25year old hairdresser going bald, does it get any worse?

[carter08]

:hi guys i just signed up today and as the title suggests i am a young hairdresser and am going bald. i really am on the look out for help and advice!! the thing is am i chasing a lost hope??? what is the best way to go, i got propecia but didnt feel it made a differance but then again i bought it from the net and i dont think i used it for long enough!!


please help guys!

[JimmyG]

There are alot of experts and very supportive people here - you've come to the right place.

Questions you'll probably get asked:

1. How long have you been losing your hair?
2. How advanced is the hairloss?
3. When did you first try Propecia, and how long were you on it for?

I've read that you should be on Propecia for at least a year to evaluate whether or not it's working. There are also alternatives it if really doesn't work, such as Avodart.

[TeeJay73]

Hey Carter08,

I think JimmyG is right - you've found the right forum to find honest, legitimate help. I can imagine it's rough to struggle with hair loss as a hairdresser. "Struggle" is probably an understatement.

First, see a physician and make certain that your hair loss is caused by male patterned baldness. Most likely, it is.

At the age of 25, and if you have only begun to notice hair loss (how long have yo been noticing hair loss?), I think most people on this forum would agree that you are in a great position to treat your hair loss with FDA-approved medication. You may already know that hair loss is caused by a predisposed genetic sensitivity to DHT, which attacks hair follicles, shrinks them causing thinning of hair, and eventually kills them, causing hair loss. Propecia, one of only 2 FDA-approved medications (the other is Minoxidil), acts to inhibit the production of DHT in your body, thus stopping/reversing hair loss, re-thickens hair shaft diameters, and it may even cause regrowth.

So, I think everyone would agree that you should get yourself back on Propecia, but this time you should consider obtaining it via prescription from a physician that evaluates you. And, stay on it for at least 12 to 24 months to assess how you respond to it. one pill per day -- it's easy to take! You may respond superbly to Propecia and realize excellent reprieve from your hair loss for years (even decades!), and may not need to even consider more aggressive solutions such as Proscar (a higher-dose of Propecia), Avodart (a more aggressive anf full-forced DHT inhibitor), or surgical hair restoration.

You are young man! Lots of viable solutions. Try Propecia for 1 to 2 years and let us know how it goes.

TeeJay

[Mike Beehner, M.D.]

Carter 08,
You are right in assuming that 25 is a young age to be losing your hair, but, unfortunately, that IS when most of us who have hereditary male pattern hair loss do start to show signs of it. Assuming you aren't shiny-bald on top and have a fair amount of native hair within the "horseshoe" area on top, going on finasteride (Propecia) is your best bet. There are ways to keep the cost down by breaking up the generic finasteride and taking it every other day. I think it is a little generous to state that it might help for "even decades." I don't think that happens. But it can certainly buy time for ten years and slow things down considerably.
If you are losing the framing of your face in front from thin hair there, then you are old enough to be considered for hair transplantation. The best way to determine this is to have a consultation with a reputable hair surgeon that you have heard good things about and trust. At your age, it is almost always wise to stay out of the rear vertex area (the downhill, circular area in back) and also the front recessions to either side. This is because you never know how far back the temple hair will recede and how far down the side of the head the fringes may fall.
If your hair loss is really early, then sometimes just using a camouflage agent such as Toppik or Dermmatch is enough to buy time for a few years until you make a more definitive decision.
Then there is the option of the non-surgical hairpiece. They do wonderful work these days. I find in my own practice that men have long before decided for either a surgical approach or the non-surgical approach, and I don't see the latter. I also rarely see someone who is "on the fence" between these two choices.
I don't prescribe Avodart, although some physicians do. It isn't FDA approved and I worry that it knocks down DHT too much and raises testosterone more than I like; also it affects a key type of DHT which is in the human brain and we have no idea what the consequences of that might be. I feel it is better to be conservative.
Mike Beehner, M.D.

[carter08]

Thanx guys for your advice i have a few more questions though. i think from what i have read i am in norwood 3 stage? i may b wrong but i am receding quite far and i have a balding patch on the crown area of my head that is noticable, i used to use hair mascara for a while which was good but then the rest of my top hair atsrted to look quite sparce! i live in scotland(edinburgh) does anyone know of a good surgeaon? also do i go to my gp and ask about my hair loss or who? also are hair pieces beleavable? and if so which is best company to go for a really good 1. i am willing to spend some money as it really gets me down! i feel i have lost my good looks due to my balding!

thanks again guys for posting a comment good to hear from genuine people!!

[carter08]

Help help help

hi,

So guys my hair is getting worse it seeems to of been all in a 3 year period and it started of in my crown so my friends call me zidane! anyway please does hair transplants really help? as ive read so many reviews about it being a waste of money!!!

xx

ps. i live edinburgh who is the best person for advice near me?? glasgow? or down in england???