hi everyone..i'm new here and i see that many of you have the knowledge and i could really use your help so any advice is appreciated.

okay so my story is that i noticed that my hairline has gone up abit when i was 19 (sorry not sure about the terms to use). i didnt really mind because i wanted to grow my hair long and it wasnt really noticeable. Over the next two years the front sides of my hair mostly the left side was becoming balder. So i began to panic and went to a local treatment that promised hair growth but of course it didnt work. Infact it made it worse now even with my long hair it is so obvious that my front sides are balding. I've started propecia and taking some other pills such as zinc tablets, omega 3 fish oil and grape seeds extract. I've heard it helps. I am considering hair transplant, however, in my country they only offer the strip surgery and they only consider patients who are over 26 and im 22 so i might go abroad to do it. Besides that i am using dove anti-dandruff shampoo for my dandruff problem. Is there any advice you guys can offer? thanks

p.s another thing i dont really get is when this started a couple of years ago my hair was falling like crazy i mean i just had to stroke my hair and 5 or 6 strands would fall. But i heard it was normal to lose about 100 hair a day so ignored it, also because it never really felt like it was thinning. But now not as much falls but it feels like i have less hair on my head i dont get it.

Tragedy,

Welcome to our forum communtiy.

In my opinion, a 22 year old with minimal hair loss is not an optimal candidate for hair transplant surgery.

Using treatment options like Propecia and
Rogaine should at the very least, hopefully stabilize your hair loss and could potentially even regrow hair. these medications should be used for at least 6 months or preferably a year to determine whether or not they are really working.

See also:

What should I consider when researching hair transplant surgery?

Am I Too Young for a hair Transplant?

I hope this helps get you started on your research.

Best wishes,

Falc

hey falc thanks for the tips, i read the stuff unfortunately its not what i wanted to hear but it is true. I am taking propecia 1mg daily so i will try that for about 6 months to a year and see. But if it doesnt show improvement would it be advisable to up my dosage? Also i dont think rogaine is available in my country, but i will try to look for it online. Rogaine is a lotion that is applied on the head right? do they come in tablets? i rather take tablets. Btw, i saw your pictures and i must say it looks great, congratulations and thanks again for the help...if anyone else would like to share their knowledge i would be greatful...

Tragedy,

Well I hope your alias is indicative of hair loss alone, and that there are no other "tragedies" on your life .

You can purchase Rogaine online, I imagine in most countries. It comes as a topical solution, either as a foam or liquid. I'd recommend the foam as it is a bit messy to apply, but I believe it's slightly more expensive. Shop around to find the best price.

Give medication some time and keep us posted on your progress

Falc

Tragedy86-
Welcome to the HTN forum!
Falceros has given you excellent advice.
In general, one should proceed with caution when considering hair restoration at your young age. Although based on your family history one can "kind of" predict your future hair loss, that prediction process is not an exact science by any means. In light of this, it is risky to aggressively transplant any areas of hair loss, as, should you be (genetically) predisposed to lose a substantial amount of hair as you age, those transplanted areas would become fairly obvious and become much more of a problem than the problem you were trying to correct in the first place when you elected to have the procedure done. So again, trying the medication (finasteride at 1mg/day) for 9 months to a year and then revisiting with your surgeon for re-evaluation is, in my opinion, the more prudent path to take at this stage of your plan.
Also, Rogaine, which works to help slow the hairloss process (and possibly regrow hair) works by a different mechanism than finasteride, and it's effects are synergistic (1 + 1 = 3) when used with finasteride. Also, I believe falceros meant to say the Rogaine foam was LESS messy than the liquid, and also may be more expensive. I would say it is worth it though, as, prior to the availability of the foam preparation, one of the biggest complaints patients had with using Rogaine was how messy and sticky it was, and hence, patients weren't as likely to use it consistently, and, well, the product does even less well if your aren't using it....
Also, if possible could you post a few photos? This will go a long way in helping members give you "ballpark" estimates based on what we can actually see.
Good luck, and hope to hear more from you as time progresses.

Sincerely,

Timothy Carman, MD

thanks falc and timothy for your opinions..its really nice to have a helping hand at such a depressing time in life..i have a couple of questions tho..firstly i was wondering if oily scalp and dandruff causes hair loss..i mean does it contribute to balding as a whole? and the other thing is today i washed my hair and it really freaked me out cos my hairline was even higher and the front is showing through the scalp..its really scary since it wasnt this bad the last time i washed my hair..is it due to the propecia or could it be the shampoo cos i just started using dove's antidandruff shampoo for about two weeks and falc no real tragedies in my life but hairloss is causing a chain reaction of tragedies to come :P..i'll try to upload some pictures as soon as i get some shots of a more recent pic..thanks again for the advice guys..it really does mean alot..

hey guys.. i was doing some research on hairloss and i came across a few sites that mentions a relationship between hairloss and masturbation. is that true? can masturbation cause hairloss?

hey guys..im still worried about my oily scalp ..after washing my hair the next day my hair becomes oily again..i really dont know what to do..and i know im not supposed to use dandruff shampoo everyday as it is strong..i'd really like some advice on this matter..thanks

No.........merely having an oily scalp/hair will not cause you to have hair loss nor will masturbation. Only Male-Pattern-Baldness.

There are a few rare conditions of the scalp that may cause loss also but it is different than MPB. The only way to determine if you having something other than MPB is to see a Dermatologist. If your pattern of loss is that of MPB that's likely it. Use the Norwood Scale of Loss to determine how far along you are.

Hope this helps -

quote:

i have a couple of questions tho..firstly i was wondering if oily scalp and dandruff causes hair loss..i mean does it contribute to balding as a whole?

There are several types of hair loss, the most common of which is androgenetic alopecia (male pattern baldness). Dandruff and an oily scalp do not cause this type of hair loss - it is genetic.

However, in extreme cases, dandruff, scalp dermatitis, and other scalp conditions such as psorasis may contribute to a baldness known as diffuse alopecia, most common of which is telogen effluvium. Many other conditions can facilitate this type of hair loss including hormonal inbalances (common in women), thyroid problems, an iron deficiency, certain medications, etc.

Regarding an oily scalp and dandruff, there are shampoos and conditioners that can help with this. Nizoral and/or Revita (containing active ingredient ketoconazole) may prove to be helpful - also has some low level DHT inhibition properties for male pattern baldness. You can also consult with a dermatologist to have him/her check out your scalp and tell you with certainty whether your hair loss is genetic or not.

quote:

i was doing some research on hairloss and i came across a few sites that mentions a relationship between hairloss and masturbation. is that true? can masturbation cause hairloss?

Nope, this is a myth. No worries here.

Best wishes,

Falc