17 - Scared and starting to obsess!

[Gh5]

Hello everyone.

I am 17 years old.

My father is bold (well, has a few hairs on his sides, but shaves it off). My maternal grandfather also lost his hair. So did my dad's brother. So talking about genetics, it's not very good.

A few months ago i started noticing my temples going a bit more back, and the hair on one of the temples (left) being much thinner than the other.

Maybe I just have OCD and don't have any problems with hair loss, but here are the pics, just in case. I am really stressing about it, seeing as most men in my family are bold.

Left side:


Right side:




Should I start worrying and possibly go to a doctor, or am i just over conerned?

Thanks.

[Tracy C]

Hi Gh5,

The first thing you need to know is that males generally lose their temple hair as they mature. This is normal and natural. This is one of the many physical traits that differ between males and females. Most males do not get to keep their temple hair though a few males do. Most females do not lose their temple hair though a few females do.

Since you are aware that hereditary hair does run in your family, it is good that you have started researching to learn what you can do about it. You are probably too young to start on the medication that is most able and most likely to slow it down, stop it or reverse it to some extent. You need to talk that over with your doctor. There are a couple of things you can do for now until you know if you can use that medication or not.

You can start using Nizoral A-D shampoo once or twice per week in place of your regular shampoo. Nizoral A-D is available in the U.S. without a prescription and you can get it at WalMart, CVS or any other store that has a pharmacy. The active ingredient in Nizoral is a mild anti-androgen that may be able to block the hormone that is damaging your hair follicles at the scalp. It is very important that you know not to over use Nizoral. Once or twice per week is enough, so don't use it more often than that.

You can also start on Rogaine foam. The active ingredient in Rogaine foam is Minoxidil, which is one of only two medications that are proven to work and FDA approved for the treatment of hereditary hair loss. Since you are so young, it would be best to start off using Rogaine foam only once per day. After a few weeks or months you can start using it twice per day if you want to. In the U.S., you can get Rogaine foam at WalMart, CVS or any other store that has a pharmacy. Rogaine is currently having a rebate promotion. You can get $20.00 back if you buy a 3-month supply or $10.00 back if you get a one month supply. Here is a link to the rebate form.

http://www.rogaine.com/sites/default/files/pdf/Rebate_Form_P11AN-A1109-38-ROG-CPN-NAT.pdf

If you cannot see the rebate form, here is the link to Rogaine's web site.

http://www.rogaine.com/

I would recommend buying just one bottle to start off with to make sure you can use the medicine without any problems. Then once you know that, buy a 3-month supply and take advantage of the $20.00 rebate.

You can also save money by using generic liquid Minoxidil. WalMart's "Equate" brand generic Minoxidil is very good. I use Rogaine foam in the morning because it is stealthy and then generic liquid Minoxidil in the evening to save money.

My best to you,

Tracy

[Gh5]

Thanks a lot for your response. I do not live in the USA but I am sure I will be able to get a hold of those products. Have a nice day!