Finasteride and teens

[paulsreef]

My son is barely 15 and his hairline has started to recede aggresively. He has had a huge growth spert over the winter of about a foot, which brings him up to 6 feet. He has a doctors app. to get some blood work done to see if he's lacking something. I spoke with my own dermatologist and he said he wouln't hesitate putting him on Finasteride, but to first see what is blood work shows.

I'm 51 and started to lose my hair in my early 20's and it was a slow process of 25 yrs until most of it disappeared; isn't 15 very early? I'm worried about messing with his hormones while he is still going through puberty.

[Spex]

Hi Paul,

Wow 6 ft at 15yrs old - sounds like he is a unit

15 in my honest opinion ( however im NOT a doc) is too young to get onto finasteride. He is a boy and going through various hormonal changes throwing fin in the mix would not be advisable.

I appreciate its tearing your heart out to see your boy suffer but starting fin that early would not be my personal course of action.

Get his bloods done and see what they show up.

Your derm in my opinion is a little to eager to sell drugs in my honest opinion.

[clandestine]

I'm worried about messing with his hormones while he is still going through puberty.

As you seriously should be, at that age.

[john2399]

I was in the same shoes as your son. I started losing my hair at 15-16 and the doctor told me i could go on propecia or rogaine. I chose rogaine because my mother was scared. Big mistake, I mean rogaine helped me but i still lost alot of hair and now looking back who knows if i coulda saved most of that hair if i got on propecia. It is a big risk but it can pay off in the long run and if the doctor says its ok than i would go on it. Also, i feel that if you do start losing at a young age as i was, and i was 6 feet just like your son, our bodies are def not the typical 15 year olds and maybe he can handle it.

[chrisis]

First, don't listen to your dermatologist. The fact he wouldn't hesitate to put him on finasteride at his age is far too casual a position regarding a hormone altering drug, regardless of whether your son is 15 or 35.

I suffered very bad side effects after taking finasteride at 28, which are still lingering after quitting it a few months ago. I believe that young guys are particularly susceptible, so the mere suggestion of prescribing it to a 15 year old is insane.

If your son suffered permanent sexual impairment because your dermatologist dismissed the risks, how would you forgive yourself?

I think this is a decision you should leave to him when he's 18, both because he's old enough to assess the risks at that age, and his body is more mature.

Maybe you could ask for your son to have some blood work done to see if there are any problems.