21 years old, starting MPB.

[melancholicElephant]

Hi, since last year I've noticed my temples are starting to grow slowly; in the pictures you can see the right one is more prominent, I'd also say I'm losing hair in the crown. My father has got a shiny NW6 at 50, but I suspect I might be getting there sooner, what do you think? As for now my plan of action will be Rogaine foam 5% and Nizoral. I'm afraid of taking Propecia, but I would if it's necessary to keep some of this hair. I'd appreciate any advice, thanks.

Pictures:

http://imgur.com/a/tzUIJ#0Ga6u

[PatientlyWaiting]

You're good right now, but yeah I see receding temples. Have you talked to your doctor?

The best way to stop hair loss is to get on Finasteride. But it's your choice, learn about all the treatments and go from there. But don't let the situation get out of hand, if you care about your hair. Which you do, judging by seeing you signing up here.

[melancholicElephant]

Yes I went to a dermatologist last week, he recommended Minoxidil 3% for a year and a shampoo called Bioderma Nodé but it doesn't have Ketoconazole so I'm gonna change it. In case these don't work he said I should go to see him again so he would recommend something stronger which I suspect is Finasteride. I really feel like trying a Minoxidil + Ketoconazole combo before jumping on Finasteride, I've read some bad stories about its side effects and it's in my nature to be negative in situations like this but I might change my mind about it if my desperation hits the ceiling.

And yeah I do care about it, already feeling like horseshit and it is just starting, but I'll do my best to slow down the progress of it. Thanks for your time man.

[mattj]

I don't think the photos are 100% conclusive. But if your derm prescribed Minoxidil then he must have seen hairloss on close examination.

It's good to start Finasteride early, but hitting your hairloss with Minoxidil could be enough for now.

Have you asked your father when his hairloss started and how bad it was at your age?

[melancholicElephant]

He showed me a picture from his early 20s and he had a ton of hair and some temples, smaller than mine though. According to him it started to be noticeable at 30/31 years old. He's got six brothers and he is the only one with a bald head, in fact just considering my closer relatives he is the only bald person since nobody from my mother's family is bald and I mean nobody.

[mattj]

Your father didn't have the benefit of treatments when he was your age, so even if your hairloss is programmed to progress to the same stage as his and at a younger age, there is every possibility that you can avoid it.

[melancholicElephant]

Well today I just confirmed I'm going bald insanely fast. While applying the minoxidil for the first time in my temples, I look at my hand and it was full of hair just from the temple; it was ridiculous. I believe Minoxidil alone won't be enough, I'm really considering Propecia but I'm scared shitless of the side effects. Mattj what's your view on Finasteride man? Should I include it now or wait to see if the Minoxidil can do the job for the time being? I'd love to hold on what I have now until something better comes out. Thanks in advance.

[mattj]

My view is that Finasteride will give you the best chance of keeping your hair. It isn't without it's risks, but the risks aren't as high as they might seem by being exposed to all of the negative reports you see online. For most users it's a case of side effects? What side effects?

[BeeBot79]

Hey melancholicElephant, I tried two things about 5 years ago to stop my hair loss: Rogaine foam and propecia. I stopped taking the propecia after about 2-3 months because it completely killed my sex drive (which is one of the side effects). It didn't make my junk not work properly, it just made it so I never really thought about sex and didn't want to have any, which isn't good for a married guy! Anyways, I still to this day take the Rogaine foam and I had very good results with it on my front hairline even though it says its mostly for the crown. I definitely recommend the Rogaine foam to anyone, however, the side effects of the propecia did not outweigh the benefits for me. Hope this helps!

[melancholicElephant]

Well I'm starting with a 6 month supply of Kirkland Minoxidil, hope it works as good as the Rogaine foam. I'll definitely have to try some Finasteride, the anxiety rush I had when I saw so much hair in my hand was ****ing ridiculous.

I'll give the big 3 a try and update the post with details about the treatment and pics about the progress of my situation. Thanks for your help guys.