Im 16 and have been losing my hair for half a year.

[Freaked]

At first i didn't know if i really losing my hair for i still am pretty young. Then one day i told my sister to style my hair but when she did i could see my scalp when my hair was wet. I panicked for this was never the case before. I have a counterclockwise whorl or a cowlick in my crown or at least i think i do. Anyways back to topic i nagged my mom about it for a month she took me to a consultant doctor the one were you go if you have a cough or an ache. He said i had a little only gave me a cream and that was it. I nagged my mom to take me to a dermatologist so i could really get examined he said that i was thinning a little in the whorl, he gave me a shampoo called sebryl + and head and shoulders flake for one month one after the other. I did hair still fell out when i was finished. So i told my mother yes i nag alot to take me to an american doctor so she did and i had to wait a month and an hour for the meeting. This doctor said i didn't have anything i was so relieved that i left without asking anything he did however give me a shampoo called narizol or something along those lines. Anyways i didn't buy the shampoo because i didn't find it. To this day hair is still falling and im taking vitamins: saw palmetto - super b complex - biotin - zinc - and fish oil but still im shedding. I don't know if I've gotten worse or what im thinking of trying minoxidil next.

[KO1]

I would consider starting finasteride. If you take it now, you may never go bald. Minoxidil is not really going to do much for you as it doesn't address the underlying cause of MPB.

[Freaked]

But doesn't finasteride/propecia cause limp dick. I come from a bald headed family tree my grandma my uncle my dad my mom. I knew i was going to go bald one day i just didn't know when. Even if i do take finasteride that will only last a few years no?

[Freaked]

I lose about 50 hairs every time i shower i use fructis 3 in one yellow bottle. I lose about 10-30 hairs in my pillow.my hair ends up greasy at night so i shower again and lose another 50 hairs. Tips? The thing is i dont know if all that hair thats falling is growing back.

[efedrez]

But doesn't finasteride/propecia cause limp dick. I come from a bald headed family tree my grandma my uncle my dad my mom. I knew i was going to go bald one day i just didn't know when. Even if i do take finasteride that will only last a few years no?

Hey buddy, I'm sorry you have to go through this at such a young age but you still have a few options to fight back

First let me tell u there is only one picture where I can see some thinning (the last one) and it might be the picture but it doesn't fully look like MPB to me, so make sure to go the right doctor before you jump into any treatmet as it might be other type of alopecia.

Second, yes fin is, for now, the best line of defense we have but you are way to young to take it for now. So if you might want to give minoxidil (Rogaine) a try fist, it's much safer and hopefully enough for you.

Worst case scenario you can start fin by the time you are 18 for sometime until something new is available.

Also, if it helps, check the cutting edge forum, you will find a few promising treatments that should be available soon

Good luck

[Freaked]

The last one being the wet hair or the one where theres a smudge on the mirror?

[KO1]

But doesn't finasteride/propecia cause limp dick. I come from a bald headed family tree my grandma my uncle my dad my mom. I knew i was going to go bald one day i just didn't know when. Even if i do take finasteride that will only last a few years no?

No, these side effects are uncommon, and some forum members love scaring other guys. I would read up on the studies. Fin will keep your hair though.

[efedrez]

The last one being the wet hair or the one where theres a smudge on the mirror?

The one where you are using a yellow t shirt and you can see a picture with a flower in the back.

I'm seeing a thinning patch not common in a regular MPB

[Freaked]

Yeah in that last picture there is a big old smudge in the mirror in this case the middle of my head. The only picture that shows my thinning is the wet the rest are my hair whorl and what i think is thinning around it. however if you're talking about the top of the picture in this case the back of the top of my head thats the whorl the middle is a smudge of the reflection.

[efedrez]

Got it! well in that case your thinning is very insignificant for now and even though you might want to take action its important to put things into perspective and calm down (since its not noticeable yet)

My opinion is that you are too young to star fin. I took fin for 10 years with great results but I started at 20 yo.

Give minox a try if you want and monitor the result...keep in mind shedding will increase a bit at the beginning if you use minox but that is just the way it works

[KO1]

Also, finasteride works forever, it is not true that it will stop working after a few years.

[Freaked]

Ok thanks. Should i start with 2% and as i get older go to 5? And does it work in the front?

[epipapilla]

As far as I am concerned, you don't have any hair loss and you are not going bald!

First: That big spot you see on your head is a normal hair whorl!

Second: If you start using minoxidil, then your hair will become dependent on you using minoxidil, so any hairs that minoxidil helps to regrow will also be lost once you stop using minoxidil. You will also go through major stages of significant shedding using minoxidil. Also, Minoxidil has been shown to work for a maximum of 48 months, if you are indeed a responder to it. So, using minoxidil is like only delaying the inevitable if you have male pattern baldness.

Third: It is normal for people to lose up to 100 hairs daily. My 20 year old brother loses quite a lot of hair when he baths, but his hair is a lot more fuller and thicker than mine!

Fourth: It takes months to evaluate whether a hair regrowth regime is working, not a few weeks. Therefore, I would suggest that you use your current regime for another 4 - 5 months and then re-assess your situation then.

Fifth: Finasteride is a hormone altering drug and is not something that you should take given how young you are and that your body is still developing.

[Illusion]

Hey, I noticed I was balding when I was 16 as well, can't tell for sure when it started though. I hopped on fin and minox when I was 17. You say you've been to quite a few doctors but nothing came out of that, right? You HAVE to consult a hair clinic, not a regular doctor/dermatologist. It might surprise you, but even most dermatologist know little about MPB.

Appointments at hair clinics can be pricey though. But if you're worried about your hair, I really encourage you to do this ASAP. You might regret it otherwise. The doctors in a hair clinic can set up a plan for you, but even now you have to be aware of certain things. Some clinics just try to sell their overly expensive vitamine lotions or whatever to you, which is going to be a huge waste of your money. It comes down to only a few treatments: minoxidil, finasteride (or dutasteride, the stronger version) and nizoral. There are also hair transplants but that's of no use in your case and experimental treatments, which is up to you to decide whether you want to engage in those (not recommended by doctors obviously).

Personally I feel like it's going to be hard to find a doctor for you that will prescribe you finasteride. The scary stories about side effects are blown out of proportion so don't worry about that, but it does alter your hormonal profile which is not exactly what you want when you're 16 y/o. But if you're very worried about it, it might be worth to find a doc who prescribes fin for you. Otherwise you have to wait until you're 18, but there's a good chance you'll lose quite some ground in the meantime.

Hope that helped. But you know, you can already start with minoxidil and nizoral. The only reason to consult a hair clinic would be to get fin (and to see whether you're actually balding but considering your family history, you most likely are).

Hope that helped.

[Illusion]

Also, finasteride works forever, it is not true that it will stop working after a few years.

Finasteride works forever but that does not mean it will combat your hair loss forever. Your follicles can become more sensitive over time so fin will most likely become less effective over time.