort of thing on the other side of the forum because you said something about it, and whether you state it was tongue in cheek or not, it's still a subject that affects bald men. Losing your hair and losing your confidence with women are parallel. Relax