23 and balding

[harry]

Hi guys.I am a 23 yr old guy suffering from hair loss.I cannot think of anything other than my hair.Since i have been in college my weight has decreased somewhat and my diet has'nt been that great.I very strongly believe that my hair loss was triggered by the continuous usage of Head and Shoulders shampoo daily for about 3 months.I dont know if there is something with this shampoo but i have read various stories of people using it and sufferring from thinning hair.So i stopped using it thereafter but still the hair loss has continued and now it has been a year and a half since i have been shedding.

So I started doing some research on hair loss lately. There's a lot of great information out there.My temple area has been receeding rapidly.So my questions are:

1. Do i suffer from MPB or can this hair loss be due to some hormonal imbalance?

2. I do not have any crown thinning[by God's grace].Mainly temporal.My major concern is that if i go on propecia will it cause crown shedding as well??

3.Lastly if i apply Rogaine only at the temples will it cause shedding at the crown region as well??

Thanks guyz.

[CIT_Girl]

Sodium laureth sulfate (or sodium lauryl sulfate) is the ingredient in Head and Shoulders that is often pointed to as a possible contributor to hair loss. Sodium laureth sulfate is a lathering agent found in almost all shampoos. However, it's not a necessary ingredient and can be quite harsh on the hair and scalp- though it hasn't actually been proven to promote or directly cause hair loss. Have you seen any regrowth at all since you discontinued use of H&S? Was the hair loss just in the temples, or throughout?

With the pattern of your hair loss, I think you're more commonly seeing early stages of male pattern baldness. Is there a family history of MPB on either your mother or father's sides?

[harry]

No i haven't seen any regrowth after discontinuing H&S.As far as i can examine i only have temple hair loss.
My father is bald to some extent along with one of my uncles - so definitely a baldness gene there.

Do you think it would be better to use Rogaine only for the temple region instead of using Propecia ?[as Fin might affect my crown hair which by God's mercy is still intact]

[harry]

Anyone??

[CIT_Girl]

Harry, I asked Dr. Cole about his recommendation on this. In your case, he thinks Propecia or Rogaine could help. Neither are great for regrowing hair but they can often slow down the hair loss process and may induce some 'peach fuzz'. About 10% of patients will see a slight improvement with either one but only about 1 in 1,000 patients will see a complete reversal of their hair loss.

The combination of both tends to work better than either alone, but Dr. Cole believes that Propecia works better than Minoxidil. Some individuals respond to one better than the other so it may take some trial and error- experiment with both and see what works best for you. Neither one will adversely affect the hair you have in the crown area, but it may make you feel safer to start just with Rogaine since it is topical. If the Rogaine works for you, then great, your problem is solved for the time being; if not, you can move on and try other medical therapies.

Hope this helps a bit!

[Fixed by 35]

I sometimes wonder if Head & Shoulders triggered my hair loss, which has never followed the standard pattern. I started using it in December 2002 when I had thick hair and by December 2003 I had pretty much the same hair as I have now. It's never grown back, sadly.

[Fixed by 35]

Actually, the amount of negativity about H&S from men and women who have identical balding to me on the net is staggering. They all report the same:

1) Recession begins at the point where the hair is pulled (crown area for those who brush forward, temple for those who brush back).

2) Change in texture of hair on top, back and sides.

3) Hair loss was rapid. I remember when I used H&S being amazed at how much hair was coming out just brushing my hand over my head and how much hair was on the pillow in the morning. They all saying the same thing.

4) Hair does not grow back, but they have not really lost any more hair since no longer using the product.

If they ever find a link to H&S and premature baldness (perhaps the shampoo makes the follicles more sensitive to DHT?) I promise I will sue them for every penny they've got! Or enough for some counselling and restorative surgery anyway!

[cuts]

dear harry just shave it or buzz cut it or hide it till it gets worse if you want there is nothing you can do for hair loss as every body who had ht or fue knows it just makes things worse keep your head u look good