21 and bald - don't know what to do

[Vijay]

Hi,

I started losing hair at the ridiculous age of 14/15 due to MPB. At first I was devastated of course, I went to every type of doctor you could think of. The vast majority were unsympathetic and useless (my GP said "all the kids want to be bald these days - its the in thing!").

I started using rogaine and my hairloss slowed down considerably, until last year it didn't look too bad (although obviously thin and everybody knew it). It was always at the back of my mind but I didn't let it affect me too much at school and uni (except the occasional hurtful comments).

However over the last few months I have lost and am still losing a extraordinary amount of hair (especially from the crown) and now have a full obvious horseshoe (think of Prince William's hair but now even thinner than his at the front), with no hairline at all.

I can no longer use concealers like Toppik as its too obvious and now its really affecting me, I can't go outside the house. Everything else in my life is going fantastic - I graduated with one of the highest marks in my Uni Degree and have secured a great high paying corporate job lined starting in a few months - but it now seems so irrelevant, without hair how can you ever look good at 21, get a girl etc..

I need to do something about this horseshoe - I think these are my options:

1). Shave it off. Problem - this will look really really bad on me. I am a short guy (5ft6). I am not naturally thin (until last year I've always been fat but have lost 4 stones by eating healthy and going to the gym everyday without fail - could the increased hairloss be linked to this rapid weightloss??). Despite being slim now - I don't have a sharp angular face and the right head shape. Besides I don't want to be 21 and completely bald anyway.

2). Hair Transplants - I have lined up consultations but from my own research I think I have a very weak donor area (even the hair on the sides and back of my hair is thin). I can't see how so little hair can cover so much scalp.

3). A Micro-pigmentation tattoo. I have thought seriously about this but to me the hairline looks too fake. Plus its not a professional look for my future career.

4). A hairpiece. My dad lost his hair young. It started later than me (about 18) - but progressed much faster. He was at the same stage as me by 22. He has worn a hairpiece since then. It makes him look so much better but warns me everyday that it is horrible, you become a prisoner to your fake hair.

5). Do nothing with the hair and start with propecia. I never took propecia as I was so scared about the side affects (a top doctor said he would never recommend it to anyone under 25, which seriously put me off). Maybe this will be a huge regret in my life, I could have a lot more hair now. I don't know.

What would you guys do? I am getting more and more depressed, and all my immediate family is worried I will throw away everything I have worked hard to earn so far because of hair - but I can't keep this granddad style horseshoe a day longer.