Hello,

My name is John and I'm 20 years old, I live in IL. I been loosing hair, it is not noticeable yet I am just confused because my mother's parents did not have hair loss problem same goes for my dads side, my dad is almost 50 years old he does have less hair than when he was younger but he is not bald, his dad my grandfather died at the age of 80 with no hair problems.

I went to a dermatologist and he said my problem was related to dandruff he gave me a shampoo and I used it for several months but I still noticed I was loosing hair, I went back to see this doctor and he said the same thing that the problem was dandruff but I used the shappoos he gave me and I still have hair loss problems.

I started to noticed I was loosing hair when I was 17 I am now 20 and I still have this problem, sometimes It seems that I'm ok and growing my hair back from the part where I seemed to have been loosing hair but then after a few months I start to notice that I'm loosing hair again.

Can anyone please recommend a place to get professional help, I live in Joliet IL.

Should I consider using this product:
http://www.follipro.com/

Should I use that product in the mean time because I fear that this might be a problem with generics and that I am in fact going bald, can anyone please help me, I would appreciate any help!

Thanks,
John C.

Hi John

Well, first of all you need to determine if it is Male pattern baldness or another cause.. First, the best dandruff shampoo on the market is Nizoral.. It also helps with hairloss to a certain extent. Follipro will not help , as no shampoo regrows hair.. Are you losing hair or is it falling out and growing back? i might see another doctor as well or go back to the original. It really doesnt matter if your mom, dad, or grandfather lost their hair. there is no relation.

Hi John-

Mrjb has some good information for you on all points.......I believe Nizoral is the best dandruff shampoo around. It comes in a 1% variety, which is non-prescription and can be purchased at your local pharmacy, and 2% prescription-strength which you may want to as your derm to prescribe for you.

You may want to get a second opinion to see if what you are experiencing is Male-Pattern-Baldness or loss due to scalp irritation or some other non-related problem. Until you really know what your dealing with in the way of hair loss, you can acurately develop a plan to proceed.

Agree with Mrjb........Follipro, nor any shampoo, will actually regrow hair. The only things PROVEN to do this are Finasteride, Duasteride and Minoxidil. You can read more about them by using the "find" feature on this site.

Ditto the information about relatives and hair loss..............there's absolutely no way to predict it from looking to a relative's prior experience.

Take your time and get a referral to another dermatologist to determine whether or not you are experiencing MPB. MPB is usually evidence by a "pattern" of loss on the head. How it occurs will vary for everyone but it usually will start in the temples or hairline....and/or the crown. If it is non-MPB hair loss, it may be evident by skin irritaion where you are losing hair and possibly more of a "patchy" loss versus an actual pattern of loss.

See a professional and get a second opinion.

Good luck,

John,

Welcome to the forums.

There's not much more I can add here, but I thin it is important to determine whether or not you are experiencing MPB or some other issue. Consult with your local doctor (or even go to a dermatologist) to be sure. If it IS MPB, I advise you to get on finasteride (in form of Propecia or Proscar - Proscar you take 1/4 pill a day so you have to use a pill splitter...you can buy tyhat cheap at any pharmacy). You may want to consider trying minoxodil too if you don't mind the messy regime. Both medications if they are working are a lifelong commitment. In other words, once you stop, you will lose any of the positive benefits from the medication.

P.S. Please do NOT consider getting a hair transplant at this time. Try the medication first.

Falc

HI John, Your post really doesn't make it clear that you are a sufferer of mpb. You state that you've noticed you're losing hair and it generally comes from one specific area. Are you losing hair that causes a noticiable or visual thinning of the scalp or are you basing your hair loss on counting hairs in the sink or shower? If in fact you've been dealing with this issue for about three years, you and your doctor should have a good idea if it's mbp or another dermatological issue. From your post, you say the hair in the area of concern has regrown at times. That is not generally a sign of mpb. I'd listen to your doc or locate a dermatologist if that's not the specialist who's currently treating your condition. Pics would help us give you our personal views but rely on a professional diagnosis. If indeed you are a mpb sufferer like most of us here, let me say you've come to the right place. Let us know how things turn out. We're intersted and always here to help. Good luck.