Hi guys,

A couple of months ago I went for my free consultation with a hair transplant clinic. I was told I was too young to get a transplant (I’m 21) and that the best thing I could do was to get on Propecia and Minoxodil and also consider buying a laser comb if I was really serious. I was also told that I had very flaky hair and that it wouldn’t be such a bad idea to go and see a dermatologist.

So I went to see my family doctor about my thinning hair, and to obtain a prescription for Propecia. Without him even looking at my hair, I was told "guys your age don't lose their hair; it's a treatable scalp problem". After some friendly arguing over the subject, he referred me to a dermatologist, saying that it was no doubt just a temporary scalp problem. I ended up going to another doctor who happily gave me the prescription I needed. Though I didn’t (& still haven’t) started using Minoxodil because I wanted to see what the dermatologist said.

After a long wait, I saw the dermatologist this week. After looking at my hair for 20 seconds I was told “you have early signs of MPB” and that “you have a bit of dandruff but nothing to be worried about”. He told me that I should continue using the Propecia and start using Minoxodil/Rogaine if I wanted to. But then he began to warn me against using other methods such as laser combs and shampoos. Not simply saying that they were ‘unproven’ but that they without a doubt 100% did NOT work whatsoever and I shouldn’t waste my money on anything like that. From my understanding they are unproven, but for him to declare that he knew they had no positive implications was a bit hard to swallow. It began to make my question how accurate (or inaccurate) he was in diagnosing my hair problem was and how educated he really was in the area.

So now I’m unsure what to do next as the consultant, my family doctor and the dermatologist all offered me different advice. I understand that once I begin Minoxodil treatment I can’t stop so I really want to make sure it’s what I should be doing. I have only been using Propecia for 6 weeks and I think I’m already beginning to notice a little more hair around my crown which is promising. What would you guys suggest I should do? Go and see another dermatologist? Also in regards to Minoxodil treatment, if I’m having some success with Propecia is it best to delay using it as long as possible so I can delay my hair relying on it? Or am I better to start early and keep using it? Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

outhere,

first of all, welcome to the boards. I can see that it's definately confusing getting different advice from different people. First of all, you came to the right place...there are a lot of knowledgable people on here who will help point you in the right direction, however, do not take anyone's word for anything, research all things on your own, and do not be taken in by scam artists. Double check things and ask a lot of questions.

First of all, yes, it sounds like you have the onset of MPB, and without seeing you, I would agree with everything your dermatologist said to you. Propecia and Minoxodil are the only FDA approved medicines for hairloss. I haven't done any research on the lasercomb, so I can't speak for it, but I will tell you, that I don't know anyone who has ever posted favorably about it on here...but don't take my word for it. The big THREE, if you will, are Propecia, Minoxodil, and Nizoral Shampoo. Research them all. What I currently do is use Propecia every day in the morning, Minoxodil 5% at night, and Nizoral shampoo 2% about 4 times a week. I also flip it with Nioxin Shampoo and Conditioner. Nizoral Shampoo will help with dandruff and will also help with any itching that is from the minoxodil. Nioxin shampoo and conditioner are just really nice products, but they DO NOT regrow hair. You can try starting with 5% minoxodil, and if it irritates your scalp, go to the 2%.

21 is generally too young for an HT because you just started losing your hair. Side note: I don't know what your family doctor was talking about...some people lose their hair even younger than 21. Heck, my great grandfather (now passed away) lost all his hair by the time he was 19, and it was because of MPB.

Your primary objective is to get your hairloss under control first, and then later down the road, once it's stabilized, consider getting an HT...or if you are lucky, you won't need one. Don't be deceived...an HT will never give you the thickness of your high school hair that you are looking for, especially if you have a lot of hairloss in the future. The great debate of HTs is coverage vs density. I think some people get real dense HTs because they have minimal loss, but those with severe loss, get less density and more coverage....it all depends on what you are looking for. But you don't know where you'll end up. You will lose more hair most likely, but the products above may be able to get them under control.

Sorry if this mail is all over the place...it's late and I'm tired. I hope this helps.

Falc

outhere,

I want to echo what Falceros said. Definitely stick with your treatments after you start them. This isn't a "start/stop" endeavor! If you decide to utilize minoxidil, know that it is for an indefinite amount of time. There is no cycling on and off. For as long as you want to see benefit, you will have to use it.

The Nizoral should help your flaking as well as assist with scalp inflammation thus creating a more optimal growth condition for your scalp. Definitely check it out.

-Robert

outhere -

I started loosing my hair at 22. I had a 2inch round bald spot by 24. I totally agree with what Falceros and Rob are saying. start out by controlling the hair loss. Propecia will controll it by lessening the effect of DHT. DHT is what causes mpb by attacking the hair follicle. More often than not it will not regrow hair on it's own. It lessesns DHT and that allows hair to grow. The Minoxidil will stimulate hair to grow. The minoxidil (IN MY OPINION) is not as important as Propecia. Minox doesn't fight DHT, it only helps hair grow. At least stick with the Propecia to controll the hair loss. Once it is under controll you can start planning HT. REMEMBER to use this site to help you with that decision!!!!

Go with what the dermatolgist said. They specialize in skin and hair. Your regular doctor means well, but he is not a specialist.

The dermatologist is right that specialized shampoos don't help with hair loss. They will help you normalize your scalp condition though.

Then it comes down to who to believe about the laser comb. I don't think there are any unbiased clinical tests showing it works. However if you have a few hundred bucks you can blow, knock yourself out. Look on Ebay, if you are willing to buy a used one from somebody who tried it.

Other than that I agree with what Robert and Falceros amd tymman said. Get on treatments and stick with it, give it a year or more, then re-assess your situation.

Like the others said, I would definitely stick with the Propecia...I have a good friend who's hair really thickened noticably using it...it may also prevent future hair loss. So even if it does not grow more hair, stopping more hair loss is so crucial. Minoxidal may or may not help...you may want to start with propecia for about a year and check the results...if you still aren't satisfied, you can add minoxidol. This way, you know how effective each treatment is. I will say this, Minoxidol is a pain to use, is very messy and have heard that if you stop using it, you may experience a shedding...not sure, but check into it.