Ok first off I have NO idea where I should be posting. I'm more looking for advice because I am only 20 and do not have the money to spend on surgical hair restoration.

With that said, I am currently 20 years of age and have been going bald (thinning) since I was 17.

It's getting worse and I fear that by the time I'm 25 I'll look like my dad. (he also started thinning around 17 he said)

Now I'm sure everyone knows that for someone my age LOOKS are IMPORTANT and I'm one of the good looking people I can't lose my HAIR!!!

I'm lucky to be rather tall (average at 6') so not many girls will notice the bald spot lol.

Point being this is just another problem in my life that I shouldn't be facing. And we know people my age already have enough problems between, work, girls and all that good stuff..

Can anyone point me in the right direction here?

I WANT MY HAIR BACK :'( lol. I was reading around on sites and got directed to this forum which supposedly has great people with great advice, from what I read.

Well, I'll stop rambling now, I'm sure everyones got the point.

Home remedies, Shampoos ANYTHING would be greatly appreciated.

And thank you to all who help in advance.

As someone who started balding in my teens, I feel your pain and absolutely can relate to the sense of "I shouldn't have to deal with this at this stage of my life, etc". For me it was a major obstacle and hinderance to all the things one usually accomplishes at that age.

As a result I embarked on surgical hair restoration at a relatively young age because there were literally no other acceptable alternatives back then. However, I would not recommend this for you today. A thorough medical/dermatological evaluation should rule out causes for hairloss other than MPB. Based on your comments though it would seem like you have a family history of this.

From there, it is generally recommended to get on agents like Propecia and/or Rogaine to stablize and hopefully prevent further hairloss. One should stay on this for at least a year in advance of considering any surgical interventions. Additionally a good hair care regimen can promote optimal hair and scalp health. While it will never "regrow hair" it can enhance the appearance of what you have.

The surgical hair restoration industry is not going anywhere so don't feel rushed to address your hairloss in this manner. I'm sure some of the other regular posters here will chime in on this.

Phil

Hi,

My name is Maria.I had same alopecia problem like you. that time a searched a site www.hairinformation.com
it helped me a lot. today my alopecia problem is still control. try it..

Thanks for the reply Phil. I'll be sure to start on Propecia and Rogaine.

Do you have any idea how much hair restoration cost these days and which would be the best to go to? I figure I can start saving now cause I'm sure it's expensive.

Thank you Maria. I'll be sure to read up on this site.

Chron-

If you're talking about a hair transplant, not a hair piece, yes it's very expensive (they both are).. pricing for HT's varies but an average would be $4.50 for the first 2000 grafts then $2.50 for anything after that. I've had just over 5000 grafts and paid $15,100 for both HT's.

PCC has good advice for you. At your age, get on the meds and see how you respond and maintain for a few years. Then, after you know more where your headed relative to hair loss, take action and develop a plan to deal with it.

Another thing, don't take the meds lightly. Anything you keep or regrow because of Finasteride or Minoxidil will quickly disappear if you stop their use. It's truly a lifelong commitment.

Chron_P,

Welcome to our community.

You have received some excellent advice so far...here is a summary list:


1. Consult a physician/dermatologist to determine that you are experiencing MPB and not Alopecia areata or some other medical condition.

If it's MPB...

2. Get on finasteride ASAP. You may also want to consider minoxodil and apply that in the balding areas...some have luck regrowing hair, especialy in the crown, especially early on in their hair loss.

2. Research this and other forums and educate yourself about hair loss and the potential remedies.

3. At 20, I would NOT consider a hair transplant at this point. I encourage you to read this post that I wrote awhile ago called "Am I too young for a hair transplant?"
http://hair-restoration-info.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/3466060861/m/7701076213

I hope this helps.

Maria,

Unless I'm missing something, Chron_P is not saying he is suffering from Alopecia areata...however, I do agree that he should get checked out by a physician/dermatologist to confirm.

Falc

I wonder how many grafts I'd need. I'm thinning. But it's not extremely bad, just noticeable. I'd probably only need 2000 at most. Thanks for the response I probably will try the meds.

Wow all these words that I have no idea what they mean. MPB, and that other one. ha. Would it be helpful if I took a picture of the balding area just to show everyone what I'm dealing with?

If you want to send a pic I'll take a stab at estimating grafts but that's better done by a qualified consultant. If you submit pics, it's best to take from front, sides, back and top to get the best idea possible of your situation.

Keep in mind, at your age, you have no idea where your loss pattern will end up. I'd wait if I were you.

MPB is Male-Pattern-Baldness........also referred to as Androgenetic Alopecia. Not sure what other term you needed defined.

Sorry for taking so long. I've been extremely busy this past week. Here is a picture or two of my lovely baldness. Even my CAT is amazed at the rapid loss.


Bottom was with flash off to prevent the flash glare off my spot... :'(...

So whats everyones opinion on Bosley Medical Center?

I've always thought they were good but recently just heard some bashing on it.

Do you have any loss other than the crown? Are your temples/widows peaks/hairline receding? Do you have any diffused thinning on top at all?

You may have enough hair left to get by with a concealer (like dermatch) for awhile before considering HT. You've lost a lot of hair for 20 yrs old and could be headed for Norwood 7, you just don't know. If you were in your late 20's or 30's with that pattern, I'd tell you you'll need at least 2500-3000 grafts for a significant improvement in the crown. At your age, I would not recommend this.

I'd recommend trying the meds, and a concealer, for awhile to see how you respond. Could be you're a great responder to the meds and can regrow some, or at the least maintain what you have. Then you can do some consulting with professionals to see if you qualify for a HT.

As I mentioned earlier, would help to have pics from the front, sides and back......possibly with better lighting and no flash. Also, it is better to leave the camera on a solid base and use the timer for the pic to ensure clarity.

Yeah the camera doesn't have a timer. The hair line BARELY shows any loss. Just that top part shown in the picture is what I have... Maybe I can find a picture online of someone else that is close to what I have.

Ok this guy has pretty much the SAME EXACT issue I do. His is just a little wider than mine

Chron,

I strongly suggest you try the meds first...

With loss that extensive at 20 in the crown, I would believe there is more in your future especially since it appears that there are some thinner hairs moving up toward the front at well.

Getting your hairloss under control is critical, and even moreso critical at younger ages.

Cheers.

Falc

Falc is right

First of all we feel your pain. I started thinning at 23 very rapidly.. Yes, i've been through all of the anxieties and feelings of bitteriness.

I would see a doc and get on meds which can stop hairloss. For the crown, Rogaine might be good as well

Thanks to all those helping me out and trying to keep my spirits high about the situation. Goes to prove there still are some good people left on this Earth lol

Hi Chron,

You have received some great advice so far. Like you I had hair loss from a young age, I was 21 when I first realised. Yours sounds like it's heredity and MPB which is to do with DHT and testesterone.

You say that you have had it since you where 17 and your 20 now. You have a better chance than most to combat hair loss because you havn't had it for that long, your hair follicles might still be able to promote hair growth, they may just need a kick up the back side.

Products that contain DHT inhibitors and growth stimulants are probably best for you. But however, I would reccommend first to go and see your doctor who will refer you to a specialist and determine which treatment is best for you. Judging from the pictures you will probably need something like propecia which come in the form of tablets. You should also use shampoos to combat it from several angles.

That's probably the best sounding news that I've ever heard. that it might not be too late.

How much do you think stuff like that would cost? Going to the doctors and a specialist and the propecia?

I have to pay everything my self so I'd need to save up before I can do anything haha.

Hi Chron_P,

I am pretty sure you can get a free consultation from your doctor, he should point you in the right direction. Our medical service over here (NHS) in the UK is different to anywhere else, I went to see a specialist and had the treatment for free but the waiting list was a joke, anyway thats another story

The products can be quite expensive, I use a combination of things and the cost really does mount up. For example propecia can cost $50 to $60 a month. I use that with Rogaine, it seems to have more of an effect, which a lot of other people have said as well. But propecia on its own is really great.